First Blog Post

I thought I would start a Blog for my Mom to help others can understand my Mom's condition and stay somewhat connected. I hope it works out. I will try to update it often.

February 2010 - Mom had an episode/exacerbation with her COPD.

Info on what that is: http://copd.about.com/od/copd/a/copdexac.htm

Dad found her almost unconscious and white stuff in her mouth :( Dad panicked and called me. I got in my daughter's car (Will's truck was in shop, so he had my van) and I then ran out of gas on Hwy. 9! Unfortunately, we were in a panic and Dad left Mom to come and get me about 7-8 min away. When we arrived back at their home and I saw Mom, I FREAKED OUT and yelled, "call 911" and then yelled over and over "Mom, Mommy, Mama." Finally the ambulance showed up and took her to Everett Providence Hospital.

We were very happy mom was able to return home after this episode, as I thought she was dead when they took her away in the ambulance. Mom was 'tubed' to breathe and put into Critical Care. She was in the hospital for 6 days. During the after care of this episode, Mom decided she did not want any further treatment and entered the Hospice Program in March 2010.

Lauralei and Juanita (my half sisters) both came from out of state to see Mom, love her and help with her after care, what a blessing! Douglas (my half brother in Seattle) visited her at the hospital and she received many well wishes and calls. THANK YOU!!

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Letter to Fire Dept and Marysville Globe posted it in paper:
Dear Greg Corn, Fire Chief/Marysville Fire District,

First off, thanks goes out to your team for the excellent work they did when they arrived at my mom's house last Friday, February 19, 2010 from a 911 call to her home in Smokey Point at the Crystal Tree Village Mobile Home Park.

I really wanted to let you know how impressed I was on the Marysville EMT's/Fire Department staff, they were so efficient, professional and caring. The team that responded to my mom's emergency took total control of the scene and went straight to help my mom. (I was in the driving crying my eyes out and they just ran past me and straight into the mobile home where my mom was), thank you so much!!

I read your Mission Statement:
"Marysville Fire District is dedicated to providing quality emergency response and prevention services to the community with integrity, pride, and professionalism."

Please let your team know how much my dad and I appreciate their actions; your team of professionals truly held up their end of the Mission Statement last Friday.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Seeds
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Letter to Everett Providence:
This was not in the paper, but a letter to the Evt Prov Hospital Colby Campus

To Whom It May Concern,

February 25, 2010

I am writing to you in regards to my mom's unexpected hospital stay at the Everett Providence Hospital/Colby Campus. Overall, my mom received some of the best care we have experienced w/her condition; thank you to your ER staff for their initial care. My mom arrived on Friday, February 19, 2010 by ambulance from the Marysville, WA Fire Department.

My mom was transferred to the CCU from the ER department and I want to let you know my family was impressed w/the professionalism, knowledge and empathic abilities in the CCU department.

My concern was w/the Physical Therapist visit on February 24, 2010, her discharge day. I was appalled to watch and witness the PT have my mom get out of her bed and sit in an office chair and roll her down the hallway while she was holding onto both sides of the bottom of the office chair seat. I verbally expressed my concern out loud in the room and the hallway; a hospital employee heard me and immediately addressed my concerns by advising a nurse assigned to my mom who, shortly after, came to assure that there were plenty of people around her and she wasn't concerned; the people around her were the PT, my dad and two half sisters from out of state, give me a break! This was my mom's first day of walking in 6 days and she could hardly sit up or move out of bed without being dizzy and periodically getting fleeting blackouts. I feel my mom should have been gotten a wheelchair, not an office chair!!

Stephanie Seeds
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