Happily Ever After at last.....

SO it has been a while since I have posted anything mostly because I was waiting for this moment to post a happy ending to our long roller coaster of a story. So first of all Abby's health has been good she has been just getting stronger every day and is back to work and working full time again. She is back to her normal self she is goofy and fun and cares about everyone. She had a few issues with her Potassium levels being kind of high but they are getting that figured out and it isn't anything serious now. She has no drains and no PICC lines she is device free. She looks absolutely beautiful and her hair is back and she looks so cute with her short sassy hair cut.
So in past posts I mentioned her prince charming who was by her side this whole time. Jake has been our prince and Abby's prince. He came home from his Mission 2 weeks after her transplant and has been by her side ever since he visitied at the hospital every chance he got. And he kept her spirits up even when things got tough. He sat with her the whole night when our brother got married and we all had to be at the wedding and he kept her company on that hard night. He was there for all of the ups and downs and stayed strong for her. When she was at her worst in the SICU and was barely responsive the only name she would respond to was his name. And the day he came home from his mission he came to the hospital and she responded to him when he walked in. It was the most alert she was since the surgery, so we knew she was waiting for him. She held on for him and because of him she is alive today. We feel so lucky that she has Jake they make a perfect couple.
So for the best news of all they are ENGAGED!!! Jake had such a cute plan and made us all a part of it which made it so special for the all of us. He had collected pictures of Abby from baby pics to recent ones. Then he made video and in the video he was playing the guitar and singing their song. A Keith Urban song Always on My Mind. But before he showed his video he had his little sister blind fold her at the door while we all hid inside his house. He then had me take her by the hand and tell her my favorite memory of her as we walked around and I held her hand. Then I passed her on to Courtney, then Caleb then Jake's parents then our Mom then my dad finished and sat her infront of the TV and started the video. Then when the video was over Jake got down on his knee and asked her to marry him. The ring is beautiful and they are both so happy to be engaged. And we couldn't be happier. We have had a hell of a ride the past 11 months and it has felt like a make believe story with the ups and downs and crazy things happening. We fought our dragons and had our knights and our prince and now we have our fairy tale ending. Happily ever after is all they deserve from here on out. We love Abby and Jake so much and wish them nothing but the best! Here is to happy endings and thanks to all who have had a hand in the happy ending!

Just a little update....

So things have been pretty good for Abby Jean. It feels good to say that it actually brings tears to my eyes. Abby has gotten so strong she is amazing, we even walked around Temple Square last weekend and she was in very high heels. It seems like something small but to see her doing normal things again is huge!

She had her pancreatic stint out and all is well with that no leaking which is great. So the drain came out last week. Abby got a nasty cold last week but is getting better every day.

She had to reapply for her job because her FMLA ran out. So she is having an interview tomorrow, she is so ready to go back to work and have a normal life again.

Abby still has to be on the antiviral because she still has a little bit of detectable virus, so they want to play it safe. Hopefully her next blood test will show no virus. Then the PICC line can come out.

So things are finally good in the Fullmer family life seems normal again (knock on wood.) We joked that at least Abby slept through winter and now she can enjoy Summer to its fullest.

We are so very thankful for this chance we have to be a family and to have fun with each other again.

So enjoy your loved ones laugh a lot and don't sweat the small stuff. Family is a special gift and I got a great one!!

Great things are happening.....

