Husband fell 16 feet off the roof today

15 years ago

He was on our porch roof when I told him I was ready to go to the doggie park. He said he had to blow some more leaves first. He put a 6 foot ladder to our high roof and fell off from the top. He hit the slanted porch roof, rolled off and fell 10 or more feet thru a pergola smashing it and landed on metal basement doors. He has a hole in his lung, a fractured back,a gash on his head and is in the hospital. We spent all night in the ER.If the hole in his lung gets bigger, they will insert a tube. Fourteen years ago he fell off another ladder trimming a tree and broke both arms. Tonight the doctors said he was lucky to be alive. He is not a spring chicken.

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Comments (73)

evatx
15 years ago
OMG! I'm so sorry about his injuries. I've seen too many terrible results of people falling off roofs and out of the tops of trees! However my DH still gets up there. I cringe when I see him get the ladder out. I hope your DH has no complications and heals quickly.
ciele
15 years ago
Oh my gosh, I hope recovers quickly
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jannie
15 years ago
Oh, my goodness, how awful! I am praying he doesn't have a collapsed lung, heals fast, AND STAYS OFF ROOFS!!!
sleeperblues
15 years ago
That it really bad. I hope he gets better quickly. My DH does the same kinds of things and I cringe everytime he goes up there. Prayers for a speedy recovery!
deemarie5500
15 years ago
OUCH! Hope he feels better soon, and learns an important lesson!

We all need to stop and consider that we there are some things we can not always safely accomplish after a certain age!
User
15 years ago
How is he doing today?
nicole__
15 years ago
Hope he's feeling better today.....WOW! That has got to hurt...big time! Wishing him a speedy recovery!
Georgysmom
15 years ago
How awful. I would say no more ladders for him! Hope he heals quickly.
country_bumpkin_al
15 years ago
Sending Prayers he recovers quickly!! That's a pretty big tumble to take!!!
marylmi
15 years ago
How terrible!!! Hope he has a good recovery!
patti43
15 years ago
Please let us know how he's doing. Poor guy! I hope you didn't have to see it happen.
nancylee_ky
15 years ago
Hope his recovery goes smoothly with no other complications.
bee0hio
15 years ago
I'm guessing you witnessed the fall... how horrifying for you both! With a fractured spine, is he suffering any paralysis? I'm wishing him a smooth recovery, tho' I am sure it will take quite a bit of time for him to feel normal again.
glenda_al
15 years ago
Oh my! That was a serious fall!

Many thoughts for a full recovery!
samkaren
15 years ago
Lily
Sending prayers for a speedy recovery. The same thing happened to my boss. even though I told him not to go on his roof he was determined to blow the leaves out before Thanksgiving break two years ago. Well he fell and ended up breaking his back and several ribs. He has since recovered but he said his back will never be the same.

((((HUGS)))
SamKaren
your resident DJ
lisa_fla
15 years ago
Thats just awful, but it could have been worse! Hope he heals quickly. I am always nervous on ladders. Just takes a second for things to go wrong.
donna_loomis
15 years ago
Oh, Lily, how frightening that must have been for both of you! I am sending healing thoughts his way, wishing him a speedy recovery.
kacram
15 years ago
((((LILY and DH)))) OMGosh! I'm so sorry.
so very scary!!!! prayers for a speedy recovery!
If i were you, I'd be hiding the ladders!
geez....
molly109
15 years ago
I am so sorry. What a terrible fall. Saying
a prayer for his full recovery - and comfort for you.

Hugs.
lunchlady1948
15 years ago
(((Huggs))) to you both
mariend
15 years ago
Sending prayers for husband, family and medical staff to find the proper treatment.

Just don't let them release him too soon!
lynn_d
15 years ago
Oh gosh, Lily, how is he doing today? I hope he heals quickly and completely! Prayers are coming your way.
User
15 years ago
Oh, how scary!! Thank goodness he is going to be okay, it could have been a lot worse. Hopefully, he will decide to stay off the roof from now on, if not, you'll have to put your foot down.
tami_ohio
15 years ago
Lily, I am adding my prayers to all the others.

Tami
dollydolots
15 years ago
Lily
Prayers and God's blessings to both of you.
My DH broke his back years ago.
He is now 76 and was told by his Doc
that NO ONE past 65 should ever climb
anything as you lose your balance very easy.
Dolly
FlamingO in AR
15 years ago
Oh, ouch. I'm glad he wasn't hurt worse, but that sounds bad enough, I hope he's on some good pain meds.

Why do men think they are so invincible? Mine won't admit that accidents happen, he always thinks nothing will happen to him and I live in fear of the day when he's proven wrong.
pammyfay
15 years ago
Oh my! Hope he feels better soon.
And I hope YOU get back to normal soon, to! I'm sure you're still shaking over all of this.

Is he stubborn? Maybe you should "redecorate" while he's in the hospital: Move the ladder someplace he's not likely to look.
liljunkr
15 years ago
As bad as those injuries are I'm thankful he wasn't hurt worse. Prayers going up for a speedy and full recovery. Try to not stress yourself while the injuries take the time to heal.

LIL
OklaMoni
15 years ago
Oh my god, Lily, that is just the sort of thing I did till about 2 years ago. I finally decided ladders higher than 6 foot aren't for me.

Sending healing thoughts his way.

