Earl fell on Saturday

I have debated about whether to tell you about Earl's fall. It scared me so badly.... I'm still not over it. He probably won't appreciate me telling on him!

He is ok except for a 1/2" cut across the bridge of his nose and a scratch above his eye. Minor carpet burn on his right knee. His right hip was sore for a few days, but he's getting around better now.

I think this fall may be related to the sleeping pills he has been taking. After we got back to Tenn., he was having a hard time getting back to sleep after getting up to go to the bathroom during the night. At times he would still be up around 5 or 6 a.m. He went to his Dr. who agreed with Earl that he needed to get his days and nights turned back around. Dr. prescribed something to help him sleep. Suggesting he take 1/2 pill when he could not get back to sleep.

Earl had been taking the sleep aid about two weeks was sleeping better. Then, he got up Sat. morning about 6:15 a.m. and fell. He said he could feel himself falling, but there wasn't anything to catch himself to keep from falling. The crash woke me with such a scare!

His head landed about 10-12 ft. from anyplace he should have been. I imagine him, in his mind, falling forever! His head was about a foot from the wall and about two feet over from a large wall mirror. Glad he didn't hit/break it!

I don't know now how I did it, but after making sure he wasn't hurt badly, I picked him up!! I know! I've paid for it for several days! I had gotten his walker and he used it to get on to the bathroom. He was very dazed and almost fell a couple of times by the time I got him back into bed. I have wondered if he might have taken too much sleeping aid and over medicated himself.

Monday morning, about 6:45, he almost fell again. This time, he was using his walker going to bathroom. He woke me when he fell forward holding on to the walker and hit the door facing going into the bathroom. If he hadn't stumbled into the door, he would have fallen head/face first over the walker. This time, I was furious! It almost had to be the sleeping pills. He has never done anything like this in all the weeks since his surgery!

We bought some Tylenol P.M. which he took last night. (I hid the sleeping pills!) Then about 6 a.m. this morning he insisted on taking 1/4 of a sleeping pill. Fortunately, there are only a couple of pills left, so I'm hoping I can talk him out of getting any more. I know it's aggravating when he can't get back to sleep, but I don't like cleaning up blood, applying bandages and worrying about broken bones!! Both of his hips have already been replaced, so he sure doesn't need to break one of them or something else!

We still have not heard from the chemo Dr. but we'll contact him, if we don't hear from him this week.

Earl is cooped up here at home.... working a couple of hours daily now in his home office. It means a lot to hear from friends. Thank you to everyone who has sent cards, called and visited.

Please continue to remember us in prayer. I'm praying for more patience!! :-)

Lillian