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July 2016

Seattle Children’s Hospital E.R.

While I was at work, my 15 year-old daughter, “Frankie” (legal name “Krystin”) overdosed on pain medication she had been saving up (instead of taking the pills when they were given to her) related to severe tooth pain she had been experiencing. She was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where we spent the night. She recovered quickly and relatively painlessly.

Employer Unappeasable After Absence

At the time, I was employed as Sr. Paralegal for an employer defense firm. I immediately left my office as soon as I learned that my daughter was in a semi-paralyzed state on the floor of our house, unable to form words, and breathing in a labored manner. I paused to type a brief note about the emergency on my computer’s desktop, which I knew my supervisor would remotely sign into and view.

The other paralegal at the firm was out for vacation and I alone was managing 4 paralegal desks (we 2 paralegals managed caseloads normally delegated to 4 persons). Attorneys panicked at my sudden disappearance. No one saw the note I left on my desktop (I think the receptionist deleted it without telling anyone) and so no one was sure what had happened to me as I was unable to receive any calls in the emergency room area of Children’s Hospital. Despite the emergent nature of my leave, it was obvious to me that the incident was the beginning of the end of my employer-employee relationship with the firm.

CPS Investigation of ER

Visit

A CPS employee came to our house within the next few days to talk to me. I don’t remember the exact outcome of the caseworker’s interview of me, but I think she told me that my daughter’s medical condition and the cause of it would be recorded as negligence, but unintentional, and not recorded as any form of abuse.

Unexpected Residential Upheaval

Property management gave me notice that my lease, up for renewal in August, would not be renewed, and I had 20 days to secure a new residence and vacate our home

address.