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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Feb 3, 2010 11:07:28 GMT -5
So embarassed. A little background: Both hubby and I are disabled. I am on kidney dialysis, he has Mumtiple Sclerosis. Both our kids are grown and out of the house. We own our home, don't rent. So we answer to no one. Last night DH tried to get out of bed, fell on the floor and coudn'T get up. I can't help much, so I called 911. They came and saw my messy house. Piles in the entry way, piles in the bedroom, etc. I saw one of them (a woman) looking around with her eyes wide. I happen to know her. She's a neighbor, mother of one of my kid's friends, as well as an EMT. We chatted briefly, the EMTs got DH back in bed and they left. But I'm feeling embarassed that outsiders saw my home, my mess, my clutter. Anyway, anyone else had a similar situation or reaction?
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Post by gettingsomewhere on Feb 3, 2010 11:14:23 GMT -5
do not waste a moment thinking about this hun. had a similar situation some time ago when paramedics had difficulty manouvering a gurney in our hallway. they were brilliant though. i know it's hard but please, they are really not concerned about the state of your home. i hope you are both feeling well at the moment. xx
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Post by DJ on Feb 3, 2010 11:31:19 GMT -5
I've had to have the police in my home multiple times in the last few years with my home in different stages of mess..
the worst/weirdest was when my ferret got his head stuck in a water bottle, his neck swelled and he started to asphyxiate so i frantically used about a dozen tools, some power tools, and a liter of oil to lubricate his neck trying to pull it off. then was up til 3 or 4 in the morning with him. fell asleep on the couch and the police stopped by at 9am when i was still slicked in oil, power tools everywhere, and had a ferret under my arm. they were responding to a non emergency call from the day before, i needed to give them a statement. that was the weirdest. one of the officers kids wanted ferrets and he said he'd have to tell his wife and kids about it because he wasn't sure a ferret was for them anymore.. he came back and visited the ferret. yeah. weird really weird.
i grew up with family friends who were fire fighters, police officers, and friends now who are emts and ER nurses.. i kind of figure anything i do might temporarily shock them but the next night there's just going to be something weirder or worse.
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Post by ivorytower on Feb 3, 2010 12:13:32 GMT -5
the police stopped by at 9am when i was still slicked in oil, power tools everywhere, and had a ferret under my arm.  |
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Post by brightbeginning on Feb 3, 2010 12:40:11 GMT -5
Fluffernut-OF COURSE we have all had similar situations happen to us. We wouldn't be on this site if we didn't!!  There is nothing that you can do at this point. To dwell on it makes things even worse. Just try to work on the clutter slowly, although I know it has to be very difficult, given your disability. Just be glad that your dh is okay, and move on from here. Nothing else you can really do. Debi |
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Post by anonymoose on Feb 3, 2010 13:51:59 GMT -5
Oh, hon - no worries. I'm not a first generation whateveryouwannacallus, and I can remember MANY times the paramedics having to make a sideways trek through the house to haul one parent or another out...they might be a little taken aback if they aren't expecting something, but that's not what they're coming for. It's uncomfortable and embarrassing - but they are in and out of all kinds of homes all the time. In a way, when they deal with people who have health issues, they expect to see some piles and some housekeeping issues.
I'm glad he wasn't hurt badly enough to have to be dragged to the hospital!
::hugs::
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Post by threeg on Feb 3, 2010 17:58:55 GMT -5
I too have had a similar situation just a few days before my fiancee died. He was very weak, was unable to walk and had to be taken to the hospital.
The EMT's were very understanding, and said not to worry about anything. They were there to do thier job for him, and that was that.
When people are ill or incapacitated, any EMT or emergency staff person will understand more than anyone how hard it is to function, and should not judge us for our surroundings. 3g
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Post by CaringFriend on Feb 3, 2010 20:25:25 GMT -5
I saw one of them (a woman) looking around with her eyes wide. I happen to know her. She's a neighbor, mother of one of my kid's friends, as well as an EMT. We chatted briefly, the EMTs got DH back in bed and they left. But I'm feeling embarassed that outsiders saw my home, my mess, my clutter. I agree with 3g when she said, "When people are ill or incapacitated, any EMT or emergency staff person will understand more than anyone how hard it is to function, and should not judge us for our surroundings."A wide-eyed look may have been her first reaction, but then she began to assist 2 disabled people in need. If I were in her shoes, later I would be thinking, "I wonder what I can do as a neighbor and friend for fluffernut? I know they are both disabled, but I had no idea how truly overwhelmed they are." If she should happen to contact you later, please do not be embarrassed. I had a problem in a different area of my life and I was too embarrassed to ask for help. My problem was visible to them. I remember thinking, "I wish one person would just drop me a note, offering their assistance." I would have taken them up on that offer in a heartbeat! I thought a note would be an easy way to make the approach. Face-to-face comes so unexpectedly, that I may have turned them away because I was not prepared to discuss it in any way, shape, or form.  Hugs to both you and your DH. Just trying to take care of daily necessities must drain your energy. ~CaringFriend~ |
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Feb 4, 2010 23:07:35 GMT -5
Thank you so much, everyone who took the trouble to answer. I know there are plenty of packrats around. I had a friend at work who said her father was a gas meter reader. He had to go into people's homes, sometimes their basements, to read their meters. She said he had seen terrible clutter, you can never imagine how nice a house can look on the outside, yet so bad inside. He didn't gossip or tell the police or anything like that.
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Post by binky on Feb 5, 2010 22:28:40 GMT -5
Oh yes!
Years ago my DD's very jealous ex boyfriend broke into our basement and her current boyfriend (at the time) confronted him down there. A fight insued and the current boyfriend got stabbed. (He's now healed and doing good, thank God!)
But, anyways...the crime scene unit was here and took a lot of photos in our basement...which was a HORRID, HORRID jumbled mess. And the worst of all was the pictures were shown in COURT! I'm still cringing in embarrassment!
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Feb 6, 2010 17:27:23 GMT -5
Binky,I'm so sorry. Violence and clutter, what terrible trouble you have.
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