Life outside

I have found that there is a world outside hospital walls or sitting at home trying to keep infections away. It is so nice to be out and about feeling slightly more energetic. I just hope my strength will keep up so I can do more outside this summer. :-)




We were able to on one of our walks see my mom's favorite animals. She was so excited to see another real moose. Her room is full of moose pictures, moose stuff.
















We went up to Timpanogos Cave for a short hike and got some pretty good shots of the canyon.

So I realized I missed another several days

I didn’t realize that thursday was my last update. Oops Sorry. I am no longer in the hospital. They released me friday afternoon. This was the shortest stay in the hospital yet. I really don’t mind at all, they gave me an IV for one of the tests and never had to use it again, it never felt like it was in the right place, so I was glad they didn’t have to use it, it was going to be painful if they pushed liquid into it. The other highlight of being released friday it was a friend of mine 21st birthday so I was able to surprise them and show up at the party, Yeah Birthdays!

The rest of the weekend can be summed up in two words, sleep, and movies. I haven’t done much of anything except a lot of resting. Sunday I slept close to 14 hours, now that is not all at once I can usually only sleep about and hour or two straight before I wake up for a bit and then go back to sleep. Every-time I woke up I felt just as tired as the last time so it was easy to go back to sleep. I kept going back to sleep till about 4pm sunday. Needless to say not much productive got done. My mom woke me up a couple of times so I could have breakfast and take my pills and then lunch and more pills but I slept the rest of the time. We started a movie but I fell asleep during it. I hope that means my body is just dealing with fixing me and not a sign that I have another infection on its way. I hope the antibiotics they are pumping me full of will take care this internal bug so I don’t have to go back to the hospital again. Time will tell, it is in God’s hands. So in the mean time one day at a time.

Strange place to be at...

I am once again standing on the edge of a miracle. Unfortunately it will play out in God’s time and not mine.

There is a song by Sara Groves called Painting Pictures of Egypt - Conversations CD The song is talking about the Israelites wandering in the desert and wanting to go back to Egypt instead of trusting God. The last line in the song really hits home: “If it comes too quick, I may not recognize it. Is that the reason behind all this time and sand. If it comes to quick, I may not appreciate it. Is that the reason behind all this time and sand.”

The doctors are learning more and more about what is wrong with me. Recent tests have shown that my Hepatic Artery has stop flowing (died). The Hepatic artery is the major blood line to the liver, and the bile ducts need a lot of blood and oxygen to work right. There is a portal vein that is suppling the liver with blood but it isn’t enough. So the bile ducts are breaking down and forming holes which these infections are coming from now. And the infection is causing fevers and me to come back into the hospital.

They say that the infection can be treated with antibiotics to band-aide the problem, but to fix solve the problem I need a new liver again. So that means we are starting the paperwork to be re-listed for another Liver transplant. I don’t know why my body hates liver so much. :-p

So now I am waiting at the same place I was 5 months ago on the edge of a miracle. At the beginning of the year my prayer for a miracle was that God would heal my bad/broken liver or open the door for a transplant and that the operation would be great no complications and strength to make it through. In march God choose option 2 for the miracle.

Now I still have the same prayer request: that God would heal my bad/broken liver or open the door for a transplant and that the operation would be great no complications and strength to make it through. This time around I really hope he chooses option 1. He does an Awesome job and taking things that are dead and restoring life to them. The Bible is full of miracles taking what is dead and bringing it to life. Starting on page one, He made dirt come alive.

The only way the doctors know how to make this dead artery to come to life is through a transplant. I pray that God will do what doctors can’t and bring this dead artery and dying liver back to life with full healing, and that my body will accept it (no more civil war).

Then again I remind myself: It is not about me, my needs and wants. It is all about God, Hisstory for His glory!!! Once again I get to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Wish it was better news...

2 months 18 days later
Day 2 of the Fifth Time in the Hospital!

Well, where to begin?

Yesterday after all the tests were done, the doctors came back with some painful news...
Micah is in need of another liver transplant. He will have to go back on the transplant list now. How disappointing!
He will have to go through ALL of this again. :-( Hopefully things will go better than they did the first time around.
Although we would like the actual surgery go just as well!! No complications... No blood transfusion... The breathing machine removed just as quickly! Yep... we would like the surgery to go just as well as the first time but we want the recovery to go better than this one!!