Sorry for the break from blogging, I wanted to post an amazing update again and by waiting I am getting to do that... So Abby came home from the hospital on the 12th and things have been pretty dang good. She has still had to be on antibiotics and an anti-viral through her picc line but she is handling the meds well. They make her feel a little yucky but she seems good. The 14th was her Birthday and we celebrated like we always do. But this time is was more special because there was a time in the last 6 months when we didn't know if Abby would have another birthday and she did and it was great. We had a little party with some family and friends she god a lot of great gifts and hugs from people who love her. She even got tickets to a Kenney Chesney concert from her Jake. She was so excited she hit him, it was funny. The concert is in July so she should be good as new for the concert.
Her viral load went up a little so she had to increase the medicine a bit, but now the load is non-detectable as of Wednesday. So we are happy about that, they are going to keep her on treatment doses of the med for another week just to make sure. Also she found out that they will be taking her pancreatic stint out on Friday, if that goes well and there is no more leaking or bleeding they will take out her drains.
May 7th is the last day of her antibiotics so after that the picc line will be removed. And if I dare say it she will be free from all medical "stuff" in her body. This is huge for Abby she has had some sort of line or drain in her body for almost 7 months. She is excited to be able to take a bath again. We might not be able to get her out once she gets in, she has been dying to take a bath especially the days where she is achy.
She did have a skin infection the last couple weeks but that has been resolved so that is good. She is still on blood thinners and will most likely will be on them for a couple more months just in case. But they will take her off the blood thinners for a few days for procedures that she is having on Friday.
Easter Sunday was a great day for Abby, she was able to attend church for the first time in over 6 months. She looked GORGEOUS, she had a new Easter outfit and a cute hat. My mom, Courtney, my daughter and I all wore hats as well which was fun for Easter. My dad spoke in church that day and did an amazing job. It was great to be in there ward and for Abby to see the people who have prayed and fasted for her a lot.
Abby is getting so strong and even she can see a difference. She can get around without help now even up and down the stairs. She gets ready and everything by herself now. She is amazing and amazes us all daily. She also has been driving her car again the last few days. Which is awesome to see her do again and her car is manual so it takes some effort to drive. She also went on a date last week and she really enjoyed that. I think it gives her more motivation to get better and stronger and she is doing it.
We all feel very blessed Abby has had a LONG road and a lot of ups and downs. But now the downs are getting fewer and the ups are hanging around. Abby is such a strong girl and anyone who has seen her lately knows that. She went from being sick in bed to getting around and being beautiful as ever. She is even eating better and keeping food down as well. Hopefully she will just continue to improve more and we know once she gets off all the antibiotics she will feel much better.
Thanks for the continued prayers and thoughts on Abby's behalf we couldn't have done it without all of you. She is alive and well!

Well we thought we were done....

So last time I posted it was all happy news I wish I could say the same today. Last week Abby had to cut her trip short because of a very high fever. They came home and went straight to the hospital. She was admitted AGAIN and they ran tests. They found that she was dehydrated and that could be a cause of the fever and she also had a picc line that could have an infection. So they thought they would pull the line and see what happened. Well the line site was hurting a lot so they did a scan and found multiple blood clots in the vein around the line. This was very frustrating, so they had to decide what to do. They started her on blood thinners and tested for infection. They found that she had an infection in her blood from the line. And most likely was caused from the clots. So they started her on a couple of IV antibiotics and an oral one as well. They also found out that the CMV virus was NOT gone like they thought it was. The blood test was wrong, so they had to increase her dose of the nasty antiviral.

So most of that was last Friday so Abby and my parents were pretty down. Abby just is sick of being sick. She hates that she has lost her hair and that her skin is so dry and peeling. She is still beautiful but she doesn't see it.

Today things were a little better, her blood infection seems to be gone. But they will keep her on antibiotics for a month to be on the safe side. Her viral load is way down it was 3.5 last week and today it is under 1. So they were able to cut her dose in half of that nasty med. Her pancreas doesn't seem to be leaking anymore but they can't pull the stint out while she is on blood thinners. So once she is off of the blood thinners they will pull the stint out and watch the drains for a few days or so and if it seems like all is good they will pull the drains.

So the plan is for her to go home tomorrow, that doesn't mean she is all better. She just isn't sick enough to be in the hospital which is great. But she still feels pretty sick and it is a lot of work for my parents at home. This has been a long road for Abby and she just needs this to be over. The complications that is. I hope that this is the last of the complications, this poor girl deserves a break. As of yesterday it has been 6 months, that is too long for anyone to be so sick. I have complete faith that she will make a full recovery but it will take a long time.

My parent's have been by Abby's side this whole time and we try to help when we can. But the most of the burden has been on them. Now that she is going home my parent's realize they can't do it on their own anymore. If any friends and family out there would like to help we would love it. All we are asking is for people to take a few hours each week and just come and be there. So my parent's can run errands and so Abby can have different people around. It will help in her healing process as well. So if you are able and can maybe take a few hours out of your week, please let us know. No medical care is needed just someone to encourage her to eat and drink and walk around and just to lift her spirits. And to give my parent's a break. If you are interested in helping please email me ls.jess@hotmail.com.

