BUS HITS PEDESTRIAN IN SIDEWALK, Portland OR

I show up - on the ground - about one minute into this video.

This is a video of a bus running a stop sign and the driver not looking to the left as he turned left. I was in the crosswalk and the bus ran into me. I was terribly injured. It happened in May 2017. The bus company fought hard not to have pay me a dime for my pain and suffering, even though they admitted it was their fault. It took over 2.5 years until I received any compensation. The bus driver had rear ended a truck just the week before he hit me. An ambulance had to be called for one of his passengers. The bus company (Trimet) allowed the driver to keep on driving until he hit me. Then they let him quit instead of firing him so he would have a good employment record. I wonder in which city this negligent driver is operating a bus now.

March 1, 2018

Yesterday I had an appointment with my trauma surgeon.  He said my current x-rays showed improvement.  My bone has filled in now to about 90%!  That is great news. 

The trauma to my body from the bus colliding with me was so severe that my hip bones (top of my right femur) had been widely displaced.  The trauma also disrupted the blood supply to the area, plus, of course, damaged my muscles.  That is why it has been taking so long for me to recover.

Now I feel like I am on the final leg of the journey to my recovery.  Maybe when the year anniversary of the accident, May 22, 2018, comes around I'll be much closer to feeling as well as I did when I arrived in Portland. (update - 5-28-2018: I still get muscle spasms but they are not as bad now.)

I look forward to being able to explore the city.  I can walk with a cane but not that far.  I have to resort to using a walker if I need to go more than a block or so.  The doctor said that I will get stronger with time.

My grandkids think using a cane is so cool.  They always want to be the ones to use it.  Wish I enjoyed it like they do.

July 18, 2017

I went to Fred Meyers on the Russelville bus yesterday.  The bus driver put my walker outside the east building.  When the bus arrived at the store he brought over a grocery cart.  I put Sweetsie in the cart on top of a towel that I brought along.

There was an employee at the door who told me that Sweetsie couldn't ride in the cart.  Someone had complained about dogs in the carts being unsanitary.  Does one person's complaint make the rules?

I tried to have Sweetsie walk beside the cart.  Her leash kept getting tangled up in the wheels. I tried holding her.  I couldn't handle that.  So, I held Sweetsie with my arms resting on the handle of the cart.  I was getting exhausted but I wanted to find the things on my list.

Finally I had to put Sweetsie in the cart.  No other store employee said anything to me.  We were probably in the store for over an hour.

Sweetsie and I got back on the bus.

The driver stowed our groceries.  The other riders told me that we are supposed to bring large bags with handles so it would be easier for the driver.  It would have been nice if such information was posted in the newsletter or information packet.  

That little trip to the store exhausted me.  I went to bed at 9 PM and actually fell asleep.  I slept till 9 the next morning.  

I have to catch one of the bus drivers to ask about their routes on the doctor appointments days - Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Next week I have an appointment with my surgeon.  His office is not on the list of destinations.  But it is nearby.  If I can't take the bus, there is always uber. 

Hopefully, the doctor will say it is okay for me to drive.  Then I can go where I want, especially visit the kids.  I just have to be careful.  I get tired so easily.  It is taking forever to get my strength back.

This is a picture of my apartment door.  The little Mexican doll is one of the odd bits that escaped the storage unit.

I bought a plat of hydroponically grown grass for Sweetsie.  It lasts a couple of weeks.  But Sweetsie has no interest in using it.  I was hoping that she would use it in the mornings.  It would be so nice to have a cup of coffee before having to get dressed and take Sweetsie outside.  

Stella enjoys eating the grass.

If I get a condo, it has to have a patio.  I'll put a couple plats of grass on it.  Maybe Sweetsie will use the grass since it would be outside.  Or maybe I can find a small house with a yard to buy.

I keep looking at property online.  But, I can't go look at it.  After I can drive again I go look at places in person.  The photos online do not provide enough information about the property.  One place looked great online but it was on a steep hill.  I need to live where there is no sharp incline.  It's difficult in Portland since it's hilly here.

I will need to remain in Russelville, the retirement home while I continue to recuperate.  There's no way I could do all the tasks necessary for total independent living.  It's hard enough living here and taking care of myself.  I need to remain patient and heal.

June 21, 2015: Woo hoo I won!

Me vs Medicare

I don't think the office workers at my surgeon's office ever gave him my message.  I never did receive a call back and neither did the social worker at the home.

I had an appointment on Monday the 19th with Dr Barney, one of the trauma surgeons who worked on me when I was brought to Legacy Emanuel Hospital.