So what exactly is wrong?
The main artery bringing blood into the liver has shut down. There is a clot plugging the Hepatic artery. The bile needs fresh blood and so the bile ducts are in jeopardy and causing pools or holes to develop in the liver. He has three pools, one of which is draining into an outside bag now, the other two are still small enough that another drain won't be attached yet. When he goes home he will be leaving with an IV and we will have to have some med.s taken intravenously. Doctors have said Micah will be needing a lot of help now as he progresses in the liver breakdown and we are not through with trips to the hospital... we may still have more of these every other week a trip into the hospital depending on the infections as they hit.

So, what happens next?
Micah goes home and we try to stay on top of the fevers.
Micah gets an OK for a liver transplant with medicade
and then listed for another Liver Transplant.
Then we wait for another call that there is a Liver for him.
Then goes in for the Transplant
Then the recovery period again

When I came to Utah I was expecting to be here a month or two... maybe three at the most...
but it looks like I was wrong and the Lord had different plans. Looks like I wasn't getting as close to going home as I thought and told everyone! I am so sorry, I didn't mean to mislead everyone. I am just as disappointed, but I am glad I can be here with Micah. He really needs me right now. I have now made James 4:13 my verse of the month!

James 4:13 says:

"Come now, (Becky), you who say today or tomorrow we will do this or that..and spend this amount of time there...
You do not know what will happen tomorrow... Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that!!"
Yes, I do not know what will happen today or tomorrow. If the Lord wills there will be another Liver Transplant and I can come home.

For now the Doctor said Micah can go back home again soon. They think the antibiotics are working now to keep this fever down.

So, with what I have learned today I will say: "If the Lord wills, Micah will be going home again soon. And if He wills another liver transplant will happen at some point. Hopefully soon... but soon is all relative! One step at a time. and one prayer at a time! Please keep him on your prayer lists.

Until later... (If the Lord wills!)
Becky, a mother still clinging to her rock!

MAY 24

TWO MONTHS 17 DAYS LATER
AND DAY 1 IN THE HOSPITAL AGAIN! FIFTH TIME IN!!


We're Back!!
Are we excited or what! (think it's more like the "Or what...")
But I figured out what the "Or What" is! We are stuck in a Hurricane!

On May 12th I had written about a storm happening on the 6th floor of the LDS Hospital.
Then I had written how that storm was passing and there was a rainbow over the 6th floor, west wing
and there was an interview with the survivors of that great storm.
And for a few days we had the comfort and pleasure of being able to relax at Micah's apartment again... enjoying the sunny skies and the shared laughter of friends and family. We were really enjoying the freedom again to do and go wherever Micah's health & strength allowed him... even enjoyed a few hours at work and at church!

Then a couple of dark clouds appeared on the horizon again and continued to grow in size. Sharks had begun circling again!!
More blood tests were needed and then yesterday we got the news that we have been IN A HURRICANE! Those sunny days were just the days we were in the eye of the storm. Now we are bracing for the back side of that storm! Micah has been given his air mattress again and of course he is wearing life jacket. He hasn't taken it off since all this started! He also brought his sword with him to battle the enemy's attacks of discouragement, anger, depression, and hostility.

I have been rewarded this time with a more comfortable rock (with padding) to cling to and with my sword I am ready to do business with the enemy and sharks! Our part of the LDS ocean is a little bigger this time around! There is also a bigger school of sharks swimming around today, probably because the storm that is coming in! We are bracing for the full force of the wind and rain to hit at any time. The first shark has just arrived to take a bite out of his arm! She came in from no where and is now swimming away with 3 bottles of blood leaving Micah's arm with another hole.

We have been told this is a serious storm (infection) and may need some serious attention (requiring a possible surgery). The school of sharks are pondering the next angle of attack... More antibiotics? More tests? Surgery? Micah thinks they have decided starvation is the first bite! No food or drink to be given... it's been 22 hours since he has had anything to eat. Or maybe torture him with a high pitch scream! (Turned out it was just a heater having problems so it wasn't meant as torture.) Torture may still be coming when the wind & rain hits.
But for now we are fastening down the loose hatches... the thoughts and nailing our fears down on the rock and trying to stay calm with the storm barreling down on us.

