Todd temperature has been beyond high all day – an hour ago it was 40.2 with his heart beat and breathing a labored as if he were running a marathon. Join us as we meditate and chant over him at this moment. He is down to 38.9, he is breathing slow and steady and maintaining. This combined with last few hours of cool cloths has proven amazingly successful and now we would like you all to join us as we bring Todd peace and the reserves he needs to heal.
We are your ports to Todd.
Todd Blair 
October 1, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Positive thoughts, positive thoughts, positive thoughts! 🙂 Cool energy, cool energy! Imagine yourself in the Artic, polar bears all around. Seals are splashing cool water onto your heated skin. You are feeling your temperature drop as we speak. Splash seals, splash!
October 1, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Count me in the peaceful cooling circle.
October 1, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I’m right there with you guys, sending my coolest thoughts and praying for easy breaths. You can do it, Todd. I know you can. There’s so much love out here for you!
October 1, 2007 at 1:01 pm
here in southern cali, the nights are getting cool and I’ve been sleeping with the windows open just to let the shiver in. it’s like sleeping in calm cool water on a hot summer day. I send you this chillful comfort to make the fever let go, to let you rest, to get well, to wake up. todd, you and alex (and amy) are never far from my thoughts: I’m sending as much love and healing vibes as I can.
m
October 1, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Your strength, Amy’s strength is amazing and encouraging and Todd will draw from that, as we all have. I’m right there with you and my arms are around you all.
October 1, 2007 at 1:12 pm
cool cool water… blue pool… gentle water washing over Todd…
October 1, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Remind Todd of being in Gold Lake and “shooting the rapids” of the Stanislaus River. or you can remind him of how cold I thought it was. and tell him I love him.
October 1, 2007 at 1:52 pm
todd darlin we are penguins circling you with so much icy love. take some deep cooling breaths as you rest on top of the ancient glacier. there is no rush.
love love love,
k
October 1, 2007 at 2:05 pm
my thoughts are with you all right now. todd- you are a very cool person and i have no doubt that your body is working to heal this and deliver you back to us as the cool person we all know and love. peaceful chilly breezy wishes!
October 1, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Todd-
I’m sitting in the coldest room in the coldest building at CCA- the air conditioners keep the plethora of computers from malfunction by keeping the place as frigid as can be. Here’s to invoking an innner-air-control to keep your wonderful computer safe.
So much love, from myself, from CCA, from everyone that knows you. I have been hearing stories of your philosophical debate tea parties in the past, and I am looking forward to them in the future.
meredith
October 1, 2007 at 2:34 pm
From Chile, the uncles and nephews of Alexandra we requested God to you who you help to improve Todd.
Dear God: Calm its pains, low its fever and alleviates its heart.
Chilean families.
October 1, 2007 at 3:17 pm
How about the coolest, darkest recesses of the SRL shop minus the cobwebs and the hyrofluids… I am meeting with CCA folks tonight, and I will send special healing energy through Don Day’s hair.
Love and hugggggs
Johnny
October 1, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Dear Todd,
It’s been wintry cold in the Sierra Mts. this last few weeks. We’ve had a few snowstorms already. But just for you, I am going to go right now and jump in the Lake (tahoe that is) in my bathing suit. It’s gonna hurt.
love, love, love,
nan
October 1, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Todd,
Paxton’s recent favorite word for the past couple of weeks was “hot” – he learned it in the bathtub when playing with water, and says it to express displeasure in something, even things that are not very hot, temperature-wise. (He would very much dislike this fever, let’s make it go away!)
Two days ago Paxton said “cold” and it surprised me. I’m sure I explained to him what cold was as some point, but we weren’t practicing it at the time that he announced something was cold. Now we are very excited to touch cold things and announce that things are indeed cold!
Tonight, after dinner, we’re going to go around the house and touch metal and rocks and talk about things that are cold. We’re going to play with cold water in the garden. We’re going to wet our hands and hold them in the wind and shout “COLD!” I’m going to think about you and channel some of this cold discussion and energy straight to the AMC. Think of a 1-year-old discovering something cool to the touch and announcing – COLD!!!! Sweet, youthful, beautiful joy in all things that are very, very chilly.
Love you Todd, Alex, Amy, Mark and all Support Team Icey Cold People,
BRRRRR-
Jill, Paxton and Eric
October 1, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Todd, Alex and Amy, I have been visualizing a healing energy envolving the three of you and slowly but surely healing Todd and bringing energy and peace to Alex and Amy.
I will continue to do that and keep working on that fever going away completely!!
