After the Fall-continued

Guess who got to drive him to the doctor tonight, since he was vomiting, and in so much pain, with a heart rate of 104? Yep, 45 miles down the mountain to urgent care, only to get a doctor who decided it was only a sprain with a cursory exam and no ex-ray, based upon the "mechanism of the fall."

Papa’s bombed out on pain killers and doesn’t bother to show her exactly where the pain is….IN HIS FOOT and I explain that he’s home alone, so it would really make me feel better if they ex-ray his FOOT.  To appease me, she reluctantly orders an ex-ray and I push his wheelchair to the Radiology area.  The tech says, "Ok, so we’re taking a picture of his ANKLE."  I say that it’s really his whole foot, and I try to point out where it’s hurting.

"I can ONLY do what the Doctor ordered and it says ANKLE" she says.  I very politely ask if she could call the doctor…..and she stops me in mid sentence with ‘YOU can go ask her!" and then tells me to step outside. 

Of course, the ex-ray is negative and I express my concern to the doctor. She says that it’s only a sprain and suggests that she prescribe a walker since Papa is having such a time getting around and staying vertical! Papa declines a walker and I push him to the car in the wheelchair and we head home…..45 miles UP the mountain.

Papa says…."Do you think you can take Ab to school for awhile since I can’t walk? " I just burst into tears, because it’s more of him shutting down…staying in bed, and wasting away. I am back at work, and can't do anything about it!

I tell him my concerns, and that if he can’t even get up to get a bite to eat, or drink, that he’s going to just lay there and die. 

He doesn’t respond.

I am beginning to think that laying there and dying is exactly what he wants.