Accidents

My 'elderly' mamma took a tumble last Thursday afternoon. She was climbing down a ladder when its attachment broke away from the loft. Down she fell, down, down, into a space no bigger than a metre squared.

"Broken bones," my sister told me on the phone. Neck, spine, hip, ankle, what? "Pelvis" she said.

Do you believe in angels? I believe in angels. My mother has tremendous faith. I reminded myself of all of this as Google put the fear of catastrophe in me. Haemorraging, surgery, death. I imagined sending white light to my mum's pelvis then distracted myself with the good ol' tv as it was all getting too much.

My brother rang. "Do you think she'll die?"

"NO."

A text from my sister. Two fractures to her inferior pelvis remus. Enlighten me Google? Academic articles I couldn't get my head around.

"Discharging her tomorrow," came my sister's text. Eh? Google? You said at least a week in hospital.

Son off with the Foca I dropped him off at school and took a train down south. Took the number 10 bus to the General. Saw my mum lying on her A&E bed and cried as I gave her a bunch of flowers I'd grabbed in Sainsbury's on my way down.

They were discharging her, not enough beds apparently. But not to worry, a community service team set up specifically for pensioners would come and visit her three times a day for six weeks. I was somewhat relieved upon hearing this until I discovered it isn't free. Targets, ey...

"Tweedle dum and Tweedle dee," I joked to my brothers as we drove home to sort out a bed for my mum downstairs. My pappy's lost his carer, for the next few months anyway.

Half term, I can go down and help out, shove my son infront of dvds. I'm no use as a driver but I can operate a hoover, administer my dad's medication, customise my mum's zimmer (she won't get a wheelchair until Monday; the hospital told her the Red Cross would be open for an hour yesterday but the community carers told her it's never open at weekends.) Fortunately my sister and her husband live nearby.

What actually happened last Thursday afternoon is a big old story and now is not the time to tell you how extraordinary. I will continue to ask my angels to protect my parents and thank them for averting what could have been a monumental tragedy.