My friend Trisha came to church with us Sunday. At the end of church, when I dropped of my mother at her apartment building, Trisha got out of the van to change seats and consequently fell on the sidewalk while attempting to close the sliding door. How she did it I don't know. But she did, and then she couldn't get back up. She has a bad ankle and she's a little on the heavy side, which is not a judgement on my part because I am too. Okay, I'm a lot on the heavy side.
So I'm trying to get her back up, and then my 75 year old mother, who is also on the heavy side and has a walker, and has purple legs due to some condition, decides to help Trisha. Before I know it, Mom comes over without her walker and bends down to help pull Trisha up. I could see what would happen. I knew what was going to happen. I tried to stop it from happening, but before I could tell Mom to stop whatever she was doing, my mother fell down.
If we thought getting Trisha up was a problem, (she did get up) it was nothing compared to helping my mother off the ground. She was unhurt (except for banging her head) but she simply could not get her legs under her to get herself up even with help. And she was wearing a skirt.
"No, don't help me anymore," she said after several attempts, which I can't blame her for since I was useless.
We called 911.
Once I knew my mother was okay and it was only her dignity on the line, I could see the humor in the situation and the resulting domino effect.
“Tell them I've fallen and I can't get up,” my mother told Trisha who was on the phone with the dispatcher.
“She wants to know how far she's fallen,” Trisha said.
“She fell from standing to sitting,” I replied.
Three handsome paramedics, who looked like actors in a show about paramedics rather than real paramedics, came and immediately asked my mother if her head and neck were okay and if she had any injuries.
“I just need help getting up,” she insisted.
One cute paramedic asked Trisha and me what happened. When we explained the situation he couldn't help laughing.
“It's a good thing you didn't fall down too,” Trisha said to me. "Can you imagine all of us lying in the grass unable to get up?"
“I would have gotten myself up again,” I said wanting to maintain my dignity in front of these guys who like I said, looked like they belonged on a television show instead of in front of my mother's building.
They managed to get my mother on her feet easily because that's what big, strong, handsome paramedics do.
“Do you want me to walk you to your apartment?” I asked her.
“No, I can get there myself,” she insisted. “I'm independent.
“All right,” I nodded allowing her some shred of dignity.
You can bet those guys went back to the fire station and had a good laugh.
I swear I saw this episode on Emergency.
My nine-year old daughter having overheard my remark about being able to get myself up couldn't resist saying "Two grandma's, one who can get up and one who can't."
My life is a sitcom.
*****
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The Penny Whistle - B.J. Hoff
8 years ago
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7 comments:
This is too funny. I love that the paramedics were movie star cute.
Oh my gosh! You have left me gut laughing again! Reminds me of the time my mom was trying to get into our truck and fell backwards into a heap of snow! We were laughing so hard, we had to just sit for a bit. That was the same day that my oldest sister put her contacts in a glass of water by my bathroom sink. She later went to take a pill and swallowed the contacts! Hahahahaha...........:)
Out of politeness, probably none of us should laugh, but you've depicted it in such a humorous way!
Thanks for a fun read.
I really hate to leave this as a reply to a post since it has nothing to do with the post itself (a very enjoyable read!) However, I was wondering if you had problems getting the comments to work when you used this theme and if so, what you did to fix it.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about please just delete this. If you know and can help, please let me know how you fixed it!
Thank you in advance!
How could you write about mom like that she was embarrassed just thinking about your self again no regard for others
I really wish you would have thought of Moms feeling before you told the world how could you embarrass her more
Actually my mother later thought it was pretty funny and was telling everyone in the building about it.
If I thought it would hurt her to write it, I wouldn't have. But my mother has a sense of humor and has reached an age where she can laugh at herself.
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