The Tipsy Duchess

SOBER. AROUND 1989.

My Mother the Dowager Duchess 'tipped over' Wednesday night, her birthday eve. I'd like to to tell you she did too much partying. But, my mother doesn't take more than a sip. She's a lightweight.

Although, come to think of it, she did down a number of mojitos when she visited us in Vegas.

"These are delicious!" 

I'm sure it was the muddled mint. Fresh herbs, you know.

So The Duchess hadn't been tippling when she tipped over. She was on her way to bed, feeling great and having had a wonderful day with friends. Not far from the bed, she fell. She's not really sure how or why. But she hit her arm and leg, and wrenched her back. The arm and leg are bruised but the back is giving her unbearable pain.

She went to the hospital emergency room Sunday and had an MRI. Nothing is broken, but they did find a compression fracture on her spine that was probably already there before the "birthday fall." She was given a shot for the pain and sent home to see her own doctor for follow-up. The shot, unfortunately, did nothing for the pain.

My cousin had planned on driving in (about 2 hours) to take my mother to lunch for her birthday. She instead drove in Friday and spent the day and night with her.

Two of The DD's amazing friends took her to her doctor Tuesday — Rosalie as driver and Sheila as personal escort. She's now got some meds that we hope will ease the pain and help her to recover. San Geraldo and I will be there in a couple of days to wait on her hand and foot.

Jeez! That woman will do anything for attention.