Another nice day at UMN

Yesterday started slowly - we were waiting to hear back from the doctor to see if I could get my drain tube removed. Also, I found a small leak in my j-tube (see my previous post), and it's really sore and looked like it might be infected. You'd think that would be enough for one day, but no. Then I started wheezing again and you could hear my lung crackle. Really? Yes, really. The upside is that the doctor now has time to see me. So we trucked on down to the hospital for a chest xray and then to see the doctor. Dr. Dunn was in surgery, so I saw her backup. It was kind of funny when I got my xray. Bill the xray guy and I have gotten to be quite good friends. The xray shows up on a screen in the same room, so you can instantly see the image. Bill says, "Is it your left lung that they're looking at?" Yes, sadly. I pointed to the fluid at the bottom of my lung and said, "That's the bad gunk in my lung, right?" He says, "Yes. I mean, it needs to be read by a radiologist." Yeah, that's what I thought.

So, the Dr came in and told me that we need to leave the drain tube in just a little bit longer. When they cultured it, it still came back that there was lipase in it. This is not a good thing - lipase is one of the pancreatic enzymes that digests your food. If it goes anywhere else in your body though, it will just digest that. And I'd really prefer to not digest those organs that I have left! So he wants me to come back on Tuesday and I can probably get it out then. For the j-tube, he said that these things leak all the time and mine was so small that it wasn't worth it to change. That process is pretty intense, so I've heard. He also didn't think that anything was infected. I had some celluloids (I think that's what he said) that he burned off with silver nitrate. He said it wouldn't hurt, which it didn't until he stuck the swab down into the hole where my tube comes out. I begged him to stop and give me a little break. I had to catch my breath, it hurt so bad. But, he said that should help with the redness and it won't be as sore. Only time will tell - it's still red (and black) and sore. Then, he looked at my xrays and said that there was a bit of fluid in my lung, but it's just the remnants from the pleural effusion. It's better than the last xray, so he said I'm good to go. Yay!

Then we decided to go over to the student union to find lotto tickets to the Mega Millions lottery, which was at $640M. They had nothing, so we started walking back to the apartment. We stopped at Applebee's to get some takeout. I got some mashed potatoes and some chicken wonton things to try to eat at home. Then we found a liquor store that sold lottery tickets (not the first time a liquor store has come to my aid!)
Then we went home and I was going to try eating. But I have absolutely no appetite at all, plus I'm nauseous all the time, so they are waiting patiently in the fridge. I'm just not sure what to do here - I know I have to eat before they can take out my j-tube, but food is so unappetizing right now. I try to force something in there, but I get so nauseous. I don't know - maybe they could lower the rate of my tube feeds or something. Hopefully someone can think of something!

Other than that, I'm doing great. Getting better every day. I know I still have a long way to go, but I'm up for the challenge! Oh, and we didn't win the lotto. At least, that's what we're telling our friends and family... :-)

A beautiful day in Minneapolis

I had an appt at the clinic yesterday for some blood work and a culture of the fluid from that abscess drain. Assuming that there are no surprises, I get to have the drain pulled today (Friday)! I am so excited about this! I want this tube OUT!

After that, we walked over to the student union in search of something worthy enough to be my first bite of food. It was such a beautiful day - great to be alive! (Sadly, today is cold and dreary...) Anyway, the student union is huge! There are so many stores in there, it was like a mall. The first store we encountered was the bookstore. This thing was massive and oh so wonderful. Seriously, this bookstore was about the size of a Target. There was a "gift shop" up front with all of the UMN garb - sweatshirts, hats, mugs, etc. Then you go into the main bookstore that has another section of greeting cards, stationery, and other knickknacks, an electronics section, and 2 big book sections - one for regular books and one for textbooks. I think we spent over an hour in there and only looked at about half the store.

Then off in our search for food. We made it to the convenience store, which didn't have much of anything, though I did get some mac n cheese. (One of my cravings, in addition to mashed potatoes.) We decided to walk back home, with a stop at Jamba Juice on the way. Before surgery, I practically lived on Jamba - yum! Not. It tasted horrible to me. Mom said that she thought it tasted good. I think my taste buds need to get used to food now. A few days ago I ate a small bite of Hershey's chocolate and it really did nothing for me. Woe! Once we got home I made the mac n cheese. I scooped out 1/4th of the little tray to start. The taste wasn't anything to write home about, but it wasn't horrid either. I had a little bit of nausea, but didn't need to give myself insulin, so that was very exciting to me!

Now I'm just waiting for Louise to call me back with a time to get this drain out. She better not make me wait through the weekend! And, of course, I have another issue du jour. My j-tube has a small leak in it. I put some blue medicine into that tube, and a couple blue drops oozed out of the incision site. Now, there's about 12 inches of tube between the port I put meds in and where it goes into my belly so it's not like I dripped on it accidently or anything. I've found that if I add my meds very very slowly, it will not leak. So I have a temporary fix, but I don't know what they'll do for long term. The hole is definitely inside me, not in the exposed portion. Man, I hope they don't have to replace it! Maybe they can pull it out just a little and we can duct tape it or something. Stay tuned...

Oh, and I have no idea why I'm leaning way over to the left in that photo! And no, I'm not bald either. Guess it's time to start back up with the hair and makeup regimen. Sigh... At least I managed to put on a bra this time! And shoes! Don't pressure me, it stresses my islets.... :-)

Great appointment with Dr. Dunn!

I had an appt with Dr. Dunn this afternoon. Have I mentioned before that I love her? :-) We went over all the standard stuff first. She thinks I'm doing great after that last bout in the hospital. She looked at my abscess drain - it isn't putting out much anymore, but she wants to keep it in for just a few more days to make sure everything in that abscess is completely gone. So, I'm coming back on Thursday for a culture of that fluid and then, based on the results, will have it removed on Friday. I so hope that happens - even though this tube and bag are the smallest of the three I have, they're the most bothersome. It's in my back, so it's uncomfortable to lay on my back, and the bag just hangs there so it gets caught on everything. It will be nice to lose that one.

Then we went to my g-tube. I have had it clamped for 4 1/2 days, so she decided to just remove it right then and there. She had me lie on the table and deflated the little balloon that was holding it inside my stomach, and then pulled the tube right out. Lesson learned: make sure to drain whatever's in your stomach first! Once she pulled that tube out, a geyser of whatever was in my stomach shot straight up out of that hole and drenched all of us. It totally surprised everyone, it was so funny! It kept doing it, too, every time I shifted position. It's a good thing that it was only water in there! I'm thinking that I could join the circus and go on a traveling roadshow. Come see the human geyser with the railroad tracks down the middle of her stomach! Ha! Anyway, it's kind of bittersweet - it was my little safety net in case I got too nauseous, but it's nice to have one less tube hanging off of me.