She examined me and I told her about the problems with Dr Vande Zanschulp's staff.  She said she felt comfortable recommending that I stay in the staffed nursing facility until my surgeon said I was ready to be discharged.  She suggested that I make an appointment with Dr Vande Zanschulp  for re-evaluation next week.

When I got back to the home I gave the doctor's handwritten progress notes to Emily, the social worker.  She had received the typed progress notes from this doctor before I even arrived back at the home.  She faxed the letter to insurance.  I asked her to make my follow up appointment with the surgeon.

As of today neither Emily nor I have heard back from Dr Vande Zanschulp's office. They really do their jobs poorly at this office.  I have an appointment in July and I'll be sure to inform him.

Yesterday afternoon I received a call from the company reviewing my appeal and they said that they agreed with Medicare's decision and denied my appeal.  I was not surprised.

Then a couple of hours later Emily brought over a letter she received via fax from Aetna that approved my stay for 3 more days.  That means 6 more physical and occupational therapy!  Yay!  Therapy is the only way that I'll get better.

I don't know what happens after I leave.  No one has informed me.  Hopefully I will get home health care and some home therapy.    Therapy won't be twice a day like in the home unfortunately.  I will have to figure out some safe exercises on my own.

Yesterday afternoon my rollator (4 wheeled walker) was delivered.  I've been working on going up and down ramps and curbs with it.  The curbs are especially scary.  Tomorrow I am supposed to work on going up and down stairs using only one handrail.  That was hard for me before with my bad knee.  I hope I can do it now with two bad legs.

June 8 2017

I finished with my therapies by 11 AM today. 11 is really early since I'm scheduled for 85 minutes/day.
So, now I'm bored.
They are now letting me have ibuprofen and I'm feeling better.  It's funny that feeling better leads to boredom.  I have my computer, kindle and TV for entertainment.  I had hoped to be exploring Portland during June, not recuperating.

I laid down from 11-12:30.  My butt hurt so bad from the lumpy mattress that I got into my wheelchair.  I sat outside for awhile. Now I'm in the dining room waiting for bingo to start.  I hope it's not too too lame.

Bingo was okay. Play is slow for the more handicapped people.

I've engaged a lawyer to help me with the bus company responsible for my injury.  She has a good reputation.  It's an Oregon law that cases do not drag on for years.

This is the third time that my life was changed in an instant.  In 1969 a car rammed my car into a tree.  I lost my kneecap causing a permanent injury.  At the time of the accident I was midway in my second year in college.  I had to miss 2 semesters to recuperate.

In 2010 my husband and best friend fell injuring his spinal cord and became quadriplegic.  My life as I had known it ended.  For months I took care of him and my elderly mother.  Besides the amount of work I also was suffering from a kind of post traumatic stress disorder.  Visiting TIRR, the specialty hospital for spinal cord injuries, exposed me to so much pain and suffering.  Young wives would be pushing baby carriages next to their husbands in wheelchairs.  There were  people suffering brain injuries screaming and crying.  Then, of course, I had to learn how to take care of my permanently paralyzed husband. (It turned out that he also had a brain injury.  Subsequently, he decided he never loved me and we were divorced.)

Now it's 2017.  I worked so so hard to move to Portland.  I had to sort all my possessions.  Pack up what I could and sell my house.  I arrived in Portland on May 19, 2017 ready to make a new life for myself.  3 days later I was walking my dog and was hit by a city bus.  My hip was broken, suffered a concussion and many cuts and bruises.  I had emergency surgery and stayed at a trauma hospital for 4 days.  Now I'm in my third week at a skilled nursing facility.  I am thrilled that I did not suffer a brain or spinal cord injury.  Nonetheless, my life has been changed and set on a different course.

I now have a permanently injured right hip.  I'm learning how to walk with a walker.  I'm using some of the same equipment here that was used at TIRR.  I'm surrounded by injured people.  It's very difficult for me.  I can't help but relive some of the memories of the pain I suffered during my husband's stay at TIRR.

I am working hard at rehab.  It hurts- a lot.  But, that's the only way that I can recuperate.  I don't know how much of a disability this injury will cause me.

This is definitely not how I imagined my life would be like in Portland.  The injury will make my transition so much more difficult.  I can't go out and explore the city.  I'm lucky that I can use the walker to make it down the hall.

Maybe this will be the last major life altering incident that will happen to me.  But, then again, maybe not.

June 6 2017: Service animal day

This morning 2 cute miniature horses visited the "home."  I'd never been up close to one before.

