How fortunate to live in a caring community!
Having never before called 911, Nov. 19 occasioned the first 911 call when a freak hiking accident left a huge gash above my ankle. Arriving home from the emergency room, neighbors had situated four walkers, cane, shower bench, had found the backup plan for two neighbor dogs I had that weekend, and found foster homes for my own dogs. Neighbors provided transportation, food, phone calls, took my vehicle to get snow tires on, and plowed my long, steep driveway multiple times.
Ten days later, infection set in. My temperature started spiking; I again called 911 and then was admitted to Mercy Hospital. After surgery, I was released with a (magic!) wound vac machine. Dr. Peter Marshall phoned me at home on Sunday morning to prescribe new antibiotics better suited to the wound culture. Mercy Home Health nurses came every Monday, Wednesday, Friday to change specialized dressings required for that machine; physical therapy came Tuesdays. All were wonderful, even walking up my driveway in whiteouts Christmas Eve Day and New Year’s Eve Day, including the Pagosa Springs physical therapy sub. Dr. Dan Stilwell provided amazing continuing care following surgery; there is still a skin graft to go.
My third 911 call was necessitated Christmas morning when two carbon monoxide alerts went off. I couldn’t evacuate. Five young men from Upper Pine Fire Protection District walked up the drive, shoveled a snow wall blocking generator exhaust and cleared my home of toxic CO gas.
My “knights in shining armor” all!
Marilyn McCord
Vallecito