I love you all and please give a kiss to Todd for me. A kiss and hug for you my dear daughter. mummy
October 1, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Thinking very cold…polar bears romping on glaciers…..giant ice burgs jutting out of the cold north Atlantic…..peace, calm, quiet, souls healing, bodies healing. Be quiet nephew and absorb all the healing thoughts coming your way. You too, Alex. Love you A.J.
October 1, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Todd, it’s cold so cold in Sarek, the northlands of Sweden. Here, you can cross glaciers even in the summer sun and the rivers rush through the land, blisteringly cold. Fall in, drenched. The cold cold waters are drinkable straight off the rocks. It is so delicious. The days are growing shorter, night falls earlier. Soon the snow will begin falling. Ice will form over the straight between the islands of Stockholm. You can iceskate across from island to island. I’m not so good and fall on my bum a lot and the ice is so cold, you can feel it through layers of warm clothing. That cold is so cold you can breathe it in, fill it filling you up, that cold.
October 1, 2007 at 5:54 pm
an ice cube touches all
parts of the body
nearly sticking to the skin.
breath is smoke and
you’re swimming in
glacier water
wading around
dunking your head
snowflakes dance
and descend
it’s freeeeeeeezing out
October 1, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Todd,
Hang in there man! You’re almost out of the woods. Your healing progress is in the hearts and minds of all of your old Exploratorium posse! Please come back to us!
Love
Mose
October 1, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Todd,
I am sending huge amounts of love to you and intense thoughts of you diving deep into cold, clear water and surfacing into a new day, breathing peacefully!
October 1, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Todd,
Sending you thoughts of the crisp, cool Oregon autumn with a breeze freshened by the trees and the rain. May today bring healing.
Jessica
October 1, 2007 at 6:15 pm
*
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/|\
October 1, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Big drafty buildings in the winter. Winds sigh outside and carry fog on their backs; the topography is blanketed by the same cool dampness.
October 1, 2007 at 6:47 pm
big drafty buildings in the winter… winds sigh outside and carry fog on their backs… the topography in the same cool dampness
October 1, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Include my Love with that of the cooling Moon and Stars, and the Pool of Positivity of All.
October 1, 2007 at 7:29 pm
My sweet cousin Todd & dear Alex,
I hope you can take comfort & peace knowing that all four of our children and every class (grades preschool thru 8th) at St Johns, in St Louis , Mo. have sent you their prayers and blessings. From their sweet lips, to God’s ears…there’s no way we can’t fight this together. Alex, if you could, please whisper rememberances of those cold Kansas winters to Todd…snowmen, snow angels, & best of all…snowball fights! And I pray that these words from Jeremiah 29:11 will give you as much comfort as they have me during times of trouble…”I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Sent with SO much love from so far away,
Lisa, Brad, Blair, Ben, Hayden, & Katie Grace Bollinger
October 1, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Todd! visualizing cool Summer San Franicisco fog all around you. Well, maybe a cool compress in Alex’s hand instead.
Healing juju your way and big hugs to Alex for doing such a great job!
I know you’ll pull through Todd!
Love,
Ben
October 1, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Alex!!!! Todd!!! I woke up from my dark cool studio cave to find out about you…. Alex, I have been thinking about you and Todd very recently, and almost dropped by the studio to hunt you down, weird…. so here’s all the love in the universe! a wave of my hand and…. “poof” !!!! Feeeel it! I will go home tonight and play some soft piano and think healing resonances to transmit your way…
nathaniel
-nathaniel
October 1, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Hopefully the fever is just a healing response, and hence the mystery. Healing is a mystery (although some doctors/big pharma would like the credit!),it’s a subtle movement – from cell to cell, breath to breath.
Healing to Todd, however he wants to do it!
October 1, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Todd,
I wrote your name on a piece of paper and stuck it in my fridge in your honor. Right now you are chilling out between a jar of strawberry jam and some sunflower seed butter.
thinking chilly thoughts for you,
-Miriam
October 1, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Ice caves: so blue, straight to you.
October 1, 2007 at 10:22 pm
I grew up in Michigan where we had a solid 5 months of cold &
snow each year. I’m recalling all the snow, icicles, frozen steams and ponds, arctic breezes, sub-zero walks to school, black ice on the roads (good for skating), snow days from school, long & lovingly packed snow (ice) balls that ocassionally found their target, ice caves formed by flooding along the banks of the Muskegon river, snow flakes falling by the billions in a whafting white blanket that was impossible to see more than 5 feet in, snow drifts that were 12 feet and more tall that we would leap into from atop the house, shovelling the drive, igloos my sister & I would make…….Brrrrrr!
