i’ve lost count of how many times i’ve said that phrase as a calltaker and dispatcher… but tonight for the first time ever i was the one dialing 911 to ask for help.

around dinnertime, Brian went outside and was cleaning our gutters out when he fell about 10 feet from the roof to the driveway below. thankfully, our neighbour was outside at the time and heard him fall – i heard his screams of pain when Josh opened the door from the kitchen to the garage to see what daddy was up to. Brian was writhing on the ground in pain and asking me to call 911. the AFD EMS guys arrived in record time in a firetruck, all lights and sirens much to Josh’s amazement and delight, and took care of him quickly. he was transported to Albany Med on a backboard in an ambulance, and Josh and i followed after taking our dinner out of the oven and turning it off, then a stop at the drivethru for dinner for Josh.

we spent a few hours in the ER, and they took several xrays and a CT scan, and determined that Brian has a fractured 2nd vertebra (lower back, lumbar region). i think he’s got a broken nose too from the looks of things, but that’s the least of our worries. Brian has been admitted and is spending the night on the orthopedic unit – in the morning, a few hours from now, the orthopedic attending will look over the xrays and scan and determine what treatment is needed. Brian is resting relatively comfortably right now thanks to some morphine in his iv.
please pray for wisdom for the doctor, comfort and healing for Brian and clarity of thought for me. Josh is also a bit confused over all of this, although he’s resilient little guy.

we are thankful for a few things tonight:

1. that our neighbour Joe was outside when Bri fell, and raced over to help him immediately
2. the quick and wonderful response of the AFD EMS guys, who were not only great to Brian but very reassuring to Josh and I
3. our friend Kirsten who came to the hospital, picked up Josh and took him home to sleep, and stayed until i could get home
4. our friends Dayton and Jess who brought McD’s to the hospital for me and Bri, along with a toothbrush and mouthwash for Brian, because nothing is worse than a fuzzy mouth in the morning! (although i just realized that i have said toothbrush in my purse!!)

more updates will follow when i know more in the morning… for now, i’ve got to try and get some sleep in myself.