So lastly, my j-tube or feeding tube. I will likely have this for quite a while still (meaning several more weeks). But now that my g-tube is gone, I'm allowed to eat whatever I want now! I have to start slowly, eating soft, bland foods like yogurt, pudding or mashed potatoes. This is where I will start counting carbs and learn how to adjust my insulin. It's a little bit daunting for me. I've never had to do anything like this, so I'll have to learn. I know I can, and will pick it up quickly, but it's a bit overwhelming right now. Please keep me in your prayers that it all goes smoothly, and also that my islets start to kick in. I've been feeling pretty down that I'm still on so much insulin. I know it can take a while for the islets to start working, but I'm seeing no signs at all. And yes, I know that this is what I signed up for, and I'll take diabetes over pancreatitis any day, but I'm hoping that I'll be one of the lucky ones. Anyway, the GREAT news is that if I'm able to manage my blood sugars now as I start to eat, they *might* let me come home late next week! Woo hoo! As I said, I know I'll be able to figure all this stuff out - I just need my body to cooperate as well! But very exciting news - yay! :-D

One last thing - I wanted to say thanks to Sally for the wonderful pictures. Once again, you made my day! You have such a great sense of humor, and those other photos were just beautiful. The meditating dog was definitely the best one, though! :-) Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Greetings on a frozen Monday

Hello all,

Feeling much better here. I really think I'm over the hump and it will be downhill from here. (Yes, I am knocking on wood as we speak!) My next challenge will be in the brain department - I had an appointment for some blood draws at the hospital this morning and it wasn't until we sat down in the shuttle that I realized that, once again, I forgot to change out of my slippers. Oops! :-) Of course, I had to take a photo! Nobody at the hospital seemed to mind...

Well, I've had my g-tube closed since 6 am Friday! Now that's without any food, but it's a huge milestone for me! I was super nauseated this morning, so finally broke down to drain it, but only a few drops came out. At least now I know that it's not from anything in my stomach. I think I'm finding that I get nauseous when my blood sugar is high. It's just gonna take some time for me to learn what this new body is telling me!

I'm getting better with my activity level, too. Yesterday I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes! And today, we walked home from the hospital (~4 blocks) at a very rapid pace. There's a hospital shuttle that drives to several locations in a big loop. Our apartment is the stop right before the hospital, so it's only a couple minute ride when going TO the hospital. But when you want to go home, you have to ride the whole 30 minute loop to get back to the apartment, so it's faster to walk home if you're able. Plus, they jerk that bus around like there's no tomorrow, so I'm always ready to vomit once I finally get on firm ground. So today, we decided to walk home. But ooooh, once we got out there, it was cooooold! And windy! We just had our thin sweatshirts with us, and it was 31° outside. We practically sprinted home. It was definitely the fastest I've walked in quite a while. In slippers, no less!

Well, that's about it. I have an appt with Dr. Dunn tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon, so I should know a lot more then. About my health, anyway...

I'm home!!!

Or, back to the apartment, at least. They did another thoracentesis Friday morning and got about 500mL fluid this time. They only got 375mL the first time, so it's not surprising that I still couldn't breathe after the first one. Anyway, I felt worse immediately after the procedure, but am starting to feel better now. Still need to work on expanding the collapsed portion, but I'll get there!

Now for some exciting news! On Thursday, Dr. Dunn wanted me to start clamping my g-tube for longer and longer until I can go 2 whole days with it clamped. Well, I'm proud to announce that I was able to go from 4 pm - midnight (8 hours) on Thursday! (The longest I've gone before this was 1 hour.) I was very proud of myself.  Then, I clamped it again at 6 am Friday and I made it a full 24 hours clamped! Probably silly to be so excited, but it's all about the little victories here. :-)  So, if I can stay clamped all day today (Sat), I think I can eat some clear liquids. I'll do that for a couple days so by my next appointment with Dr. Dunn on Tues, she'll let me go to full liquids. Not sure how long that phase will last, but it gets me that much closer to coming (to my REAL) home!!!

More action today

Still in the hospital, feeling about the same. It still really hurts to inhale, but none of my doctors are surprised since my left lung has a lot of fluid either around it or in it. Dr. Dunn said I could try another thoracentesis (drain my lung), but didn't have to. I've chosen to have it done. It wasn't traumatic the first time, so I'm fine doing it again, especially if I can get more relief. They're also going to look at my j-tube, which has been giving us trouble now. They took an xray that showed 2 very sharp turns right after it goes in to my intestine. So I guess they're going to try to run a guidewire through it to see if that will straighten out the j-tube. If not, they will replace it. Both the thoracentesis and the j-tube study will happen sometime today - just not sure when.

Another thing - I was kinda craving some cream of wheat earlier, so I was going to give it a try. My hospital diet is restricted to "clear liquids only" so I need it advanced in the system by a doctor to a full liquid diet. (Cream of wheat is considered a liquid.) But, Dr. Dunn wants me to be able to clamp my g-tube for 2 DAYS before I can try eating anything. I've tried clamping before, but can only make it about an hour before I get too nauseous and have to open and drain it. And she wants me NPO (nothing by mouth) for those 2 days. This is going to be SO hard! Right now, I'm drinking tons of water (like 4 liters) every day. It just goes out the tube anyway, but my mouth is so dry all the time that the icy cold, crisp, clear, wonderful water just feels like heaven in my mouth! :-) And once I do that, she wants to just remove the whole g-tube. This really scares the crap out of me! I was actually in tears after she left my room. Yes, that's stupid, I know. It's just a lot of stuff to deal with, I guess. It's my safety net, my comfort blanket, and I'm so scared that I'll go back to the horrible daily nausea that I'm used to and there will be no way to "fix" it.

Lastly, it sounds like I will be able to get out of here tomorrow. I need those 2 procedures done today, then see how I do overnight. As long as everything improves (or at least stays the same), I can go home - yay! Then they will draw blood for more labs on Monday and I will see Dr. Dunn in clinic on Tues. That's when she will tell us how much longer we will need to be out here. My guess is 2 more weeks. If I can keep my g-tube clamped over the weekend, then she can remove it next week. Then we can work on my blood sugars and make sure my insulin is stable. Cross your fingers!

