rivka: (smite)
rivka ([personal profile] rivka) wrote2010-05-25 03:32 pm

Michael is having a very bad day.

At 6:24 this morning Michael was sitting at his computer checking his e-mail before work, when he felt a few tiny plaster crumbs fall onto his head. He looked up. The crack in the ceiling looked a little wider. He grabbed his wallet and phone, preparing to get out of the way. He didn't make it. The ceiling fell on his head.

This is where I would like to interrupt the story and say, "But don't worry, he's okay." Except that we don't know yet whether he's okay or not. He's at the ER right now awaiting a head and neck CT. They have concerns that there might be a small neck fracture. And of course he feels absolutely awful.

IMAG0002

Right after it happened I came out of our room and saw Michael sitting on the stairs looking shocky. I came down and checked to see if his head was bleeding. It was filled with dirt and silt and plaster dust, and my first ridiculous thought was that he was going to need to shower again before work. But of course he didn't go to work.

Our insurance company has a 24-hour advice nurse. Based on what we told her, she thought we could monitor him at home. She instructed me to check on him every two hours for 12 hours, then every four hours for the next 12, and every 6 hours after that. I was to make sure that he could be easily roused from sleep, that he knew who and where he was, that he could speak and walk normally, and that his personality hadn't changed. He could have Tylenol only for pain, and an ice pack for twenty minutes every two hours.

IMAG0069

I made him stay awake through the first two hours. The lump on his head swelled to the size of his hand and was oddly hot to the touch. By the end of the second two hours, he reported increasing dizziness and an awful lot of neck pain and stiffness, so we decided to go to the ER. He was talking and walking okay, but sounded a little befuddled.

IMAG0070

Our landlord came out immediately to survey the damage, with his handyman Mike. He had Mike come back this afternoon to clean everything up with a Shop-Vac. It took remarkably little time. I'm washing down the desks now, and then I need to mop the floor and use the forced-air canister on our keyboards. I'm guessing we'll wind up getting new keyboards though. Fortunately Colin went down for a nap just after Mike got here, and Alex is curled up watching a movie and staying out of the way while I clean. Of course the rubble and destruction were massive kid magnets all morning.

They'll come on Tuesday to take down another big chunk of the ceiling and replace the whole thing.

I didn't get weepy and panicky until the kids were both out of the way (asleep or deep in Monsters vs. Aliens) and another adult (Mike the handyman) was here. Because that's the thing about being the only adult in charge. Now I just want to cry and wring my hands.

[identity profile] kcobweb.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
OMG, I saw these pictures on FB, and started worrying about y'all. I hope he's okay - hang in there. *hugs*

[identity profile] jonquil.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, honey. I'm so sorry.

Because that's the thing about being the only adult in charge

Yup. Adulthood SUCKS. You hold it together until you're temporarily offduty, and then you want your mommy.
eeyorerin: (bandaid penguin)

[personal profile] eeyorerin 2010-05-25 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Eeek! That's awful. I hope things turn out okay. Poor Michael! And poor you!

[identity profile] mizchalmers.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Augh. What a thing to come back to! Fingers crossed.

[identity profile] chargirlgenius.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh my goodness! I hope that he’s ok, and that the pain is gone soon. :-/

As a complete aside, I’m amused by the fact that the wine glass escaped completely unscathed.
Edited 2010-05-25 19:45 (UTC)

[identity profile] chapstickqueen.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh my! That's so scary. I hope he recovers quickly!
geminigirl: (Default)

[personal profile] geminigirl 2010-05-25 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh my. I hope everything is okay. Wishing the best for Michael.

[identity profile] jerusha.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Your icon is frighteningly appropos.

I hope that Michael has nothing worse than a headache, and you nothing worse than the shakes, and both of you recover quickly and completely.

[identity profile] txanne.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
OMG, I hope it's nothing serious. I hug you both.

[identity profile] tammylc.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Yikes! I'm thinking good thoughts for Michael being okay, and for you having to be the responsible adults. *hugs*

[identity profile] nex0s.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Omg - I hope you are all ok :(

[identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 08:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Yikes. I sincerely hope Michael will be okay, and I sympathize with the crying and hand-wringing, or anyway the desire to do same.

