I often think of falling at this time of my life. Tripping and the possible damage done. Older folk have this problem and there are more stories than I can recall about these kinds of incidents. My wife and I are constantly warning each other of obstacles on the paths we walk. We pay attention and this has become a good habit. BUT!!
A normal Thursday morning and I was walking to the truck to put in a handful of small items, then start the truck to warm it up for our trip to Sulphur Springs. It was going to be a good road trip day for us. Lunch out to boot.
My left foot caught the raised edge of our carport entrance and I suddenly found myself flying through hanging yard tools, both arms outstretched in front of me finding only air to support my forward motion. I hit the ground, the left forearm taking the brunt of the fall. And there it was, my worst fear coming true. I had fallen and could not get up.
I did a quick system check, all was ok but my forearm reported some discomfort. Nothing broken, but I knew the wound on my arm would mean a trip to the emergency room. A peak down the sleeve of my sweatshirt confirmed the injury and bleeding. I am on blood thinners now, but am fortunate that I do not bleed any more than I did before the blood thinners. The wound would need attending to, but not serious enough to worry about laying there on the ground.
I had not taken my cell phone with me, so I had no way to tell my wife in the house I had fallen and could not get up. She would be coming outside in a few minutes. I knew she would find me on the ground and would immediately know I was in a predicament.
For the next ten minutes I tried and tried to find some leverage, a method, an incline, a yard tool handle on which to somehow raise myself into a position of standing. But was no vertical structure along with that to help me to that position. All I could do was struggle.
“If only I had................” thoughts and none helpful. Enough time to realize that this situation could have been much much worse had my wife not already been in the queue for coming outside or not at home. I was not able to find any solution for getting up in the time that passed. I was smart enough to not make the situation worse by getting onto bad knees and then falling again in a poorly planned “solution” causing a worse injury.
She did find me sitting helplessly on the gravel driveway. A neighbor was called, arrived but because he had just clipped the tips of his middle fingers off his right hand using a jointer the day before, lacked the strength and grip to help raise me. Other neighbors, usually always home and available in a moment like this, were gone.
Calling 911 brought our local volunteer EMTs to the house within 7 minutes. Two of the men stood me up, dusted me off and bandaged my left forearm. They helped me into my wife's car and we were off to the emergency room on the outskirts of town.
Ironically, my wife had delivered a couple dozen of Christmas cookies to the emergency room at the hospital the day before. The gal behind the desk wondered why they were receiving Christmas cookies and my wife said she and her husband were “frequent flyers” there for the past 5 years. The next day she was bringing me in again for an injury needing emergency care.
The long of all of this is that I was fortunate. Wife was home, local 911 help folk live just up the street from us, sweatshirt prevented dirt and rock road rash debris, and the wound needed cleaning but would heal just fine the the weeks ahead. I had, though, removed a good portion of skin from my forearm.
I have had a lot of time to think about this now and making a plan for that if either my wife or I fall in the future, we will have communications at hand. This is a work in progress.
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Woodshed in New Hampshire topped off last week.
New LED night lights.
Bigger tires and then some!
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CHRISTMAS COOKIES
My wife has baked over 40 dozen of several different kinds of Christmas cookies completed today for local friends, businesses and family. Delivery will be accomplished this coming week.
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Fried in butter!
Fresh veggies with Raspberry vinaigrette.
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JIBBER JABBER
Best Chevrolet Christmas Commercial
Thanksgiving Turkey will happen Christmas Day here. Then Silver Wedding Anniversary and the New Year.
Winter has been very mild. A good hard freeze for a few weeks would be helpful to kill off spring/summer bugs.
Started re-watching Yellowstone series from the beginning, following Taylor Sheridan's Landman season 2 with interest and on the 17th, FALLOUT season 2 begins. We are fans!
Have a good week and thanks for visiting.
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