Wednesday update

Still here. Not a whole lot has changed. I think overall I'm feeling a bit better, though it's still very painful to breathe deeply. Dr. Dunn came in and asked me how I felt. I told her and she said, "Oh. Because your rays today look much worse." Fantastic. She pulled up the xrays and showed me how everything looked. In her opinion, the fluid at the bottom of my lungs wasn't visible because the effusion covered it up. Now that the effusion has been drained, she can see the fluid in my lung. So, she wants me to continue with the spirometer (this tube thing I breathe into that measures how much air I'm moving), and also try to keep coughing up whatever's in my lungs. She also referred me to a respiratory doctor to see if they had any more ideas on how to get the gunk out of my lungs. So then the respiratory Dr came over to see me. He said that he read the report on when they drained my lung, and was surprised that they only drained 375 mL of fluid because I clearly had 1.5-2 L of fluid in that lung. (Dr. Dunn had said this before as well.) So he thinks that there is still a significant amount of fluid in that sac around my lung
and doesn't understand why they only drained 375 mL of fluid out of that lung. That actually makes more sense to me, because I haven't been able to cough up anything at all.

So, where does that leave me? I have no idea. Before the xray this morning, the drs were talking about discharging me tomorrow (Thurs),  but I don't know if they can let me go with all this pleural effusion. My guess is that the respiratory team will recommend another drain so they can get ALL the fluid AROUND my lung. I know Dr. Dunn  will want it clear before discharging me, or at least significant forward progress.

At my breaking point

It's just one thing after another after another. The xray this morning showed that the fluid was still there, and my lung had probably collapsed just a little bit more. So, they decided to drain it. They come to pick me up for "Interventional Radiology" and I turned to mom, "Oh, so it's an intervention now, eh? How could you do this to me?" She said, "Don't worry, your brothers and sister and Lew are down there waiting for you." Ha! The transport guy wasn't quite sure what to do with us! :-)

The drainage wasn't too bad. They had a hard time finding a place to go in to  drain because of the amount of fluid. But, they did manage to drain it successfully. That really helped me to start breathing again, but I'm still in quite a lot of pain when I inhale deeply. But it is much, much better. They also took a fluid sample to send to pathology to make sure there's no infection.

When I got back to the room, I was just hanging out in bed watching TV and felt something wet. My g-tube pops open quite often, so I figured that was it. Nope. The stitch in my j-tube had ripped off and the tube was pushing itself out of me. So if you put food in my g-tube, it just leaks out from the hole in the middle of my abdomen. Mom made some crack but I was like, "No. No cracks. Not funny." as I was on the verge of tears. Bethany (the resident) tried her best to get it back in there, but couldn't. So it was BACK to xray so we could see where the tube was. Once Bethany saw the xray, she was able to push my tube back in easily. Now I'm just waiting for them to stitch it to me (not urgent).

Now I'm getting more and more pain with breathing again. My chest just feels like it's being stabbed over and over again. Hopefully, the pain is my lung re-inflating itself. It sure hurts enough.

And that was all before noon. I'm going to take a nap. Will update later once I talk to Dr. Dunn.

Dr. Dunn is back :-)

I always feel so much better when I see her. She was just down in Brazil at some brainiac convention so I have missed her!

She used lots of medical sounding smart person words, but basically she thinks that I'm having a reaction to my tube food. It is too hard for my body to digest, so it creates fluid called chyle (not Kyle! But pronounced the same way!) ;-) All that extra fluid in my abdomen then accumulates around my lungs. She said that I have 2 liters of extra fluid in my left lung! No wonder I can't breathe!!! The path forward is that first, they will take a sample of the fluid from the drain in my back to confirm that the fluid is indeed chyle. That would be good, because it means no infection. From there, they will go in with the dreaded drain, but will not leave it in - just a one time shot. (Except I bet it's gonna take forever because they use a tiny little tube for the lung drain, and have to use that to drain out the entire 2 liters of fluid. Yup, gonna be a loooong day on that one!)  They would also switch out my current drain for a smaller tube since the big one has been irritating me. They're also going to gradually switch me to a different formula that is already pre-digested (yes, I have gotten THAT lazy!)  Hopefully that will help my symptoms so I can breathe again AND identify the cause by switching formula.

So, that's where I stand right now. They already sent the fluid sample to the lab and don't expect to get the results until tomorrow. (I think they try to grow a culture as part of it.) So maybe tomorrow they will try the drain. I'm not sure how quickly after that happens that you're allowed to go home. We shall see...  At least Dr. Dunn is back, and Bridget and Brooke are my nurses here. They are the bestest nurses in the whole wide world! :-)

***UPDATE***
One of the drs just came in and gave us an update. The fluid in my drain is indeed chyle. So, they are going to start me on a new (nonfat!) formula overnight. The old formula was 50 ccs/hr; the new formula is given at 75 ccs/hr. They have very different nutritional properties, so they have to put me on an insulin drip until the transition is made. They will do all this overnight, with finger sticks to test my blood glucose every hour, ugh. Then I am having a thoracentesis (lung drain) tomorrow at some point. The Dr said that if everything is ideal and goes perfectly, I *might* get to leave on Wednesday, ugh. Both mom and I felt like she was kind of holding something back, and that she doesn't think it will really be Wed. I said we'll take it one day at a time and deal with anything that comes up as it comes up, otherwise it will drive us crazy!

I needed a new IV for all this, so they called the vascular team to come over with the ultrasound machine. Well, the first lady looked for quite a while, but couldn't find any veins. With an ultrasound machine! So she had to call someone else to come up and he spent over 1/2 hr to find any veins. I guess they are just done! I'm certainly sick of all of this too!!!

Still trucking along

Still here, doing about the same. I had a chest xray this morning. To my lay eye, it looked maybe a little bit better, but still significantly full of fluid. I haven't seen any doctors about this today, but one of them ordered more diuretics. MAN...there will be NO fluids left in you after that stuff! My guess is that I was right (go figure!) that there has been some progress, so they will continue to wait and see. The resident seemed pretty reluctant to put in a drain, which made me happy. He sounded almost resigned to it yesterday, but hopeful that I can heal myself. Anytime a cut is made, it introduces bacteria into my body, so I want to avoid that if at all possible! I think they're going to continue along for another day, and take another xray in the morning. I'm OK with that, as long as there is forward motion. Overall, I'm feeling a little better - they were able to reduce the amount of oxygen I need to be given.