Abby has been through so much and she has done it gracefully. I hope that the end is in site, right now she is still doing pretty well. Her labs look good and her organs are functioning like they should. So we know she can do this. But she needs our help to raise her up and keep her going. She has been blessed with some great friends and family who have been there this whole 6 months. So to all who have been there thank you so much. I especially want to give Jake a shout out. You have been great and I truly believe you have been an important part in her healing. So for that I am truly grateful!

Abby your beautiful your hair and skin will get better with time I promise. But either way you are still so beautiful and everyone thinks so. Just keep getting better you have a lot to live for. You are the strongest girl I know, I am amazed by you!

Next post will be all good again I just know it! Thanks again for all the prayers!!

IT'S ABOUT TIME......

So this has been a LONG journey for Abby Jean but we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. So in the past week we have had nothing but good news which is a first throughout this whole journey. Wednesday Abby had her clinic appointment and found out that her viral load was ZERO which was completely unexpected. It had only been dropping by like .7 each week, the week before it was 4.6 and now it is zero. A true miracle for sure. Then yesterday Abby called to inform me that her results came back from her stomach drain. Well her pancreas has been leaking for almost 6 months and now the results show that there is very little pancreatic enzymes in the fluid. Which means it isn't leaking anymore!! She will have a CT scan soon to see how big the fluid collection still is, if it is about gone they will pull the drains out.

This is it, the news we have been waiting for! For 6 months it has been ups and downs and worry and tears. But now the tears are happy tears, she is getting better she really is! Her liver is great her kidney is great, her pancreas is better, her virus and pneumonia are gone, and her white count is great. She is even keeping food down now as well and has a little bit of an appetite again. She still has to stay on the antiviral for another week so she will still have side effects from that. Which are no fun it makes her hair fall out and her skin peel. But that will be over with soon enough. She still needs to build her strength back as well, it takes everything she has just to get up a few stairs. But she will get there we know she will!

Really this is the healthiest she has been in 6 months and we couldn't be happier. Life is good in the Fullmer family again. She is even celebrating by going on a little vacation with my parents this week.

We are so blessed and want to thank everyone for the prayers, fasting and thoughts on Abby's behalf. She is our miracle for sure who would of thought that we would have so many in this family.

Way to get better Abby!!

She is home...

Abby is home, she got discharged yesterday. We didn't really tell anyone yesterday because yesterday was our Grandma's 90th birthday and we wanted to surprise her. So Abby showed up at the party and surprised everybody.

She is doing pretty good, the antiviral she is on makes her feel sick but she is doing ok. It makes her skin very dry so that is a little painful. And she has a hard time regulating her temperature so she is always hot or cold. She will have to be on that med until her virus is gone so hopefully the virus goes away quickly. Abby is eating a little bit more which is good but she still gags sometimes. All in all Abby is improving she has a hard time seeing it but she really is improving. And she is still beautiful as ever and once she is off of that med she will improve even more.

Abby and my parents would still love visitors at the house. Visitors really break up the day for them so feel free to visit.

Our prayer is that Abby will stay home this time and that she will be able to heal quickly and get off of that medicine. We are so pleased that she is home again and that she was able to celebrate with us last night.

What a difference a week makes...

So last Thursday things were looking pretty grim and we were all very scared. But today things are looking up in a big way. I don't want to jinx it but Abby is on the mend. The doctors kind of freaked us all out last week when they started talking about all the possibilities with her CMV pneumonia. They wanted to move her to SICU and they were talking about an antibiotic that would take her kidney and having to intibate and all sorts of scary things. But my parents knew better they did not let them move her ti SICU. They did the immunoglobulin and it went well her last dose is today. She isn't needing as much oxygen anymore and her lungs sound really good. Her viral load is down that is the number that measures the virus in her blood it started at 6.8 it is now 4.5 so it is on the downward trend which is good. It means she is getting better which makes us happy.

She will have to stay on the antivirul until her viral load is down all the way. She is doing so good though she looks very good and she is eating a lot more then she has been. She still gags a lot and sometimes throws up but we have determined the cause is reflux so they are treating that.

Her drains are getting a lot of stuff out of her stomach which is very good. And on Sunday her stomach where her incision is opened up a little bit and more of that fluid leaked out everywhere. This was a little alarming for Abby she was on a walk when it started leaking. But the doctors are actually glad that the "stuff" in her abdomen was finding an out.

