Rubber Duckie, you're the one
You make bath time lots of fun
Posted on 06/09/2009 4:55:26 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A 90-year-old woman spent three days trapped in her bathtub after becoming too weak to pull herself out, the San Jose Mercury News reported Thursday. Shirley Madsen, of Walnut Creek, Calif., survived her ordeal by drinking water from a rubber duck with a hole in the bottom.
When Madsen got into the tub on May 27, she forgot to put her phone within reach and could not call for help when she got trapped.
Madsen survived for three days stuck in the bathtub by continually replacing the cooling bath water with fresh water from the tap to stay warm. She also used one of her collection of rubber ducks as a drinking cup to keep hydrated during her confinement. "I have never been so terrified in my life," Madsen later told the Mercury News. After three days with no word from their mother, Madsen's two daughters grew concerned. Daughter Diane Weber went to Madsen's home where she found her mother trapped in the bathroom and summoned an ambulance.
Following a three-day hospital stay, Madsen was sent home to recover from minor injuries. She worked out a routine to check in with relatives and is getting a waterproof medical alert device. But Madsen also advocates an easy safety plan: "Get a bunch of rubber duckies and make sure one of them can't swim," she joked.
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Rubber Duckie, you're the one
You make bath time lots of fun
Bless her heart, and I mean that in the BEST way!
Good for her — but this story illustrates why 90-year-olds should be living with family, not alone.
I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!!!!
I woke up early one Saturday morning after a vertebrae slipped in the lower back. After being pried up from the bed (took about 1/2 hour) I made it the few steps to the bathroom and got into a tub of hot water adding more hot water when it got cool. I stayed there for the best part of the next 48 hours unil the doctor’s office opened on Monday. The car trip into the office was about the most painful experience in my life.
One sure gets water-logged after the first few hours. That poor lady! I can’t imagine being alone for something like that. At least someone brought me food and water, and it wasn’t no rubber duck. (Note to self: put rubber duck near bathtub, just in case).
This happened to my mom about 7 years ago...4 days, I was out of town and when I got back couldn’t reach her by phone - dashed to her house, no answer at the door, let myself in.
Found the bathroom locked, yelled mom, mom - no answer, scared me to death. It was summertime and about 96 degrees inside her house. Picked the bathroom lock and found her. No water in tub, but dehydrated from high heat in house. Scary incident - was in hospital 2 weeks....now under full care with Alzheimers - sickening desease, she doesn’t even remember me anymore.
OK, make that a rubber duck and a faux microphone.
Perhaps everyone over 80 should have a “walk in bathtub”. At least they could let the water out and crawl out, if they can’t stand up.
I'm so sorry. I cannot imagine not remembering my children.
Awesome movie.
Ahem, you don't have any children.
I don’t understand this. Why couldn’t you roll onto your side and then get on your hands and knees if you are too week to stand up from a seated position?
LoL!
“Knock knock”
*snort*
Cute.
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