Friday, December 23, 2011

Two for One

12.22.11


Click on this picture to see the full album of Thursday's activities.  

Shelby is doing o.k.  We are both more than ready to see Scott, Riley and Avery.   Her oxygen need has increased over the past few days.   It is now taking 5 liters, not 4, to maintain her sats.  This is very disappointing because once she needs 6 liters she needs to be in the ICU.  No more trips to the Brown Family Life Center, much smaller room...basically, a bummer.  Please pray that she can remain stable on the 5 liters.

Last Thursday Scott and I had a long day at Northwestern.  I was worked up to see if I'm a match to be Shelby's living donor.  I just heard this morning that I'm not.  My left lobe (the one they usually take for pediatric patients) has at least two arteries attached to it (they need for me to have only one main one).  Even if it didn't have that structural anomaly, my left lobe isn't quite big enough and my right lobe is too big.  Also, with the potassium problems I had last year, they do not feel comfortable operating on me.  This is very disappointing.  I did hear from the surgeon, though, that even if I was a match at this point they feel that a cadaver donor is the best for Shelby.  Because she's had previous surgeries, they feel that hers will be more difficult and they anticipate more "problems" once they're in there.  They would prefer a liver to come with all the "plumbing."  *If* Shelby would get worse to the point she would need to be on a ventilator, then her "score" would move up and they would consider doing a living donor transplant.  At this point they feel she is still in a pretty good spot with a pretty high score...they just need donors.  Once the holiday weekend has passed, Scott and I will contact those who have shown interest in donating and we'll go from there.  


Here are the pics from today.  

12.23.11



1 comment:

Colby Kids said...

I'm sorry. The positive is when the liver does come, you'll be able to be right there for her.

Hang in there.
Lots of love and prayers.
Blair & Xander (LF)