Sunday, August 1, 2021

 Two and a half weeks ago, I took a nasty fall in my home. I was packing everyone up to go grocery shopping. The kitchen and hallway were swept and I decided to mop them when we returned. I briskly walked through the kitchen, with my phone, keys, a bag of recyclables, I found my self falling. Obviously it was a small puddle of urine which is the reason why I mop daily. This is my older brother's elderly dog. A dog who won't die. A dog who is loyally sleeping by my feet as I type this. A dog that barks at my longtime lap dog in anger for getting in my lap.

My doctor who I saw a week later told me to be careful to not fall. GeEWhiz, I Did nOT KnoW. 

It was a fall that was unusual in that I could not get off the floor. I had hurt my back about a week before. My mother had lost her hearing aid which entailed me getting on the floor with a hurt back and looking under her chair. I was able to get up. She found her hearing aid in her ear. 

My right leg and my left hand was injured in the fall. I get a call from my sister's nursing facility. The woman asks if it a good time to talk. She advised me to call 911. And I did after about 30 minutes. I knew I would not be able to get up. 

I am not sure about fate and what you have to learn in the cosmic universe. But I did learn ibuprofen is some good stuff. My knee proceeded to swell. I was so glad to have handicap equipment in the house. I sat in a wheelchair and used a walker for the minimum walking I had to do. It was a misery. But I did get a good lesson in what members of my family go through from my mother not wanting to bend her knee to my sister with a stroke avoiding having to stand to transfer from bed to wheelchair. 

And the drama continues with my sister in the nursing facility. They are locked down due to Covid. This is interesting in that many of the staff refuse the vaccination. My sister has been vaccinated.

My sister will not take my calls. She has had a "friend" tell her what a rotten situation she is in. Last time I talked to her, she had a litany of places that were better for me to check out. I was discouraged to say the least. So as I ran errands, my 91 year old mother called her and gave her a talking to. I have to handle this sister like dynamite, she explodes so easily. There has been a lot of craziness. My sister has had a stroke and it affects her judgement. 

Anyway, sister unfriended me on Facebook which means her drama fest is in full swing. The money she had in an annuity which I was going to withdraw to pay her nursing home fees are in limbo. As the responsible party, I will be stuck with her bill once again. As aggravating as all of this is, it is a heck of a lot better than physical pain. 

One thing I did not learn in life is to not care about things. One night after I had gassed up my car, I saw a homeless couple with their dog. The dog was actually picking at the young woman. I rolled down a window and gave them a twenty. It was all I could do to not say get in and take her home. But I know there is always a story with a story. I don't know why they were homeless. I don't know if they were not homeless and just begging for spending money. I don't know if they would murder me and drive on down the interstate. 

I do know if they appreciated the help, life has probably jaded them to the point they would be difficult to live with. One cause of homelessness and having no one to help is the tendency to burn your bridges. 

At the moment, I feel pretty jaded. I would like to take a walk outside. But the coyotes are active close to my house. I know they want to eat cat. But I never like to be outside when they are near. I'm a bit scared of them.

What makes me feel better are the myriad of pets I have. I've got two backyard cats that are real hams about being fed. They are both feral cats that decided hanging out with a human is not bad, not bad at all. Good thing they got an open mind. I think I will try that a bit too. Meanwhile it is 5:30 in the morning and I have not gotten much sleep. 


15 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about the fall, most unfortunate. I hope you recover okay. I don't understand health workers who refuse vaccination even though their job is to look after others. How can they be so selfish?

    No coyotes here but I guess I'd be a bit afraid of them too.

    As you say, there's always a story with a story and who knows what's really going on when you give someone a bit of cash?

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    1. I've recovered for the most part.

      Selfish and stupid go hand in hand. I've always heard mean and stupid are also close friends. lol I don't wish illness on anyone; but, this new variant is going to make some of the no vaxxers regret their choice.

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  2. A family member is the best carer. Yet, I think you should get some daily or weekly help from the social/health services. It's a bit too much work for you. Perhaps the fall is a warning. You are to pay more attention to yourself.
    Be well, and take care!

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    1. I've been doing this for the past 21 years. When you start, you are younger and more productive. Unfortunately, social services where I live are only for the very poor. I need to hire someone.
      Thank you for your good wishes. I'm really OK. But I would like a vacation. lol

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  3. Ouch - you are lucky your fall didn't do any serious damage - and yes its good you have all the equipment to help you out while you recovered. It is sad when the Caretaker gets sick or falls, who takes care of the Caretaker? I agree with DUTA, you need some help and some "me time" from social services. I hope you will check into that.

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    1. I'm thankful I did not break any bones. It was an odd fall in that I really took a flop on the floor.

      My fall worried my family more than it worried me. My bulldog was so concerned. Dogs can be so human.

      Georgia and California are polar opposites. The only services here are for the very poor and they are inadequate too. I live on faith in keeping up with the challenges. But a break would be great. I do take days to be lazy. Thank you for the kind thoughts.

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  4. Oh gosh, Ann... You are having to deal with too much. I am so sorry. That is a horrible fall. I hope the pain is easing OK.

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    1. I remember when I thought retirement would be great. I did not know I would work harder now than I did as a young woman. But you understand much in caring for your mom. It's tough and wonderful at the same time. My big challenge is keeping a happy mood in the home.

      I'm much better. It is scary with pain. I have a friend who is in her early 40's, but she has dealt with pain from her late twenties.

      Thank you for your kind thoughts.

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  5. Dang, that's a lot to be dealing with. Hopefully the pain is better. I hope that your sister's annuity can be resolved soon so you don't have to keep paying for it.

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    1. It is a process. I think she will get a withdrawal before the end of the month. Hopefully, she will manage the money well.

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  6. Get as much government help as you can get. You must take care! May your burdens be eased in ways you do not expect. Thanks for taking time to visit my blog!

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    1. Thank you Roland. I do feel we have angels that watch over us.

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  7. I've had the strangest, most urgent notion to contact you of late. Reading this post, I guess I know why. The fall could have been much worse, but was certainly bad enough to present a warning. Please be careful, Ann. True, too many people depend on you. But know that a great many more really care about you.
    It's been my experience that if you don't take it upon yourself to pay bills that aren't yours (such as your sister's), the collectors will indeed find a way to get HER money - not yours. Just a thought.
    Take care, dear friend.

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    1. Thank you Diedre. The fall was humbling for me.

      I have been helping my sister for most of her life. It is hard to stop since she is so disabled. I had never experienced the results of a stroke before. This makes it harder. But she is open to doing what she needs to do.

      My experience with collectors is how they will protest that have to protect a person's privacy and then say I can pay their debt of X amount of dollars. lol

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  8. I am sorry to read about your fall - the post must have gone live when my reading list was AWOL. And I am equally sorry to read bout your responsibilities - which must grind you down some days. Look after yourself as much as you can.

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