This is Debra in Pat's room trying to get this information out to a vast group of Pat and Larry fans. There are family members, old Copper alumni, industry friends, school friends, Brainerd (Pat's hometown) friends, Frisco/Breckenridge friends, friends of friends, friends of family, church friends of friends and I don't know who all else. Some of you will have heard bits of this before. I understand that sometime this week there will be a website for Pat. I don't know the address yet.
Good news from Salt Lake is:
CPP: As the days progress I'm learning more about head injury and will pass bits along. Books, conversations with the Docs, web sites have been helpful. Pat's cousin Paula found several websites devoted to head injury. I read the www.waiting.com and found it helpful. ICP is intracranial pressure. In Pat's case it is caused by the swelling due to the trauma of being hit by flying and falling objects and falling to the floor. We are waiting for the swelling to subside. MAP is mean arterial pressure. It's a type of shorthand for blood pressure. MAP - ICP = CPP. CPP lets us know if enough oxygen is getting to the brain as we wait for the swelling to subside. Pat's ICP and MAP have been fluctuating. The important factor is to keep CPP above 60. Even though Pat's ICP has been going up and down, as long as MAP stays high enough to ensure a CPP of +60 her brain is being protected. Yesterday that was a huge chore. Today is better because even though ICP is continuing to fluctuate, the MAP has been high enough to keep CPP +60.
GOLD: (Pat is going to be less than pleased with me when she reads this, and I almost didn't include this. But I have to have some fun while I can. Then I remembered that Martin Luther, vulgar and brilliant as he was, once commented about God being a God of shit (his word). He was thinking about the incarnation, that God took the form of a baby who shits and grows to be a man who lives and loves us in midst of the shit in our lives. So I decided the following is more than appropriate good news.) The medical team here is aggressive about getting nutrition into Pat. She's being fed through a tube in her mouth, keeping the digestive system active. She's had food going in since Friday, but no "output". Jeff was trying to get her going all day yesterday with no results. It was one of today's primary goals. Moments ago I was about to suggest prayers for poop when Jeff turned and beamed "We're finally striking gold! It's a-coming!"
Hopefully that will be the last of that level of humor. Please indulge me this one time. I think the stress is taking it's toll on me.
Tomorrow or Tuesday I will return to Denver. Pat's sister Kay will be here on Monday. Phil Huff's daughter, Cecily, works at this hospital and has offered to let Kay use her office computer for the daily update.
Hospital address:
University of Utah
50 North Medical Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
Cards and notes will all go in Pat's new scrapbook. And the coming website will hopefully be fun too.
We know your love is here.... Debra