Ron fell out of his wheelchair again, in the garage, at pickup time.
I wonder if it will be an excused absence this time?
I slept pretty well, woke up at 8. I bagged up some candy and got online for a bit.
Ron had been sleeping really well, very quiet and not moving at all. But, when he woke up, he was in agonizing pain. So he went for his "solution" if you will. He headed right for the kitchen and started drinking. And drinking. And then drinking some more.
Our ride came to go to Walmart. Yesterday, Ron said he wanted to buy me flowers. I told him, all I want is a ride to Walmart.
So I took him out the door. I specifically reminded him to pick his feet up. He did not, caught a foot, and fell out of the wheelchair onto the floor of the garage.
The driver was calling Ron's phone, to tell him to come out. He couldn't. So I opened the garage door and showed her. She left after a couple of minutes. Ron was flopping around like a fish.
I asked him if he wanted to wait until he sobered up, then get in his wheelchair, or if he would rather call the ambulance and have them come out to rescue him. The sun was on the other side of the house. He said he would wait, but then he called the ambulance.
They came with lights and siren. Not only that, it was the same crew we had last time. Talk about embarrassing. I had some candy with me, my paratransit drivers. I gave that to the paramedics. They liked it. They got Ron in his wheelchair and I fastened the seatbelt.
Ron and I both agree, when he drinks in the wheelchair he is going to wear the seatbelt. I should probably get a new wheelchair with feet so he can stop dragging his feet on the ramp.
The paramedics were very nice, as they were last time. When dispatch, and the paramedics, asked Ron how this happened he said he drank too much vodka. At least he was honest. They did a little neuro check and let him go. I took Ron in the house and parked him next to the bed.
He tried to call paratransit and have them do a send-back, but he is far too drunk to ride the service. I told him (honestly) I had already called Chuck, who is coming in about 20 minutes. Chuck can take me to Walmart. So Ron gave up on that.
Then he (even drunk, he made the trips for tomorrow!) scheduled our rides for tomorrow. Hopefully right about now he is getting into bed.
I can see the writing on the wall. I had better start preparing for the day when the paramedics are inside my home. And if he keeps getting these "drunk and fell out of my wheelchair" calls he is going to end up with a social worker.
I am feeling a combination of pretty intense anger - can't he hold his liquor?! And some pretty equal fear of where this is going to end up for him and us.
4 comments:
I hate to laugh but this image is just so damn funny. Seriously why didn't you use the seat belt on him after the last time this happened and why have a wheel chair without the feet things? These 2 things just don't make sense.
It is very expensive to have an ambulance come out to help a drunk back into a wheel chair. Yes this is probably going to end badly and I hate to say it but with his alcohol abuse I doubt the pain doctor will give him a prescription for pain pills (not that they are cracking down on them).
Not to mention if he goes to work drunk like this then I a sure management will let him go (since they already complained about his lying down at work and the other thing).
What a shame that the back surgery did nothing to help his back. It seems to have made it worse? They should offer a money back guarantee on it but they won't. I knew someone who had 3 back surgeries and the pain came back after a certain amount of time each time and you know what they wanted to do to help him? Give him another back surgery.
The wheelchair feet get in his way, and it's only been recently that he's started dragging his feet and falling out of the chair.
The back surgeon was clever, he had Ron sign off on a form that said he "might" experience pain after the surgery. But what I know now, I would never suggest someone get a laminectomy. The recovery was horrible and long - 3 weeks in rehab (you don't want to know what that cost us, even with insurance), and it DIDN'T WORK. He went from using a walker to using a wheelchair.
Ron has suggested we go out the door backwards, I will go first and pull the wheelchair behind me. I will also put the seatbelt on him. That should help.
And I think I will be ordering him another wheelchair, with feet. The Drive brand wheelchair isn't expensive and has proven very rugged.
My alcoholic dad died yesterday.
The long goodbye is over.
I'm really sorry for your loss, and will be praying for you.
It is so hard to watch someone you care about destroy themselves.
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