Debra here. Kay called and asked me to post this. I was in the car without a notepad, so I hope I have the terminology straight.
This morning the doctors were more concerned about why Pat wasn't waking up. One of the speculations had to do with whether or not any of her arteries were blocked or spasming and constricting blood flow to the brain. This afternoon they decided to do an angiogram with the possibility that they would also have to do a cranial angioplasty (which comes with great risk since it is invasive into the brain.) They did the angiogram and found no constricted or spasming arteries. Good news! Also good news because they did not have to do the angioplasty.
On the down side, they still do not have a very accurate clue as to why the coma lasts. The CT scan the other night did not show any evidence of damage other than the bruising she came in with. (I think that is a correct statement, it all gets so confusing.) Pat sustained severe damage, she suffered "deep bleeding" ... we just don't know what it means.
Better news was that she opened her eyes several times today, and that last night while Kay was holding her hand Pat responded to Kay's voice. She squeezed Kay's hand when Kay said that Karen Huffman and Howard Heck were there, and then when Larry walked into the room and when Pat heard Larry's voice she pulled hard and harder on Kay's hand.
Pat is fighting several infections: pneumonia, urinary, and something in her blood. She is on 3 antibiotics. I guess it is pretty common to get infections after this length of lying still and such.
This is a roller coaster ride. It is difficult to find the right mix of optimism and realism, so I'm trying to lay it out there as objectively as possible. But I am not objective. This is Pat we're talking about. I can only, with the help of the Spirit, hope and trust.