FALL DOWN GO BOOM WITH NO OUCH!!

WELL...thursday was quite the day. Most of my friends know that I have 2 mentally and physically handicapped adult clients that live here full time. One is high functioning so he gets around, goes out, has a social life, plays baseball ect. My other guy is like a 40 yr old baby that is blind, mute and severely mentally difficient. He can hear but only understands a few words, he walks so he is always bumping his way around as much as I try to prevent that he has a good idea now where the bathroom is in relation to his chair in the kitchen...he goes back and forth most of the day.I bath him, shave him, brush his teeth, feed him purree food like a baby.

Thursday was a day like most...except ...instead of going in the direction of the bathroom like a million times before, he went in the direction of the front door, where there is 2 steps down..(about 1 1/2 feet deep). When Luc decides to get up, he does it in a flash but this time I just happen to have gone out on the deck to put something on the table so I couldn't prevent his fall into the (Hole)at the front door, as we call it. When I got back in the house he was squating quietly leaning against the door. I helped him up, and although he lacked a bit of equilibrium, it was not out of the ordinary. His doctor and I have been working on getting his meds at a good level etc so I just figured he was a little sore from falling combined with his already present lack of balance. I got him to his chair and all seemed ok.

About an hour later, he gets up to go to the bathroom, but again, he stands there, but I can tell he is having slight issues, so I help him on the toilet and he assumes his normal side ways sitting with feet on the seat and rocks. ...Gets up later, so I help him, now he is abit heavier, leaning more on me. I sit him down, and do my things around the house as usual. Later he gets up to go to bathroom again, but halfway his legs or leg seem to give out, he is really leaning on my now, I get him to toilet he assumes position as usual.I really examine as much on Luc has I can in terms of his ankles, knees, arms, legs, to see if there are any visible signs. Remember that Luc does not speak, nor does he cry. He kinda growls when he is agitated but thats it. He will fight if he doesnt want to do something but he can't tell us if he is in pain or cry etc.

I had planned to go out and get some shopping down, Cosco, errands etc so the sitter arrives. She is the retired case worker who became my sitter. She knows Luv well...so I tell what happened, and as I do, I go get him out of the bathroom. Now Luc is having major probs letting any weight down on his left leg. So we sit him down and decide that I will go do some stuff and if anything gets worse she can call us on the cell anyway. We both examine him again together and see nothing that can indicate either way whats wrong.

We went to eat supper with my daughter then dropped her and her friend off. We went back home just to check on Luc. He was getting worse so we decided to call the emergency number for the the PPl I work for to let them know I was going to call an ambulance to transport him to the hospital. The guy oncall is one of the big wigs, says, is it really necissary to use an ambulance? I said, listen, if he has a broken ankle or knee or hip ( I was pretty sure it was the hip)I will not take any chances of trying to get him in a vehicle when we are not sure whats wrong, and in doing so, jeopordize him even more. Bla Bla Bla!! (Jasus, it seems obvious to me wtf?)

So call 911, state situation but because he isn't dying, we wait an over an hour for them to arrive. I will say it was Thurs evening with Friday being Canada day so was a long weekend for all. They had quite a few emergencies happening and priority goes to the more serious cases. I totally understand that. So...they arrive, and get him all bundled up, by this time our Luc is tired to say the least, I am thinking both for reasons of being past his bedtime and his body dealing with the pain he can't express. Normally he would have been fighting like a banchi with the EMT's and I to get him on the stretcher.

I ride with him in the ambulance while Chris drives after us. Luckily Marthe is staying to sit for our other client untill we can come back home.

As always, I have to explain *Luc to everyone we see. Even then, it's like they don't *Hear me when I say he is blind, mute, and has the brain capacity of a baby. I just finished telling one nurse the blind part when she takes the light thingy out , opens an eyelid to see his pupils...and is like taken aback that all u see is white cataracts....(eye role, on my part) HELLO! I just told you. ...she's like...OH right sorry.

Then Mr doctor comes in, and I start all over. He kinda scratches his head, says, he seems fine to me etc. I again state that he can't complain, cry, or show us where it hurts, but I know the client, and I also know that a few simple xrays will show us whats wrong....doc hesitates, so I again insist that I am sure its his hip but I am not the doctor. Please just xray him, I am his only voice...I know he is cocooned right now and quiet because he is in pain. So finally doc relents and orders xrays!!!

I realize all these ppl deal with hundreds of problems everyday, they are over worked, tired and hear hords of stories about this that and the other. I just wish it wasn't such a struggle to be understood, given I am a caretaker of a person like Luc. Give me some reasonable credit for knowing said client for god sakes.