I've been using my kindle for blogging but now I'm using my computer for this post so I'm going to add all the photos I have taken so far after the bus hit me.

2017-06-05 on the back patio of the "home"

Eating a macaroon - gift from Ian Lowrie, anthropology grad student

               The food at the home is pretty good.  It seems like it always time for another meal.

Chicken and cranberry salad

Salmon & asparagus dinner

Menu from one day

My scalp was closed up with 10 staples.

Sweetsie came to visit me in the home./ Flower arrangement gift from the anthropology department

strapped onto a gurney for transport

Becoming aware that I'm in a hospital

The detective in charge of the bus accident

May 29.2017

I moved into my apartment on May 19. On the evening of the 22nd I went for a walk before bed with Sweetsie.
It was going to be just for a few minutes so I didn't take my phone. I was crossing a street to get back home. There was no traffic. I remember a bus suddenly coming up behind me. It probably ran the stop sign.  It hit me knocking me down and breaking my right hip. i passed out.
My next memory was screaming in pain and surrounded by people.
Then the ambulance ride and the ER at the Legacy Emmanuel hospital.
The police came and I told them my son's address. They pounded on his door and woke him up. They left Sweetsie with Tomoko. Kevin came to see me in the hospital.
It is tedious writing this on a kindle. I will post more later.

Day 5: We reach Oregon!

In the morning we had breakfast at the Black Bear Diner in a town just outside of Salt Lake City.

We drove all the way across Utah.

Then we drove across Idaho.

We stopped at Eden, Idaho for lunch at the Garden of Eden truck stop.

We drove 700 miles today stopping at Pendleton, Oregon for the night.  Pendleton is such a pretty town.  There is a walkway along the river.  I wanted to stop in Pendleton because I hope I can go into the woolen mill tomorrow.

We have just a little over 200 miles left until we reach Portland!

2017 May: Trip to Portland: Day 4

We started our morning in Montrose, Colorado.  We stopped in Montrose - cause its name is Montrose.  It is larger than Trinidad but not as cute.

It was in the 40's.  I was excited that I got to wear jeans again.  We walked to a coffee shop with a patio for breakfast.  It was closed that week.  So Andy ran into a McDonald's and we ate at a little table on the corner.
We went back and packed up the motel room at the Black Canyon Inn.  Andy had to lift up the mattress and box springs to get to Stella and put her in the car with us.

After breakfast Sweetsie was ready for another nap.

It didn't take long for us to make it into Utah.  The area around Moab was really cool.  But after Moab the terrain became very rocky and desolate looking.

We stopped in Green River, Utah for lunch and a stretch.  The cafe had coffee bags and Van Gogh prints decorating the ceiling.  The proprietor was a character.  She said that the city had just gotten phone service a couple years ago and they were still adjusting to the new technology.  Personally she preferred the old method of smoke signals.  One great thing - Sweetsie was able to come to the cafe with us.  Another dog was asleep in the middle of the floor.

It started raining and getting cold.  

We passed by wind mills among the rocky cliffs.Another big storm was brewing after we passed Provo so we stopped just outside of Salt Lake City.  It was about 5 PM so we wanted to avoid traffic, too.  This time we plugged the holes under the bed so Stella wouldn't be able to burrow into the box springs and hide.  Right now she is wandering around the room searching for a good hiding place.  She ate a little of my hamburger.  At least she ate something.  We were getting worried about her.

Sweetsie continues to be in doggy heaven.  She has me to sit on in the car during the day and Andy takes her out for long walks.  She cries whenever Andy leaves the room.  I told him that he should stay in Portland with us.

2017 May: On the road to Portland:Day 3

This morning we had coffee at a little cafe in Trinidad, Colorado.  There was an interesting building right across the street.

The residents are so proud of their town that even the bricks are printed with "Trinidad."  There is also a sign on a hill, just like in Hollywood.

After the cafe we walked around the town and found a pretty pink building and several pot shops.

 

From Trinidad, we took a two lane highway past beautiful scenery.

.

We stopped for lunch in Westcliff, CO at "Chappy's."

Check out the menu.

After lunch we drove through Gunnison, CO.  More spectacular scenery -

 I took the picture of the black canyon out the side window of the car.

We stopped at Montrose, CO for the night.  We had to find a restaurant with a patio so the dog could be with us.  It was a little chilly but we all enjoyed fajitas.  Definitely not Tex-Mex-  the meat was like what you get in a Philly Cheesesteak.  It tasted good nonetheless.

Tomorrow we plan on spending the night in Salt Lake City, Utah.

