Tornado Pat			We are still undergoing web re-construction To find the old site visit the Contents page Site Map (Index) and use your back button on pages that do not yet have buttons or links back.
Keeping up with Pat Macleod Schmidt

Hospital address University of Utah 50 North Medical Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84132 E-mails, cards and notes will all go in Pat's new scrapbook. We know your love is here.Debra Subscription Information The Aunt Pat Mail List			Pat's Good bye to Billy. Today is September 19th, Richard & Katherine are with Pat & Larry today.
		Larry's Story -The Tornado
		Recent Photographs
			Click on the link to September 17th to see Pat in the Sunshine
						September 17
				September 18

			A Smile for All of Us
	A Sad Moment

The day Bill Left (September 17th)

	From Bill, Saturday Evening
			From Katherine, Richard, Huffman's & Dan

		Saturday September 18th Greetings from sunny Salt Lake. This is Katherine Osten writing from Pat's Room 10 on the laptop with the little, tiny escape key I keep inadvertently hitting. Richard Thomspon and I, friends and neighbors who live in the dome house across from Pat and Larry, arrived at 10:00 Saturday for a short weekend visit. The view is great but secondary to the action in the room. Amid intermittent smiles and frowns, Pat' s limbs are active and in motion except during catnaps. Richard did some resistance exercises with Pat's right arm and hand and was pleased to feel her strength and responsiveness. "She's got a good grip", he said. She received new nail polish today, lotion on her hands, legs and feet and some soothing touching. She seemed to like gentle stroking on her forearm, which brought out a nice Pat smile. She tried very hard to turn her head to the right to look at Richard a few times; quite an accomplishment at this point. She's resting quietly now with Mozart playing softly in the background and one hand clasped around the hacky sack ball. Larry went to the store to buy weights for Pat's legs; she is taking a walk down the hall again this afternoon. While we're waiting for him to return and the walk to begin, we want to let you know that those positive thoughts, prayers and good feelings are still coming in loud and strong. Pat's room has a feeling of great energy, hope and life. Sadly, some of the other rooms don't. It's easy to see that the love and care coming Pat's way have had a marvelous effect. A few hours later: She went all the way down to the end of the hall! (Larry corrected me, "To the stop sign.") One foot in front of the other -- perfect! Richard elicited a fantastic smile when he danced around the room to Strauss, alone but pretending to have Pat in his arms. And Pat smiled and seemed to greatly enjoy stepping on my toes when she was sitting upright in the chair. She sat upright for hours and even held her head straight up for quite sometime. Maybe another update from me tomorrow if there is time. Keep the love and good thoughts coming! Love, Katherine, Richard, Larry, Tanner, Hunter, Karen and Kim From Dan Macleod Bill left this morning, so I thought I'd send out what I know, just in case no one else does. (I understand the need for a Pat fix.) This is via our mother, who just spoke with Larry: Pat was sitting in a regular chair. She took a couple of walks today. She was holding her head better. They put weights on her feet(?). Otherwise she was quiet today. (My how our expectations have risen.) No word on the move to Denver. When they put the drain in her chest, the nurse told me that meant it would be a while, and I guess he was right. That's all I know. Dan
Hello all, I'm back in Seattle after a 10 AM flight out of Salt Lake. I have a couple hours before my next flight to the island and have a quiet spot on the deck overlooking Lake Union and a dock full of float planes. This has been a very difficult day for me with many thoughts about Pat, Larry, Cindy, All of you, and the fragile little lives we live. Something about being up in the air at 35,000' looking down at sporadic colonies of humans, separated by what can appear as a hostile environment for these delicate bodies we keep so dear. I don't know where it just came from but the phrase " It's whats inside that counts" comes to mind, and today with Pat was a perfect example. After an evening with Larry downloading Email's, talking about the week, and a BBQ chicken pizza in the condo, it was another early day to catch Pat before 7 AM. When I arrived Larry had the staff all set with breakfast cinnamon rolls and juice. Pat was awake and going for an easy bike ride. Larry had already started the coffee routine and it was quiet in the hall with less activity in general than during the week. I stood in front of Pat with arms out wide to say here I am and good morning to you my dear. She had her glasses on, something we are doing more often as we know she needs them and all indications are that she sees very well. We began with our usual update of hellos from friends and telling her what the boys did last night. We have made a habit of putting lotion on our hands in the mornings and I handed her the bottle to hold while we got ready. This always brings a smile and I change the way we go about it as I learn that she is perfectly willing to participate given the time and we worked all the lotion in between her fingers and mine. Next up was some head and neck stretches. Pat ( or I ) have learned that if I tell her in advance what we want to do and why, she is usually ready and willing if not starting on her own. She knows what the neck stretching will mean and turns her head to the side we are working on and I gently help her bring it over a little farther. When we get to the point of resistance I tell her how good she is doing and that this position is the "middle" in hopes she will recognize that she is a little out of alignment, and that being there will help her see where she is going when she takes a walk. As it neared time to go, I showed her I was leaving the lotion and that someone else is going to do this with her next time. I pulled up a chair and sat down on the side she naturally faces and fought back the tears as this was going to be our good bye. Pat seemed to know it too and was very focused, her hand in mine and looking into my eyes. I told her that she didn't fool me and that I know that see is very aware of all that goes on around her, that she sees us just fine and hears us perfectly. With that she was grinning ear to ear and squeezing my hand tight. I talked about how great the week was and how much progress she is showing and that I thought she was being a smarty pants with all that she can be proud of doing. More smiles. I went on to say that since I know she is doing very well inside and it must be frustrating trying to make all the other parts work when you want them too, that it will take a while and to stay strong and determined and you will get there, most definitely. I told her that the next time I saw her would probably be in Colorado but I would come down anytime she or Larry asked. I began to cry, and was kissing her hand and saying good bye, Pat was crying too and had tears on her cheek. And then so gently she MOUTHED the words "good-bye". Larry saw this too and we all three fell apart....... what more can I say. I have some additional pictures to get to Phil and Mike, and then to you. In there is a pic of the statue outside the hospital of a man leaping to the aid of a child. On the base is the following inscription. " When the pure impulse of the strong, knowledgeable, and wise, to spring to the aid of the frightened and the vulnerable become instinctive. Possibly the root of the greatest good in mankind is found." Love you, Bill Bill Rode 1469 Sperry Rd. Lopez Island, WA 98261 206-295-4932