Blessed

We are blessed. Beyond words. Beyond description. Beyond understanding. We are simply blessed.

Ashley Kate arrived back home this afternoon, and the smiles on her face were priceless! She is exhausted, a little weak, very bruised and battered from the many sticks and IV's, but none the less she made it home. Crisis averted.

The best guess is that she did pick up a stomach virus. She became severely dehydrated which in turn caused her drug levels to become toxic and that caused her kidneys to shut down for about 48 hours. It was scary not knowing exactly what we were dealing with or where we were headed, but tonight I know how very blessed we are. Rejection is always a possibility. It will be forever. Never far from the minds of her teams of physicians or her parents. Anytime a bowel transplant patient picks up a virus you are in danger of slipping into rejection. Its just that awful for them. Ash's body did a major turn around and tonight she is re hydrated, no longer vomiting, kidneys functioning again, and drug levels close to normal. Close enough to normal to be safely released back home.

As I watch her sleep I know without a doubt that things could have gone the other way for us. She was that sick. I don't know that I have ever seen as weak as she was in the early morning hours of Sunday, and yet she's home once again. Safe and sound. God continues to bless us over and over again.

Life with Ashley Kate is a fragile thing. We take nothing for granted. Not one breath, not one day. I enjoy the littlest of things with my girl knowing all along that a huge price was paid for her to be here with me.

We are tired, and a little run down from the events of the last few days but I wanted to thank you for loving us, our girl, and our entire family. Your prayers are so appreciated and so cherished. When you pray for my daughter it touches the deepest part of my soul. I just wanted to say thanks. Love you guys. Trish