Remember the snow flakes falling on Dorothy, Toto, the Lion and the rest as they lay enchanted in the field of poppies….. the falling snow saved them.
October 1, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Todd, (et al)
I am one of “the women of SRL” and after meeting people in Amsterdam on the “1st” tour ended up going back and living there for 4 years. I wish I were still there now to help with housing, anything..
But I can help in sending cool, sweet thoughts.
You are in a truely good place geographically and I hope you will soon find a truely good place physically.
Be well, and COOL IT! would ya??!!
*Kimberly
October 1, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Here’s an acupressure/acupuncture point that could help that you may already know about:
The web between the thumb and forefinger, in the fleshy part (where on yourself it feels a little tender)–LI 4. Press it between your own thumb and forefinger for a minute or two at a time to help “drain out” fever, pain, and head congestion. Good for the face and head especially, as in toothache, pain, fever, etc. Dissipates internal heat. One of those major first-aid points. You can do one hand on the side of the most affected part; you and do both hands; you can cross hands to good effect.
There is a simple jin shin jyutsu move that doesn’t even need to make contact on the affected part, but you need to know if it is to be used to, basically, press things in or pull things out. If bleeding, then press in; if pain or heat, etc., then pull out. But make sure internal bleeding or other rupture is stopped first.
To “push in,” out your left hand over your right and apply to the area or just above it (not touching–good for severe trauma) and leave it there for up to ten minutes at a time.
To “pull out,” like for pain, heat, etc., put your right hand over your left and do the same as above. No need to touch the patient, although you can.
Jin shin jyutsu is a powerful yet noninvasive ancient Japanese therapy, mostly employing making a pattern of circuits by merely touching two points at a time and moving along these patterns depending on what you want to achieve therapeutically. I have personally seen a burn disppear within an hour and many other “miracles” using jin shin jyutsu. It is good for spinal injuries as nothing else.
That’s a beginning. I’d like to know if and how it helps, if you can use it along with the more cosmic contact.
When I was coming to from my head injury, light was a real drag. It was preternaturally bright and painful. If you can dim the lights or bring in a lamp of some kind for those moments when you think Todd may be waking, at least some of the time, it may help quell severe reactions and some pain. Think of a newborn.
I wonder what the docs are giving Todd for fever besides antibiotics, if anything. Compresses on the carotid part of the neck might be nice; do they say anything about applying coolth to places besides Todd’s forehead? Our ears are little radiators, etc.
A point on the ball of the foot is used in traditional Chinese medicine to rouse people from comas. I used to be the editor of a journal of Chinese medicine; there is so very much in traditional Asian medicines that could now help.
Sorry to be so long-winded in this blog format, but until I can convey more in a more useful way, this will have to do.
I am experiencing a sympathetic fever and must lie down now. Don says all went very well at CCA and things are shaping up to cover for Todd in the spirit of Todd until he can resume his place, so he should not worry about letting anyone down here. John Laetitia, North, Ulrika are all there and more as well, keeping his spot warm for his eventual return in whatever way he can.
Good night and love from here.
October 1, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Alex and Todd…Randal called us last week and we’ve been thinking and praying for you ever since. We pray for peace and calmness, wisdom, strength and healing, for you both! You both are in our thoughts 100 times a day.
October 2, 2007 at 12:02 am
We have all the windows open. . .
October 2, 2007 at 12:37 am
cool thoughts, diving under water with you, the water is cold enough to freeze my head hopefully it’s doing the same for you by proxy.I love you both.
October 2, 2007 at 7:03 am
Todd, I do not know you but I know of the kind person you are filled with grace and love. With calm and peacefull energy I deeply wish for you internal calm and presents with cool flowing energy toward your recovery.
October 2, 2007 at 7:52 am
The coldest I have ever been is on a motorcycle in December riding through Sacramento. Wind-chill + bad clothing choices + damp air= 3 hour chattering teeth session.
Sending you some of that chilly yumminess.
Cold. Cool.
We packed some things for Amy, Alex and Todd from the hippy store – some yummy Myrrh/Mint cooling mist… some Arnica Cooling and Healing Mints for Alex and Amy… some other cooling spray herbs… minty lip balm….it will be there tomorrow. Red bag.
Sebastian painted the card to Todd while singing in a very loud voice “Macho Macho Man… I’ve got to be a Moocho Man. ” That one is for you Todd.
