A brief break from decking

We've been very excited to begin our big exterior remodel project this spring.  We got started a couple weeks ago by taking apart the lower portion of the existing deck that we do not use and making repairs to the section we are keeping.  Things have been going very well.  We even got the stone fire pit built.

Sunday evening was an adventure for Adam, though.  It's all the previous owner's fault.  They didn't use deck screws so the screws stripped when we tried to remove them.  We tried a couple alternatives but nothing worked.  So we chopped it up into smaller pieces.  Adam used the circular saw to rip the deck into manageable pieces.  After cutting in 15 or so lines, he tried to make his way to the other side of the deck by walking on the joists.  He stepped on a part of the deck that I had successfully removed the screws from and fell.  Hard.

Initially, he thought he had broken his nose.  He laid there for a few minutes before finally getting up, shaken but otherwise fine.

About 30 minutes later, I find him playing online poker on the couch.  I'm like WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  LET'S WORK ON THE DECK!  He was really lethargic.  I told him to go upstairs and take a shower and that he was probably just shaken up from the fall.  While showering, he remembered that he hit his head really hard on one of the joists.

Within the next 30 minutes, he started to show fairly obvious signs of confusion and was so disoriented.  He wanted to call someone but forgot how to use his iPhone.  Then, he finally figured out how to use the phone, but forgot who he was trying to call.  We were pretty sure he was suffering from a concussion and decided it was best to go to the emergency room.

But we also had plans to celebrate his dad and sister's birthdays in Tipp City.  So, I did what any loving wife would do...I dropped him off at the emergency room and went to the party without him.  We ate pork chops and cake and played outside.  Adam kept me posted via text.  Poor thing.  I feel terrible that he did that all alone.

They sent him home Sunday evening with possible broken cartilage in his nose, a very small fracture in the base of his skull and a concussion.  I asked him what he did during his 4 hour visit in the emergency room.  He said he just stared at the ceiling.  For four hours!  He was so out of it.

Two days later and he's still very disoriented and groggy.  You won't believe this but he fell through the deck AGAIN yesterday.  He completely forgot it was chopped up and stepped right onto it, falling through and scrapping up his legs.  This morning, he tried to use the TV remote to turn up the volume on his laptop.  He took yesterday and today off of work but he's going to try to work tomorrow from home. It's definitely not safe for him to drive!

I hope to see some improvement soon because living with an alzheimer's patient is a lot less funny than you would think.  Jude thinks it's great though.  Now there's always someone to cuddle with him on the couch.

Adam has 3.5 days to recover.  Come this Saturday, we're back to decking.  We have to clean up this deck mess before a child tries to walk across the deck and gets injured.

Here is a picture of the crime scene...

Look closely & you'll see the saw marks.  All the fallen boards are
where I had removed the screws and where Adam tried to step.