We will keep the up dates coming!
Until later, please keep us in your prayers.
Signing off,
Becky (mom)

Same song next verse...

The blood cultures that they drew on me yesterday came back this morning with significant infection still not going away. And I once again had a night full of fevers 100.8-102.4. Nice and toasty. So the transplant team wants to get me back in the Hospital to beat this out of me.

1 week in 1 week out and now we are going back again. The Hospital my home away from home. Hopefully this stay will be better then the last one. Lord please, I am begging you and trusting you. FIX ME!

I found a new game to play...

Once again the roller-coaster keeps taking me up and down, and at the moment it doesn’t show signs of letting up. We were really hopeful last week wed, thur, fri I was doing pretty good and went into work for just a couple of hours each day. Saturday was even a pretty good day we got out went for an extra short hike (maybe 10 minutes up) in the hills. It was good it made my legs work pushing me up the hill, it felt good and fresh air.

This new game I have been playing (un-intentionally of coarse) is called “Stump the Doctor”. On TV20 we used to air a program with Doctor Harper and his wife they would take live calls from viewers asking health related questions on just about any topic. There were very few calls they ever received that “Stumped the Doctor”.

On Sunday things once again started to turn bad again. No energy, not feeling quite right and then about 8:00pm started developing fevers again. So once again I try really hard to convince my mom I am find, God will fix it, I don’t need to go to the hospital it is only 100.6, it will go down. And it did 99.9, then it went back up and by about 11:30 I hit 101.8 so she called the transplant coordinator who called the doctor (round 1 of Stump the Doctor) they didn’t know what to do exactly, answer just watch him if he gets chills and shakes bring him in, otherwise take Tylenol and hope it passes. I made it through the night without going into the hospital. Thank you Lord!!!

Monday, they rescheduled my tuesday test for the morning to look and see if I still have a nasty infection or if the drain caused something new. So I went back to radiology and angiogram and they pulled the drain I had and put a new one in its spot. Even with anesthesia that still isn’t comfortable or fun. But thankfully another day I didn’t have to be checked back into the hospital. My system was still up and down I woke up during the night with another fever, then it seemed to pass but by morning I woke up I woke up with more chills and generally not feeling right, and slept most of the morning away. But today was the day that doctors should be able to answer our questions. Today we are scheduled for clinic. But don’t forget we are playing stump the doctor.

So the clinic appointment arrived and we got to talk to the doctors, I think they are getting tired of me. Since they have been dealing with me almost daily for the last 2 + months. The doctor comes in says how my liver blood-work is looking really good, my white blood count is even low right were they want it. I tell them what my temp has been doing and they go “Oooh“. I ask some questions about the drain in my liver how I am understanding it and the doctor comes back with ”Those are some really good questions“ he doesn’t say specifically ”I don’t know” just like you never want to here a surgeon say oops, auttoo. The good news is he was able to answer several questions I had. The others we are just going to get to wait and see what happens. But the good part another day I haven’t been re-admitted. Thank you Lord!

The plan is now that I get to go in tomorrow for yet another CT scan to check my liver and see if I can give them any new info that can shed light on my infection, fever, fatigue I have been fighting and weekly hospital visits. So here we wait another day I haven’t gone back in yet, but there is always the possibility tomorrow after the test depending on what it shows they might check me in.

Probably the best news I got today from clinic was that I now only have to get blood tested on monday and thursday. I can sleep in wednesday and friday now!

So on the next round of stump the doctor who will win? Micah or Doctors?

The part that brings me peace through this whole thing is I haven’t stumped God yet, he is still in-control and he knows the plans he has for me. My faith is not in stumped doctors, but in the one who created my liver. Yeah Jesus!!! God is so AWESOME!

Don't be shocked

Yes, It is me again writing my thoughts for the world to read. It has been a while since I posted an update. As my mom has been saying, I have not been feeling to well the last week or so. This has not been the greatest last little bit. Pretty much I have been hating life. Now I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea here, when I say I hate life that doesn’t mean that I am thinking about suicide and am wanting to kill myself, NO that would be extremely selfish of me, and go against my life motto “It is not about me, it is all about GOD! This is His-story I am just along for the ride.” No when I say “I am hating life” I just want this world and life to end and be in Heaven. Where there is no more pain and suffering. And when I stand before the Creator of the universe and He asks me why I should be let into Heaven, I can answer, because I believe in your Son Jesus Christ who was sinless died a cross to pay the price of my sin (Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
Not because of any good thing I have done on my own but it is all about what God has done. Yeah Jesus!

