My father decided to go up on the roof to fix the antennae for the tv. He  only went for the first step but, because he never  anchored the ladder - it spun around and threw him to the ground. He broke 3 vertebrae in his spine but landed in my group of cactus. He had tons of spines all over him and the paramedics did also.
That was 1995 when we were in the midst of a horrible heat wave. I think I've written about that at some other time.   He had to have a hospital bed in the basement and my 10 year old son was the only one of us who knew how to work the IV, and make the right settings. He loved machines and paid attention.
Father had rods put in but, they weren't long enough so had to have it done again. They gave him a cane and told him to take it easy.  Ha. My father always did what he wanted to do. He was flying out of the house with the cane - by the way the cane never touched the ground.
I went looking for him. Saw a police man and asked him if he saw an old guy with a cane.
He said my father wanted him to drive him to the bank because he had an entry for some drawing and was sure he won a big prize.   No sight of him.  He ended up coming home hours later - he was always hitching rides. Brought the stranger in the house and said he had to go write him a check. 

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Don't know what that was about. But, that's what my father was like.   Some months later-he took off for the forest preserve (he hunted for empty beer cans), slipped and fell on ice. Had to drive himself to the e/r.  Was told he could have severed his spine.  No that did not stop him.  I seriously think my mother died to get away from him.