Dad's Fall

Dad fell again, yesterday just before noon.  Again, he was moving around his room without his walker and collapsed, but this time he broke his hip.  I phoned them around noon expecting to talk about the good time they had had during Bill’s visit last week and was surprised when a strange woman answered.  She passed the phone to mom, who was very upset.  We spoke for only a couple of minutes because she was going to drive to the hospital in the ambulance, as usual.  When she got home again and called me it was to say that dad’s hip was broken, the doctors and nurses were wonderful, they were going to operate either Sunday or Monday, BUT because of dad’s age and frailty, they had to decide whether or not to resuscitate him if that became necessary.  Mom was in tears as she explained this to me.  The doctor said that the procedures are rigorous and might cause more harm than good, so they agreed not to do anything out of the ordinary if he fails during the operation.  Mom had had to leave dad in the emergency ward, but she called me back later at night to say that a nurse at the hospital had phoned to tell her that he had been transferred to a room and given painkillers.  I thought she was going to call me this morning, but she hasn’t called yet; it’s noon.  I phoned her, but there was no answer.  We don’t have cell phones, and I haven’t really wanted one.  When I’m outside, alone, I don’t want to be phoned, but this incident might drive me to get one.  Jay has mentioned giving me his i-Phone when I’m in Korea in September; he will buy a new one.  I think I’ll take him up on it.  He can teach me how to use it while I’m there.  I hope all is still well and that she is at the hospital with dad now, but I’m not too hopeful about dad’s recovery.  I spent some time last night making two lists, one of things I’ll have to take to Victoria and the other of details to be dealt with here before I go.  We’ll see.  Those two have worked miracles to keep each other alive before; maybe they’ll do it again. 

I work when I’m worried, so that’s what I’ve been doing.  Since noon yesterday, I’ve washed every window in this wee house that I can manage safely with one wing.  We have had 2 days of warmth and glorious sun, which is wonderful except that it reveals all the dust, bird droppings and spider webs on the windows.  Now the view through them is unimpeded, and I will eat my lunch watching the purple finches at the feeder.  They are the only birds I have this season, but at least the males are bright and beautiful.  I even did some gardening this morning.  I set up the perforated hose along the line of cedars so that it will be easy for a friend to water them if I’m away.  There are 4 that I think might not have survived last summer’s 3 weeks of neglect while I went east.  All the weeding I did in the first 2 summers is paying off.  I had very few to dig up this morning, but it’s early yet, and I know that if I’m away long, the more unwanted they are the more they will take advantage of my absence to thrive.