So back to the hating life, I have been in a lot of pain since they put this drain into my liver. At first I thought they missed and put it into my lung because it hurt so much to take a deep breath, and the first 12 hours the thing had a lot of blood coming out, that has since stopped but it still drains a lot of bile. So I get to wander around carrying a bag with me as I go about, being totally exhausted having my body climate go from super hot to cold very quickly. Did I mention that I am exhausted.

I have come to the conclusion that hospitals are places where sick people go to get more sick and healthy people go to get sick. In a way they are torture houses. Like in my case, I have gotten poked up and down both arms so many times they are having problems finding places that aren’t bruised or scared to put more holes. They tell you that sleeping is good for you and you need to get a bunch but then they come in all the time to check on you and it is often 15 minutes after you have fallen asleep. Foodservice I know tries to serve good food but there is only so much hospital food you can really take, and it seams like they are always getting something wrong with my meal. Added to the top of all the other issues things little things like getting Cherios with no milk when for the last 6 days you have been telling them can I get Soy milk, and add it to my meal plan so I can always get it, makes it very trying.

Overall I can’t complain all that much about the hospital. There are so many people there that work really hard to make peoples stay really good. And after spending more then a month in the hospital I have gotten to experience hospital life in a way I had never seen before. I had so many very nice helpful nurses and aids that I can’t even remember all of the names if I had to list them. The doctors came by every day always with a smile on their face helpful in letting me know what they were seeing and where we were going. Only one day did they miss telling me what was coming next. I just have a negative attitude right now because I am so tired, exhausted, and in pain. Pain drugs are wonderful :-) I am also really struggling with being stir crazy. I have never been so lazy in my life were I lay in bed for more then a week and do nothing for fear of pain and that I will loose the position I found that isn’t hurting (too much)

On a more positive note yesterday (Tuesday May 16th) they decided to release me from the hospital again saying there is nothing that they are doing for me there that I can’t do at home. So once again I have picked up and moved out. Hopefully I won’t have to go back for any more extended vacations (torture treatments). I will be back regularly for blood draws and a checkup on this drain. And it wouldn’t surprise me if I have more magnesium infusions coming my way too, so that means more IVs :-P

Today was the first day back home again. It really is hard when my mind has all of this desire to more and my body gets tired less then 1/4 of the way there. Often it has been working like this, I am laying down mind is saying get going need new stimuli lets go for a walk, finally body gets in line overcoming the pain we go from laying to seated now we wait a bit for recovery so I don’t pass out when I stand up. Now I need to get dressed for the walk, so I get up, slowly, gather things together and get dressed. Because I have been laying not moving for so long I now need to go to the restroom. So once that is taken care of and finish getting ready I set out. Quickly, 500 steps or less usually the realization hits again that I am out of shape and breathing really hard and painful, so then I want to go lay down and recover from my new stimuli adventure.

Today did have one out of the ordinary new stimuli happen. The stir crazyness I have been fighting with out weighed all of my other issues and we managed to go into work for about 2 hours. It was good to let my mind start creating again.

As I type this now I am falling asleep so I think that is a good clue telling me stop here and` post more later. Little steps are better then big leaps and sliding backwards.

SUNDAY MAY 14
Happy Mother's Day!!

Here we are again... Reporting from our favorite vacation resort in Salt Lake City, also known to some as the LDS Hospital.
I am happy to report that the skies are now clearing and a beautiful rainbow extends over the entire West Wing! The storm that has been raging for the past week has now been seen moving away with the upper airflow.

It has been reported to us from the doctors who have examined our brave survivor, that Micah is recovering well. The infections have been brought under control and with rest he will be returning home soon. The drain that was draining the infection on the liver appears to have only Bile in it now and so it appears that it won't dry up anytime soon. So the drain will be disconnected and capped off and will be watched to see if it fills again or if it naturally drains

We are here now with the survivors of that horrific storm: Micah C______ and his mother, Becky. This has been an amazing story that we have been following along with the last couple of days! This story was brought to our attention by an alert witness of what you both have been through this week. You, Micah, trapped on your air mattress wearing only a life jacket, defenseless against the sharks swimming all around you and just a few feet from you, your brave mother who clung desperately to her Rock struggling against the wind and rain watching as the sharks came in unable to help her son!
Let's talk to Mom first.

