On February 15, 2014, I was carrying an empty box from the upstairs bedroom to the garage. Only one step down into the garage, but I managed to land partially on the doormat and partially off. I lost my balance and on the way down, heard bones snap. I had to “army crawl” on my side approximately 18 feet to get to the phone. The EMTs were magnificent, putting a splint on my leg, loading me into an ambulance, and taking me to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. X-rays showed that my right leg was broken in three places, my tibia just below my knee and my fibula below my knee and a second break about 3 inches above my ankle, leaving about 8 inches of bone unattached. I also had a broken left ankle and 3 cracked ribs. The Orthopedic Trauma specialist and I decided that surgery was not a great option for me, so I was placed in a cast from my toes to my hip with an orthopedic boot on my left leg.

After 5 days, I was moved to Villa Pomerado, a skilled nursing facility about 3 miles from my home. For the first month, I was not allowed out of bed. Then began the process of rehabilitation. I had excellent physical therapists and after 6 weeks of therapy, my cast was replaced with one that only came up to my knee! I was able to come home on my birthday in April as long as I had 24/7 live-in help. Trust me, home healthcare aides are a very interesting group of people!

The beginning of August, my cast was finally removed and back to physical therapy I went. After a month, I was able to walk well enough that the doctor declared I no longer needed home healthcare. It was a great relief to get my home and my life back! Although the doctor thought that I would always need a walker, I have recovered enough to walk without assistance in my everyday life and only use a walker for long distances (like airports) or crowded spaces (like quilt shows). I also have an emergency medical pendant that I wear every day so I will never have to crawl to a phone should I ever fall again.
It was a long recovery process, but last January I was able to attend a quilt show that is the 2nd largest in the country and this fall, I took a fall foliage cruise and spent a week sightseeing on the East Coast.

Bill Reeves was fitted for a prosthesis last week and will start physical therapy as soon as he’s able to walk on his new foot. He hopes to be driving again as soon as he gets approval from his doctor and the DMV. While he was waiting for his surgical incision to heal Bill had a wall display made showcasing his military career in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Bill Reeves’ surgery was a success and he just found out that he may be able to go home on Friday, if all goes well and the Physical Therapy team releases him. He’s been building strength in his upper body so that he’ll be able to manuever the wheelchair that he’ll have to use for the next few weeks while his foot heals.

Bill wants to thank all of you for the cards, phone calls and visits. As some of you know, it can get pretty lonely in the hospital, especially for lengthy stays.

He is going to need some help with transportation for a while, so if any of you live near Vista, California and are available to drive him to and from medical appointments, Bill would really appreciate your help. In the meantime, let’s keep him in our thoughts and prayers.

You can reach Bill on his cell phone at 760-295-9655.

Today I received a phone call from Bob Justice, Corky’s husband.  Bob said that Corky was in the hospital but said I could talk to her later in the day,  so I called her this afternoon and spoke to her.  She is having chemotherapy for a blood cancer called multiple myeloma.  She was diagnosed in December and was put on medication at that time but is now having a stronger treatment.  She said it was time to let her classmates all know about her condition which is treatable but could not be cured.  She has her cell phone at the hospital and said she can have calls there but I suggest they are best later in the day as she is heavily sedated earlier in the day.  Her cell number is 209 988-3301.  It is a verizon phone.  She may be home in a few days but she doesn’t know about that yet.   Her house number is 559 592-2192.  If you wish to send a card her address is 605 Hannah Ave, Exeter, CA 93221.  Corky is always such a cheerful and optimistic person, I know she will appreciate calls and cards.  She has not felt well enough for a couple of months to respond to her emails.  When she is well enough to email, I will provide you with her email address.

I visited Barb and Dave Hartley at OHSU yesterday and was deeply touched by the love they have for each other. They are truly best friends and soul mates, which their daughter, Betsy, so poignantly captured in this photo she took a few minutes after I left. Betsy wrote this caption for the photo “Dad says ‘Bring your camera. Mom’s skin is so soft and her color is just beautiful, even though we’re in the hospital.’ So I did. :)”

Barb and Dave want to thank Azusa High classmates for all of the uplifting cards and phone calls they’ve received.  Your continuing support means so much in her healing process.

Keep your prayers coming because they really need them right now.

Barbara fishing at Diamond Lake this past summer

Here are excerpts fro the post from Barbara’s daughter Betsy’s Facebook page from Wednesday evening, 2-17-10:

“We did not have another clean culture.  Bacteria is still growing.  While we found this news disheartening–the docs seem to be taking it in stride.  Reminding us again and again that this is a massive infection.  Time is needed.  But it’s so, so hard not to be stressed at the news.  Our first thought was that this last-line medicine was NOT working.  They seem to think the Televancin really is working.  We just need more time for it to do it’s magic.  Her white blood cell count is holding steady and we are desperate to see it start dropping….Again – they say give it some time. 

Time is easy to preach, when you aren’t the one on the waiting end…

My sister brought the boys up.  Mom’s (and Dad’s) faces lit up when they walked in the room.  Nothing better than a little grandkid therapy. 

Dialysis is running well.  Fabulous dialysis nurses in the well-run unit.  Two days in a row it’s gone well.  She’ll have it again tomorrow and Friday.  They are attempting to clean her blood and balance a sodium/water issue.  This is an issue that takes time to resolve.  It came on slowly–they are working to rebalance it gently and slowly.

The hunt is still on for the source of the infection.  The back was at issue–now they are hunting for another source that’s obviously still producing MRSA within my mom’s body.  We should have clean cultures–we don’t–they’re on the hunt for the reason.  If there’s any group of people capable of figuring this out it is the good doctors at OHSU.

The sun was shining on my moms face today and she was smiling and content to feel the warmth.  Then the grandkids showed up.  Pain is being managed.  She was eating some orange slices.  Today wasn’t a great day news wise for our family, but my mom was happy for the windows of time and feeling well loved.”

Another paragraph reads as follows:

“I saw how much it meant for my parents to see their grandkids…life is GOOD.  There are reminders of life’s blessings all around us.  I know that.  We’re just ready for my mom to be healthy and well again.

Prayers continue for my mom, the MRSA-hunters, the docs, my dad, my sis and her family…”

Betsy Hartley