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

This is quick, but I'll send other decoding on as I talk to Pat. Love to all you PLSers, Kay

HI TO ALL FROM PAT AND LARRY'S LIVING ROOM. PAT IS HOME SWEET HOME AFTER A BEAUTIFUL DRIVE UP FROM DENVER ON A PERFECT DAY FOR PAT. SHE HAS BEEN WORKING HARD TOWARD THIS DAY AND IS LOOKING LIKE THE PROVERBIAL CAT THAT SWALLOWED THE CANARY. SHE MANEUVERED THE STEPS WITH DETERMINATION UNDER LARRY'S WATCHFUL EYE AND TOOK A TOUR OF HER SWEET MOUNTAIN HOME AFTER 3 1/2 MONTHS. WHAT A GREAT MOMENT FOR BOTH PAT AND LARRY (AND INDEED FOR US ALL) AS THIS IS ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS . PAT RESTED IN HER BIG TAN LAZYBOY AND LARRY PREPARED A WONDERFUL LUNCH THAT INCLUDED SUSHI AND SISTER PATTY'S BUTTERHORN ROLLS, AND CHEESECAKE! (DID I MENTION HOW GLAD I AM TO BE HERE?!?) PAT NAPPED ON HER COUCH AND WOKE UP SMILING. I FEEL HONORED TO BE HERE FOR THIS WONDERFUL DAY!

ILL SHARE A LITTLE OF WHAT I'VE OBSERVED THE LAST 3 DAYS WITH PAT. SHE IS AMAZINGLY STRONG AS SHE GOES FROM SCHEDULED CLASS TO CLASS. EVEN WITH THE CHALLENGE OF DOUBLE VISION SHE READS HER OWN SCHEDULE AND HAS THE ROUTINE DOWN AND WILL SET US STRAIGHT IN HER PATIENT PERSISTENT WAY IF WE FALTER. SHE REMINDED ME TO LEAVE A NOTE FOR LARRY ON WEDS. WHEN WE DECIDED TO LEAVE THE WING. HE HAD CALLED SAYING HE'D BE DOWN AND SHE WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PROJECTED TIME OF HIS ARRIVAL.( I WAS NOT REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT.) SHE STARTED MAKING HER WAY TO HER ROOM AND I THOUGHT, "OH, SHE HAS FORGOTTEN WHERE WE WERE GOING"...WRONG!!!!! SHE WHEELED HER CHAIR OVER AND TOOK OUT A PAD OF PAPER AND HANDED IT TO ME. I STILL DIDN'T GET IT AND SHE JUST SMIRKED AT ME AND THEN IT DAWNED ON ME THAT SHE WANTED ME TO LEAVE LARRY A NOTE TELLING HIM WHERE WE WERE! WHO HAS THE SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS? YOU TELL ME. THANKSGIVING DAY WAS A GREAT DAY OF LOVE AND FOOD SPENT WITH COUSIN DEB AND FAMILY. PAT SEEMED SO HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE. IT WAS A SWEET OUTING FOR HER. AND SHE WENT BACK TO CRAIG FULL AND HAPPY FOR THE REUNION. YESTERDAY SEVERAL OF HER REGULAR STAFF THERAPISTS WERE OFF AND PAT PATIENTLY WENT FROM THERAPY TO THERAPY WITHOUT A HITCH. AT ONE POINT A SPEECH THERAPIST ASKED PAT IF SHE WAS FREE FOR A S.T. SESSION AND PAT SAID ,"NO" (THOUGH HER P.T. WAS LATE AND IT WAS LOOKING LIKE A NO-SHOW.) THE SPEECH THERAPIST INVITED PAT TO COME AND SEE HER EARLIER THAN HER 1;30 APPNT. IF SHE ENDED UP WITH A BREAK IN HER SCHEDULE. MUCH LATER AND AFTER LUNCH PAT STARTED TO HEAD FOR SPEECH THERAPY AND I TOOK OUT HER SCHEDULE AND READ THE 1;30 SPEECH TIME TO HER. I THOUGHT SHE MIGHT BE CONFUSED ABOUT THE TIME (YEAH RIGHT!) SHE JUST KEPT SCOOTING TOWARD SPEECH THERAPY AND ROLLED UP TO THE DESK AND POINTED TO HER OPEN SPACE OF TIME. THE SECRETARY TRIED TO TELL HER THAT HER APPNT. WASN'T UNTIL 1;30 AND SHE JUST POINTED TO THE OPEN TIME SLOT.

FINALLY THE SPEECH THERAPIST CAME IN AND SAID," OH PAT- I COULD SEE YOU NOW - ARE YOU AVAILABLE? I'M GLAD IT WORKED OUT FOR YOU TO COME IN EARLIER- I REALLY APPRECIATE IT." PAT IS DEFINITELY HERSELF. SHE LAUGHED AND SMILED AS I CAUGHT HER UP ON NEWS FROM MINNESOTA. SHE LOOKED VISIBLY SADDENED AS I SHARED A HIGHSCHOOL FRIEND'S RECENT LOSS OF HER HUSBAND. SHE GIGGLES WHEN I BRING UP OLD MEMORIES AND FUNNY STORIES AND WE HAVE BEEN GENERALLY VISITING AND CATCHING UP AS OLD BUDDIES DO. SHE ENJOYS HER MAIL AND PHONE CALLS AND IS CLEARLY INFUSED WITH ENERGY AFTER OPENING MAIL OR CHATTING WITH FOLKS. SHE LISTENS INTENTLY AS LARRY READS YOUR E-MAILS AND RELAYS MESSAGES SENT. THE PLS MEANS AS MUCH NOW AS EVER! PAT WILL HEAD BACK TO CRAIG REASONABLY EARLY ON SUN. AFTER SLEEPING IN HER OWN BED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE AUG. WE ALL EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE FOR A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING WEEKEND. WE GIVE THANKS FOR THE BLESSINGS OF LOVE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS NOT ONLY AT THANKSGIVING BUT EVERYDAY. WE TRUST YOU HAD A GOOD WEEKEND TOO AND PAT AND LARRY SEND THEIR LOVE. WARMLY, JULIE