Mrs. C______, what do you have to say for your son?
Please, just call me Becky, Mrs. C______ is my Mother-in-law.
Ok, Becky, How about that son of yours!

Oh, yes! I am so proud of him! He has been through so much. It amazes me how strong he has been. My heart broke watching all that he has had to live through with this storm. I questioned whether only his lifejacket would be enough, but
as I have learned "All things are possible through Christ!" Jesus is Micah's life jacket! And sometimes He calms the storm and other times he calms his child! I kept reminding myself that there were many friends and family praying for us and GOD ANSWERS PRAYER! I am looking forward to getting him out of here now!

Micah, what do you have to say about your ordeal? Ow... I don't feel so good right now. Do we really have to do this right now? But thank you for praying, it's been appreciated.

OK, Thank you, Micah.
Let's let him get back to bed now and get some more sleep, and we will now move on to our next Survivor Story...
The sole Survivor of Panama Exile! (Becky's TV Show)
Will it be Terry, Aras Cirie, or Danielle?
Later with more news breaking reports.

"I think I see a rainbow!! YES! It's getting bigger! I think the storm is passing!! The wind and waves aren't blowing as hard! The sharks are swimming away!" Micah isn't walking on water yet, but there are sounds of snoring coming from the air mattress he is floating on! I am still clinging to my ROCK but am SINGING NOW!
(If you don't know what I am talking about... read yesterday's update again. :-)

Today's Doctor's Report:
Things are looking better... finally!
Liver is still looking good.
A drug number was a little high so they will cut back on it.
Pregnizone is going to be cut some now!
and we know what the infection is now!

It's two infections going on. One in the intestines and another infection is on the liver & in the blood. The two abscess was were the infection was "pooling." They have put him on some different antibiotics now and he will still have the drain in the abscess until nothing drains out it any longer.

More good news is that because they were having such a difficult time trying to get another IV into his arm, THEY HAVE GIVEN UP TRYING!! (The last attempt put the needle straight through the vein! OUCH!! It's always a little funny (if it wasn't at the expense of my son!) that when the nurses come in to put the IV in. They are sooo sure they can do it with no problem. "I have put in hundreds before, they say." We warn them that he isn't easy... They start... Then they go fishing... OUCH! And when something goes wrong, they quickly pull out, pack up and leave as Micah kindly says, "I told you so!" They were deciding whether to put another PIC line into his neck the last we had heard and now we were told the doctor said, "Just give him medication by mouth." PRAISE THE LORD!! (Poor Micah!! His poor arms look so beat up!) I'm just so glad they finally found the infection. The doctor said he probably picked it up here in the hospital. Micah and I think it's just the same infection they were looking for last week and it had finally "pooled" making the abscess. So hopefully he is back on that road of recovery! The doctor wouldn't project how much longer we would have to stay, or how long the drain would have to stay in,,, just until the drain has nothing draining into it. That is what I am praying for now!!

Micah is saying that by my always projecting a date to go home that I am jinxing it. So, I guess I better not even mention the word home! So don't ask me any more when I am coming home... OK? Just know that it is not far away from my thoughts and in my prayers every day! I am trying to be patient and rest in the fact that it is "IN HIS TIME."

Becky,
Signing off for now
from my little rock in the corner of Micah's room where the storm is chaning again.

Friday May 12

Micah is still not up to writing...
So it's me... Becky (mom) again.

I know you would rather hear from Micah... but some news is better than no news!

When I got here this morning I had some not so good news. Micah is looking worse that ever. He is in a lot of pain right now and he is hooked up to oxygen and grumpier than ever. Micah is sure this drain tube was put in the wrong place and is in his lung instead of the liver! He is having more pain in the lung area and it's hard for him to breathe... that's the reason for the oxygen now. I am afraid it's pneumonia now. :-( Good grief... I sure hope not! Doctors will be in soon, so I will be asking about that!!

God must see that my faith still needs stretching... so WE will get through this!! " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!! " I will keep hanging on to MY ROCK while those rough waves keep crashing in all around me!!

