Michael and Lucille Parker. Photo by C.B. Bell.

By Cynthia Flash
Burien resident Lucille Parker is one feisty woman. She speaks her mind, asks for what she wants, sets her expectations high and does her best to live life to the fullest.
And she does it all while battling a host of health problems, including chronic kidney failure that has tethered her to a dialysis machine for 40 years – making her one of the world’s longest continuous dialysis patients.
Lucille learned she had kidney disease at age 19 while living in Illinois.
“I was sick. My mom said, ‘Girl, you’re pregnant.’ I said, ‘Woman, you’re crazy.’”
Lucille’s doctor determined one kidney was working at only 50 percent and the other at 75 percent. She was admitted to the hospital for 30 days as her kidneys continued to fail, and in April 1977 she started dialysis treatments. Three times a week she would be hooked up to a machine that cleaned the waste from her blood and removed extra fluid from her body, replacing the work normally done by healthy kidneys.
At the time Lucille was hoping to be picked up by the Barbizon Agency and become a model. But she gave up that dream and followed her soon-to-be husband Michael Parker to Seattle, where they built a life together. She worked as an office manager while raising their son and daughter, supporting Mike’s work as a dry cleaner and the many businesses he started, including a limousine service. When she’s able, Parker dotes on her five granddaughters, ages 1 to 23.
Parker inherited a genetic condition from her father that inflames the small blood vessels in the kidneys. That puts her in the minority of people with kidney failure, who more often develop kidney problems after a history of diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
She received a kidney transplant that didn’t take, requiring her to continue dialysis even with the new organ.
At one time, she received dialysis at a Northwest Kidney Centers clinic but then she and Mike got training to do her treatments themselves at home. She spends 2.5 hours on dialysis, five days a week, to replace the 24/7 function of normal kidneys. Once a month she returns to Northwest Kidney Centers for a checkup to be sure all is well.
Lucille has also received support from family and friends from Beacon Hill First Baptist Church, where she and Mike have been part of the choir. Mike still sings there.
One must be tough and determined to do 40 years of dialysis. Over the years, Lucille has even died three times. She had a heart attack at a dialysis clinic and was revived by a nurse who administered CPR until the medics arrived. She pulled through two additional near-death experiences, battled intestinal infection, had a hip replacement and is facing additional surgery.
“You have to stay on your schedule and take care of yourself. You don’t cut your treatments short and you can’t skip,” she said recently at her home, surrounded by decades’ worth of framed family pictures. “You can’t drink. You can’t smoke. You can’t do drugs. You can’t put anything in your body that doesn’t belong. It’s about living, not partying.”
They’re a stylish pair – Mike immaculately dressed and Lucille now donning intricately painted long nails. Faith plays a big role for them.
“God has been part of my life since I was a little girl,” she said. “Make God No. 1 in your life. Always stand up on your faith.”
On March 6, Lucille will turn 61 years old. Her birthday is two days before World Kidney Day, a time to focus on health and learn about kidney disease, which affects more than 1 in 10 Americans and 1 in 4 African Americans.
Stay on top of your kidney health
Follow prescribed treatments to control diabetes and/or high blood pressure, the biggest causes of kidney disease:

• Lose extra weight with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
• Don’t overuse over-the-counter pain medicines.
• Don’t smoke.
• Eat more fresh food to avoid the damaging salt that preserves our processed food.
• Know your family health history.
• Ask your doctor to test you for kidney disease if you are at risk—take a quiz to find out at https://www.nwkidney.org/living-with-kidney-disease/am-i-at-risk/overview/

Sponsored post from Advertiser DAL Law Firm:

Business photograph designed by Pressfoto – Freepik.com

What is a Revocable Living Trust?

