Abbys "Miracle" is here!

A lot has happened since our last blog. Where to begin? Abby was finally placed on the Active transplant list in July. We had our bags packed and where ready to hop, skip and jump on a plane to California for her Kidney. I got a call but not the exact call I thought, since we live in Texas and the transplant center is in (Stanford) Palo Alto, Calif.   Abby had been offered a kidney twice but since we couldn't get to the transplant center within two hours she was sadly passed up. The transplant coordinator suggested that we come stay closer to wait for Abby's transplant, being that my in laws live only one and half hours away, we decided coming closer would be the best.

Everyday we weren't in California, was a day she could get kidney that we were missing out on. We packed our stuff and headed on a road trip out of the Texas heat to sunny California. God made a way for everything to fall into place perfectly. The drive to Northern Calif is 33 hours, after stopping for night, we headed on the road again. All excited in the back seat Abby was reading the bible to us ( me and Memo) and just so happy. We were going through Phoenix,  and a truck in front of us ran over a diesel tire and the tire hit the front end of our bumper going under our car. We pull off the FWY to make sure the car was OK  and sure enough the radiator was spilling out tons of fluid. In a panic me and husband are trying to figure out what to do, we are in a city we don't know, and don't have any relatives close. Abby tells us "God allowed this to happen for reason, we may not know why but we have to trust Him, what if the tire would of hit the window we wouldn't be here right now."  Hearing the words of my ten year old daughter, we pulled ourselves together and put our heads together and got the car to the local dealership. The dealership was so helpful once we explained why we were traveling to Calif. They weren't sure if they would have all the parts and it being Friday, if we didn't get the car fixed that day it wouldn't be till Monday. Everything came together and five hours later we were back on the road again with a new radiator, condenser and fan on our car.

We got to Stockton on Sunday, then sent Memo back to Texas on Tuesday and began our wait for the call. Saturday night Sept 3, Abby and I were getting our clothes ready for church on Sunday. My phone rings and the caller ID says Stanford, so me and Abby got excited, and it was Gerri our transplant coordinator. She said Abby has a offer on a kidney from a 18 yr. old young man. She told me to head to the hospital and know  that Abby's blood still had to be tested to match and the donors kidney had to examined by the surgeon. We told everyone to start praying! My father in law drove us to the hospital. A one hour and half drive never seem so fast. Abby had been calling all her Aunts and friends to tell them we were headed to the hospital. She was excited! Then the question came up in the drive. "Mom is donor a living donor?"  I had to explain about the donor being deceased. Abby got real sad and told me crying "Mom, I feel so bad that someone had to die for me to get a kidney, how would I thank her?" I explained it was her time and Abby could write a letter to the families to thank them. At that point the rest of ride Abby was quite thinking of what to write the family of her kidney Donors family. Before we got to the hospital we found out there was no issues with the blood of Abby and the donor. We arrived about 11:45 pm and got registered and Abby was schedule for surgery at 8:00 am. Filled with too much excitement Abby couldn't sleep finally around 4:00 am she fall a sleep. I sat in the chair next to her tired but too excited to sleep, just thanking and praising God for this miracle. My poor father in law slept in chair in the hall. While back in Texas Memo was finding the first flight over here. My sister and brother in law were driving up from southern Calif to be here when Abby got her kidney. 

All docs came to talk to us, I signed consent forms and finally the anesthesiologist team came up to get Abby. Her and her tiger ( stuffed animal who has been in evry surgery with her) were wheeled downstairs, she was smiling to whole way down. It was time to say goodbye, by this time they gave her the goofy medicine and Abby was smiling ear to ear. I gave her a kiss goodbye and as she was being rolled away for surgery she kept turning her head saying "Bye Mom I love you". The nurse directed me to the waiting room. I was the only person in the waiting room for about 45 mins, my sister and brother in law came to wait with me. shortly after Memo's plane arrived and him and my father in law finally arrived mid surgery.  The Nurse came out about 11:00 am and said they one more hour left. The new Kidney was pumpig and all was left was to connect it to her bladder. He also said we would be happy with the new kidney.  Two hours later the  surgeon came out and told how well Abby did, and how well the kidney was working, the only problem was her bladder was very small from her having her kidneys removed, it shrink from not being used. He explained it would get bigger and it was normal after nephrectomy for a bladder to get small. He was happy with the outcome and we could see her in fifteen minutes.