I would like to thank everyone over at Desert Cross Lutheran Church for all your thoughts and prayers. It is so wonderful to know that there are so many folks out there praying for me, and I know your notes and emails really brighten mom's day. So again - thank you! You have made  such a huge impact on my life! :-)

Another day

Still in the hospital. They have ruled out pneumonia and blood clots. It's just fluid that is in the sac around my lung, which they call pulmonary effusion. The Dr says that lung is also collapsed. They don't worry if you can get it out pretty quickly, so that's what I have to try to do for the rest of the day with some respiratory aids.  Last night, they were afraid that there was a small tear that the drainage tube in my back may have nicked. Then all the gunk in that abscess drained from my back into my lung. They don't think that's what happened now, though, phew! They looked at the fluid around my lung and said it doesn't look like the pus from the abscess, just water. So, they've given me antibiotics last night and a diuretic today. The hope is that the diuretic will dry out some of the fluid in the lungs. It better kick in soon because it's hard to breathe 1 teaspoon at a time. It's amazing - it takes me like 10 minutes to get from my bed to the bathroom (in my room) because I have to walk so slow or I run out of breath! So, they'll get another xray tomorrow and re-assess what needs to happen. If the fluid is draining, they will let it work itself out. If the fluid is still there, they may decide on the drain. I'll keep everyone posted!

2 steps forward, one step back

Well, yesterday I started a new medicine that will thin the gunk in my stomach. We're hoping that it will help so that I'm not constantly fighting to unclog my g-tube. And it seems to be working well - I haven't had any blockages since I started that med (knock on wood). Yay, right? Well yes, yay for that. But it can't ever go smoothly, can it? So, I am back in the hospital with pneumonia. :-(

I woke up about 4 am with pain in my left side and difficulty breathing. I laid around till about 1 when I decided I should probably call one of the doctors, especially since the weekend is coming up. They took a chest xray and my entire lung is filled up. The drs are a bit scared since it happened so fast to this extent. SO... they've admitted me to the hospital to keep an eye on me. They're not positive what it is - the xray shows a "pleural effusion" which means that the sac around my lung is full of fluid, or it could be pneumonia inside my lung, or there may be a hole in my lung near the abscess I have that has drained into my lung. They have ordered a CT scan, and are putting me on antibiotics and a diuretic to try to get the fluid to drain. They will take another xray tomorrow to see if the fluid is draining. If not, they will have to put in ANOTHER drain tube. I really hope they don't need a drain - I should be getting them out, not putting them in! So, please send your prayers this way. I just want to be able to breathe!

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

AND...Lew sent me 2 fabulous bouquets of flowers. One with a dozen red roses to remind me how much he loves me, and one mixed bouquet to brighten my day. Thank you so much, my love. That was EXCATLY what I needed! Muah! ;-)

One more thing...

I forgot one very important thing... I have received cards and notes from some of you this week. Thank you SO much! They really brighten my day, and mean so much to me. Sally, the photos you sent were just what I needed. I have them hanging up right now so I can look at them all day. So thank you, everyone, for your kind thoughts and words - they mean the world to me!

Finally, an update!

Ok, it's been a few days since I've posted...sorry, sorry! It has been a very rough few days. My g-tube (the tube that drains my stomach) keeps getting clogged, so all sorts of nasty crud sits around in my stomach, causing lots of nausea, vomiting and pain. I know the different hospitals approach this in their own ways - AZ does not place a g-tube, MN does. At this point, I cant even imagine how I would feel if I didn't have this tube. But when it gets clogged, it's like I go into septic shock or something. My whole body feels like it's on fire, and just shakes uncontrollably. Then mom has to try to flush it, which is not an easy task. Last night it was about 3 hours before she could get it unclogged. This is not something I was warned about before the surgery, so just know that it will play a huge role in your recovery. Just as an example, after we got it unclogged today, I drained over a liter of nasty, gross, thick-as-molasses bile in about 3 hours. I promise that it does not feel good to carry that much around in your belly when you can't get it out!

Anyway, my sister Erin came out to visit for a few days. She was so funny - it has been gorgeous and in the 70s here, but she was freezing. I had the window in my room open because I was hot, while Erin is all curled up in a ball wearing a ski jacket. I've finally found someone who is colder than my mother! Then again, neither one have an ounce of body fat on them. I am taking one for the team by showing them just how much money you can save in outerwear when you are pleasantly plump.  :-) The other photo is one we snapped walking by the Ronald McDonald House. That's where the families of children receiving treatment stay while they're here. It is really a gorgeous facility! You can see my enormous belly in that picture - I am still carrying around so much in my stomach that it is just huge right now.

I had an appt with Dr. Dunn on Monday. Every time we meet with her, we are just amazed by this lady. I am so confident knowing that God placed her in my life. She is so kind and attentive and really listens to what you say, but she's no BS when it comes to getting things done. And when I've complained about anyone (1 nurse I had trouble with, and 1 Dr), she addresses the behaviors quickly and directly. I just love her. I have another appointment with her next Tues 3/20. At that point, she will assess how much longer I need to be out here. She said probably 1-2 weeks after that Tues appt. As anxious as I am to get home, there is a lot of comfort here knowing that I'm very close to such great medical care. I can't even imagine dealing with some of these issues as an outpatient in Tucson. She wants me to be here when I start eating because that changes your insulin needs drastically. While I've been sick these last few days, my blood sugars have been going all over the place, and it hasn't been fun. I will feel much better being right here until I have that in check. But I am so ready to be home in my own bed!

That's all for now. I will try to update more often, which will hopefully mean that I am feeling better!

3/10 update

Hello all! Today was a pretty good day. I had an appt over at the clinic this morning. (I thought it was with the transplant fellow, but he was conspicuously absent - again.) Anyway, they drew some blood and everything looks pretty good there - nothing alarming. The nurses were super nice and loaded us up with more supplies. It's amazing how many syringes and rolls of tape and bandages that you need after surgery. If anyone reading this is pre-TP-IAT, I definitely recommend stocking up on supplies at the hospital. The nice nurses will give you anything you ask for. This stuff alone would certainly break the bank, and don't even get me started on the number of medications they have you take!

After that, we came back to the apartment. Mom decided to walk to CVS since the weather was so gorgeous. When she got back, I decided to join her on another short walk. Since we're unfamiliar with the city, we ended up taking the "scenic route", which was a bit further than we'd intended, but I managed to walk about .6 miles! I was really proud of myself that I could make it that far!

