At 5:15 am I woke to an all too familiar sound, the sound of Ben falling. Next thing I heard was his voice as he hollered to me for help. I ran down the stairs to find him on all fours in front of the toilet. I was able to help him up and to a chair. I evaluated him for obvious injuries but did not see any scrapes or bruising. He was experiencing a lot of pain. I always worry about internal bleeding after any falls because my husband takes a blood thinner. I got Ben settled in his recliner, gave him is morning medication, minus the blood thinner, and some Tylenol for pain. Now it was time for me to get some rest. I slept with one eye open to make sure Ben did not develop breathing problems. We were able to sleep for a couple hours before he started to complain about increased pain. I was sure this would end in a trip to the emergency room (ER) but was willing to wait until Ben was willing or wanted to go. Everyone needs to feel control over their life. Chronically ill people lose so much control that it is nice when circumstances allow for them to exert their will or control. Ultimately, we did end up in our local emergency room. The x-ray showed a slightly displaced fractured rib. Ouch! No wonder he continued to complain about pain. He was experiencing pain with every breath which leads to shallow breathing and the possibility of a pneumonia developing. The ER doctor gave him an incentive spirometer (IS) and instructions to use it every hour while awake to prevent pneumonia. Typically, Ben won't remember to use the IS as often as recommended so I remind him to use this great little device. I think using an IS would benefit everyone.
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AuthorMy name is Carolyn. I enjoy helping others and this may be why I chose a career in health & safety. As a registered nurse, I have prayed with patients, provided hands-on care for the sick, education & wellness coaching for those looking to improve their health and safety training for those working in construction or general industry. Archive
July 2023
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