After 30 mins of waiting they let us in ICU to see Abby. the Dr. was in her room and told us she had being talking and told them she was in pain and not to call her Abigail but Abby. She had a tube in her belly that numbed the area of her incision, another tube to drain the incision site of blood and a Foley Cather for urine output. Her dialysis Cather was still in place, along with IVs everywhere. She had eight IVS going of anti-rejection medications, antibiotics and pain med. Abby's creatinine (blood test that detects kidney function)before transplant was 13 (normal is .6 to 1.2), after transplant it was 6, that night was 3 by the next morning it was .6. perfectly normal kidney function. Tell me that isn't a miracle.  Abby had a lot of family support with her all our families from Calif were here spending time with her and celebrating her Miracle! Abby named her kidney Miracle and the name is so fitting.

The first two nights were rough on Abby, she had bladder spasms. Since her bladder hadn't been used in so long it was spasming now that it was getting full and working. Imagine the pain of a leg spasm but in your bladder, it was horrible pain. Sometimes it would take the meds hours to work. One night Memo didn't sleep he sat  in the chair next to her till 5am. When you have a kidney transplant you especially when a child gets a adult kidney, you have to give that kidney a lot of fluid to pump through it to keep it working. Abby got pumped with too much fluid, and when fluid has no where else to go it goes to your lungs. one her her lungs looked wet in a xray so they increased some meds of Abby and got all the fluid off her. By the end of the day the fluid was gone from her Lung. She was taken out of ICU and went upstairs to a regular room.

Abby did really good in a regular room. I started training with the transplant nurse on all her meds and how to take care of her. They are super great with training and explaining everything to us. We were involved with all the doctors rounds they did on Abby and we were able to put our input as well. Post transplant day 4 Abby's old dialysis Cather was being removed under general anesthesia and a PICC line placed for lab draws and IV infusions. Abby had been asking and asking if she could keep her Cather. The surgeon weren't sure if they could give it  to her but the surgeon nurse told her he would give it to her, she  sure got her cather. Abby has been doing great, so good she was able to be discharged the fifth day after her transplant. She got all the tubes and IVs removed finally and now just has her PICC line that will be in just for a few weeks.  We are now staying at  hotel for a few days till a room opens up at the Ronald MC Donald House. The transplant Nurse thinks we only need to be here eight weeks instead of twelve. Abby transplant has been a success, she still has some unbalances in her labs and requires IV infusion but that is normal and to be expected. My Abby never seems to amaze me by her strength! Can't believe she finally got her kidney. I remember my first blog was when she was in ICU on a Ventilator and all I could do was pray for a miracle to happen, and her miracle has happened! she still is the same fighter that got herself off that ventilator to her transplant Sept 4, 2011 at 8:30 am.

To everyone that has prayed and supported  her thank you so much,it means so much to us! God works miracles everyday, I know He has heard everyone prayer and that  is why she is here today! like Abby said God allows things to happen for a reason, I know there has not been just one reason but many reasons, that we have been on this journey, God has held us the whole way through, He has been there in the midst of our darkest hour and has met us at the point of every need, most of all He has shown Himself  Faithful time and time again! Thank You God!

I would to Thank the family of Bryan M Zamudio who made the unselfish decision to donate his  organs as he passed away. May Bryan M Zamudio Rest in Peace 2/9/93-9/2/11, Bryan I never met you but you are my hero! You gave my Abby a second chance at life.

As you know every blog I end with a quote, today's quote very special. My husband found it written down by his little sister Adriana who passed away during Abby's journey, I think it is so fitting for today's blog

 

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”