Moni
pplantlady
15 years ago
Oh my..... poor guy....I'm sorry to hear this and sending good thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery for him. My Dad did this some years back putting up Christmas lights (he didn't fall nearly as hard or as far but he hit his head) and he had double vision for years afterwards. It put an end to him golfing....he couldn't tell which of the two balls was the real one.
Take good care,
Patti
linda_in_iowa
15 years ago
Get rid of your ladders before he gets out of the hospital. I hope his punctured lung heals quickly. How many ribs did he break?
nanatricia
15 years ago
I am so very sorry !!! I hope he is better soon.
gwanny2three
15 years ago
Prayers for a quick recovery for him....my husband and ladders/high places don't mx either. Hope your husband isn't in too much pain.
hayjud_mn
15 years ago
So sorry about your DH's injury. This sounds like a long time of mending.

Prayers for both of you during this time.
blitzyblond_protege
15 years ago
adding: DH, age?, fell & has multiple injuries (lily316) to the prayer list.
User
Original Author
15 years ago
I thank you all so much for your good wishes. He is still in the hospital, and I AM a nervous wreck. The hole in the lung isn't any smaller like they wanted it to be so they'll take another Xray tomorrow morning. The strange part was this time he didn't break any bones nor even cracked any ribs, but the force of the fall caused the hole. I did not witness it by sight...just sound. I had just talked to him seconds before.. walked down the stairs and was in the kitchen when I heard his first fall and then the second which was horrific sounding because he hit the metal floor doors to the cellar. The dogs went nuts.The gash on his head we figure was caused by a trellis which he hit on his way down. We have a very large white elephant of a house, 170 years old with many trees and ponds. We just need to get a reliable guy to do these kinds of chores. We do have a very athletic son and a son in law in the area, but they are so busy with their lives and their properties. DD and SIL were good last night to sit all night with me in the ER. If I wasn't so scared I'd be really POed at him for doing such a macho stupid thing. He is telling people he had done this a 100 times and I said ,yeah, but the 101 did you in. My son won't go up and blow them off. He said he doesn't blow his off his roof. He must have sense like his mother. Keep those thought and prayers coming please.
jel48
15 years ago
Lily, I'm so sorry to hear this. Will say prayers for your DH. I hope things start going better soon.
Marilyn Sue
15 years ago
Lily, I too am so sorry to hear about your husband. I hope by today things will have improved.

Sue
margad
15 years ago
I hope your husband feels better very soon I am saying prayers for both of you.
Granlan_TX
15 years ago
Oh my, Lily! Doesn't sound good, but your DH is a lucky man considering.

Hide that ladder asap! I do hope you find/hire a reliable handy man to keep your Hubby's feet on the ground.

Hugs to you and many positive and healing thoughts being sent to your DH.
User
Original Author
15 years ago
He won't be coming home today. The surgeon was there inserting a tube in his lung because the hole got larger. Plus I still have the UTI I mentioned on another thread. It WAS going away on it's own, but Sat., the day of the accident my doctor did remember to call it in so my daughter will pick it up on her way here at noon .It seems my whole world is falling apart..at this very busy time of the year. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. I am a nervous wreck.
gardendoll
15 years ago
I'm sending my prayers for both of you. You need them too for your nerves and strength at this time. I agree with get rid of the ladder....although I truly trust that now he has experienced this terrible fall he won't be so quickly inclined to go up any ladder for some time to come.
May God bless all of your family. I pray for a speedy recovery.

Peggy
chisue
15 years ago
I'm so sorry for your DH's pain and suffering. The fall was probably not too bad, but stops...oh, my! He is lucky to be alive -- battered, but living. Where is the fracture in his spine? (He is lucky not to have nerve damage!)

We are warned about falls IN the home. He just had to be different? I'm sure your 'mad' is covering your fear and relief that this wasn't fatal.

We only clear our gutters and downspouts of leaves. DH does some, and we hire our regular snowplow guy to do it after the weather gets nasty, but before we have ice and snow. Our roof *peak* is 28' but our gutters are just over our 9' first floor. NOBODY wants to climb a 10/12 grade roof! The DirecTV installer had a fit -- but he did get the dish up there!

Hope YOU and your DH are mending.
nanny98
15 years ago
Thanks for the update. Continuing good thoughts and prayers for fast healing and the "good sense" warning. Winter is arriving and our gutters need cleaning too and we will be hiring the pros to get the job done. (((Hugs))) Nanny
liz
15 years ago
OMGOODNESS!! I'm so glad he's mending...prayers and good wishes going out for both of you...
joann23456
15 years ago
That's awful! I hope he gets better quickly.
taigen_gw
15 years ago
Lily....what a horrible ordeal for all of you! I would be a wreck too! Sending prayers for a quick recovery.
sjerin
15 years ago
Oh shoot, that's sounds absolutely awful. And physical discomfort for you on top of that is a lot on your plate--when the antibiotics kick in within a day and a half, you should feel much better. The trick is to remember to take them on time while you are dealing with a much larger problem. I've been thinking about the two of you and will keep you both in my prayers.
debnfla8b
15 years ago
How awful! I can't imagine falling like that, poor thing. I hope he heals fast and you can relax also once you know he is getting well. How scarey for you both!

Deb
User
Original Author
15 years ago
He is still in the hospital with no idea when he'll be released.

Husband fell 16 feet off the roof today

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