2017-May: The road to Portland:Day 2

Day 1:  Sunday, May 14, 2017

I had to move out one day early.  The moving company called and gave me a choice of Sunday or Tuesday.  They said they had to cancel me on Monday.  So, I stayed up all night.  I ended up throwing out so much good stuff at the end.  I had already donated tons but I must have owned a few hundred tons of stuff in the beginning.  
They finished loading my stuff by 2:00 PM.  We were on the road by 2:30 PM.  Boy, was I exhausted.  We stopped at a Bucky's rest stop.  I didn't even recognize myself in the bathroom mirror.  My hair was plastered to my head from sweating and my face was all red and puffy from lack of sleep.  Andy took pity on me and we stopped after just 6 hours west of Dallas somewhere.

We let the kitty out in the motel room.  She was so scared.  She wouldn't eat.  But, took a drink and used the litter box.  Then she hid in the closet.
My dog had a wonderful time sleeping on my lap all day and Andy walked her when we took breaks. 

Day 2:  Monday, May 15, 2017

We started driving around 8 AM today. I encourage my son Andy to stop often though.  He is used to a Ford truck with a big engine.  My car is a great size for me but Andy feels squished in it.  The dog needs to pee. I need to get my circulation going in my legs again.  So we stop, get a beverage and walk around but the poor kitty continues in her hideout.  

I try not to be too needy.  I remember driving my mom from Rochester in 2004.  I had to do all the driving, fetching and toting bags.  It was tough.  At least Andy is young and strong.  He is being a great son driving his mama and her pets out to Portland in my small, slow Subaru Crosstrek.  Maybe I'll forgive him now for the 24 hours of labor he put me through in 1979 - lol!

Tonight we are staying in Trinidad, Colorado.  We drove about 10 hours today.  Poor Stella, my kitty, is hiding in the closet.  I hope she will eat something tonight.

We are a day ahead of what we planned.  My lease in Portland doesn't start until May 19th.  

April 16, 2017: getting ready

I've been preparing for my move to Portland for almost a year now.  Most of my stuff has either been given away, donated or packed up.

To get ready I made my dog, Sweetsie, a harness so she can sit in her carseat during our trip across country.  Then I made her a raincoat for Portland's rains.

She doesn't have the proportions for ready made dog clothes.  I could never find a harness to fit her.  The smalls are too small around her chest.  The mediums are way too large.  So I used her long and thin measurements to make her one.

I tried a doggy raincoat from Amazon.  It fit her but she wouldn't move.  The hood smooshed down her ears.  So I made her one from what fabrics I had on hand (not packed yet).   I used turquoise oilcloth from Mexico lined with fleece for the body of the coat.  The coat is made from one of those heavy plastic bags that pillowcases or napkins are sold in.

The secret to making a doggy raincoat is to make the hood detachable.  It's easier to construct and fits over the ears better.

Sweetsie will wear it but she's not too happy about it.  But she hates the rain so I think she will learn to appreciate it.

↓↓April 5, 2017: Doing the Limbo Rock!↓↓

LIMBO # 1:
"How low can I go?"  I just reduced my house another $20,000.  It is now priced $100,000 less than what the county appraised it for and I pay taxes on.  But, if I want to move to Portland before the extreme heat of a Houston summer, I have to make it more enticing to buyers.

Portland is beautiful in the summer time.  I don't want to miss it.  And I want to be with my family there.

LIMBO # 2:
I made my house a blank slate so buyers can imagine themselves living in it.  All my dolls and poodles have been stored away.  I even removed my pink quilt and put a gray bedspread on my bed.  It doesn't feel like my home anymore.

Plus, I have to keep the house super neat.  It's hard to sew without creating a mess.  I miss making things.  It's a big part of who I am and what makes me happy.  I did make my dog a raincoat over the weekend.  I had to clean up continually during the process.  Most of my things are packed up so I spent a lot of time looking for the fabrics, snaps, thread, etc. 

𝄞All around the limbo clock
Hey, let's do the limbo rock𝄞

February 5, 2017: My house is being shown today for the first time.

My house has been stripped bare of personality.  It is a blank slate so potential buyers can imagine themselves living in it.  Today at 3 a realtor will be showing it to her clients.

Here is a link to my house's listing.  The pictures look really good.  They don't show my huge laundry room though.  I have to take more boxes out to the garage so it will photograph better.

http://www.har.com/5442-Dumfries-Dr/sale_49086669

The house has been a good investment.  It's close to the Medical Center and freeway access.  If only it could be "beamed" to Portland where it would sell for over a million dollars!  I hope to find someplace I can afford there.