Teresa Schulz:
CLASS OF 1975
Tyee High SchoolClass of 1975
Seattle, WA
Teresa's Story
I don't know, do you start from the beginning??? The day after we graduated I got my 4 wisdom teeth out. I moved to Grand Coulee, Washington where I worked as a dishwasher for 3 different places in town for a year. One place closed it's doors and the other place just didn't like me for some reason. And the other place loved me lots. I then went to a year of Community college at Highline Community College at Technical Illustration. That really didn't work out to well. So I moved back to Grand Coulee and got a waitress job at the Wildlife Restuarant. Where a couple weeks there I met my future husband who was building the sewage treatment Plant in Elmer, City just below the Grand Coulee Dam. Moved in with him when he went to Ferndale, Washington. Then we moved to Wenatchee,Washington. Then we moved to Nampa, Idaho.
In August of 1980 he proposed to me. We got married August 15, 1980 in Reno, Nevada. Then we moved to Gresham, Oregon April 1981. And in the year 1981-1982 I got a degree in Medical Terminalogy at Mt. Hood Community College. After I graduated we went on a motorbike ride up into Canada to Alberta and then down into South Dakota to Mt. Rushmore and then into Yellowstone our sone and Jim's Dad.
In 1985 January 26th we moved into our own house in Estacada, Oregon. In that time we took up rafting.
Then we went up to live in Juneau, Alaska for 2 years for him to rebuild the Mendenhall Sewer Treatment Plant. Came home and took up boating for about 10 or so years. And had 3 different boats.
We have a son who is 39 years old now who has a wife and 16 year old boy.
Then we got into motor biking again. We both got Harleys. He a Harley Ultra Classic 100th Anniversary Edition the Gray and Black 2003. I first got a Harley Sportster but realized real fast it was not a long trip bike. So for Christmas 2003 I got a Harley 2004 Silver with Turquoise pinstriping Soft Tail Classic. I loved that bike. Well, on October 22, 2005 we were having a great day riding and we were 7 miles from home when we were coming to a curve and this guy on another bike was coming thru the curve and stayed in my lane. I tried to avoid him but he ran over my left side and really messed me up. He flew thru the air and Jim my husband tried to avoid being in the wreck put his bike down but still the guy hit Jim's turn signal and it went thru his head. He the guy died instantly. He was also 2 times over the leagal limit for alchohol. In the mean time people are trying to help me and I don't realize how bad off I am. I guess I almost bled out on the road. I had broken 3 finger, wrist bone, smashed knee and a foot that was just hanging by a thread. They took me to OHSU Hospital by Life Flight. Last thing I remember is the lady in the helicopter saying she was giving me meds and Jim went by Ambulance. Just as he arrived at the hospital they were wheeling me into the operating room. They asked for his permission to take my leg. He said NO do what you can and let her decide. They put me in a coma for a week and a half. While in the coma they did 3 surgeries to try and straighten my leg out. I woke up from the coma with my arm and hand in a cast and my foot was pointing out to the left. Everytime they tried to straighten one way it twisted the other parts. So they settled for the way it was. I could not put weight on it for 6 monthes. Between then and April 9th 2010 I had 14 surgeries. And lots of different kinds of therapy. They said I would never walk. But, after the last surgery they took out the scar tissue they could and shortened the prostethis in the knee part. April 22, 2010 I woke up and realized when I walked down the hall I wasn't using the cane so much. So later in the day I hung up the cane and walked around the kitchen and the living room. With no help or helper device. I showed Jim when he got home. He cried. Later he was thinking and it was 4 1/2 years exactly to the day that I could walk on my own. I am 1 1/4 inches shorter on the left side from all the surgeries but I got lifts put on the soles of my shoes and I walk pretty okay now. I don't look so much like Cro-magnum woman now. I also got a new in the right knee in April 2009. The weekend the accident happened we decided I would go in and see what was wrong with it. I didn't find out till after I got out of the hospital and rehab in Dec. 2005 that it was because I was bone on bone. I was in so much pain and on such hard drugs to keep it to a dull one. So was hopping on it with a walker for about 1 1/2 years and then cruches then finally I got it fixed. It felt so good not to have that pain. After recouping from that one they gave me the left knee. It is one they would usually use for Cancer patients cause mine was so badly damaged. While they were trying to give me a bone graft they gave me a infection called enteroccocus(?) It is a nasty one. I ended up having 24/7 2 different kinds of antibi...Expand for more
otics. Changing them in the middle of the night and everything calling the people in the middle of the night cause the tubing gets plugged up. It was a mess. That was for 3 monthes I believe. You had to carry this bag around with you all the time when you couldn't even walk . It sucked big time. We got it under control and then I just have to take a antibiotic for the rest of my life. They still say there is a chance I will lose my leg before I die cause they can not do any more complicated surgeries on it. We will just hope that is a long time away. And I am trying to be careful not to fall or upset that infection again.
