Recent Photos From Tom Bray

Current Hospital

Craig Hospital Room 210 West

If you want to send cards...etc. the address is

Craig Hospital Patricia Schmidt 3425 South Clarkson St. Englewood, CO 80110
(303)789-8254

E-mail's, cards and notes will all go in Pat's new scrapbook.

We know your love is here. Debra

Mailing List Subscription Information The Aunt Pat Mail List

It was about 7:30 pm and I had just left Sue Hasegawa and Trish Dixon with Pat while I went to complete stage three of the "to does" in order to get a hall pass for Pat to leave campus. For the first time in a while I was wondering just how safe Pat was going to be without my supervision and guidance. My concerns regarding Pat's safety were triggered at the end of a long day: after talking to the Duck, visiting with Paul Rhode, Bruce Cochran and cousin Deb, not to mention- stair climbing, walking, op, pt, and st, Pat was tuckered out. 

Sue and Trish were excited to talk to Pat as she was with them, however Pat did not have the energy to play after such a busy day and that was not surprising to any of us. Trish was trying to catch up with Pat starting with "do you feel as good as you look" ? Sue and I were talking about something else, I overheard Pat trying to unscramble the "word salad" she had put together for Trish, a moment of silence was broken with the sound of velcro ripping apart. It was Pats safety belt on her wheel chair, the one that secures her in her chair. We all three looked at Pat and how fast she stood straight up, as she began to walk, the "father" in me lunge forward and grab her. 

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise, forget about talking about it, she wanted to show the girls how well she was doing and without delay she was beaming from ear to ear' as to say, well what do you think of this. It was with this spunky display of "pioneer spirit" I hesitated to go to class. I could only imagine what kind of trouble these three were going to pursue within the next short hour. Pat took them on a tour of the place and jumped up out of here chair only one more time, to lean over the wall of her bed to offer an explanation of where a picture was taken at. This seemed like a perfectly good reason to join in, she needed to stand up to see what the girls were looking at, only then could she offer an explanation. 

It had been a busy day, and it was not until the drive home at 11:00 pm that I flashed on the date. It was 11/11 just three months later from this major change in our lives. Look at me I was driving myself home on the eve of this 3 month anniversary instead of catching a ride with Sharon at 11:00 pm, which happened to be shift change. Sharon was the night shift ER receptionist at the University Hospital in Salt Lake. A second and disappointing difference was how I started the day on 11/11. I left the house at 6:30 just as in Salt Lake the morning of the 11th, however in Utah, I was not going to play 9 holes. Yesterday I found myself leaving for Denver in order to make Pat's first class so I could get certified at loading and curb side handling, step 2 & 3 in getting off campus.

Bruce Livoni, just called to check in from Maui. I just lost a couple of hours, I guess its Friday.

Earlier during dinner someone asked Pat when she was slated to leave, she started to talk, stopped, shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes, and responded "ask him" .

Lets try this again and see if I can finish this that I started last night. There is the door bell---------its Paul Warner----- give me just a minute,

It's Friday I'm out of here, until later I leave you with this.

Pat has made so many small steps to regaining her life I am so proud and always excited to get back to her everyday. I am truly thankful for the time we have.

There will be an update coming your way from KK who is spending the day with her and a weekend update coming from the one and only Dan Macleod. He will be in for a 24 hr visit, Saturday 1:00 until Sunday 1:00 pm.

Thanks for all your PLS, it is present everyday.