Home, but....

Sorry, I didn't realized that I forgot to update this with "HOME!"  We were let go late Thursday afternoon.  Friday went well until 6:15 p.m. when Avery began vomiting.  About 3 hours later she had vomited about 18 times and there were flecks of blood in what was coming up.  The on-call Pediatrician said "take her to the ER."  Scott was at work, so Dad came and stayed with the big girls while Mom drove us there (and stayed ~ THANK YOU!) and I sat with Avery and caught more vomit.  She was miserable.  Long story short, we didn't get home until 4 a.m.  It was determined to be a version of what Shelby had.  They gave her IV Zofran and fluids.  Poor thing had a urine culture collected by catheter :-(  She was VERY brave.  She slept well once home and we just woke up less than an hour ago.  We have a script for Zofran to keep the vomiting away.  She is running a very low-grade temp.  Despite being given the IV fluids and drinking Gatorade this morning, she still has not urinated since before this all began last night.  I need prayers that she starts going and that the fluids she's taking in stay in.  Also, please say a prayer that this virus stops with her and doesn't taken down Riley, Scott or me. 

Shelby all ready for her "princess" ride out of the hospital.

Stopped on the way home from the hospital at Montessori to see Mrs. Lundgren

Sick baby in the ER.

Putting on such a brave smile after her IV was put in.  Daddy was working, but snuck down to be there for the icky IV and urine catheter.  He needed to wear gloves and a gown because his patient had all sorts of contagious stuff. 

Her IV.  It took 2 pokes. :-(

Shelby and the awesome Colette from RMH's Child Life.

Avery and Grammie having quite the deep conversation.  Avery kept saying "this is taking so long!"

Shelby and Mrs. Marshall, a volunteer at RMH and my *old* 4th grade teacher!

Of course we decorated Shelby's hospital room.  This time it was a Halloween theme.  If you can't make out her sign, it says "Anti-Boo-Otics."  Funny kid.  She came up with that all on her own!

Discharge?

1:34 p.m.
Waiting on the final o.k. from Dr. Deutsch - he is supposed to be here this afternoon - that we can go.  Sigh....

Wednesday

Shelby is looking much better, eating and still fever-free.  They want to give her a full 48 hours on IV antibiotics and make sure the cultures don't grow anything - 48 hours will be around Midnight so hopefully all will go as planned and we'll get sprung tomorrow morning :-)

Better Today

Fever is gone.  Tummy not hurting as much.  Yay!  Still getting IV antibiotics.  Maybe a discharge tomorrow evening?  She is smiling again.  We had a visit from Grammie and Avery this morning and then Daddy, Riley and Avery will come later this afternoon :-)  Looks like "just" a virus.  Let's hope it stays that way.

Admitted

Last night Shelby had tummy pain and it was bad enough that she didn't eat supper, made it hard for her to fall asleep and woke her at 5 a.m.  I called right away at 8 a.m. to get her in to see her GI.  He saw her at 3 p.m. and by then she had a low-grade fever of 100.  He ordered labs and an abdominal x-ray.  By the time we got home her temp was up to 101.5.  We called our GI again and he said to give it an hour.  Her temp was still up then.  He wanted her to be able to go to immediate care and get an antibiotic shot, but she's allergic to too many meds for that.  So...she's been admitted to Rockford Memorial for IV antibiotics.  She's feeling rough and looking a little jaundiced.  I'll update again tomorrow.

She got 'em!

UNOS awarded Shelby the 25 points.  Game on, people, game on!  Anytime, probably (and hopefully and optimistically) sooner than later, we will get THE CALL.  Until then, if all's well, I will most likely be quiet on here so no need to worry if you don't see anything. 

Take care~

Tomorrow...

....will be the 21-day deadline for UNOS to give an answer on Shelby's exception points.  I do know that Dr. Alonso, in her rebuttal asked for 25 points instead of 28 because that is what some centers said they would grant.  I've been told, too, that Dr. Alonso was very direct in her letter asking for Shelby's points to be reconsidered.  It was explained to me that the center's in our region (Region 7 - North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin & Illinois) are not all pediatric centers.  Sometimes the voting party at those centers need to be reminded that they are looking at a pediatric patient's situation, not an adults.  Please, God, let Dr. Alonso's plea have been convincing enough to get Shelby these exception points!

Shelby is doing well.  She had a virus last weekend that she passed along to Avery who passed it along to Riley.  Riley missed school today because she felt so rotten and, as I type, Avery is coughing up a lung.  Shelby, surprisingly so, is resting peacefully on her oxygen.  Scott and I have talked about, but have not decided if we will keep Shelby attending school if she gets these exception points.  We hate for her to be home in "isolation," but would be devastated if they had to turn down a liver for her because she was ill.  We haven't made a decision yet; we're waiting on hearing from UNOS.  We'll see what the team thinks, too.

Scott is still plugging away at nursing school.  It is about half-way through the semester for him so he will wrap up his Renal clinicals and start on Pediatrics soon.  That means "finals" for him, though, next week.  He is one stressed-out, worried Daddy.  Please say some prayers for him.  That he can concentrate on his schoolwork until she gets THE CALL.

Tonight I packed up my toiletries and some odds-and-ends for my long upcoming stay in Chicago.  I will so miss sitting here on my couch, snuggling with my Ri and Baby A....the list goes on.  I tell myself it will be temporary, but it doesn't make me feel much better. 

I will update when we hear on UNOS' decision.