Living on the Road

with Jim and Gayle

February, 2018

February started out with the Superbowl party.  The resort had a golfcart tailgate party and barbeque.

Then the month went downhill.

My Mom was scheduled to have surgery to remove her ovaries and the masses that had been found.  Although the blood tests didn't show any cancer markers, she was scheduled to have surgery in downtown Seattle at the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) where a cancer scenario could be handled if necessary.  She arranged for a friend to take her and bring her back home.  I flew in the day of the surgery to stay with her for two weeks to help her while she was recovering.

All good plans...

The friend came down with the flu.  My cousin, Misty,  from Oregon, was able to come up to take her to surgery but couldn't stay to bring her home.  I could have brought her home, but Mom refused.  She arranged for another friend to bring her home.

The surgery was straightforward laparoscopic -- no cancer.
The next day, on the way home, the friend fell asleep, causing a three car accident.  The airbag deployed and the seatbelt tightened right across the surgery site.  She was taken by ambulance to the nearby hospital where I met her.  Several hours later, the decision was made to take her to the trauma hospital associated with UWMC.  The next day she was released; original friend returned her home.  Two days later, we're back in the ER with uncontrolled diarrhea.  Things finally stabilized but both Mom and I were exhausted and stressed.  At the end of my two weeks, my cousin, Misty, picked Mom up and took her home for an additional two weeks of care.