Abby has been walking a lot and is not as sick as she has been . So yet again we proved the doctors wrong. She is a fighter and she proved that once again. She isn't out of the woods yet but we can see the light through the trees. The doctors think she can go home by Monday we aren't holding are breath but are hoping for the best.

Abby has been through more than I any of us can imagine and she has stayed strong and doesn't complain much. I hope this journey will come to an end soon in a happy way. I feel like it is she has had so many complications but hopefully those are done.

She still would love visitors it helps break up the day she is in room 5206 at the U. It helps my parents too they need the distraction. And once she gets home they may need some help if anyone can sit with Abby for a few hours during the week let us know that would be a big help for my parents.

We are in awe of all the love and support we have received from our friends and family. We thank you for the prayers on our behalf. We have the best friends and family out there.

Please keep Abby in your prayers so she can continue to get well. Prayers work and she is the proof!

Another hurdle....

So yesterday the 17th We found out that Abby's CMV that she has has spread to her throat and her lungs. She has fluid in her lungs right now but her o2 saturation has been good. So yesterday was a bad day. The doctors came in and said she has CMV in her throat and lungs and then they said the antibiotic we might have to give will probably kill her kidney. Then the next doctor came in and said we want to move her back to SICU. So my mom said we are going for a walk and they left with Abby and had lunch. She was sick of bad news and who can blame her.

The Doctors decided to try an immunoglobulin to fight the CMV and any possible bacteria caused by the CMV. The fear with this medication is a severe allergic reaction with anaphylaxis because it is blood product and she has had similar ones before so her body could recognize it and be allergic to it. They started it last night and she did okay with it which was a huge relief. One of the reasons they wanted her in the ICU was in case she did react badly to the IG they could react. So I watched her till about 1 A.M. and she didn't have any adverse reactions so we were relieved. We are still waiting on the sputum sample to come back to see if she has bacterial pneumonia or if it is just the CMV. We are hoping it is just the CMV so they don't have to do that antibiotic that will ruin her Kidney.

They also are running a test to see how far into the CMV she is. It tests the DNA so they can tell if it is in early stages or if it is starting to go away. So today we are hoping for some good news.

We did get a little good news yesterday, one of the doctors that was looking at her pancreas problem and her drain and stomach fluid. He said he thinks that they are getting rid of all of that fluid with the drain where it is placed now. It is getting a lot of fluid out now more than it ever has. He also thinks once they get rid of all of that fluid the pancreas will heal. And that means no surgery. We are hoping that is the case.

Abby is a fighter and we all know that so we know she can beat this. Her doctor said he might have to take her through hell again but he said he would bring her right back out of it. She has been through a lot already so we hope that she can beat this with ease and not to much pain and suffering. She was in pretty good spirits yesterday so she is ready for the fight.

We are all amazed by our Abby Jean she is the strongest person I know and we all can learn from her.

Keep fighting Abby Jean we are right here fighting along side you. We know you can beat this virus with all your facilities in tact. We have faith, so stay strong and know you have everybody who loves you on your side and that is a lot of people.

Wishing for a happy ending soon...

So things have been very up and down lately for miss Abby Jean. She is back in the hospital again she has been there for a week and a half. Her reason for being readmitted is she went to a clinic appointment and she was dehydrated and her fluid pockets in her stomach were bigger. She had also been spiking fevers. So the plan was to admit her for 48 hours and reposition her drains and do IV antibiotics. Well just like this whole last 5 months things didn't go according to plan. Abby was having fevers because she has CMV a virus they thought she had a month ago which they decided she didn't have. Well now she has it for sure. So we are a little frustrated because the lab tests she was doing a few times each week were supposed to be testing for CMV and they weren't. So she got more sick than she should have.

And since they repositioned her drains she has been in a lot of pain. She has been needing to take more pain meds so her blood pressure has been dropping a bit. So the doctors decided to give her a lot of fluids to increase her blood pressure. But like the other dozen times they have tried that she 3rd spaces all of the fluids which means it doesn't stay in her vessels it leaches out into her tissues and causes major edema. So again she has 30+ lbs of water on board again and so it makes it very hard for her to move.

