Don's fall

Last Saturday, Oct. 2nd, Don was out trimming some branches that were in the way of our satellite dish. He was getting to put the ladder away when he saws branches dragging on the roof about our garage. He put the extension ladder up as high as it would to, leaning on a limb. He reached farther out and lopped off a branch, causing the limb that the ladder was against to flip upward. The ladder fell, and he fell (his feet were 6 feet up on the ladder and he is over 6 foot tall) the back of his head landing on our concrete driveway. His forearm and hip landed on the ladder we think. The ladder is bent and broken from his landing on it. I was indoors with Joshua, the little boy that I teach. I heard the ladder fall, then I heard Don's moan. We hurried out there and Don had a pool of blood under his head. The gash on his arm had flesh hanging out.
Nell, across the street called 911. I hurried in the house to get some towels to hold pressure on his head wound. (The blood soaked through 2 folded in fourths terry towels.) He never lost consiousness. I kept talking to him when it looked like he would close his eyes. It took 20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive - we live about 1/2 mile from a hospital. He fell about 5:00 p.m. - got to the hospital at 5:30. Amazingly he broke no bones. They kept his neck brace on for hours, until they were certain there was no neck injury. He had cat scans, x-rays, and finally about 10:00 was sutured up. He got to his room about mid-night or later. At 1:30 they were ready to let us sleep - I stayed in the recliner chair. We both got about an hour or two of sleep that night.
Everytime Don would move or turn his head the room spun and he vomited. Sunday I left for an hour or so to take a nap, then went back and spent the next night in the recliner again. It was very difficult to get blankets for both Don and me, and the room was very cold.
I was exhausted, and didn't feel safe to drive, so the Morochos, Skeltons, Curt Baker, and Andy were gracious and gave me rides when I needed them. I have resumed driving since Thursday.
On Tuesday, after dinner, (10:30 p.m.) Don was transferred by ambulance to the Renaissance Rehab Hospital. What a bumpy ride it was. It was only a block or 2. I rode in the ambulance - miraculouslly Don did not throw up on that ride. So by 11:00 p.m. they were still admitting him so I call the Morochos for a ride home.
Don was evaluated on Wed. and has occupational and physical therapy working with him. He shows no deficits from the head injury. All that remains are his stitches, and a little dizziness when we first gets up.
We have had a latin experience - time is of no essence. He is to go home today, Saturday, Oct. 9th, after lunch, but that could be any time later today.
I asked on Sunday for a bedside commode for him and they brought one to his room on Tuesday, with only a pink plastic wash basin under the rim.(This is a new, wealthy hospital) I asked for a laxative for him for days - he got one about Wednesday. Hospital routines are completely different from Kansas. Several of his aides could barely speak English. The staff are Latin, Philippino, Taiwanese, Korean.
Two ladies who said they were chaplains ( in Spanish) came in and could understand no English. Don spoke a little to them in Spanish - it seems they were Catholic. In the Hospital there are no Gideon Bibles in the drawers. Someone said they are not allowed. But here in the same complex there are 2 in each room, one in Spanish and one in English. Feels more 3rd world here than U.S.
But underscoring it all - GOD IS SO GOOD.
God has preserved both Don and me from events that could have been fatal. I had massive pulmonary embolism in June, Don had a fall that could have paralyzed him, killed him, or at least caused broken hip, arm or skull. He fell so hard.
Dr. Viswamitra was just in to dismiss him. She said he could benefit from 2 more days of therapy, but that he said no, he is ready to go home. So she will discharge him today. I could write and write about the ways God has undertaken for us and our needs, but that will be another entry. I have taken pictures all summer, but haven't been able or had time to down-load them all.