Can you picture this??
I have this picture of a big storm happening all around Micah and I. We are out in this big rough ocean, called LDS Hospital. Micah is in the center of the storm with his life jacket on - that's JESUS! But the waves are covering him and he is getting all wet... and he is being blown all over the place (from one test to another) and there are sharks out here! They are swimming circles around Micah and every once in a while they come in to bite him and it hurts!! I am watching him from my ROCK, trying to reach out to him and help him, but the waves are too big. I want to pull him to the ROCK that I am desparently hanging on to, but, I can't quite reach him. (He's on his rubber raft called a bed and I am sitting on my little rock/chair, in the corner of the room... just far enough that I can't reach him.) I have to keep reminding myself he's wearing his lifejacket ! JESUS is with him. :-)

Did I tell you that I really enjoy a good storm, with thunder and lightning, but I don't like getting wet! :-) Camp had some great storms!! I use to love to sit outside at Camp Utaba and hear the thunder and watch the lightning. But this storm is not as cool! I want to hear some THUNDER and see some LIGHTNING!! (The awesome power of God!! The Lightning is the healing hand of God!! I just want one bolt to touch Micah and shoot through his body or electrify him!!) Ooooo, I like that picture.

The doctors were in!!
They swam in quickly and took their bite and have now left us.
Their bite didn't hurt as bad this time. They say Micah is looking good!! Maybe they have special powers and can see things I can't!
But the good news was that this drain they put in HURTS. No he doesn't have something else going on. This next test is like one Micah has been through before, and they are not expecting anything to show up. So really they are just going to keep an eye on him (sharks swimming around him and taking his blood for more blood tests)... but we will be here through the weekend! :-( Bummer!!!!

Ok... that is the update.
Please keep praying we will get through this storm and see some lightning soon!!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

DAY 4 OF THIS HOSPITAL STAY
AND I DID IT AGAIN! :-(

I just spent about an hour or more writing you my morning message only to loose it! :-(
I hate when I do that! Micah reminded me to WRITE IT IN THE JOURNAL NOT AOL!
Well, let's see if I can remember what I wrote now. :-(

Oh, yes... How's Micah?
I got back here this morning (after sleeping in that comfortable bed I might add!) to find Micah not much better. He told me it as a good thing I didn't stay because I wouldn't have gotten any sleep. Micah had another 102 temp after I left last night and the nurses packed him in ice and were in all night long checking on him. I reminded him I wouldn't have gotten any sleep in that chair if I had stayed anyway. The nurses coming in all the time would have helped pass the time and given me some company while Micah slept. I am glad I got to sleep in a bed again.

Well, the update for this morning is that the doctors are now leaning toward a couple of abscesses on the liver or bile duct. They have scheduled another biopsy to happen any time now and another test tomorrow so he's not suppose to eat or drink after midnight. Poor Micah... he is so sick of being poked, stuck with needles, examined, awakened... He is tired of all this! So, we won't be going home today or tomorrow now... :-( I am not even going to try and guess now!

I can see why Micah is feeling like he doesn't want to give any more reports... Some things never change and the things that look good can change by the the next blog report!
Well, Lord willing, hopefully this biopsy will come back with some more good news again... I want to hear that the liver is doing fine still.

They have come to take Micah now. He is sure discouraged. He wants to get everything back to normal so bad. He really wants to get back to work! He was looking forward to stopping in there today and looking at some equipment that had arrived and help Denny with it. Denny and everyone there have been so nice to him and so patient and he wants to get back there so badly... almost as much as I want to go home or maybe I should say more than I want to get home... NO... IT'S A TIE! We just want to get going.

I can't remember what else I had written on that message I lost. I guess I have learned my lesson now and I will follow Micah's directions more closely. Alright, Jim (my brother)... I can hear you saying, "ya, right... Becky listen!? she never listens to me either!! (Jim... my head is bobbing! :-) But in my defense... I just wanted to keep typing and stay busy while Micah was out of the room having this biopsy.

One of Micah's doctors was just in. He was just coming to check on Micah, but since Micah wasn't here he would come back. He did answer a few questions for me that I had about this mornings liver numbers. He said the numbers are still looking good. They have just got to find this infection. He feels like it is still because Micah has no immune system and is picking up things. That seems contrary to other doctors who say with all the antibiotics he gets he is protected... but maybe that is only from some bugs. We have been careful though, so they think it is something infected inside, like an abscess. We will still have to wait and see.