Then this evening, I actually started to feel a little hungry so I capped off my g-tube and had a few bites of jello. I was completely full after 3 or 4 bites, but I managed to keep my tube closed for over a half hour! I know, 3 bites of jello is hardly impressive, but I'm celebrating all the little baby steps along the way!

Well, that's about all I've got. No Dr appointments tomorrow, so we'll just hang out all day. The weather's supposed to be nice again (in the 60s), so I'm sure we'll venture out on another walk. I just need to keep progressing so I can get back to my home sweet home!

3/9 update

Hello all,

Nothing new and spectacular here. It was kind of a blah day. My g-tube (the tube that drains the contents of my stomach) got clogged, and that always makes me feel yucky. Usually a walk will help stir things up, but not this time. (However, in my quest to walk, I managed to walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes today! Yay me!)  :-) Anyway, I finally got the stupid tube unclogged late this afternoon, and have felt much better since.

The only other news is that yesterday and then again today, my blood glucose dropped pretty low. It was an easy fix - apple juice brought me right back to the normal range. I told my endocrinologist and she wants me to lower the amount of long-acting insulin that I give myself every day. This could mean that my islets are starting to wake up - yay! Hopefully the trend continues!

It's supposed to be 60 degrees here tomorrow! Mostly warm weather the whole week. Tuesday's forecast is 65! Maybe we can get some walking in and explore the stores around the university. I still don't have much stamina - I need to build up my endurance a bit, but it sounds like the weather this week will be very conducive to that!

That's all I've got. I have an appt tomorrow morning with the transplant fellow. Not quite sure of the purpose of this visit. Probably to find out if I've been miraculously healed and have no more nausea. Where are Jimmy and Tammy Faye Baker when you need them????

Just checking in...

Hi everyone, just thought I'd pop in and say hi. I'm feeling pretty good overall. The first night home from the hospital was absolute hell - though more on mom than on me! I was scheduled to either take some medication or change my tube feeds or something. I even set my alarm so I could at least help out, but I completely slept through all alarms and equipment beeping. Needless to say, it was a night from hell.

On Wed, we had a 7 am appt (ick!) for "follow-up". Well, I guess somebody "told" me that I was supposed to bring all my meds, but my drugged-up, just-out-of-surgery self plain forgot. This really ticked off the nurse. They said I was dehydrated and put 2 bags of saline in me, and basically sent us home. This, of course, was after the nurse decided that I should cut my pain meds in half and try to stretch out the time in-between. I'm fine with trying to reduce the narcotics, but not once did we ever see or speak with a doctor.

They wanted to see me again today (at 8 am, but I negotiated to 10!) This time we brought all my meds. The nurse asked me if I was less nauseous - I said no. So she left to call the Dr (I assume) who said I need to start taking zofran again. Zofran has never worked for my nausea, and I reminded her of this. She said, "Yes, I told him and he says he doesn't care." Seriously. Then they sent me home. Without ever reviewing my meds (which we remembered to bring this time). And still never saw a Dr. My main Dr (Dr. Dunn) is amazing, but is out of town till Mon so her service is covering her. Anyway, I'm going to call Louise (the transplant coordinator) tomorrow about all this. I'm done lugging myself down to the hospital to be treated that way. I think the goal here is that I have to be able to clamp my g tube (the one that drains my stomach contents) before I'm able to eat anything. But I have to have my nausea under control before I can clamp my tube, and my nausea is NOT under control. If you saw what was coming out of that tube, you'd be nauseous too!

So there - I have done my checking in. Other than the nausea, I'm really feeling pretty darn good. The pancreas pain remains gone! I only have 3 more tubes to get out of me. :-)  I have to keep ahead of the surgical pain, but it's all getting better each day. I love and miss everyone back in Tucson and can't wait to see you all! Not sure exactly WHEN that will be, but soon enough... :-)

Medications displayed alphabetically - ha!

More meds in the fridge

We're out of the hospital!!! :-)

Hi, Megan here... Yay! That was a bit longer than even I anticipated - the drs say 10-14 days in the hospital, real experience average is 11 days. I put myself at 2 weeks figuring something would pop up, but ended up there for 18 days. Oh well, I'm out now!

Overall, I'm feeling pretty awesome. Yes, I get tired just walking into the living room. My belly is still swollen and distended. It's tough to get anywhere when you have tubes and drains and pumps attached to your body. But it's not pancreas pain! It's just your plain ol' "got yer guts ripped outta yer belly" kinda pain. But let me repeat - THE PANCREAS PAIN IS GONE!!!@

It's pretty overwhelming to see everything we have to do. The list of meds alone looks like a re-stock order from CVS. There's all my liquid nutrition, plus the bags and pump for feeding, along with the enzymes I need for that. And don't forget all the diabetes testing supplies and the insulin that I need to give myself.

Mom has just been amazing through all of this. My pain and nausea drugs had to be "scheduled" to make sure the levels stay about the same. Unfortunately, this means that we're waking up about once an hour through the night - not fun! But mom has organized all my meds and what needs to be taken when, and all of my feedings and what goes along with them, and just so many more other things.

I did a ton of research before this surgery on the process, success rates, procedures, risks and benefits, but I really don't remember reading about the absolute necessity of having an organized system in place to know what needs to be done and when to do it. This is really overwhelming when you see the vast quantities of everything that has to be done. And i can help with some of it, but I'm so loopy most of the time I don't even know my own name. Seriously, I know mom has LOTS of stories!

I will try to attach some photos to this post. Hopefully that works! I really want to thank each and every one of you who have supported my family and me throughout all this. Your prayers have gotten us through some real tough situations. Please keep them up, as I know we will be facing more in the future. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Boxes of liquid nutrition

Supplies for dispensing medications

Day 16

This is being dictated by Megan: Overall a pretty good day today. I think we've managed to keep the pain under control as long as we stick to the schedule. Nausea is becoming easier to control as well. We've been on lots of walks and did some exploring today, as well as lots of naps. We saw signs saying there was a floating pool on the 7th floor. We didn't know what a floating pool was. We went up and only found a door saying floating pool staff only. When we came back to the room, we asked the nurse what a floating pool was. She laughed and said it was where the pool of float nurses reported for their assignments. We are such dopes. We were hoping to be able to float around. Wouldn't that be a good therapy?