Now on top of all of that she is having issues with her skin, she is peeling very badly. We have no idea why the doctors think it is a reaction to meds. But no one really knows why, but whatever it is she is in a lot of pain. Her skin just burns it is so sad. I was with her yesterday and it broke my heart. She just hurts everywhere and she is so frustrated. She is also having a hard time keeping food down and eating at all. Her pancreas issue is the reason for that. So we are all ready for her to feel like herself again. My dad made an appointment for Mayo Clinic in Arizona for some pancreas specialists. We are hoping for her to get a little better to make the trip her appointment is for March 28th.

So tonight I pray that Abby will feel better that she will eat and stop throwing up. I also pray for her to not be in pain anymore. So she can get stronger and get healthy again. We are all heartbroken for Abby right now. She has kept her chin up through all of this and her strength continues to amaze me!

For all of you friends and family she could really use visitors. Time moves so slowly during the days. And her and my mom are just there waiting for time to pass. So if you have a moment to pop in that would be great she is in room 5204 on the fifth floor.

Hopefully nothing...

So Abby has had a good week she has lost over 50lb in water and she is getting some strength back. She still has a hard time eating a whole lot but she is working on it.

Last night she had a bit of a fever it wasn't too high, but higher then they want it. So my parents are very worried. It isn't high enough to contact the doctors so hopefully it doesn't get that way. Abby feels fine she doesn't even feel feverish at all. We are hoping it is just high because she has been so cold lately she takes hot showers and bundles up and has a space heater on her. So maybe it is just that. We hope that is all it is.

So keep the prayers coming, we know they work!

4 Months exactly and She is home!

So on the 4 month mark Abby came home! She was really nervous to say the least. The last 2 attempts to come home were not good so I don't blame her for being nervous. She is most nervous about getting around the house especially the stairs. But she is doing great.

Her white count is normal her kidney and liver numbers are great. The only issue is her pancreas problem and pocket of tissue/fluid/bacteria in her gut. And she still has some swelling in her lower body. But the swelling goes down every time I see her so I am sure with in a few weeks she will look like the same old skinny Abby again.

She also is weak from lack of nutrition, because of her pancreas issue she has NO appetite at all and barely eats anything. My parents make sure she drinks 3 meal shakes a day but that isn't much. She worries about her skin and hair, but they are that way because of lack of nutrition. Once she starts being able to eat more her hair and skin will get better.

She still has a ways to go and she will have home healthcare and physical therapy at home. But she is on her way to recovery. We really need her stomach to heal and for her pancreas to heal. So we hope that will happen in the coming weeks. Abby will be a full time job for my parents she still needs a lot of help and care. My parents need to help her do a lot because she is so weak. They need to change her dressings and flush her stomach drains and she cannot be alone. But she really is the healthiest she has been since this all began. So I am sure the hard part won't last long.

So on the day of her homecoming I can say we were all completely happy. It was the best feeling in the world to have all of us in the front room laughing and teasing. It was normal again I cry just thinking about it. We have our family back! We have our smiling joking Abby back and we can all be together again. And my kids have a grandma and grandpa again. And they have their worry wart aunt Abby who gets nervous every time they are jumping around like the crazy kids they all are. It feels so good to be a family, a normal family again. We are all very close and even having Abby in the hospital and not around was so hard for us all.

Abby has been through so much these past 4 months, we are all so proud of her strength. She is such a beautiful person inside and out. We are all blessed for knowing her and even more blessed to have her around today. Abby we love you and we believe that the hard part of your journey is over. Just time to get stronger you will be going to spin class in no time.

Abby would LOVE visitors at home and I am sure it will help my parents as well. So as long as you are not currently sick please feel free to visit at the house anytime. Short visits are just fine because she still gets tired very easily.

I also want to thank everyone who has helped our family. So many people have done so much for us. Prayers, fasts, watching our kids, bringing things to Abby and my parents and just being there and visiting and raising spirits. One thing this has taught us is how good people are and how much love is still in the world . We are so blessed to have the friends and family we have. This was a very hard time for our family but would have been much harder without all of you.

My hope is that this will be my last major post. I will still update the blog from time to time to keep everyone posted. But hopefully it will all just be about the progress she is making.

Good News....not bad news this time.

