Sunday 14 May 2017

Mystery fall

Okaasan fell in the kitchen last night.
We think she is ok. But who knows? 86 year old, fell back hard on her bum and back - finally crawled to her sleeping area and has been there for the last 24 hours. Wearing diapers. Refusing (as usual) food. Can't really sit up without moaning about pain....

The usual in this family. Leave her be for a few days. Just give her some water. Check on her a bit. Leave her there. On the carpet staring at the TV.

If it was my parent she wouldn't be left there. 
But she isn't and this is her choice, and the agreement of her son.
It's worked before....so we wait to see again.

The awful thing is: I have a feeling this fall may have been my fault.

:-(

I don't know. I was upstairs switching off my TV. I'd just called Okaasan to dinner.
Maybe she was heading to or from the toilet....and just to the left of the kitchen door are some car floor mats...under a heavy poinsettia pot plant. The mats are grey...the kitchen carpet is grey.
Hard to see the change in surface...did Okaasan trip over the edge of the mats?

They aren't right by the kitchen door....about half a meter to the left....they've been there a week or so - too cold to risk a poinsettia outside.

All I heard from upstairs was a loud crashing sound....and when I opened the kitchen door Okaasan was on her back behind it....groaning......

Dear Son was at work. I had to deal with it. Cushions, blankets, lots of positive chat etc to get Okaasan to check things were not a crises.....and then to get her to crawl back into her room. After 40 mins she did it.

And she's been there ever since.

So. We'll see.

* I was going to write about my question to a lawyer about what to do with Okaasan if Dear Son suddenly dies......but I'll keep that for another post.


5 comments:

  1. After reading your blog for years I am not surprised anymore by the "leave her be" approach, but like you I still do not agree with it. Fingers crossed there is not a fracture hidden somewhere.

    Francesca

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    Replies
    1. Me too. Me neither? That is the way this family deal with injury or sickness. Don't eat, stay quiet. Wait for the body to self-heal.....we are changing her diapers and getting her to drink water...and waiting. By Wednesday...if she isn't more mobile I will start making big waves about outside help.

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  2. So sorry that you all have to go though this. I hope that she magically recovers soon.. Nancy

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  3. oh dear, poor okaasan. I am also of the 'let the body self-heal' camp, but not sure okaasan's current sitting and moaning in pain state would sit well with me..hope she feels better soon!

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  4. So hard at those times but I guess you do what you have to do.

    BTW, you guys aren't married, right? Might be worth both of you getting that paper and writing wills just-in-case.

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