Pat Hartman Sikes

From Bill Sikes
Pat was in an accident on Tuesday morning, March 15, 9:30am. She was turning left (east) onto Route 50 from our side street (Stafford Drive) when a BMW traveling west ran the red light doing 50 mph and hit the front wheel area of her Buick. It knocked her up onto the concrete divider island, pointing southwest, then careened off her car into a van stopped at the light in one of the eastbound lanes. Totaled all three cars.

She called me immediately after the accident and was completely coherent. Since it was at the end of our street I was able to drive up and park in the adjacent office parking lot within a few minutes. The BMW driver admitted running the light AND speeding, total responsibility. Her head hit her side window and her hip hit the door, both were hurting. Nobody thought she was seriously hurt so they offered the choice between Fair Oaks and Fairfax hospitals. We picked Fair Oaks for convenience and away she went in the ambulance, arriving at 10:30am. They did cat scans on her head and xrays on her hip and cleared her to leave at 1:30pm. However, she was feeling nauseous so they gave her a shot to control that. Then we got her dressed and wheeled her to the ER foyer.

When I tried to put her in the car she went completely limp. We got her back in and re-registered (because we had checked out already). Pat thought the anti-nausea medicine had made her extremely tired and less than full control, the ER people thought that was impossible so they ran more tests. That is when they found multiple fractures in her pelvis and internal bleeding. There was no signs of this possibility until we attempted to leave the hospital. Since Fair Oaks isn't equipped to handle that level of trauma she was sent to Fairfax Hospital by helicopter, about 5:00pm. They finally had to do a procedure to stop the internal bleeding at 5:00am and (I was told) put her into an induced coma “so she could heal”. That doctor told me that the next 48 hours were “critical” and that word came up the next day as well.

Pat's kids, Scott and Kim both made arrangements to fly out, and when I asked nurses and doctors if they felt they should come here they all said yes. They definitely thought she was in danger. Apparently there are many things that could still go wrong. That said, as of 8:30pm tonight her nurse told us that she was no longer in the coma, just heavily sedated. What she needs now is rest.

Update as of 10:30am on Thursday, March 17: she is doing better, they had not given her any more fluids, and they said she was more “awake”. I will continue to send updates as I get them.

Saturday, March 19 they had to increase her sedation and let the respirator completely take over her breathing. Since then she has remained level, again a good thing. She is getting the best possible care. We have faith that she will come out of this, but we are aware that cautious optimism is in order.

It is Monday morning, March 21, the kids are scheduled to go home tomorrow, and I think they will. I apologize to all that are getting first knowledge via this email. Please don't call me, I probably won't be able to take the call anyway. I am doing fine, don't worry about me, we - Kim, Scott and myself) don't need anything, concentrate on Pat. Thanks for your prayers and concerns. Do reply, if you want to. Bill.

Bill is on Facebook

Billie Mills

I returned to Sarasota in March of 2010 and really happy to be back. The two years in Virginia I spent helping my friend who was terminally ill, that was the main reason for going back to VA. Now I stay at home and read every book in the Library. My health has limited my activities physically but in my mind I can still dance, lay on the beach and drink all the guys under the table, LOL

Hope you are back on your feet Linda and doing well. I did put you on my prayer list and have kept up on your recovery, aint fb great????

Been trying to find Kathy O'Neil's obit in the Post but didn't find, she died in 1998or 97 of Ovarian Cancer. I was with her until the last moment of life and she was a brave women and tried to fight this all the way to the end.

Did you get information on Vicki Foreman, Ed Smith and Connie Glade. He has a new address in Port Charlotte. Let me know!! Talked to Vicki last night and she cant remember what year Gary Anders died but he lived in Tucson, AZ if you look up Obits. Oh, one more thing have you heard anything from Terry Woodward? He told Steve and I he had MS like Steve and I haven't heard from him in ages. He lived in Fredericksburg.

Billie is on Facebook

Kay Cool

I remarried in 1999 to Pete Polen. I have lived in Manassas since 1965, and both of my boys were born here. It's hard to believe but they are now 45 and 43 years of age. I retired 1/1/04 and took care of my mother until her death in Aug. 2008. I have 4 grandchildren and 7 step-grandchildren, and have done a lot of babysitting since my first one was born. Pete and I are very active in our Church and the house keeps us very busy as well. We have three cats and we enjoy travelling a few times a year. Since my mom died I have had both of my knees replaced and I'm getting around a lot better. I plan on being more active this summer. Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Kay is on Facebook

Update March 9

I sent a notice to the 46 classmates on Facebook. I also sent out notices to emails I have had for awhile. Some were no longer current, but have heard from several people. I understand Amy Shewmaker has passed away. I have her last name as Dayton, but understand she had remarried. If anyone can provide any information I will search for her obituary. Heard from Steve Guch and he will try to get in touch with Bob Hadley and Maitland Sharpe. Bill Sikes has additional email listings - so we are making progress.

Update

Joan Arnold

I retired as of 04/01/2011 and am living on Social Security and Medicare as of 04/01/2011. I will stay in the area for at least another year to explore the area, if I can still afford the gas! Then I may move to some place cheaper and live on the profit from selling my house such as Wilmington, NC, Spartanburg, SC where my cousins live or Charlottesville, VA where a friend just retired.

Joan is on Facebook.

Cort Barnes

I finally retired/retired from consulting with the federal government but I do speaking engagements to community groups, colleges & universities about my time in Iran entitled "Hostage: A personal perspective". I am on Social Security and Medicare and learning to live on a fixed income wasn't as challenging as I thought it would be. I am a docent on the Battleship North Carolina Memorial here in Wilmington and my specialty is Radio Central & the Coding Room (I was in communications at the CIA and in the Navy and this was a natural for me). That keeps me busy in the summer along with golf, going to the GYM three days a week and taking care of my rescue sheltie. My wife works in Fairfax, Virginia for Booze-Allen-Hamilton and wants to work about four more years. When we moved to Wilmington she really missed the D.C. area with it's restaurants and shopping AND her friends. Me, not so much.

Cort is on Facebook