4-8-10 @11:47
As you know yesterday was a very hard day for mother. I tried to speak to most of you to give information as soon as I could. Because of all that was going on I would give some details to one brother and not to another. So I will summarize the events of the day for you. Sorry if all this is a repeat of what you know.
At approximately 2:00am, Mother got out of bed to use the bathroom. Upon returning to her bed, she lost her balance and fell on her right side. She hit her head on the floor and twisted her ankle. She made attempts to get up off the floor but could not.
She told me that some time around 3:30am she decided to call out to get someone in our homes attention. She said that she began calling “Anne…..Robyn…..Kathy. With no response. At 4:00am I was awakened by her yelling “help-me……..help-me…….help-me………help-me……”.
At first I was slow to respond thinking that Kathy was yelling at Anne to get up for school. As you know Mothers bedroom is on the other side of the house so her cry sounded like Kathy calling for Anne. I awoke, discovered Kathy still in bed and then looked at the clock. It was 4:00am. I ran into her room and found her on the floor. Kathy came in behind me and helped me get her off the floor and into her bed.
At 7:20 Mother called my cell phone because she could not get out of bed. I guess that this was easier than yelling for me to come into her room. I went into her bedroom to find her still in bed but unable to get out to go to the bathroom. It was all I could do to get her out of bed to the bathroom. She said her right leg was really hurting.
I called Kathy at work and asked her to help me with Mother. When she came home she helped get her out of the bathroom.
At 8:00 we got her some breakfast and then at 8:30 I gave her a priesthood blessing. By 9:30 we loaded her in the ambulance to Dixie Regional Medical Center. I had considered transporting her to our hospital here in Mesquite but we just don’t have the specialists needed for the kinds of problems Mother could have as a result of her fall. As it turned out, this was a good decision.
At the ER x-ray showed two fractures on the Fibula (small lower leg bone) and the Tibia (large lower leg bone). See attached x-ray. Dr Reber with Coral Desert Foot and Ankle happened to be at the hospital when we arrived. He reviewed her x-rays and agreed to take her case. He reports that he will pin the break on the Fibula and place a wire on the fracture on the Tibia. The surgery will be sometime on Friday. I will keep you posted. Coral Desert also has an office here in Mesquite.
After the x-ray they placed a splint on her leg to keep it in place. The person that did the splint told me that he would set it so it would not hurt. The way he set it I think was not the best position because she still complains of pain. Mother is also experiencing pain in her back as she always has and now her leg really hurts. She is receiving pain meds at this time.
After the surgery Mother will not be able to walk for 6 weeks and will require a rehab care facility. I am looking at the one here in Mesquite called Highland Manor and I have submitted a request. I will keep you posted. It will be May before she can return to Vernal.
That is what I know for now. I will visit with mom this afternoon and I will let you know about the time of the surgery and the where she will go after that.
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I Just found this e-mail from Mike and Greg. I think it should be included.
ReplyDeleteI just spoke to mother. She is hurting and in the hospital in St. George. I asked her what they had done for her. She said, "Nothing, only tortured me!!" She thought she would be able to go to the hospital in Mesquite, get an x-ray and go back to Robyn's home. Robyn said the hospital in St. George is better able to care for mother if there is a broken bone. We don't know the timing for x-ray or when mom will be able to go back to Mesquite. I asked mom why she fell and she said she was turning around to get back into bed and her legs just folded and down she went. That just pains me to think she was on the floor for two hours. She needs a button to call for help.
Greg.
Just spoke with Mother. She is eating a little breakfast. Robyn has a neighbor coming over to help give her a blessing. She said she really hurts. She thinks her leg is broken. Who knows? I told her I suggested to Robyn that we get an ambulance over there to load her up and take her to the hospital. Robyn knows the paramedics and will make the call. Mother as you can guess doesn’t think that is necessary but I told her we don’t want to risk further damage by trying to load her into the car. I think she is ok with it. So after eating and the blessing Robyn will have the ambulance come over and take her. That will be better going to the ER as she would have to sit in the waiting room and wait. This way they will take her right in. I can tell you that is much better!
Mike