Cross your fingers the doctors said I might be able to be discharged to the apartment tomorrow- woo hoo! From there we will follow up with doctors during their regular office hours. I'm scared, though, because right now at the push of a button I can have a Popsicle delivered to me. Now I'll have to get out of bed to yell at mom to bring me a Popsicle!

I just want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. My family and I are surrounded by your strength.

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Day 15

Megan was very nauseated and in pain this morning. That doggone g-bag was clogged again. She was just was dozing of when that connection came apart -AGAIN. A ton of stuff drained (all over the bed and Megan) but she felt better. She decided to take a shower and that tube drained like crazy right down the shower drain! She felt SO much better! We're thinking maybe taking a shower first thing in the morning might help her day go better. We sure hope so.

Meg had a great afternoon. We even walked down to the pharmacy to buy a pill crusher for when we're allowed to go to the apartment. She's watching t.v. - mostly doctor shows! She says at least those patients get well in an hour! Some of her sense of humor is back!

It's been cold and gray all day. Please send some sunshine our way!

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Day 14

Megan had a rough morning. The night crew fell behind giving her pain and nausea meds and she felt pretty bad. Her gastric tube keeps slipping apart. The nurse worked to get her caught up on meds and we took a walk. Dr. Dunn came by and said that she had ordered a CAT scan to move the drain and also to check for an encapsulated abcess. If they find one they will attempt to drain it then and there.

Meg has been wearing a fentanyl patch. Today we noticed some sort of reaction to it. The hospital pharmacy called the CVS inTucson to determine the brand of the patch she had been wearing successfully before. So now she has a new patch.

Dr. Dunn also ordered a new med to make her stomach contents less thick and a little more slippery. Hopefully the tube will drain more easily. Once she is pretty much nausea free then she can cap that tube. That's when she could begin to try to eat some clear liquids. At this point, that seems a way off. There is a possibility that Meg will be released to the hospital on Sunday orMonday. Again it's just a wait and see game.

Meg just returned from the CAT scan and the drain did not need to be moved and they did not find another abcess. Dr. Dunn was kind of hoping they'd find more and that removing it would relieve her nausea. But, they did not remove the drain because the abcess is still actively making fluid. Again, wait and see.

Meg feels better this afternoon. If we could just conquer the mornings.... Prayers for continued healing and an end to the nausea.

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Day 13

Megan is still doing well. She has met all of her physical therapy goals. Now she needs to work on regaining her strength. We know it is a process but we are anxious to have
Meg back to a normal life.

Dr. Dunn is very pleased with Megan's food and insulin. She said that has gone as smooth as silk. Areas of concern are the abcess and the nausea. Dr. Dunn changed the two anti-nausea drugs so that they would overlap. The gastric tube is getting clogged less often. But the danged thing keeps coming apart and dumping yucky fluid everywhere. Even taping it has not been successful. We are searching to solutions to this problem.

Meg had her first shower today and there were sighs of delight! She said it felt wonderful.

This has been a cold, gray day. We're really yearning for some Arizona sunshine. We're waiting to see if Meg spikes a fever again tonight. If she does, she'll have a CAT scan tomorrow. Dr. Dunn is hopeful that if there is an abcess that the drains are not reaching that they will be able to aspirate that pocket. This would be better than placing another drain, for sure.

I think it won't be long until we are released to the apartment. This is the next important step before being able to go home. We don't know how long we'll be at the apartment - it could be as long as a month. It will depend on her progress. Please pray for a quick and full recovery.

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Megan's staples are removed. (Sorry first photo is rotated)

We're getting rid of some lines!

These pictures are of Megan's central line: before and after removal

Day 12

Obviously I no longer know what day it is. Again, Groundhog Day syndrome! Megan has made some big improvements. She is moving around well but she tires easily. She has stayed pain free from that awful drain. They are still culturing what comes out because she is still running a temp.

In physical therapy today she practiced climbing stairs which she did very well. She is tired now from a busy morning. But things are lookin' good!

Day 10, I think!

When I got to the hospital this morning, Meg was in terrible shape. The new drain was causing great pain and hence, nausea. When Dr. Tomayo came in, she begged him to pull the drain a small way out because it felt like it was hitting something every time she breathed. He said that was not possible. But, he upped her pain meds. Shortly after that, the guy from radiology came in (he's the one who put it in). She told him of the pain and he told her to tell her doctor!

I asked our nurse to call the doctor's office to see if someone could come over. Pretty soon Dr. Tomayo came over again and gave her more pain and nausea meds. Late in the afternoon, Dr. Dunn, our hero came over to take a look. She asked Dr. Tomayo to pull it out about 2 cm. She also said that when they had cultured the pus from the abcess it was a yeast infection! She said that's pretty unusual. With Megan's body, go figure. They are treating with antibiotics. She also wanted another culture to rule out C-Dif.

Dr. Tomato came over and pulled the drain out the 2 cm. Megan got immediate relief. She said it felt like it was hitting her lung, making it difficult to breathe.

Tomorrow morning she will be able to take a shower. Yay!

We took another walk and she ate a sugar-free Popsicle. When I left she was extremely sleepy and will hopefully have a good night. Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts. We're encouraged that we may finally be on the road to recovery.

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Day 10

Another day in Minnesota... Today I noticed that even the Mississippi has a sheen of ice. So, it's not just me! Last night Meg had a CAT scan of her abdomen looking for possible areas of concern. She's been spiking fevers and is still plagued by nausea. This morning Dr. Dunn came in to tell Meg that there appears to be an abcess up where her spleen used to be - upper left quadrant. Luckily she tested negative for C-Dif, which could be quite a set-back. This afternoon, aided by the CT scan, they placed another drain in. This time they went in through her back. By the time she got back to the room a large amount of drainage had collected. It is really hurting tonight. Likely the other drains were equally painful but at the beginning she couldn't feel any one single pain.

We talked with Dr. Dunn about the problems with the G-Tube getting clogged. She spent at least a half an hour draining "gunk" out and it hasn't been clogged all day. Awesome! This woman truly is using her God-given talent and intelligence. She is inspiring.

Before I left tonight, Meg told me that tomorrow is going to be her turning point. I hope that is true.

There are lots of nice people. I've met some students, the cashier in the cafeteria and lots of nurses and nurse's aides. Thy've shared some amazing stories about their lives.

I'm trying to counteract the effects of sitting around all day. I walk to and from the hospital and I use the stairs instead of the elevator. But darn it, I'm still not nearly as fast as those students!