DAL Law can help you in creating the estate plan which is right for you with a Revocable Living Trust. A Revocable Living Trust is used to protect your assets and avoid probate. Our office works with you in ensuring that a Revocable Living Trust is right for you.
In determining whether a Revocable Living Trust is right for you, it is important to understand what a Revocable Living Trust is. In our initial consultation, we will discuss this in more detail, but a brief overview is provided below.
The largest difference between a Revocable Living Trust and a Will is that a will requires Probate, and a Revocable Living Trust does not. While both a Revocable Living Trust and a Will leave instructions for your loved ones regarding the administration and distribution of your estate, the Revocable Living Trust empowers your Successor Trustee to make such distributions, whereas the Will does not and will require the oversight and approval from a Probate Court.
A Revocable Living Trust is created during your lifetime, and you have complete control of the Revocable Living Trust. A Revocable Living Trust continues to exist after your passing, to allow your Successor Trustee to make the distributions according to your Revocable Living Trust.
Our Revocable Living Trust services include:

• An initial consultation to assess your assets, discuss your wants and needs, explain how a Revocable Living Trust works, and help you decide if a Revocable Living Trust is right for you.
• Prepare your Revocable Living Trust, which is specifically tailored for you, keeping in mind your wants and needs we discussed in our initial consultation.
• Unlimited reviews and revisions to ensure your Revocable Living Trust accurately reflects your requests.
  Execution of your Revocable Living Trust, and we will provide the witnesses and notary
• To complete your estate plan, we also highly recommend that we prepare and execute Power of Attorneys and other related estate planning documents.

A Revocable Living Trust can be a very useful tool based on the type of assets, as long as the assets are properly maintained in the Revocable Living Trust.
If you do not have an estate plan, or are considering adding a Revocable Living Trust to your estate plan, please give us a call today at (206) 408-8158, or email our office at Darcel@dallawfirm.com. We look forward to being able to assist you with your estate planning needs.

Darcel Lobo

19803 1st Avenue S.
Suite 200
Normandy Park, WA 98148
T (206) 408-8158
F (206) 374-2810
E Darcel@dallawfirm.com
http://www.dallawfirm.com
https://www.facebook.com/DAL-Law-Firm-203308630032502/

• Burien Goodwill (1031 SW 128th St., Burien, WA 98146):
  • Tues & Thurs: 5 to 9 p.m.
  • Sat: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Sun: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Burien Community Center (14700 6th Ave. SW, Burien, WA 98166)
  • Mon & Tues: 2 to 7 p.m.

There are two easy ways to file:

• Online
  File your taxes online for free with United Way’s My Free Taxes tool at www.MyFreeTaxes.com.
• In-Person
  File your taxes in-person at one of 30 locations throughout King County. Locations have convenient hours to meet your schedule, and no appointments are needed. To find a location near you, languages available, a list of what to bring, and other details, visit United Way’s website at www.FreeTaxExperts.org or call 2-1-1.

Please share this post with friends and family members!
United Way’s general electronic PDF flyer can be found here:

https://www.uwkc.org/wp-content/uploads/ftp/freetax/assets/English.pdf

WHEN: Wednesday, March 7, 2018 | 6 – 7:00 pm
WHERE: Burien Community Center, Lakewood Room, 14700 6th Avenue SW, Burien

– and –

WHEN: Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | 6 – 7:00 pm
WHERE: Normandy Park Community Club (The Cove), 1500 SW Shorebrook Drive, Normandy Park

Light refreshments will be provided at both events.
Learn about:

• Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
• The Community Salmon Investigation driven by local community scientists
• Long-term trends in coho and chum salmon returns
• Factors affecting salmon and stream health, including polluted runoff
• Pre-spawn mortality and its impact on local salmon
• How you can contribute to improving watershed health
• Volunteering to count salmon this fall

For additional Information:

• Web search key words “CSI Highline” or www.kingcounty.gov/environment/watersheds/central-puget-sound/miller-walker-creeks/salmon-monitoring.aspx
• Contact Matt Goehring, Miller/Walker Basin Steward, mattgoehring@kingcounty.gov, (206) 263-6826

From there, Charlie Perkins will do a quick equipment check; go over the plan; and then volunteers will head out to to the freeway in 2-3 cars.
If you’re not interested in cleaning up the highway and still want to help, Christine Lopez could sure use some extra hands cleaning up downtown with the others. They’ll be meeting at the Municipal parking lot located at 634 SW 151st at Noon.
Looks like the rain might stop mid morning, and that should leave us in good shape for the afternoon. However, it will be cold, so dress really warm.
This section of highway is the first impression visitors to Burien get when travelling north or south to us on 509. Let’s make that first impression a good one, eh?
The section would be “ours” for 4 years, and we’d even have our very own highway sign! How cools is that?