Well, my husband retired at the end of 2010. He decided about October he wanted to do something different. So the first part of Nov. he calls me and says he and his dog are moving to Cuenca, Ecuador. And I said what about me and the other dog??? Well, I guess you can come too he says and we will talk more about it when he gets home. So we started all the stuff you had to do to go to Ecuador. He decided we would make the move in the middle of April 2011. So we get shots the dogs get shots. We get all the papers for us put together and apostilled by Washington state and Nevada and Oregon and send them to the Ecuadorian Councilate in Washington D.C. He came down to Cuenca in March for 18 days. It took him 2 days to get the house he got 7 bedrooms, 3 floors, 3 1/2 baths, 3 car garage, gated with 10 foot high spike fencing for $500.00. While he was here he got the house furnished and applianced, railings put up on 2 of the stairs and electric turned on and gas hooked up in 14 days. He had 2 days to be a tourist. He did a wonderful job with the whole thing. It is a beautiful house and a beatiful city. We are to be here from 1 to 3 years.
I am a Quilter and have quilted many quilts for family and friends. And for charities. He bought me a sewing machine while he was here the first time and I brought a few projects to do. So I can still do my hobby.
That is my life so farfor May 11, 2011. .
10-11-12 Nope we weren't abducted by Aliens. We have been enjoying life here in Cuenca,Ecuador here for a year and a half. Right now we are in the start of our Spring so we are having sunny days in the 70's and then we could have thunderstorms in the afternoons. It is like being at home in Seattle or Portland, Oregon in the Spring. Except the rain goes away and it is sunny again in the morning. We have seen alot of Inca ruins within a 50 mile radius of here and a little farther like to the cost or a few hours away. Jim my husband wants to see Machu Pichu in Peru before we come home. We finally after 9 1/2 months got our Cedulas and our VISAS. That only took 4 trips to Quito the capital. Some people are still waiting for theirs. But, you can also start the proccess here in Cuenca also. They changed that thank god most of the people are saying. They can never keep things the way they are they have to tweek it here and there every week. A new rule here and there. Okay for them but not for the people trying to go thru the proccess.
So far we have met many other Expats they come from all over the U. S. and other countries. We either met them through Spanish classes or Breakfasts or Lunches or Jim is getting involved with the Masons down here. I have met some thru Ecuadorian Cooking Class. And of course if you are on the Ecuadorian Blogs for people that want to come down and check it out to see if they want to live here. We have a extra bedroom if you would like to come down for a week or so. If you ever get the chance to come down give me a e-mail and I will give you the perticulars and we can see about you coming and staying with us.
I am teaching English to the neighbors across the street the whole family. And they help me with my Spanish. Last week the 4th of Oct. I had my 100th Spanish Class. Just a little slow gettting it to stick in the old noggin. And yesterday at breakfast I started to teach one of the ladies that is Cuencan English after we had breakfast and waited for the guys to finish theirs. Girls aren't allowed at breakfast so we meet on our own.
So far everything is good with the left knee and the infection that is in remission. I did go up to Portland, Oregon in July and August of this year and while there got it checked and blood tests and got the okay to stay a little longer. We are keeping up the antibiotic regimen as it is. Boy, did I find it very hot and very expense to go back home. Made me glad to be coming back here where it is more reasonable all the way around. Our gas for regular has never changed for $1.48, it is 2.10 for the other. Never changing in the year and a half we have been here. It is subsidized so that helps. You can tell things are going up here too but not because of the gas and the trickle down effect. Supply and demand I think.
That is for us so far. So everybody take care and be good.
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