Tonight we are supposed to get a foot of snow. I'm REALLY looking forward to THAT! Guess I'll be wearing boots in the morning. Sneakers are not that great in slush.... I'm really looking forward to flip flops!

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Day 9

I guess I had two day 7's. Since this experience is much like the movie "groundhog day" it's not surprising two have two day 7's! Wake up each morning, eat breakfast, bundle up, step in the same slush puddle, shiver my way across campus ( being passed by super-fast walking students), get to the hospital, walk up six floors, sit in room, etc. You get the idea. Megan is getting stronger each day. She is starting to have hands on experiences with unclogging tubes, giving herself insulin shots, generally doing self-care. She gains a little strength each day.

Meg has been spiking a fever a couple of times a day, so they are trying to rule out any infection. She is still experiencing nausea which is often connected with a clogged g-tube. Dr. Dunn is so wonderful about tweaking meds and trying new things to solve problems. She is a really good listener and then she works to solutions. We are sure that we are in the right place.

We are about a block from the mighty Mississippi. WHen the wind blows over the river it is freezing!

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Day 7

Megan is continuing to heal well. Dr. Dunn said that all her levels are great. She is gaining strength and moving around well. Our biggest challenge right now is controlling her nausea. Dr.Dunn determined that some of her discomfort comes when her g-tube is not draining properly. For some reason it gets clogged regularly and the pressure in her abdomen causes distress. Last night the nurse had a hard time clearing it. When I arrived her morning nurse had tried twice so I had a go at it. No good. Luckily for us, Dr. Dunn was on the floor doing rounds and she came right in and cleared it. She gave me some pointers, too. We went down at 2:00 for the tube feeding class. Megan only lasted about 15 minutes and then had to return to the floor because of vomiting. I finished the class and feel a lot better about having to manage it. Plus, Meg is a lot more alert and we can do it together. When I returned from class and Meg woke up, together we managed to clear the G-tube! Hurray! We've had our ups and downs but Megan is definitely on the mend.

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Day 7

It hardly seems possible that it was only a week ago that we were waiting anxiously while Megan was in her surgery. She continues to battle pain and nausea but we've found that keeping the gastric tube clear and open really helps with the nausea.

Meg is doing really well at moving around but she tires really easily. She had OT this morning and now is sleeping. This is just plain a long process. But I praise God for the doctors and nurses who are getting Megan back to her real life.

Megan's roomie is a young girl who has had a kidney transplant a while ago. Now she is back to the hospital and is facing a kidney biopsy and repeat dialysis. She is all alone and is so sad. Please lift up Karissa in your prayers.

This morning we have an appointment with the dietician at 11. She's going to talk about managing Megan's diet when we begin adding food to the tube feedings. Then at 2:00 we go to a tube feeding class. I figure Megan will be maxed out by the time we complete those two classes.

It feels quite a lot colder this morning and I'm picking up speed on my walking! Desperation will do that to you! We thank you all for your love and support.

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Day 6

Megan continues to really struggle with pain and nausea. She had an awful night and the nurses were very busy. This was the very first negative experience with a nurse. We are glad to have Lindsay again this morning. Dr. Tomayo ( and entourage) came in. Dr. Tomayo is very happy with Meg's progress overall. He is trying lower doses of nausea meds but more often. They have taken away the toradal for pain because you can only have it for five days. They have taken away the background iv pain med and she is on a 100 mg. Fentanyl patch. Now they have ordered the morphine tablets for breakthrough pain. Unfortunately they have not yet arrived. Another kind of miserable day.

The good news is that Megan was moved to a different room - away from the roommate from h$&@! Also, the nutritionist is meeting with Meg at 11 tomorrow. And at 2 pm we are to go to a class on tube feeding. The person who teaches about diabetes/insulin came by today. Meg felt so awful that she just listened. But I practiced giving shots to a sponge! Somehow, I think giving Meg a shot is going to be a lot different!

They have just brought a new roomie in. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

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Day 5

Megan continues to battle pain and nausea. It seems like the G-tube gets clogged up and this muck sits in her stomach. Once we can get it to drain it relieves some of the nausea. They now have the feeding rate where they want it to stay. The next step will be to go to subcutaneous insulin. We will need to learn how to regulate the food and insulin. This part is a little scary. But, we'll listen and learn.

Meg was able to walk today! She worked with the OT and did arm exercises. Then she went on loop down the hall.

Gradually, (really gradually) she is becoming less bloated and swollen. Once that happens she'll be a lot more comfortable.

I went to a very nice Ash Wednesday service at the chapel. We are making baby steps each day. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

Day 4: afternoon

After they got Megan up and moving she began to feel better. Suffice it to say that the plumbing is working, which is a big deal. A whole bunch of stuff came out of her stomach and she really feels MUCH better. She's watching tv and eating her sugar free Popsicle. Life is good. Pease keep praying for diminished need for pain and nausea meds.

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Day 4

Today is a hard day. Megan has a lot of pain and nausea this morning. Dr. Tomayo (correct spelling) came in. He increased her nausea meds, ordered more lasix and something to bring down her heart rate. He said 4th day pain is common. They are going to do another chest xray and possibly a scan of her bladder since she's been unable to urinate.

We're hoping the meds kick in and she feels better soon. Prayers for pain and nausea and for her lungs and bladder. She feels so bad she can't get on her feet and that's bad for her lungs. They are taking her now for another chest xray.

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Day 3: afternoon

Megan is sitting up in a chair. It's good for her lungs and circulation. She's been up for over an hour. Yay, Meggie. The doc gave permission for her to sip water and have sugar-free popsicles. Of course, it will drain right down her gastric tube but it sure tastes good going down! She's getting a behind the ear patch to help with the nausea. She's also getting zofran and phenergan. She's getting some lasix (sp.?). That should help with some of the water she's retaining. After that they are going to remove the catheter. The doctor was really pleased with her progress. As I finish this, Megan has ordered a sugar-free sprite and popsicle. And, she's been sitting for 2-1/2 hours! Yippee!

Day 3: still progressing

From Megan's mom: Megan continues to do well. Her hemoglobin came up nicely after two units of blood. She is scheduled for an xray of her chest just as a precaution. We got moved to the transplant unit last night. We've had wonderful nurses all along, but these guys really know their stuff on this floor!

