8 Days after surgery

Well, here we are 8 days after surgery and for the most part everyone continues to get better. Ashley has been home for 2 days now. Her first day home was probably her most challenging day yet. Her body got used to being in a mechanical bed for 6 days that would allow you to lay somewhat sitting up. Moving to a flat hotel bed (as well as much more walking around then she was used to) was hard on her back. She has been suffering from severe back pain in her middle and lower back. The "ropes" down either side of the spine have been really tight making any position (laying down or sitting up) very uncomfortable. And to make it worse, she can only lay on her back! I got up and massaged her back a few times in the night to help ease the pain. The next morning we went on a hunt to find a good back massager, heat pads, icy-hot.....what ever we thought would do the trick. The back massager provided temporary relief, but i think its just one of those things that can only heal with time. Today it seems to be a little better with the aid of a muscle relaxer prescription called in by her transplant coordinator.

Mom's liver and lab work numbers drawn from her blood continue to show great improvement. She was taken off 1 of her 3 immune suppressant, or anti-rejection, medications yesterday which is a great sign the liver is working well. She continues to have a hard time eating, leaving her severely malnourished and a little dehydrated which is causing her to be very weak. Today she has been drinking much more fluids and has been drinking Ensure which is packed with the calories, protein, vitamins and minerals her body needs. This is nothing to be alarmed by, it is rather normal for someone who has not eaten much solid foods in 8 days. She is just ready to get her strength back so she cane come home! But her pain has been almost non existent (so she says), which is great. Her bowels have started to wake up so as soon as she starts to eat and get that energy back we think she can come home....we hope tomorrow!

Jenny left VA today to go back to August where she can be with her family. We can not thank her enough for the time and energy she has put in to helping our family.

Hope everyone is doing well as you continue to pay for speedy recoveries for Mom and Ashley!

More to come.

Bryan