Ladders and Chairs

Chairs are made for sitting. Ladders are made for climbing. Sometimes chairs are used as ladders. Usually they work fine. Sometimes they don't. Tuesday was one of the times when they don't. My wife fell off on a chair in our bedroom. She landed on her tail bone and it looks like she also broke her fall with her left hand and right elbow.

I was upstairs and heard her fall. I went into the bedroom and found her laying on the floor with the chair kind of wrapped around her legs. It was obvious right away what had happened. She felt sore, but was able to get up and move around. Her wrist and tail bone were very sore. We called the doctor and went to see her later in the afternoon.

The doctor had her get her left wrist and right elbow x-rayed. They both were swollen and sore. By the time the x-rays were taken, the doctor was gone for the day. I called her Wednesday morning but her office said that she would not be in until the afternoon. We went ahead and made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor who specializes in hands and elbows for early Wednesday afternoon. We had copies of the x-rays so we did not have to wait for her other doctor to get in. Whether or not she had any broken bones, she wanted to see the orthopedic guy.


He looked over the x-rays, poked and prodded, and said that the elbow was fine -- swollen and bruised, but nothing broken. He was not so sure about the wrist. To be on the safe side, he put a cast on her forearm to immobilize the wrist. We will go back in two weeks and he will x-ray the wrist again. If there is a fracture, it will show up then.

So, the score is:

• Wife:
• Possible fracture of left wrist
• Cast on left forearm
• Sore and bruised right elbow
• Sore and bruised butt
• Sore right leg
• Chair
• Nothing
  

She is moving around slowly and is concerned about how she is going to wash her hair. I may get to help. That should be an experience!

Please only use chairs for sitting.