Falling

Today Mommy fell again.

I was cleaning the toilet in her bathroom and she came in to see what I was doing (she always thinks I am throwing her things away), and she stepped on the scales. I went over to read her weight for her, and help her step down. When I turned back around, she must have stepped on it again, then down, but lost her balance and fell straight back. She hit the small of her back, squarely on Shadow's water dish. There she was laying on the floor, and of course, couldn't get back up.

She fell recently, last Saturday, slipping as she got up or down from the bed. She was right by the phone, then, so she called to tell us. She somehow bumped her head, and her leg. Linda was here later that day, but neither of us could see any bruising or swelling.
When she fell today, of course, it was the small of her back that was hurt by the water dish. I had a hard time getting her up, trying to figure out the best way to give her simple instructions that she could physically and mentally carry out. In the end, (sort of in the old "While you're up..." way that we used to get anyone to get something for us if they got up from the table during a meal), I said, "While we're in here, let's go ahead and give you a sponge bath and change your housedress." Then, when that was done, I decided to tackle the getting up from the floor process, again.

This time I moved her legs, so that her feet were braced against the bottom of the toilet, and told her to put her arms around my neck. I hugged her around the waist and lifted, while instructing her to "push up with your legs and try to stand on your feet." With some effort, this worked... this time.

Her mobility issues are worsening. She's unable to keep her balance, even with the cane, because it's only there to prop her on one side. I was already going to call the medical supply store this week, about a hospital bed that can be lowered, so might as well throw in a walker!

When I got her to sign Katlyn's birthday card, she couldn't write "love" (though I'm sure she felt in her heart). All of the letters were piled up on each other and she got very frustrated. I will probably sign them all, from now on... sadly.