I will keep you posted... when I know something.
Later...
I am praying for you too!
Becky

Good News/Bad News

Well, I have good news and bad news...

The good news is that Micah's water broke this morning and he lost 2 liters from his bulging belly that is not longer bulging! Does that mean he had a miscarriage? Good thing we didn't go out and buy him a whole new wardrobe when he was weighing in at 250 pounds. And it's a good thing we didn't go shopping last week either when his pants were too tight around the middle... Because today he's closer to fitting into his old pants again!

The bad news is he is back in the hospital with a 102 temperature. On the positive note... his liver is doing very good! YEA!!! Bad news is that he doesn't have the energy to type on his Blogspot. His fever is zapping his strength right now, but he still has a sense of humor. I am glad he is back to his old congenial self. He was far from congenial this morning at 1:00 a.m. when I woke him up to take some pills he hadn't taken yet. At that point we found he had a temperature of 100.9. Despite Micah's "ON STRIKE" attitude... the "on call" nurse said the doctor wants him to come on in. Micah was not happy about that decision and showed the other side of his sweet self. He tells me it was because of the "early" hour and that he was having trouble waking up. If you want to believe him, then you have made a good choice. Micah is not a morning person... Never has been and I would think I was safe to say, never will be! You just have to overlook that angry side of him for a little while in the mornings and keep reminding yourself: "He'll snap out of it soon after he wakes up and remember you love him."

I have to admit I wasn't that thrilled with having to take him back into the hospital AGAIN!? All I could think about was that chair I would be trying to sleep in for the next 6 hours again in the Emergency Room. Oh Joy! I was trying not to think about the bed I as giving up for my son. "I love my son!! I could do this again!!" I must be getting weak though, I ended up giving up that chair for a couple hours of sleep in the bed back at the apartment about 4:00 am! I hadn't done that on the other 2 visits to the ER! I'm getting weak! :-( On the drive back to the apartment all I could think about was some of the challenges the contestants on "Survivor" have to endure and how some of those weak players give up very quickly when tempted with an item like food... and others will continue to to take the discomfort of the challenge to win immunity. I gave up the pain of the chair for the comfort of sleep in a bed! I'm getting weak! Does two out of three make a difference?

This stay in the hospital will also be different because I won't be able to stay in Micah's room with him! This is a very small room this time and the only way I can stay is if I continue to sit on this chair all night. Unfortunately this chair is a lot like the one in ER and my bottom is still suffering from last night. No thank you... I am abandoning my son again for a bed! What a loving mother I am!! :-(

I have been told by many that I need to take care of myself, so maybe this will count as a luxury item that I am doing for myself! For all of you who support my choice... Thank you!! I am leaving now!

Good Night!
Becky (Mom... not friend)

Today was a really good day

We (my mom and I) made it to church tonight. It was once again wonderful to worship with fellow believers. And tonight we didn’t even get there fashionably late and leave extra early. We were there for the entire service and afterward I was able to talk to several people. There was a bunch more that I still wanted to talk to and say hi to but was not able to. My energy level isn’t up to where I want it just yet. But it is an improvement over where I have been. Thank you Lord for the strength to make it through another day, and that you are continuing to heal my body.

Well I did it...

I got my walk in. Today we went to REI they are having a big sale this week. I had fun looking at all the really fun toys that are way out of my price range, and things that I don’t really need. We didn’t leave completely empty handed. My mom helped me pick a hat that was wide enough keep the sun off my ears/neck and face. It is going to be a real pain living in Utah and having to be extra careful to stay out of the sun. Some of the drugs I am on make my skin extra sensitive.We went to the Salt Lake County Library today and got to walk around outside for a bit. There is a new Utah Donors memorial there. We looked for my dad’s name but weren’t able to find it. When he passed away he was a Utah organ donor. My mom had never been to the Library here so when we walked in her jaw dropped by how big they made it and the design of the building 5 stories tall. So I didn’t make it on a hike that I wanted to go on, and get pictures but I did get to spend some time outside so I am not complaining at all. One of these days I will be back up to speed and able to do more of the things I want to do. So in the mean time I can burn of the extra energy on my bike on the trainer.

Once again called back...