OT came by this morning and Megan sat and stood again. She also brushed her teeth and washed up. That pretty much zonked her out and she's resting again now. Pain and nausea continue to be a problem and her head is really fuzzy. It frustrates her. She's dizzy and seeing double.

Please continue to keep her in prayer. If you want to write a comment on her blog, I'm sure she'd like to hear from people. I'll update again this afternoon.

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Day 2: she sits, she stands, she takes a few steps!

From Megan's mom: Physical therapy came in and Megan was able to move today! It was so exciting to see her up. She experienced a little "pull" when she sat up but said that sitting and standing didn't cause any more pain. She sat for quite a while on the edge of the bed and then stood briefly. The second time she stood she took a few steps along the side of the bed. She has been awake for over an hour and is now watching t.v. for the first time (would you believe a MEDICAL show?). This is great progress!

We could still use prayer for pain and also that those islet cells really do their job. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

Day 2. More progress

From Megan's mom: Dr. Tomaya (still not sure of exactly his name) came and looked at the wound. He was happy with the way it looked and said it was clear that there is no bleeding. This is great! But her hemoglobin is low because of blood lost during surgery. So she's receiving a unit of blood and they are still pushing the fluids so that her body can better repair itself. Her NG tube was taken out. It was clearing stuff from her stomach. The diabetes doctor came in and said they are giving the insulin so the islets can rest but is optimistic that Megan will be able to use less and less insulin. They want the blood sugar between 100-125. Yesterday it was all over the place but overnight they got it right at 100! Again, good news!

Physical therapy is supposed to come in this afternoon and Megan will sit up. They've also lowered the amount of the medication that she gets by pushing a button. Today she said her pain is at a 5. Up until now she's been saying her level is an 8 (out of 10). Mostly she is still sleeping. She looks pretty relaxed today.

I was blessed to find a Lutheran church right between the apartment and the hospital. It was good to be able to worship. More later, no doubt!

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A better afternoon and surprise

Fro Megan's mom:
Megan was given Toridal (sp.?) and it seemed to help a lot with the pain. They also gave her more i.v. fluids and that seemed to hop slow down her heart rate. Last night's nurses and today's nurses have been wonderful. They are skilled, very attentive and compassionate. If we can keep this streak going Megan should make a good recovery.

We learned this morning that Megan had TWO spleens! She had her spleen out a couple of years ago. When they removed the pancreas they found a small, working spleen behind it! It seems that every time Meg goes in for surgery they discover some other anomaly! How odd. As her mother I am probably responsible for this. Moms get all the blame don't they?! I never took any medications during pregnancy or labor and delivery- where are these things coming from?

This afternoon Megan was awake and alert for the first time. She is still in a lot of pain but it was good to see her back. She needed more pain meds and shortly after that she was sleeping again. The rest will help her heal, we hope.

They to take the tube out of her nose today or tomorrow and there's a good chance she'll be moved to the transplant floor tomorrow. Progress! She still has along hard job, but she's doing well at his point. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!
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Day 1 tube feeding

A lovely nurse came in and set up the beginning of Megan's tube feeding. She will start today at 10 mg per hour and they will raise the rate by 10 mg each day. Dr Tomaso came in and he felt she was doing well. They were not seeing anything unexpected. Since her heart rate is elevated, he ordered more saline. He thinks the elevated heartrate might be caused by dehydration. They are monitoring her to see how she reacts to the food. She seems to be resting fairly well right now, though I know she is still in considerable pain.

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Day 1 morning

From Megn's mom: Lew came over to the hospital at 8 this morning when they opened. Meggie is still in considerable pain. They did the ultrasound of her liver, which involved moving her around quite a bit. Then Dr Dunn's fellow examined her so she has had a rough morning. Her nurse Rachel is working hard to get her pain under control. Physical therapy wants her up and walking but Rachel wants Megan to be in less pain before she tries that. They are still checking her blood sugar every 30 minutes and administering insulin. She is quite nauseous and they are giving her phenergan for that. She can push her pain pump every 10 minutes but is so groggy she forgets to do it. Hoping to get this pain under control soon. That is our prayer now. If I haven't called you, please don't be offended. There isn't much time or a place to have phone calls. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. Our biggest prayer now is for some pain relief.

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Final update for 2/17

From Megan's mom: Well, now Lew and I have had our drinks and dinner. I am waiting in the family waiting room to find out where Megan will be taken next. We have no more news to report. It's not a day we would want to repeat but we are so grateful to Dr. Dunn for working long, hard hours to help our girl. We'll update tomorrow. I'm on my way to 6B, which happily is NOT the ICU!

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We're out!

From Megan's mom: the surgery is complete and Megan is in recovery for a couple of hours. We have spoken with the surgeons and they were pleased with how it went. They said they had a hard time getting the pancreas out. Apparently it had drifted up since her spleen is gone and to quote Dr. Dunn,"the tail was up in her armpit". We tried to find out about how many islets were harvested. The number was not as high as we had hoped but Dr. Dunn said that Lew and I were more concerned about that than she was. They did a biopsy of her liver just to be sure but she doesn't expect to find anything. Tomorrow they will do an ultrasound of her bile duct to be sure there isn't any obstruction from the islets. They have a pain management plan in place and will adjust accordingly. All in all, it's a good result so far. Lew and I are at Stubs and Herbs and I, the non-drinker, am having a rum and coke! I'll probably stagger back to the hospital. At this point we don't know if she'll be in icu or the transplant floor so hold off on flowers. She's going to be in a lot of pain for the next few days anyway. Thanks for your kind thoughts and prayers. We know they made a difference. Signing off to attend to my drink.

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They are closing her up!

From Megan's mom: They just called to say they had finished the infusion and will do a liver biopsy. Then they'll close her up and she will go to recovery. We expect to see Dr. Dunn once Meggie's in the recovery room. Maybe some light at the end of this particular tunnel? The next few days are going to be rough. We'll be glad when we have them under our belt!

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they are infusing the islets now

From Megan's mom: We finally broke down and asked them to call for an update. The nurse didn't have time to talk but she said that they were almost finished infusing and that Megan is doing well. That's all we know right now.

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Still waiting...

From Megan's mom:
The nurse just called from the o.r. and said that they are in a holding pattern. They have finished with reconnecting everything inside Megan but are waiting for the cells from the lab. They think the cells will be ready about 4:00 or 4:30. So we probably have another two hours, then the transplant of the cells, then closing her up and recovery room. We're anxious to know how many cells they are able to harvest. Everything is going well in the operating room. Keep praying! :)

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