I don't want to jinx things but things are looking good for miss Abby Jean. She still has some issues to overcome but things are moving in the right direction. Her kidney numbers are getting better so that means it is okay. She still isn't making a lot of urine but her body thinks she is dehydrated because all the fluid is not in her vessels but in her tissues. So that is probably why she isn't urinating very much. She is very swollen from the abdomen down. It is hard because she can't move very easily because of the swelling but she needs to move for the swelling to go away. So hopefully that will get better soon.
Her white count is completely normal actually high normal which is good. She has an immune system now so that makes us all a lot less nervous. She has no bone pain which is a miracle, last time she had the neupogen shots she was in so much pain she just cried all day long. So we are very thankful that it didn't happen this time.
All of Abby's other lab work looked good as well. She was moved to the 5th floor today so no more ICU or IMCU. And our hope is that she will never be back there again. The 5th floor is much nicer, big rooms with a nice view. The staff is wonderful and there is a nice pull out couch for my parent's or us sisters to sleep on.
The pancreas and the fluid in her abdomen is still an ongoing battle but time will hopefully resolve that. And of course the swelling but that should go away with time as well. We are all very thankful for the blessings we have received. Abby has had angels on her side and many prayers on her behalf. The prayers are still needed for Abby to get back to normal. It is nice to have more things to be thankful about in our prayers than to ask for. This is a first through this whole ordeal!
My hope tonight is that only good news from here on out! Thanks again for following this long journey!

Good news, Bad news....

So the good news is they moved Abby to the IMCU (intermediate care unit) and her white count is going up and she isn't having too much pain either. The Bad news is her kidney isn't doing too well right now. She hasn't been peeing hardly at all but she is drinking a ton and her numbers are creeping up. This is a little worrisome because last week on of the Residents gave Abby contrast for her CT scan which is harmful to the kidney and an antibiotic that is as well. I am sorry but he was an idiot... Anyway so now her kidney isn't doing so well so we are a little worried. She is still so swollen in her legs and feet her legs are weeping.

Also the CMV they thought she had now they are saying she doesn't have it. So that is somewhat aggravating because now we wonder what the fever is. But also it is a relief because one of the meds for the CMV is bad on the kidney's too. We are really starting to think a lot of Abby's issues right now are from medication complications. This has been so frustrating for all of us but especially for Abby. We are trying to stay positive for her, but it is hard. We know she is going to be okay we just thought she would be better by now. It has almost been 4 months and now we are back to worrying about that dang kidney again.

But for now we are all grateful that she isn't having that severe bone pain like last time. We hope things will be on the up and up soon. Thank you to all who fasted for Abby on Sunday we know it helped.

Back in the ICU...

So Abby was moved back to the ICU in the middle of the night Wednesday night. It was a rude awakening for her the Residents that night were not very nice and just started making her drink contrast for a CT scan. They just started doing things with discussing them. This did not make my parent's happy at all. Poor Abby they were awful to her. I have to say this is the first time she has been treated poorly by Dr's but this was bad! So they decided because of her fever they wanted her back in the ICU. But she is treated very well down there so maybe that is better right now.
So they are really thinking Abby has CMV which is short for cytomegalovirus. Which is a very common Virus that most people get some point in there life. For healthy adults they probably don't even feel very sick but for small kids or immune suppressed adults it is worse. The symptoms are fevers usually at night and low white blood cells. She also has inflamed bowel according to her CT yesterday so that could be CMV it usually attacks some organ in the body so if it has to be any organ the bowels are better than her liver or kidney. The virus usually lasts 10 to 14 days. Abby showed first signs of it on Sunday so 5 days down, so we kind of hope that is what it is. Because at least she will get it over with and feel better soon.
The plan for now is to keep her on a slow IV drip of a high powered antibiotic and albumin which will help with her swelling issues. The antibiotic is more to protect her from infection because she has no immune system. Although we want to avoid neupogen for Abby because it was so bad last time. That is the medication that caused all of her bone pain. The doctor's feel that she needs to be on it. They don't think that her White Count specifically her Neutrophils will come up enough to protect her. So They will take every precaution to hopefully prevent adverse side effects. She is scared to death of it so I hope it goes well. That is really it for now. We really appreciate the continued prayers and support. We will be fasting for Abby on Sunday our parent's ward is having a fast and so is are whole family. So anyone has faith in fasting please join us in this fast for Abby. We would love for Abby to have no more complications and just be healthy again. Thank you for your faith!

This Stinks!!!!