Yesterday morning (Friday) I got blood work done again, my normal mon, wed, fri, visits to the lab. And once again my magnesium levels are very low so I got a call from the transplant coordinator saying I need to come back in for another infusion. So I got to spend another afternoon waiting for liquid magnesium to drip into my arm. I was getting ready to go into work for a few hours, but the hospital has a way of trumping/changing my plans. In many was I am getting back to normal I can now lay on either side when I sleep. Which is nice to give my back a break from the pressure. Almost all of the extra water weight is now gone. I am now down to 195 lbs. I just have an extra belly bulge that I would like to have go down. I guess that means I need to do more exercise. I have lost a lot of muscle not doing anything for the last two months. It really is surprising how quickly if you don’t use it you loose it. I now really understand why some recovering patients have such a hard time getting going after a surgery. There is a certain level of mind over body that is needed to push one going again. Cause the body says its hard I don’t want to but it is very very necessary to be doing something.Today I am wanting to push myself to try to get a walk in outside. I don’t know if that will really happen or not but I am going to try. I’ll have to post an update later to see if I was successful or not.

Micah's Photography

I have finally gotten some of my favorite scenery pictures posted on the web and are now ready to be shared with the world. I have added a link on the right to my photography. The pictures are snapshots of God’s Glory... I was there enjoying what I saw, but the picture can’t really do justice to what the real thing looked liked. God is so awesome in his creative nature! Enjoy.

Another Uneventful day

I have had so much drama and things going on in my life over the last several weeks it has been easy to post things to the blog that are new and different. Now as life continues to slow down a bit and my recovery and healing goes on less new drama surrounds my life. I don’t mind at all. I like the simple boring life for a while. It just makes posting things to the blog site hard, cause I have already said it all before. My energy goes up and down. My extra water weight has almost all come off and it feels so good to be able to move normal again. So now I am trying to push myself to do more things on my own and not take the lazy approach mom can you get me this... Now I am trying to get things on my own more. One day at a time, we’ll see what God does next :-)

Another Day spent at the hospital

I got a call from the transplant coordinator this morning saying that my magnesium level on yesterdays labs when unnoticed yesterday being really low and they wanted me to come into the infusion lab today to get another IV treatment. Oh lucky me another IV hole :-) In a way I wish I could have an almost permenent PICC line in so I don’t have to keep getting poked that was the nice thing about my second stay in the hospital. But in reality I don’t want it because of all the extra health problems with it, and that each time they pull the IV line it is the hope that I won’t need another one for a while because I am getting better. If God wanted us to be hooked up to machines he would have made us with plugs.

So now I get to spend another day hanging out with nurses at the hospital, the view is different this time. I don’t have my own private room again, so much for passing the time watching movies with my mom :-( but I do have my computer so I won’t be bored. My mom had some errands that she wanted to get done today so I told her to go to them while I wait for the magnesium to flow into me.

Big feet...

Oh it is a great to be able to be able to do more. I have been still making frequent trips to the bathroom and watching my water weight mass almost drop off me. I am now down to just over 200 lbs. My knees look like what I am use too and they don’t look like they belong to an elephant. My feet and ankles are still large but I can get them into shoes. I have even been able to squeeze into my bike shoes :-) Yeah!!! It is funny because I get the shoes part way on wait a bit for the water to move out of my foot, then push a little more and it is on. And the surprising part is they are pretty comfortable when they are on. The really fun part is when I take off the shoes and socks watching my foot fill back up with fluid. The skin is so stretched and squeezed for a bit they are weird and prunney. So if the water keeps coming off like it has my feet might be back to normal in a few days. :-)

Bye-Bye water

Oh it is nice to be loosing weight! I can almost watch the pounds come off. Many, many, many trips to the bathroom, but in about a weeks time I have gone from 245 lbs to 207 lbs. I feel like I can move around much easier now. I have been even able to do some things that I haven't done in a while. Yesterday I even got behind the wheel of my car and drove a bit. :-) What a feeing. I also was able to squeeze my extra large fluid filled feet in to my bike shoes and clipped into my bike pedals when I rode for a bit. It felt so good to be pumping my legs again. Of coarse I can't ride to long but it is so much better then laying in a hospital bed.

Overall I am starting to feel better then I have been so I am hopeful that this is the start of the turn around and we will continue to improve everyday.

Thank you Lord!