Hubby had a scary incident yesterday. Apparently he got up in the night and fell between his bed and the closet door. Since we’ve both had terrible colds, and I snore, he’s been in our guest room, so I heard none of this.
He said when he woke up, in a pool of blood, he had no recollection of having gotten out of bed or of falling. Which is really weird because he has two large gashes on the top of his head. And the door and rug looked like there had been a murder in that room!
He didn’t come and get me, which I was really pretty angry about, and simply got back into bed. In the morning he told me about it, and I went about cleaning his wounds and dressing them with antibiotic ointment.
I admonished him for not coming for me, and I wanted him to go to the doctor, but he refused. So I told him he had to have a quiet day.
Then I went into the room and began cleaning the door, wall and rug. The wall and door was easy, but the rug was a three part process. (Thank goodness I have a carpet cleaning machine!) In the end, I got out all the blood and there is no stain.
Still I am worried about Hubby. He is 78 years old and has several health concerns. I’ll be watching him like a hawk and when he goes to the doctor again later this month, I plan to go with him.
Meanwhile, I am cooking good healthy meals for him, including blueberry muffins for his breakfast, and trying to make things easier for him.
Glad he seems OK. Probably just a combination of getting up without remembering where he was sleeping plus some vertigo induced by that cold. Blocked ears/sinuses can wreak havoc!
Don’t give him a choice…he needs to see a doctor.That could be a concussion, even if the falling is related to the head cold.
MB, I’m sorry to read about this incident. I’m thinking that one possibility for his not coming to get help could be issues going on in his brain. As things progress with cognitive issues, the reason some seemingly simple tasks become difficult is more than “forgetting;” it’s partly due to the brain having difficulty processing (much less completing) tasks that require multiple steps (which so many actions involve). He may not have come to get help because that would be a “next step” after realizing he’s hurt himself. “Next steps” in this incident would be trying to get up (a multi-step process all its own), calling out for help, or simply getting back in bed (if he didn’t even recognize he was hurt, but realized he wasn’t in bed). His diabetes and cognitive issues can interfere with the ability to feel pain, so he may not have even recognized he was hurt. I’m glad he has an appt coming soon. It can be hard to convince them something is wrong. That’s when we must simply insist (without making a fuss or arguing with them) and very “matter of factly” take them to the doctor anyway. There comes a time when attempting to “reason” with them (over most things) is no longer an option. It’s one of the hard parts of being a caregiver. Hugs to you, MB!
Oh gosh, how frightening! I do hope he’s feeling better today.
Whew – what a scare!