So Abby is having major issues again her white count is non existent right now and she has a fever. This is bad very bad. As of right now they are not culturing any bacteria in her blood so it could be a virus or reaction to a line she had put in today. Her white count could be down from a few reasons. It could be a side effect from a drug she was on or a virus called CMV. CMV causes fever and the WBC to come down. But they are down more than they should be so it could be a combination of both. Whatever it is it's scary and we are all very worried right now!
The biggest problem right now is they can't even give her the medication to bring her white blood cells back up because she had such a bad reaction last time.
This Stinks and we need her to get better we need her WBC to come back up! She is so sad right now she needs a miracle so she will continue to have faith that she will be ok! Please keep her in your prayers!

Just plain frustrated.....

So it seems like poor Abby can't catch a break. She was supposed to go home Saturday but because of possible blood in her drains they decided to keep her a little longer. Then Sunday night she spiked a fever so now she has to be back on IV antibiotics and so she has to stay at least another week. On top of all of that she can't keep food down and she wasn't able to get the pancreatic stint out. The Dr who put the stint in thinks she needs to have another stint put in because it seems like the pancreas is sill leaking. This whole pancreas issue is her biggest problem. So it is very frustrating.
I just want Abby to feel good again I want her to be able to live a normal life again. I know she will I just wish it was sooner. Abby is very frustrated and feeling very defeated. So she really could use some cheering on! She needs to feel like she will be ok again. So she could use some visits. She is on the 5th floor again so she can have visitors. She really needs some cheering up and so do my parents. She needs prayers still too she needs prayers for her pancreas to heal and for her to be able to eat and for no more complications so she can get home and be herself again!

Getting better...

So Abby is improving with each day. She is more with it and out of pain for the most part. She still has a little discomfort but hasn't had to take very many pain pills. They started her on the thyroid hormone which seems to be helping a little. She is still very swollen but they gave her a diuretic to help with that and she is getting more off so that is good.
The mass in her abdomen is an ongoing issue, they are afraid of infection but there is not much they can do about it right now. It is just dead tissue from her pancreas enzymes digesting things in her abdominal cavity. So at some point they may have to go in and take it out. They are going to remove the stint from her pancreas today or tomorrow and watch to make sure it isn't leaking. If it isn't then they will remove the drains. So things are looking up but she is still needing to be watched closely. She is a strong girl and she is a fighter. We hope she still has some fight in her. I think the worst is over and pray that it will be an easier rode from here on out.
Thanks for all the prayers on her behalf, and keep them coming!

Still hoping and praying....

Abby is still very out of it and still in a lot of pain. She is having a few more moments of being lucid and talking normal but they are few and far in between. They found out yesterday that her thyroid has not been working at all. We are not sure how long that has been going on but that could be the reason for all of her symptoms right now. So they started her on thyroid hormones yesterday. We are hoping for those to start working soon. We are just afraid that the brain issues could be permanent. So we are praying that they are not. They did some enzyme tests yesterday to check for brain damage we should have the results back today. We really hope they show no damage. We are hoping that she is just out of it from pain and lack of hormones and that she will bounce back as soon as that gets straightened out.

Pain management has been involved now so we are hoping that will help. Our prayers are also with the doctors that they can figure this all out in a timely manner so that Abby can be out of pain and back to herself again soon.

Thank you for all the continued prayers and faith on our family's behalf.

In the right direction (we hope).....

