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.
				Table of Contents
				Larry's Story -The Tornado
				Recent Photographs
				Past Updates
				Aunt Pat Tornado Fund
					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
	Keeping up with Pat Macleod Schmidt

Today is September 22, 1999

Some More Older Pictures From Betsy's Last Visit

	Pat Talking to Her Mom		Pat in Her Tilt Table For The First Time

Tuesday 9/21/99 Update From Kay

Wednesday 9/22/99 Update From Debra

9-21-99 update She's getting ornery. She's getting feisty. It was a tube pulling day. After the pulmunary doctors gave their approval, the drain tube in the chest was removed. Pat pulled the catheter tube out without anyone's permission. Nurse Scott put a strap on her left arm to prevent her from doing that again. Larry said, "Just watch her, Scott. She's a Fullbright Scholar. She'll wriggle and twist her body until she has it in the right position close enough to her left hand to pull it out again." 10 minutes. That's all it took her. Pat now has 2-pound weights on each leg and she is swinging both legs over the railing, clearing them like she's high jumping. (Try to act sick, Pat, so they won't throw you out of NCC before your move to Denver.) There was no walk today, as the staff was too busy with various tubes. The PICC line was adjusted, and x-rays taken to ensure correct positioning. Things are flowing well. PICC is peripherally inserted central catheter. Peripheral means veins of the extremities, in this case near the elbow. The PICC line enters large, durable vein in a site that has a lower risk of infection than the central line site near her neck and shoulder. Antibiotics or anything else introduced intravenously will through the PICC line. The TPN (total parenteral nutrition) is being mixed with a thicker, darker food, probably NOT chocolate. Parenteral denotes any route other than the alimentary canal. There was also a head to toe massage, checking responses and spinal alignment. The therapists are excited and impressed at Pat's muscle tone, coordination, and strength, especially after being on her back for more than 30 days. The splints you may have seen in the photos are to keep her fingers from curling up. She is breathing through a mask now. There is less irritation, it's more comfortable, and she is coughing less. Aaron Rex is due in Wednesday, and also possibly Tim Lawler. Larry and Kim Huffman will be driving together to Las Vegas at the end of the week. Many women my age show pictures of their grandchildren. I show my friends the picture of Pat smiling at the camera, food tube coming out of her nose and stapled to her cheek. She's beautiful. She's adorable. And she belongs to all of us! Pleasant dreams, Kay		Hi! This is Debra. I just finished talking to Larry and Aaron on the phone, so here's a recap of the conversation from 4:30 p.m. It was a positive day. (What else could it be for Pat?) She's taking a major trip on her air bicycle. Still concentrating on the left side. The staff has been encouraging visitors to stand on the R side of the bed, in order to encourage Pat to look right. It's not been a great help yet. For awhile today she wore a neck brace to help correct the tilt. They checked the blood clot situation and it looks positive: no new clots, no growth in the old ones. While we were talking on the phone she started to smile when Larry accused her of playing possum'. So then I talked to her too. when I finished speaking she looked at Larry as if to say, "take the phone, it's your turn again." They (Pat, Larry, Aaron and Tim Lawler) were hoping to get outside for some sunshine now. Big smile in anticipation when Larry said that. Karen Huffman and Jen Pierce from Ice were there today too. Still no definate plans for the trip to Denver, it could be Monday or Tuesday. Thanks Biltz' for the beautiful prose on love! The line that caught me was that love is "the day-in and day-out chronicle of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals." Isn't that the truth! Your PLS counts big time! Love, Debra From Kay: Here's a small addition to Debra's update. Larry and Tim put Pat's rolling chair up next to the window so that she could look out at the view. She discovered that she could put her feet up on the wall and push herself back. She gave herself a big push, then looked around and grinned. She was outside again today for about a half hour enjoying the sun, but was too reserved out in public to pull any more rolling chair stunts.