Posted on 10/06/2006 8:25:31 PM PDT by GeorgiaBushie
Georgia resident looking for help in the Washington area.
My brother is in the hospital, he was just diagnosed with lymphoma and has congestive heart failure possibly connected to the lymphoma. The hospital is in Kirkland Washington and I am leaving very soon to be with him during this frightening time. He has no other family in the area and I do not know how to contact his friends for help with travel around the area.
I have never been to Washington and would be delighted at any Freeper help on the availablility and desirablilty of public transportation from the airport to Kirkland and to his home (will need me to take care of a few things/pets) in Redmond Washington.
Just basically would like to know which public transport would be best and safest to use from the Airport to Kirkland and then from Kirkland to Redmond.
I could rent a car, but was hoping not to as I am just going to be mainly sitting at a hospital.
Thank you for your prayers, my entire family could use them right now. I also have a 4 year old nephew that is in the hospital (MUSC) in Charleston, SC. He received a transplant (his Daddy's kidney) in March of this year and it seems that a kidney infection may have irreprably harmed that kidney. There is a small chance that the kidney will be alright, that is what the prayer would be for.
My family has a way of going into the hospital in pairs. Same nephew was in the hospital having brain surgery to alleviate swelling (he is a miracle baby that was given a 10% chance of living at birth) while my mom was undergoing a quadruple by-pass.
Yikes! Double prayers on the way!!
"Many hospitals have discounts with area hotels and other long term housing."
Country Inns.com
Thank you. I will keep that in mind when I need a break from the hospital and a hot shower.
Thank you and all of the others for your prayers, they mean a lot.
Bushie - I'm also in the area. If you need anything while you're here - please freepmail me. If nothing else, pryares coming from WA state.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the prayers and knowing that someone is close by. I do not anticipate needing much, I have not seen my brother in a few years and will probably use most of my time just catching up with him, nothing like a health emergency to remind you of how important family members are and how you need them to know how they are loved.
It makes me feel better to know that there are locals around in case I run into problems and need help.
You made me laugh. My brother complained to me about the service industries(his complaint had to do with fast food) being taken over with Indians and very broken English.
Of course, my brother is very worried that after talking to "us" his southern accent seems to find its way back and his nurses are now asking if he is a suth_er_ner.
I did not mean to overlook your post.
I have been able to map my route online with the shuttle and will be taking it to get from the airport to the hospital.
Did not know that the Washington Freepers were so nice, thank you and all of the others for the help.
You guys have given me a great deal of comfort in being able to map a relatively easy route that will deliver me almost door-to-door.
LOL!!! I use them all the time. Now I know why; musta been subliminal. : ) Coming from the east coast, it is a pleasure to get in a cab where, when you give your distination, the guy doesn't ask, "How you get there, meeez?"
FReeper coming to WA and needs help.
Yes, but SEATAC is closer to Kirkland.
Whoops never mind. It just seems closer due to the traffic. I guess it's actually a bit farther north.
This will help you get to and from the airport using the county bus system.
Thanks to all of the Freepers that responded, I feel much better and am comfortable that I can make it from the airport to the hospital with relative ease.
I do not believe that any additional assistance is necessary, but thanks to those with offers of additional assistance if the need arises.
God Bless you all! Am looking forward to seeing Seattle; my brother has tried to get me to visit there for years, unfortunatley it has taken a health emergency to get me off of my duff.
Brenda
You are one fine FReeper.
Afternoon all you fine FReepers - proud of you all! Looks like a wonderful life line here for Brenda :) If any of you are interested in joining the Western WA Chapter, please FReepmail me so you can receive invites for events and social gatheriengs :)
Cheers, Libertina - Western WA Chapter Leader
BTTT
PS Brenda, you have FReepmail
I'll cover that bet to the tune of one frosty cold beer of my choice. Kirkland is N and E of Seattle. Even using I405, I will bet Kirkland is farther from SeaTac than Seattle is from SeaTac on I5.
You get the name the tavern where I collect. Cheers.
Left for Seattle Saturday (10/7) and came back Saturday (10/14). My brother, Rusty, called on Saturday and was really upset, which is unusual for him and I droppped everything and left to be with him.
He called me as I was boarding for my flight to let me know that a co-worker had volunteered to meet me at the airport.
The people that I met while there were wonderful and very helpful. Rusty, my brother, made friends with all of the nurses and patients; their kindness, stories and antics made for some great memories. Willing to share some if them if there is any interest, trying to keep from being too long winded.
I just wanted to thank all of you for your help and thoughts and prayers. Rusty faces chemo rounds and some unknowns (wont know if his very enlarged spleen or the congestive heart failure will improve with the chemo and there is no cure for his lymphoma, though it can be controlled, somewhat).
It took several bloodtests and biopsy's before the bone marrow biopsy revealed a positive cancer diagnosis for Waldenstroms. The doctors felt it was WaldenStroms macroglobulenemia, but needed a positive test and strain before any real treatment.
Waldenstroms is a rare type of lymphoma (slow growing) that seems to run in families; affects men more than women; whites more than any other races and is usually diagnosed when the patien is in their sixties (my brother is 42 and really let it ravage his body before seeking help). My brother has two treatment options, though one has been ruled out for now because it weakens the heart and they do not want to do any more damage to his heart unless the first treatment does not work.
Non-sequitor alert:
I am very sorry to HardStarboard and others that offered to help me and I did not even give them a call or share the coffee that I promised. The week really flew by and it just seemed that being with my family and catching up and making new memories was the most important thing to do. We do not share much time together and the time that we had was just too short.
I am planning a return trip to visit with my brother again and perhaps seeing some of Washington, and maybe this time will be a little less dire and open to cups of coffee with new friends.
My best view of Washington came from the window on the airplane, a seattle native helpfully pointed out Mts Ranier and St Helens and the Cascades, I think. My travel mostly consisted of Kirkland to Redmond and 1 trip to the Microsoft center and Waterfront district of downtown Redmond.
Thanks once again to the Washington State freepers for your kind and generous spirit--You guys rock.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.