Fallen again

THis is crazy. It's happening every month now. It's 21st June and he knocked two vases of flowers over as he fell onto the kist.

... and again.

Geoff fell again this morning. He got up at 02.30, went to have a pee and fell. Luckily onto the toilet rather than on the ground so I could hold him until he felt okay to stand again. Then I let him lean on me to get to bed, but I'm beginning to realise we can't go on like this. I'm not that strong, and even though he only weighs 69 kilos he is still heavier than me and sometimes a deadweight.

Thinking about the day-to-day

 Sometimes you just read a passage in which a person just gets it! Here is one (from caregiver support on Reddit): 

"And unless you’ve lived with it under your own roof, it’s hard to explain the psychological toll. There’s no true off-switch. Your body stays semi-alert all the time. Even when nothing dramatic is happening, part of your brain is still monitoring the environment, waiting for the next need, accident, confusion, or escalation. Seeing a loved one decline from a distance is not the same as having your home, sleep, routines, marriage, and nervous system reshaped around it every day."

He fell through the glass lounge door yesterday

 Geoff's physician (a doctor Dr Asheen Haripersad, I think, I probably have the spelling wrong) suggested he might be having atypical tonic clonic seizures, and I think that's a very likely scenario. The fact that earlier yesterday (the same day, in other words) he fell at about lunchtime and was very disorientated. I thought it was a slight concussion and was just going to leave it, but when he fell again later the same day, it was a bit drastic! I heard a loud crash and then breaking glass. I screamed and ran through from my computer. My son Michael came running in too (he is staying on our property at present, in the converted garage) and staunched the bleeding with his hand. It was quite deep, the cut. We debated whether to take him in for stitches or to just wait until today when he had an appointment with a doctor (coincidentally) but then our neighbours, who came through to help, said they would help get him into the car and into the hospital. Which we did. THis was his injury - not all of it. The thing both Michael and I were concerned about, was the cut over the top of his head. It was superficial, but it was across the very delicate skin covering the muscle and then the brain (no protective skullbone there) and so we decided he had better be seen by a professional. I messaged our Dr Landau - who's been his plastic surgeon for 15 years - and he said to tell the hospital he would like to stitch it himself. And he ordered a CT scan. So today he is being operated on under anaesthetic. 

And then a photo Sarah (my daughter) took today! 

So not too worrying. So now we wait to hear what happened today. 

Just to make a note ...

 I keep a record here of when Geoff falls. He has just had another fall. It was a bad one in that he didn't know where he was when he sat up. Well, to be accurate, when I sat him up  (using two footstools and two pillows). It took several minutes for him to realise where he was. he kept asking where he had been. He asked me that four or five times, I replied each time. It reminded me a little of the time Michael fell off the swing, so I imagine he was concussed. We are going to a doctor tomorrow (about his itchy skin) so I will mention his fall then. 

I'm reluctant even to write this ...

 ... but damnit, it looks like it's a three-month fall every time. Two today. No reason. Actually (it's now March 29th, I think there is a reason! I measured his blood pressure that day, and it was 90 over 57. The next day I measured it again (after he'd had salty chips and salty porridge for breakfast) and it was 115 over 70. So I conclude, it is low blood pressure. 

Looking Back

 I do believe I've got my husband back! He's funny, he's romantic, he's silly and he's doing stuff around the house. It's bloody amazing, I never thought this could happen.