I'm glad for the advice nurse, that you had support for the decision to go to the ER, for good insurance, and for landlords who come fix things (although one might wish he'd fixed the ceiling *before* it fell on Michael, and your health insurance company may push for subrogation to your landlord's homeowner's insurance).

[identity profile] kalmn.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
aieeee. *hug*

[identity profile] going-not-gone.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds like Michael isn't the only one having a very bad day. Kudos to you for holding it together and being the grownup, and good thoughts for Michael for a swift and easy recovery!

[identity profile] marydell.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 08:22 pm (UTC)(link)
AAAHH! That's awful. I hope he's ok and I'm very glad he's getting scanned.
melebeth: (Default)

[personal profile] melebeth 2010-05-25 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Eeeek!

[identity profile] ratphooey.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Gadzooks. I am thinking good thoughts for Michael and hoping his injuries are not too serious or too painful.

I think you have earned a little crying and hand wringing!
ckd: two white candles on a dark background (candles)

[personal profile] ckd 2010-05-25 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds like a bad day for both of you. My best wishes to Michael for a quick, easy, and full recovery; my best wishes to you for some care and respite from being The Lone Adult.

[identity profile] fairoriana.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh Lordy! I'm joining the chorus of those hoping that Michael is A-ok in no time, and that you get plenty of help and support as you deal with the scare and any aftermath (all while doing the many other things that need doing).


My thoughts are with you both.

[identity profile] sioneva.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Very scary - joining everyone else in hoping Michael is okay!!
pameladean: (Default)

[personal profile] pameladean 2010-05-25 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, no, how terrifying. I'd be befuddled if the ceiling fell on me even if there were no serious injury. I hope you have good news of him very soon. And crying and hand-wringing are perfectly natural under the circumstances.

P.

(Anonymous) 2010-05-25 08:57 pm (UTC)(link)
OMG, Rivka! Michael, you and your family are in my thoughts! I hope good news comes swiftly. How scary!

[identity profile] morning-glory.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh my. I'm so sorry. That's unsettling and difficult to say the least. I do hope that Mike is ok, and that the worst part to come out of this is temporary fuss and bother.
kate_nepveu: sleeping cat carved in brown wood (Default)

[personal profile] kate_nepveu 2010-05-25 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Yikes. Best wishes.
redbird: tea being poured into a cup (cup of tea)

[personal profile] redbird 2010-05-25 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
*fingers crossed*

I hope he's okay, and that you can take care of yourself--or get someone to take care of you--a bit too.

[identity profile] lydy.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeow. What a morning. I hope Michael ends up being ok. I hope you end up being ok, too. Good on you for managing the "sole adult" role so well.

[identity profile] hobbitbabe.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow. That IS a bad day. I hope Michael, the rest of you, and the house all recover quickly.

The Wellingtonhouse ceiling looked just like that when it fell down, with those laths. Fortunately, it fell down in the living room when we were all in bed upstairs, so the only annoyance was that the living room was filled with drying-out tents and sleeping bags.

[identity profile] anotheranon.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
That's terrible! It sounds like you held together admirably.

[identity profile] iamjw.livejournal.com 2010-05-25 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
*hugs* offered and good thoughts on the way.

[identity profile] puzzlement.livejournal.com 2010-05-26 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
How terrible! I'm glad that, although it's not fine, it sounds like Michael's head injury is a known level of badness. And it's so hard to have to be the adult.

I hope all is well with Michael soon and that Alex and Colin have as well-behaved a day as they each can.

[identity profile] minnehaha.livejournal.com 2010-05-26 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
Wow.

I'm glad he's okay.

But wow.

B

[identity profile] tsjafo.livejournal.com 2010-05-26 11:43 am (UTC)(link)
Prayers and good thoughts on the way.

[identity profile] roadnotes.livejournal.com 2010-05-26 11:53 am (UTC)(link)
Eeeep. I hope he's fine, and I hope you get rest.

[identity profile] bosssio.livejournal.com 2010-05-26 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
ack! How scary!

I hate being an adult sometimes, especially when it means being the strong one when you don't feel strong.

Glad to know he is okay!

[identity profile] kip-w.livejournal.com 2010-05-26 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Glad to hear things are better. Actually, due to the reverse nature of LJ, I saw that long before I saw this. Nonetheless.