Chris and I even put on the lead vests to hold him in all the different positions for the xrays....low and behold.....A BROKEN HIP!!! gee go figure eh! Who woulda thunk it?

Atleast when we see the doc an hour later, he said to me, MAN u were right, he has a broken hip. I say, in a straight face...OHHH YAY FOR ME... but then we both smiled. He got the message. I didn't want to be right, I would have preffered Luc not have a broken hip and the doc also realized I knew what I was talking about in reference to Luc. So we find out that he will need to be operated on but after that, normally a person has rehab to do but he scratched his head, looked at Luc and said...man I don't know what to tell u about him. I really take my hat off to u ppl for being caretakers of a patient like this.

That was kind of him. We then talked about the steps that has to be taken. I can not sign anything regarding Luc being under the public Curator's care etc. Now it becomes complicated. We say all we can, then talk to the nurse about Luc, making sure she knows how to give him his pills, we show her how, but tell her that they have to watch him like a hawk. If he decides to kinda wake up, he will jump out of the hospital bed, sides up or not , broken hip or not, and hurt himself more. As soon as apparent, they must tie him up for his own security poor little man.

I can't stay there as I have to relieve our sitter and be home for Our other guy. I tell them all I can about Luc, and leave all the numbers to call, including mine if they need any info etc, then I go out to call the Big Wig again to make sure I have done all correctly. He says yes...but I say, what happens now? I can't come to see him on the weekend as my partner works sat, sun, monday...he then says, "Ya but u could take a taxi" (it is 20 klm's).....Ok, but I have another client at home....."Oh well ya, ok. So you told them all u could about the client? His behaviors and needs etc?" ...YES... "Well he is no longer our responsibility...it's now their charge..and they deal with the curator bla bla bla bla. Monday morning call your caseworker and let her know what happened etc thats all"
I ask him if I should keep him updated on Luc over the weekend and he says, "No thats ok, unless it's an emergency"

I am thinking that these feking paper pushers are real good at making damn sure they invade our lives with all their ideas on caring for our clients this way, and that way, and we want u to try this intervention and that intervention, or all measures of control are bad unless we think otherwise ie; the baby fense I have in the hallway at night so Luc didn't keep falling in the *hole like he did evertime he got lost from taking a piss at night. We had to fight for that so he would be safer etc. I altimately happened during the day anyway, and he broke his hip but hey..I can only do so much. I was beating myself up all ways possible about this, I still feel bad but like everyone said so far, I could have been taking a piss, making his bed, stiring a bot at the stove and it could have happened or just taking something outside like I was, and boom , it would have happened. Now we deal. What I can't believe is how feking easy it was for the Big Wig to wash his hands of the client, like yesterdays bread, just because he could. Leave it to them now, they are responsible for him bla bla bla..makes me sick I tell ya.

We ended up leaving the hospital at aprox 2:30 am. We updated the sitter, saw her off, went to bed and slept like dead ppl for 12 hours straight. First time in 9 months since we got Luc that we were able to sleep in. I would have preffered that under different circumstances but it was a much needed rest nevertheless.

We went back friday, for a few hours, he had aready had surgery luckily. On Canada Day no less lol...he was quiet, but drugged, and hands tied, because he had tried earlier to rip IV out and stitches. While there they were happy I could help with how to give him his pills (different department, diff personel) and I gave them more info about LUc...I left my number that was apparently lost, for them to call me anytime for any advice etc.

Today, Marthe the sitter calls me, she went to see him, and calls from hospital, to pass me the nurse on the phone. They didn't know what to do about Luc etc, and were so happy to see Marthe, someone who knew him when she arrived...she told them what they needed but offered to give my number again, because I am the caregiver ect...SHEESH!!! so I talk to a diff nurse on phone, she is like, its good to have help, I tell her that I spend 2 hours the day before with another nurse and left my number to call anytime they needed to ask anything bla bla bla...but I just couldnt make any dicisions concerning healthcare or sign anything, the curator is in charge etc.

Jasus, seems to me, they don't take notes or talk to the person taking over the next feking shift for god sakes!!...I feel helpless and frustrated and pissed at how there seem to be so many loose ends in the system. I can't believe they have so little clue about special needs clients and then again, the agency that governs me has its head up it's own ass about the client too, so why am I so surprised!

As things are now, I am inclined to believe there will be a hospital bed here in future as long as he has stitches etc, in order to restain him at night safely , day time is another story...I guess I will go over that bridge when the time comes.

Thanks for hearing my vent, I needed to write this all out as much to relieve tention as to get it down on paper to remember small details. Please give a thought to our little man Luc to get well soon. He has no voice or thoughts of his own to express his needs or wants. Let's hope this little tough man makes it home soon.