Ashley's Boo Boos

5:23 pm 9-27-2006

If you are squeamish don't read this post.

Sammy this means you!!

I walked into Ashley's room after my last post and was very surprised at what I saw. The nurses were changing the dressing over her incision and this was the first time I had seen it. It was more than I had expected. There is a vertical incision begging in her chest at about the level of her heart and extending down to just above the pubic bone. I would estimate the incision to be 8-10 inches in length. It pretty much looks to cover the majority of her chest and abdomen. The underlying muscle was stitched closed, but the skin has been left open. The wound is about 1/2 wide. The moment I saw this I think it opened my eyes to what she went through last night. I thought last night was the hard part, but now I am realizing more that the hard part is yet to come. Knowing that I will have to go home soon and leave her here for who knows how long (3,6,9, 12 months) is very difficult to comprehend. I do know that however long it takes it has been worth it to know she has a second chance at life. Thank you again to her donor and the donors family.

I began counting a bit ago and I think she has 9 tubes taking things in and out of her little body and there is around 7 or so wires. If I had to make another page of photos for her Boo Boos, it would need to be a big one. Both of her wrists and her left foot had IV ports, a new central line with 3 ports has been place in the left side of her neck, her face shows quite a bit of bruising and there are multiple bruised spots on her face, neck, chest, abdomen and legs. She has a large area of "angry red" around the new port in her neck. She has a hole where the old G-tube was and there is a new G-tube placed just above the old site.

Please remember her in your prayers tonight and please pray specifically that we will be able to get her of the ventilator in the morning. Thank You.