Last weekend, 93-year old mom tripped and fell going into her sitting room. She minimized the fall, saying she thought it felt like pulled muscles. Naturally, we called her doctor's office and they said to watch her carefully, and if she seemed to be getting around okay, it was likely muscular.
Monday night, she took a turn for the worse and said the pain had increased. We called the doctor again and they said she needed to get x-rays early Tuesday morning. Mom tried to talk us out of taking her, saying she felt a lot better after a good night's rest.
We insisted, telling her it was peace of mind for us. Instead of her doctor's office, we took her to another facility for x-rays as they opened earlier. The doctor gave her a thorough exam too, and his initial thoughts were that it was likely a muscular injury. However, he cautioned, the radiologist still needed to take a look at the X-rays to be certain.
When we left, mom was in a good mood, thinking she had dodged a bullet. Like many small, slender women, she has osteoporosis, and brittle bones can translate into breaks and fractures. She ate when we got home and wanted to do some laundry. And then the phone rang.
She had a fracture at the upper hip joint where the head of the femur rotates in the socket. Apparently, a twisting fall, with the head of the femur pressing on the socket caused a fracture. They told us to think of what happens you step on an aluminum can. Not a fun mental image.
This type of injury, if not treated, could result in more damage and require a total hip replacement. Therefore, the orthopedic surgeon recommended pinning the joint to hold things in place to allow it to heal. We explained things carefully to mom, and told her it was completely her decision. She went for it. As our daughter later said, "Go Grandma, go!"
Mom had surgery late Tuesday evening and is doing well with three new pins holding the hip joint together. She will be home either today or tomorrow. We are fortunate to have a Physical Therapist and a nurse coming in several days a week to help get her back on her feet - literally.
We are all grateful she managed the surgery so well and is in good spirits. "Go Mom, go!"
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