RockWall Cottage Chronicles

A newsy, sometimes amusing, usually interesting fly-on-the-RockWall view of my life as an author with updates from my Substack adventures.

The small cottage where I live and write has been affectionally named RockWall Cottage because of the rock wall that divides our side of the property from the side of the property where our friends, the owners of the cottage, live. (Learn More)

What Has Been Happening at RockWall Cottage?

Just a short update tonight . . .

We spent the day at the University of Washington Medical Center. My daughter took the day off to drive us. We left at 6:30, and it took us two hours to get from our house to the other side of Seattle.

We arrived just in time for the 8:30 appointment for lab tests, followed by a 9:30 appointment with the liver transplant team. We had many questions answered and felt validated by the frustrations we have had over the past three months. Everyone agreed that the next step would be for Scott to be admitted on Sunday for a full evaluation that will determine if he can be approved for a liver transplant. This process is far beyond what I can think about right now, but we all agreed that this first step will give us the answers we need to make decisions.

Before we left the hospital, Scott needed more tests that required traversing a maze of offices—buying a Nothing But Bundt Cake on the way. On days like this, I always look for something to lighten the heaviness. Anf what should appear? Green Doors. What?

We were on our way to the next office when I spotted the doors, but on the way back, I said, “Go ahead, I need to spend a minute with the doors and I will catch up with you.” I looked through the peephole and the crack in the door and created my own story—as I always do. Then I read the sign (below—it is small but hopefully you can enlarge it and read.) I read, reflected, and was on my way.

“The truth and nothing but the truth.” How apropos that I should happen across green doors in my quest for the truth about our current situation.

While looking for more information, I came across this information—why were walls embedded in my childhood memories green? I now have an answer.

“Much of our modern health care system–especially the growth and technological advances within health care–come from wars. Hospital green, originally called ‘spinach green,’ was invented during WWI by the American surgeon Harry Sherman. At the time, most all surfaces of hospitals and clinics were painted white, the color associated with purity and cleanliness. Dr. Sherman, who was busy doing numerous surgeries in St. Luke’s San Francisco hospital, found the contrast of blood against the white sheets and walls and staff uniforms to be too glaring. He couldn’t discern the fine detail of the anatomy of patients necessary for successful surgeries. So, using color theory, he experimented with different colors and in 1914 he came up with the ‘spinach green’ as a complement to blood red. He convinced the hospital to help him create a totally green operating room–walls, sheets, and the surgeon’s uniforms. I imagine though, that the St. Luke’s nurses kept their white hats and uniforms. The ‘spinach’ hospital green quickly spread to other hospitals across North America.” (Source)

And what what a trip through Seattle be without some random car pictures—always one of my favorite things!

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