WSDOT’s expectations are relatively low: Only four clean-ups each year to be done anytime we want. A team of 6 people for a few hours for each of the 4 clean ups should be fine, and we could bundle those clean ups with other Burien clean up events.
The good news is that we’re not expected to pick up anything dangerous, heavy, or too dirty. All we have to do is “flag it”, and WSDOT will take it from there.
The other good news is that all the necessary equipment will be provided, and we get to keep it and use it for other events. Handy!
Dates, days and times are ours to determine, and we’d welcome your suggestions and input for those.
Imagine seeing a clean stretch of freeway and our very own sign welcoming you home every time you get off 509…and knowing you helped make it happen.
We’ll proceed with the ‘adoption’ if we can get at least 10 good shows of support.
This group is for the localists of Burien. Here, they can plan, organize, and share stories of things that they’ve voluntarily done or wish to do to make their city better.
Pick up trash around a playground? Snap and share it. Help an elderly neighbour get her groceries? Do tell. Need help organizing a soccer game for kids? Ask away. Want to coordinate a “needle clean up” event? Go for it. It absolutely doesn’t matter how small the deed is. Share it and inspire others.
We’ll also be reaching out to other organizations that want to make things better so you can find out what they’re up to locally and when you can help.
In this group (join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LocalistsBurien/), you can:

• share what you’ve done to help your city
• suggest projects or issue challenges
• organize events
• request help with projects
• coordinate projects with other members
• connect to other organizations trying to make Burien better.

PLEASE NOTE:
This group is not for political discussion or debate. It’s also not a place for the solicitation of funds. Let’s keep this group apolitical, money free, positive, and, most of all, collaborative.
This group is open to everyone who wants to help.

• Buffet dinner prepared and served by Puget Sound Skills Center
• Wine & Beverage Bar
• Silent Auction
• Dessert Dash
• Hospitality House stories shared by graduates and staff

Tickets are $50 per person, and are available at:

https://springfling2018.brownpapertickets.com/

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4086574/Sound-Transit-Express-bus-service-fare-simplification-survey

Simplified fares will:

• Be easier to understand
• Speed up boarding
• Better align fares with other transit agencies

Two options are being considered:

1. An adult flat fare of $3.25
2. A route-based fare that eliminates the one-zone fare on routes that serve two counties.  Both options would reduce fares for ORCA LIFT, Youth, Senior, and Disabled riders making two-county trips.

Pending Board approval, Sound Transit expects to implement any fare changes in July 2018, when King County Metro applies its new $2.75 flat fare.
What is the difference between zone-based fares and route-based fares?
For Sound Transit, county lines currently represent fare zone boundaries, and fares are charged based on whether a rider travels across a county line rather than the distance their route travels.  The route-based fare option would set a single fare for each route. Under this scenario, fares would remain unchanged for 93 percent of adult trips. For seven percent of adult trips within one county on a two-county route, fares would rise by $1.00.
How would this help simplify fares between agencies?
Option 1 would align fare levels for reduced fare riders with King County Metro, and align the fare structure with flat fare structures adopted by King County Metro, Pierce Transit, Everett Transit and Kitsap Transit.
Option 2 would align fare levels with King County Metro for adult riders on one-county routes and for all reduced fare riders.
Both options would simplify the design of the next generation ORCA system.
When reviewing the fare simplification options, what other factors did staff consider?

• Fares must be set in $0.25 increments following our agreement with other transit agencies in the region.
• Options proposed should keep overall ST Express system revenue as close to revenue neutral as possible.

For more info, visit https://www.soundtransit.org/st-express-fare-change