Peeing it Off

Ashley Kate has peed 1200+ ccs of fluid since this time yesterday afternoon. Oh...My...Goodness. That is unbelievable for her sluggish kidneys(they like to move in slow motion because of her immunosuppressants).

She is still huge, but is able to sit up this afternoon. That was an impossibility yesterday. She had a bath and a shampoo, is wearing clothes today, and playing with her ladybug. All of this is encouraging to me. Yesterday was miserable and all she could do was cry. Today she's at least got her eyes open and is watching Blue and looking at her books.

She keeps signing to us that she hurts, but won't tell me where. I'm guessing she doesn't know how to tell me that her whole body is aching, but overall I think she's feeling better.

Her BUN is still pretty high, but is trending down from 59to44. Its got a long way to go, but is headed in the right direction. If she can keep that fluid off then we might stand a chance at getting out sometime this week.

Dave just came in and shared with me that with her infection the walls of the vessels became weak and the cells got larger so the fluid leaked out and into her tissues(I understood that part already). So what her body is doing now is pulling that fluid back through those larger cells in the vessels walls. He said if it can leak out then it can get pulled back in. Makes sense huh?(This is the part I didn't know about it) He's a pretty smart guy. I was sitting here imagining that with all this peeing she's doing she is only getting dryer because it is taking more fluid out of the vessel. I guess thats not how it works. Thank goodness. So if she can keep on peeing and pulling that fluid off then we can get out of here this week. The trick is going to be to get her to rid herself of that fluid before it settles in her plural spaces outside her lungs. That's her tendency when she's overloaded, but she's older now, a little bigger, and farther out from transplant and all of that works in her favor. We are waiting on the results of her chest x-ray to find out if she is accumulating fluid in those spaces.

I just wanted to update you all on her condition. I feel like it has improved since last night. Thank you so much for praying for us today. I know there are so many sick children this week that I'm following and praying for and to know that you guys care so much about Ash to add her to your lists blesses my heart. Have a great day. Trish