h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last Monday, my father fell on the floor at home and couldn't get up again. After an hour or two of trying, he crawled to the phone and called 911. The ambulance came and brought him to Clinton Hospital, where it was discovered that he had a urinary infection and an injured foot. They kept him a few days.

I went out Thursday afternoon and brought him home form the hospital. Everything was fine for about a day, but Friday afternoon he sank to he floor and couldn't get up again. he was breathing so heavily that I feared he'd have a heart attack. I called 911, and he went back tot he hospital.

It takes time to get over an infection. The antibiotics that they give you make you weak and sleepy. I'm not surprised he was so weak. I'm just worried that he's reacting to these events with feelings of panic. There my be ways to slowly get back on one's feet, but trying to go too fast just wears you out and makes it more likely you'll fall again, possibly harder than you want.

since I had near-on pneumonia and cellulitis in my legs around the same timeI now have weak leg muscles and if I "fall" I can't get up unless there's something to hold as a lever etc. I can therefore understand, I hope your dad recovers well Paul

I tried to get Dad to try using a cane to hold onto, but he refuses to use canes, so he had never practiced using one. There are a lot of people who have trouble getting around, and who find canes, walkers, etc. useful. I've used canes and even crutches at times. You simply learn to use them. No big deal.

Best wishes to him, Paul. I use a cane when I need one - tell him to get a decorative one, I've got several.

Sorry to hear your father is having these problems, paulh

Crutches and canes were invented shortly after man invented the wheel

I inherited two old canes. One is fitted with a handle of ivory. The other is decorated with pure silver. I kid you not! Both belonged to an ancient chief forester who died decades ago. I believe them to be at least 100 years old.

During gout attacks I have to resort to a pair of modern crutches

I've used canes. I've used crutches. When you need them, you use them.

Powered wheelchairs are usually covered by medicare for elderly people who've had falling incidents.

During his last years my stepfather used to commute the half mile to his main hang-out at the local American Legion Hall in his.

An entry ramp is, ot course, essential.

And you can have races.

You can also decorate them and participate in golf cart parades

Yes, we have private streets and many of us have carts for local use. On many holidays we decorate them and ride through the neighborhood! I have helped a few neighbors decorate their electric wheel chairs so they could participate,

F <dolphin

I saw my Dad go down a few times - a crowbar to the jaw (levering an 8' snowblower into place), a horse kick to the chest. Almost down when he was beyond tipsy at my first wedding . . . So far as I know, he only once dropped due to any health consideration - and he never got up again. EMS chaps figured he lived, sort of, maybe 20 seconds more.

Best guesses were that he had 3 to 5 silent heart attacks in the years leading up, but the big one was the end. He was not quite 77 years old.

Paul I am so sorry to hear that your Dad has been poorly. Best wishes and I hope it won't be long before his urinary infection is cleared and is injured foot healed. Take care

I'm betting that clearing up those health issues will leave him a lot stronger, but who knows? Interns are usually encouraged to treat frail elderly patients at some point in their training, because it's so tricky figuring out what the results will be. In my father's experience, most falls have been a result of infections that weakened him. He's usually amazingly self-sufficient.