What a Night....

My dad had waaaay too much to drink last night. He also has balance issues. Weeelllll ..... Put those two things together, plus the stairs, and what do you get? A fall. Down the stairs. He's 75. So at around 10:30 he fell, I was here looking at threads, drinking some nice tea before I went to bed because I was tired from staying up until 1.30 in the morning. A god awful THUMP. I thought a treebranch had fallen. Noooo. He'd fallen and hit his head on the register at the bottom of the stairs and I screamed, thinking he was dead ..... He was just stunned. But By the way he was laying there I though he was hurt badly so I yelled for mum who came downstairs in her nightgown. She stayed with him while I called 911. It was terrifying, the whole thing. The parameds were very fast coming, within five minutes and we had to drive across town to the General, which took half an hour.

Got to the hospital, by then he'd been there for an hour. We came around 45 mins after 11 and didn't go home until 1.30. By the time we got home it was 2.00. He's okay this morning if very stiff, has a nice egg shaped bump on his head. He doesn't remember a thing. He's fallen down before, about three years ago. He has GOT to stop drinking. I'm sick of it.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry

Oh I'm so sorry. This has happened too many times in my household. My SO fell and cracked his skull. He didn't feel pain so didn't want to go to hospital. My mum and I took him and he needed 12 stitches!!! Luckily the skull itself seemed okay. He has a huge scar that doesn't grow any hair on it (and he keeps it short ) He still drinks and hasn't learnt from it. To make matters worse, he is the clumsiest person I know.

Feeling for you, I hope things will get better soon.

It sounds like he's an alcoholic I'm sorry you have to live in that type of situation.

While he needs to lay off the booze, he won't until he admits to himself that he has a problem and wants to quit. At 75 years of age I doubt that he will be doing that Unfortunately alcoholics are very selfish and don't think about what they put their family through.

Perhaps you and your mom can start to go to Alanon meetings together. It won't be a cure for your father's alcoholism, but it will give you some support so that you know you aren't alone in this world and that others are dealing with the same thing as you are. They will also help teach you coping mechanisms and ways to stop enabling him.

Awwww Im sorry Sweetie ...... Im glad hes ok.

Oh no! I'm glad he's ok! DH's grandma has been in the hospital after a fall in the elevator at her community, a week ago now. She didn't break anything thankfully, but is very sore. She's 98 years old so I guess that's to be expected.

Oh and I spent over 8 hours in the ER with my Mom the night before last because she was having pains around her appendix. (She's ok too!)

OMG! I hope he's feeling better.

It would be nice if he could control his drinking or whatnot, but I doubt he's going to quit at 75

That fall could have been fatal

Oh my goodness! I would've been terrified! I hope that teaches him a bit about drinking, either don't do it so much or expect to sleep on the couch downstairs.

Thanks everyone for the advice and everything .... He's okay, very stiff still. I think he's finally realizing what's really happened and he was very apologetic today. I love my dad so much, and to see him hurt like that was unbearable.

I'm glad that he's OK!! My father is an alcholic (who has finally quit drinking), so I know what you are dealing with. (although my dad is only in his 50's) I hope that this fall will make him see what could have happened and help him to stop or at least gain control. I hope that things get better for you and your mom!

ACK that sounds very very scary. My father doesn't drink but he's 78 and fell down the back steps last year. He banged up his leg pretty bad and he had to be hospitalized for a few days because they were scared it might get "celutitus"<sp> in it.