Weekend Push to Get Things Done

On Thursday we went to Seattle for dinner with our friends Barb, Bick, and Ron. Since we were down that way, I decided to take more plants to Aunty Florence. So I packed the car full of plants. How full was it? Well, I had to look through the jungle to see what cars were behind me!


We made a big dent in getting things packed on Friday thanks to Charlie, Margaret and Anne! Charlie and Margaret concentrated on the kitchen. Here's the result:


And here's the other end of the packing job.


On Saturday Bo, Margaret, Ron, Bick, Michael, Amelia, Emanuel, David, and Patrice came to help with packing items to go, taking still usable items to Value Village, and the rest to the transfer station (aka "the dump"). And also adopting some still usable items. They did a great job but I will still need more work done to get things taken care of. Here's the garden shed all cleaned out.


Sunday was a day of rest for the helpers but Kai and I had a bunch of things still left to do. We planned on doing it after we returned from the final going away party that my friend Clarissa, who is also my former supervisor, was having at her house. As it turns out, I missed the party! Our friend Don, whom I had left a message with earlier, called back just as we arrived at the front door so I stayed outside to talk to him. My friend Bobbye was coming up to the Clarissa's home and fell just as she was going up the first step next to me. I tried to catch her but because my hands were full I was only able to slow her fall. It was a good thing Don called then, otherwise I would not have been standing outside when Bobbye fell.

As she lay on the driveway Bobbye told me she thought she broke her hip, she also had a nasty cut on her elbow, and her wrist was beginning to swell up. She lay there for about 5 minutes before she felt like she was able to get up. She was able to sit up with help but could not get her feet under her to stand. I went in and got Kai and we helped her to stand, but she was unable to put any weight on either leg. Fortunately Irene and Gary arrived and were able to run in to get a chair. John brought a rolling chair out for her.

We wanted to call 911 but Bobbye was was adamant that she was OK and just needed to go to the walk-in clinic. But John said when he walked in with a broken wrist they sent him to the emergency room and that was where she needed to go. So we ended putting her in my car and going to Northwest Hospital. Here's the last shot I was able to get from my phone before it decided to quit!


We were there for over 7 hours! Got out of there about 10 pm. I had called Bobbye's daughter-in-law Peggy, who is a nurse, and started texting her info as the ER staff gave it to us. She made a bunch of calls to Ron (who was in San Diego) and Mike (who was out on the coast) and started clearing her schedule so she could stay with Bobbye for a few days. She also had to run up to Bobbye's house since she was unable to get a hold of the neighbors to ask them to feed the cat, so it was about 8:30 when Peggy arrived (since she was there she also got some personal items for Bobbye).

We got Peggy up to speed on what we had been told so far. Then the neurologist arrived and gave her the rundown on Bobbye's condition: cerebral hemorrhage in left hemisphere caused a stroke and now putting pressure on brain, fractured right wrist, minor fracture of pelvis (so minor there is nothing they do for it). The next 48 to 72 hours will determine the extent of the damage.

We also talked about how fortunate it was that the stroke did not occur as Bobbye was on the freeway or even at her home, where she lives alone and no one would find her until she missed an appointment or something. It was perfect timing for my going away party!