Home Sweet Home

Hello Everyone, Well its time for a new update on Miss Abby! As some of you may know Abby has just had a Bilateral Nepherctomy ( both Kidneys removed). The Doctors at the Transplant center were concerend with Abby being on too many blood pressure medictions. By removing both her kidneys pre transplant it should regulate her blood pressures to need little or no blood pressures Medications. Once  the doctors decided the surgery was needed shortly after we were given the Surgery date and prepared to go to Stanford to have the surgery.         

A lot of people have ask questions like: How will Abby live with no Kidneys??? Will she have to be in the Hospital till her transplant??? Which they are very good questions, and I never mind answering. See her kidneys havent been working for some time now and her PD Dialysis we do at home every night has been and will continue to do the job of her kidneys until her transplant. In all reality nothing will change our daily ritual for her until her transplant.

As her mom at first I was really worried about the whole procedure and the reality of her the surgery and her having no more kidneys. I was honestly very scared, in fact every moment I was alone I cried. As much as I knew it was the best thing for Abby I couldnt shake this fear off of me. I called her nurses and ask tons of questions, and talked her local doctor and they all reassured me it would be fine and it was very common with kidney transplants for the kidneys to be removed pre transplant, but that still didnt' remove my fear. I told God he had to give me a sign to know it was going to be ok, and sure enough I was taking my son to school and one of Abbys friend's mom spoke the most reassuring words to me and made me realize its how  God was with us and with Abby and HIS hands would be in the surgery. I remembered this picture I seen before. Why was I so scared when HE was in controll ! Healings come in so many different ways, some people God heals supernatrally some by the hand of Doctors. Abby healing will come the day she recieves a new Kidney. I know Abby is here today because of Gods grace upon her life and HIS plan for her Life. Through all my worries you know Abby had only one worry and that worry was if the hospital's food would be good! Gotta love kids..

We finally made it to Palo Alto, Calif the Lucille Pakard Childrens Hosiptal AKA Stanfords Childrens hospital. Abby was admitted the night before and we finally got Abby dialysis started, she was settled in her hospital bed and a doctor came in her room kinda late too.The doctor came to ask us if Abby would donate her kidneys to thier lab. Once the kidneys are removed they go to medical waste and by donating them she wouldnt benefit  directly from the donation but other kids with her diease may by them  studying the dieased kidneys. The doctor also explained she could maybe recieve pictures of her kidneys after they are tested and once Abby heard that she was  all for it. You see before this she really wanted to see her removed kidneys, and she of course wanted to help other kids keep thier kidneys too. The way I look at it, she took one for the team.  she lost her kidneys so maybe someone else can keep thiers. As you read this blog Abby kidneys are in lab being studied.

Finally it was the morning the surgery and all Doctors came in to talk to us what to expect. As we were rolled into the pre-op surgery room. Abby, Memo and I waited and  as the Anestologist prepared her pre-med. Abby keep taking deep breaths and keep trying to be tough and hold back her tears , finally she did cry a little bit. She was scared. As much as me and memo wanted to cry right along with her we had to hold those tears and be strong for her, after a few momemts she was ok and pre medicated with some feel good medicine and rolled away to surgery, her stuffed animal tiger got to go to surgery with her.  Her tiger has been with her through every surgery, every hosiptal stay and soon her transplant!

Four and half hours later, We were called to talk with the Surgoen and he said they Surgery went good, and believes by the way the kindeys looked this would give her a way better quality of life. We had to wait a little while to see Abby in ICU. Once we seen her, she was so swollen. Her little face was puffy and she was in so much pain. She told her nurse I want my pain medicine NOW, the nurse got tired of waiting for the pharmacy to bring it and ran to the pharmacy herself to get it. Abby's blood pressures were very high after surgery and that was to be expected. It will take time for her blood pressures to improve. The doctors say her vains are so swollen from her blood pressures being so high, its like a muscle that is strong and now that her kidneys are not sending those blood pressure increasing hormones the veins should get less tense and like a unused muscle shrink down and reglate her pressures. All the ICU doctors fall in LOVE with Abby, her cool glasses and her tiger. They said how great of a patient she was. How strong she was and how funny she was too. She did tell the surgoen her incison site looks like  a butt!

Two days later Abby was able to go to a regular room and got up and walked around. You would have not known she just had her kidneys removed. She was able to meet the players  from the Stanford Unveristy baseball team and got a autographed cap from them. Abby spent her weekend with her aunts and uncles that drove six hours to see her. Abby was expected to be in the hospital for ten days and was doing so good she was released six. We spent a few days and grandma's house and finally home sweet home! Abby is so strong and has healed so quickly she has more energy and when you see her you cant believe she had kidneys removed two weeks ago. Her first night home she stayed up late singing karoke and hanging out with the family. It's crazy how the things we fear the most are whats the best for us.

From here Abby has  until about the end of may to be on her new medication with no problems (which she has no problems yet TYJ)  and then will be considred on the active transplant list. The potential kidney donors are still in testing and other yet to be tested. It's looking like it may be this summer either way wheather it's a living donor or she waits on a list. We will wait patiently because we know who Hands her life is in and we trust its all for her benefit! God has given her the best. We found out the Transplant hospital is the best transplant center for kids kidneys transplant in the nation. The surgoen is the best in the US and one of the top five in the world. Some of the doctors have thier very own labs named after them, some of the doctors have written in medical books and the hospital has been the first to try  new life saving procedres. The burden we thought of having to travel 1600 miles and relocate for three months for her transplant now seems more like a blessings knowing she is getting the best!

"Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew thier strength, they will mount on wings of eagles, They will run and not grow tired, they will walk and not grow faint." Isaiah 40:31