I bottled up our laughter and sent it along to you.
Much love and cool.
October 2, 2007 at 8:13 am
Todd, Alex and Amy- I send you all my deepest love and healing thoughts. Todd, I am thinking about the remarkable person that you are and will ride a cool Boston breeze to your bedside and stay until you are well. You are in my heart.
October 2, 2007 at 8:40 am
Hi Todd,
I don’t know how you feel about such things, but I’ve taken the liberty of putting you on the prayer list at St. Pauls church so you’ve got another hundred or so Episcopalians cheering you on from Oakland.
Lots of love,
Clint
October 2, 2007 at 10:13 am
Dearest Todd and Alex,
I can’t tell you how many people have you in their thoughts and prayers. There is so much love being sent to you from all over the world and I hope you can feel it coming your way. Todd it sounds like you are getting the best of care, espcially with Alex there. I thank God that you two have eachother. I wish I could be there to help you Alex. I told Jaime that I don’t even have a passport anymore because I let it lapse about 10 years ago. If there is anything I can do on this end please let me know. I am so glad we got to see you both at the family reunion last summer in Utah. It is amazing that even after all of those years, it didn’t seem like any time had passed at all. I told Dad a couple of months ago that the next one should be back in KC/Lawrence. But first, we must get Todd back and get him well. He is one of a kind and obviously has had a profound influence on so many people around the world. Not many people can do that! So feel the love Todd. Please take your time dear cousin, and come back to us. We all need you.
All our love from Georgia,
Joni, Bill, Claire, Jaryd and Sam
October 2, 2007 at 10:15 am
Oh, I almost forgot…thank you to everyone who helped with this blog and to Alex and friends who have been giving us updates. This is an amazing communication tool and I check it many, many times each day.
Many, many thanks!
Joni
October 2, 2007 at 10:50 am
there are several cooling spots on the body, which both sports medicine as well as MS therapy use. other than sweet and rapid breathing, the body can transfer much heat through the palms of the feet and hands. some sports types now cool off with special coolers they hold in their hands, as well as on the bottom of their feet. MS too, as hotness makes MS attacks worse.
certainly the head also, but his body is especially generating heat there for increased metabolic activity. to some degree this is helpful so should not be stopped.
in general, a fever increases the rate of chemical reactions the body needs to fight its problems. fever is good, until it gets too high and challenges healthy bodily systems. clearly the drs have decided the fever is too high, so external cooling is needed.
try using the radiators in the hands and feet to cool him. don’t make the cold too shocking or his body will try to reject it most likely. remember, you recover from hypothermia in warmish water, not a steam bath. so move the temp slowly.
convection heating/cooling through the breath is also effective. cool the air going in. there is lots of heat transfer surface to blood in the lungs. thus why we pant when we are hot.
remember that heat transfer happens in three forms: conduction, convection and radiation.
normally, 2/3rds of the energy loss from the body is through radiation, as in we radiatie in relation to our temp. the net heat balance of the body thermal absorption and ratiation is negative 100watts per day average it seems.
i believe you can increase todd’s thermal radiation by NOT cooling his general skin and keeping clothes off him. see here for a short summary of the mechanics of human body radiation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_body
the first things i suggested above are conduction and convection based respectively.
remember, we are biological heat engines. internal combustion engines that use metabolic repiration instead of explosive fuels to generate heat, which then is transformed to mechanical and electrical energy. just like our industrial power system all the things you would do to cool an internal combustion engine, will also cool tood’s body.
use the science. science is your friend.
jim
October 2, 2007 at 11:36 am
I am juggling snowballs in a walk-in cooler in North Dakota in January in only my boxers and they have snowmen on them (I really do have snowman boxers on!!). In the corner of hte walk-in cooler a TV made of ice is playin Rudolph the red-Nose Reindeer, but just the part where Rudolph says “She said I cuuuuuuute!” and flies up into the winter sky.
Now the abominable snowman is juggling with me, I better use two hands, he’ll get upset if I drop one of the snowballs…
love
Johnny
October 3, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Dear cousin Todd,
it’s your cousin Ben from S.T Louis.I met you at the family reunion in Utah.I know a little how you feel.I had a concussion to. You’re going to be just fine.You are in one of the best hospitals in the world!I’m praying for you every night.As a matter of fact my whole school is praying for you.God knows how to help you get better.We have to think cold.And the forcast for Kansas and Europe is cold,cold,cold,cold,and here is a change it is cold!The snow is so high you cant get out “not like you will be going anywere.”I Love you TODD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Ben Bollinger