Day 9 looking at Day 10!

Tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 1st, Ruthie is having a liver biopsy. After speaking to the hemotalogist, Dr. Cantor (the main heart transplant guy... or director if you will) decided our next step is to biopsy the liver. The hemotalogist seem to believe that the blood clotting issues stem from the liver, since the liver is in charge of making the proteins needed to clot. So onto the liver. We have the GI doctors/ team involved now and they are planning on a biopsy tomorrow early morning. Unfortunately, we will not have results for a few days and that seems to be one of the hardest things about this. Its already hard to watch her have to go through so much, and then we have to wait on results. (Sigh) But we know these things must be done if we want to be on the transplant list. AND WE DO! We want to be on that list so bad!!

So since Jan 22nd, we have had a heart cath, a MRI, an open lung biopsy, MANY MANY blood labs drawn and now a liver biopsy. I can not imagine being in Ruth's shoes. So many procedures and so much sedation and pain meds. WOW! She is such a fighter. She really seems to be taking it all well. I mean she is not back to herself completely yet, but she sure is a champ! Each day as we enter her CICU home, she is a bit happier, a bit more awake, a bit more like her "normal" self. Today has been the best here yet. Ruthie is playing and smiling. She still isn't eating on her own yet, but they put in a NG tube so FINALLY she is able to get something in that belly. It has been about 10 days since she has really eaten well. Although, she is still on a upward slope, battling the whole way, we can see the top. We are almost there. The answers we have been seeking are almost in reach. ALMOST! But as for Ruthie, she is as snug as a bug in a rug right now. She is back to cat napping, instead of sleeping, and she is back to being so stinking cute. It is awesome to have that back:)It can really lift your spirts. Even though there is still so much ahead, her quirky, fun attitude has helped me focus on the now.

I hope to post pictures soon. I just need to go buy some more batteries for the camera so I can take some current picture and then download them all. Hopefully tonight will be quiet enough that I can at least upload the pictures at home and then play around with things tomorrow. But we shall see. No promises right now.

We are praying for our heart babies non stop. If you have a minute, try to keep Derrick (who is home and getting back in the swing of things), Lorenzo (who is having open heart surgery on Tuesday and has been in the hospital for 3 weeks), Cameron (who is home and awaiting the next step), Jacob (who is getting to be a big baby in Kathy's belly, Maggie (who is post fontan and doing great) and all the heart angels and living miracles in your prayers. These families are amazingly supportive of our Ruthie. It is wonderful to have the support, even when they are fighting their own battles.

Thank you for praying and for thinking about Ruthie. She really appreciates her cheering section. She doesn't want to let anyone down and thus far she hasn't:) (And honestly I don't think she ever really could).

HEART HUGS!!!
Laura