On the dotted line

We've been signing consent forms all morning being extremely particular in exactly what we agree to(you learn that after multiple surgeries) and have finally come to a decision on all that will be done today.

Ashley will be having an EGD(or EDG? I forgot) done with biopsys of her upper bowel and stomach taken. They will go in through her mouth and down her esophagus to reach the stomach and duoudnem. They will look at her native tissue and transplanted tissues. She will be having a biospsy of the lower portions of her transplanted bowel as well. They will go in through her stoma sight. She will be having a new broviac central line placed in some region of her chest area. No one is sure what she still has available. They are coming in to do anothe venous mapping of her neck and chest to locate sights. We will be monitoring for blood clots per her recent history of them. She may be back on coumidin by days end. She will be placed back on TPN and not allowed to take anything by mouth or Gtube. She will be having her mic-key button replaced as well. All of this will be done while she is sedated and on the ventilator. Everyone's goal is for her to return breathing on her own with no breathing tube once she comes back to her room. All slides will be sent to Omaha by Fed Ex today. We will know in a couple of days if she is in rejection or not.

In the words of our transplant team, "We are concerned about her but not yet in panic mode". I think we agree. Dave and I are very concerned, but yet have not been given any definitive reasons to panic. I think we are holding up well. Ash on the other hand is STARVING and very grumpy. She wants a drink, some food, and no more needles.

She was scheduled for noon but they are having to coordinate the schedules of the different doctors who will be working on her while she is asleep. Everyone hopes to accomplish all of the consented to procedures under one sedation.

By evening she will be back in the land of sponge baths and blood draws. Line care and dressing changes. TPN and lipids and no tasty vegetables. If her stooling would slow down then maybe this ride we seem to be on this week would too.

Again I will quote our transplant coordinator," Here's hoping its the flu virus or something along those lines!"

Never imagined I would be praying she would have a virus. On second thought I never imagined any of this for her. Thankfully she is much stronger than she has ever been. Even though it seems overwhelming we have a lot of things we are grateful for. I'm concentrating on those things.

Thank you for your prayers and your encouraging words. Take care. Trish