Abby had a very bad day yesterday (Wednesday) she literally cried all day. I don't know how my parents did it, being with her all day and listening to her be in pain. She was very confused and seemed like she was stuck in a dream world. When she would talk it didn't really have to do with anything that was really happening.
Thursday wasn't as bad as Monday my parents were able to get a lot more answers from doctors and were able to speak to more doctors that can help Abby.
They thought that Abby had an infection but nothing cultured also she is breathing better. The reason for that is they removed the fluid from around her lungs so she is on room air now. Abby has had issues with her abdominal cavity and has had drains in to drain the pancreatic enzymes that leaked. She had a pocket that has been causing a lot of problems and that hasn't been draining very well. My parents have been asking for weeks for them to try to wash her out a little bit to get it all out. The Doctors continued to tell them that it couldn't be done. Well as you probably know by now we don't give up. So one of the doctors that put Abby's stint in and also saved her life by fixing the bleed told my dad he would fix her. So he went in and figured out that it wasn't fluid it was dead tissue, a gelatinous like substance so to think to come out of a drain. So he got as much out as he could then was able to put some enzymes in that can possibly break up the substance so they can get it out. So that is definitely some progress that dang thing has caused her so much pain.
The doctors also decided to do a spinal tap to see if there is sign of fungal infection or another infection. When they tapped her there was a lot of pressure behind it so they started thinking maybe she has fluid accumulating around her brain. They did a scan and it didn't show anything on the preliminary report. The neurologist will look at it tomorrow but for now it doesn't look like there is anything wrong with her brain. So that is good news.
Abby is still very swollen but she is making more urine today so that will help. She slept more today as well she didn't sleep at all the last few days just was out of it. She also told the nurses she had to sit in a chair. She kept demanding it so they put her in a chair for a while. That was a good sign for my parents, it is a sign that she still wants to get better. Because she was right she is supposed to be moving and sitting up.
She is still really out of it but she is having more calm moments so that is good. My parents also had a consult with pain management doctors who are starting her on some new things to help the pain. We are also looking into some other meds that have had some success for cancer patients on the drug neupogen. Which is the drug that is causing Abby all of her pain. So thanks to an old friend who answered a question for me about Neupogen. My parents were able to find more info about it and were able to talk to the doctors about it. It just shows you how prayers can be answered. I was praying for a way to help Abby then all of a sudden I got this urge to Email this friend who is an oncology nurse in CA. She told my some new info about a way to help the pain. So hopefully the Doctors will start it tomorrow, they are open to it so that is good.
Our hope for now is that Abby will continue to improve and get better just as fast as she got sick! Thanks for the continued love, support and prayers! Until Abby is more with it we are limiting visitors because she is easily scared with people in the room. So we will let everybody know when will be a good time to visit.

Deja vu

So I am not happy to report that Abby is back in the SICU. For the last few days she has been very confused and not feeling well at all. My parents took her for IV fluid on Monday and she just got worse. Yesterday the home health nurse came and took her vitals her oxygen sats were way to low about 68 so they called the ambulance and she was rushed to the hospital. She is in so much pain from a medication she got last week and she just screams and cries. She is also swollen again and so they did at CT scan. She has a lot of fluid around her lungs and her belly is infected. So they readmitted her to the SICU and started the big guns for antibiotics. One of the antibiotics makes her blood pressure tank so she couldn't have pain meds last night. We all just tried to calm her down best we could but she just woke up screaming in pain and confusion.

We are all very scared right now and feel like we are back to square one. Are hope is once the pain from the neupogen injection goes away that she will start to improve. They are draining the fluid around her lungs today and are going to try and reposition the stomach drains. So we pray that she will be more comfortable and more with it today. And that the infection can be treated. Thank you all for all the love and support. We will keep you all posted!

not again....

So we are having a bad day we were hoping for no more bad days!! So Abby has been in pain the last few days and hasn't been able to drink much and now she has been hallucinating. She is really not with it at all and keeps getting more and more swollen. So our fear is that her Kidney isn't working well. It seems like it is always something we are getting very worn out! My mom and dad especially and are at the end of their ropes right now. We need prayers and fasting for our family. We need to find out what is causing her mental issues and for her to be able to get rid of the swelling. She may have to be readmitted tomorrow morning our hope is that she will be fine in the morning. So please pray for her and for my parents they really need it right now!

She is home (for good we hope)....

She is home WAHOO! Her numbers are all very good right now so the doctors are very happy about that. They gave her some shots of Neupogen which increases white blood cells. It worked very well, but it has an adverse side effect is sever bone pain. So she is very uncomfortable right now. It is hard for my parents to watch her be in so much pain. But it should go away in the next day or so. She has been told to stay away from kids for the rest of winter so that will be a little hard. But we are glad she is home, we can make it work even though Courtney and I have kids.
We are very thankful for all the love, support and prayers Abby and our family have received. We have been blessed to have such great people in our lives. We hope for a great 2011 and for only good news!

She may be home soon....

So Sunday and Monday not much changed for Abby. Her numbers didn't come up much and actually came down a little bit. So we were a bit discouraged, but as of yesterday her numbers were up! Her neutrophils that needed to be at 500 for her to be able to come home are up to 500! So as long as they are still up or come up a bit more she will be sent home today.
She still is a little nauseated and throws up a lot so we need to get that under control but we think she will be better off at home!
So lets hope my next post is to report she is home!