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| James Tissot, Jesus Healing the Woman Bent Over French, c. 1886-1894 New York, Brooklyn Musuem |
On the night of Thursday, June 18th I went to bed as usual. Several hours later, while it was still dark, I woke up to find myself on the floor beside the bed. I tried to get up but couldn't. I couldn't reach either my corded phone or my cell phone. Both were high above my head, resting on tabletops where the corded phone lived and the cell phone was charging. My IPad was also outside my reach. I was unable to reach the doorknob to open the door, which I had locked on going to bed.
I kept trying to stand up all night and into the next day. But I couldn't. no matter what I tried to do. I continued to try the following night and the next day. I was able to drink something because I had accidentally left a half empty bottle of ginger ale on the floor near the leg of a chair when I had gone to bed. That was my only source of liquid during the time I spent on the floor and I had no food.
By Sunday I was rapidly losing the ability to move. I could barely lift my head and moved around by lying down and pushing myself with my legs. Things were getting desperate. If I couldn't get help soon, I would probably die. There was one possible way in which I could try to get some help from the outside. I could try to knock down the housephone, which had been sitting high above my head.
It worked! When the doorman answered I yelled into the mouthpiece that I was on the floor unable to get up and had been there for three days. He responded by saying that he would call an ambulance immediately. Literally within minutes they were at my door with two fire fighters. The fire fighters swung their axes and got the door lock off and the EMT workers scooped me up and carried me to the hospital.
At the hospital I was checked out and hydrated, examined and probed. Within three days I was moved to a residential rehab where I spent all summer, trying to walk. Apparently, my fall and time on the floor had seriously worsened my back,.
I am able to walk very short distance with great pain. But I cannot stand for any length of time. I am investigating the possibility of another back surgery. I don't know yet if I will be able to have it but I do hope that I can. I am in great pain almost all the time now.
So, within the time that has elapsed and for the forseeable future I am housebound. I have little energy to keep up with the blog. But I may make some contributions from time to time. And I will try to let you know what is happening.
© M. Duffy, 2026
