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Out of context: Reply #74696
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- i_monk38
This afternoon I had to lift my elderly neighbour off his shower floor, stepping in his blood and shit with my socks. He was grey, his legs so frail. Didn't think 'don't move him, in case it's more serious', could only think of getting him off the floor, because that's what you do when a little old lady meekly knocks on your door and is barely able to say her husband had fallen. I got him into one of those plastic shower seats—probably what he fell out of in the first place—while his wife called for an ambulance. She's been going senile for a year now, couldn't remember '911' for an ambulance. The paramedics bandaged the deep gash in his leg and got him to walk to the gurney in the hallway. I couldn't tell what he'd hit his leg on, but there was blood smeared all over the tiles. He was shaking, shock I suppose, when they wheeled him out.
My dad has a long history of falling and I thought about that the entire time. He's broken both hips, fractured his ribs and a vertebra, and splattered blood across the bedroom floor from hitting his head, on four separate occasions. Those are just the ones that did serious damage: two years ago he fell on some ice in the driveway and couldn't get up without a passerby's help. Tonight my mom told me about a time he fell out of the bathtub when I was away at college—I hadn't heard that one before. Two months ago he fell in their laundry room; no injuries but he couldn't even turn himself over and my mom couldn't lift him anyway, so my sister and brother in law had to go over to pick him up. His feet have been fucked up since his days as a paratrooper, they don't always work properly. (My mother fell last October and broke her arm, checking the neighbour's mail while they were away.)
I can still smell the blood and shit seven hours later. Frailty is terrifying.
- You're a good human, i_monk. <3PonyBoy
- Mensch!Continuity
- upvoted your readiness to help, the situation is fucked up. I had to do it once with my grandfather. he was so ashamed. fuck getting old eh...oey_oey
- Youse a good dude.jagara
- pics?drgs
- Well done mateHayzilla
- Old age is the single most horrifying thing in life.shapesalad
- One day we will all be in such a situation and then you'll be happy to have a partner or a good neighbour to take care for you.milfhunter
- Very well done :)OBBTKN
- The thing is, that old man, inside, he feels like he did at 28, or 35, 40... just the body isn't responding like it used to do.shapesalad
- First, spot on because your fight or flight instinct probably saved this man, but also your personal history and that trauma.. take a day off.garbage
- Elderly down in the shower is one of the few "don't don't move them" situations. It could be a minor stroke, myocardial situation, or a medication complication.garbage
- That shit is not easy, not even for the pros. Stellar job, and also take a breather and give yourself some time.garbage
- Rule One of trauma is having to take some of it for your own. Anybody who says otherwise is a fucking liar.garbage
- Good job. Frailty, specially with old people, makes me very sad :,(maquito
- Empathy!ideaist
- crazy, man. way to step up, it's tough to be put in that situation_niko
- I've had to do the same thing for my Mother-In-Law a few times... it's pretty upsetting. But I'm glad I've been able to help. It's what family is for.exador1
- so for what it's worth, i know how it feels dude. Proud of you.exador1
- damnYakuZoku
- Sad but good that you were able to helpSquiddy
- Good man. Also, old people need to wear helmets more oftencrazyprick
- My grandfather died falling off the toilet, hitting his head on the tub, lost consciousness and then suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen.cotton
- I didn't sleep much last night, I keep thinking about it.i_monk
- I can relate. I hope to have neighbours like you when I'm that oldhotroddy
- @cotton - i almost died from losing consciousness (trauma to the head causing brain hemorrhage. ) and it's probably not a bad way to go. you just fall asleep.hotroddy
- Jeez cotton, that's a rough one.
@imonk It's hard to shake the gravity of those situations, and quite frankly it takes some time. You did the right thing.garbage - thank god you were there i monk, i've heard some nightmare situations involving wives unable to move their husbands in later life. horrible thing to contemplatekingsteven
- @i_monk you have a big heart. Respect.Krassy
- Yes, it very much is. Thank you for sharing, I hope you're OK.BuddhaHat
- Bless you for your help. May someone do the same for you someday.cannonball1978