Day 49: Discharge Forecast Take 2

Ava has been doing okay... meaning that her gut seems to be moving fine and she seems to have cleared what was impacted, and her stool seems to be normal for the most part. She occasionally has some blood in her stool still. However, it's possible that she's eating at a faster rate than her body can clear it (keep in mind the steroids increase her appetite), so it's still a balancing act to make sure she doesn't get backed up again. Her mood is still kind of low and she's still feeling discouraged about her state/appearance.

However, the doctors are anticipating that Ava will be discharged tomorrow!! Yes, tomorrow -- even on a Saturday! What a blessing! Let's pray that the change of scenery will be helpful in lifting Ava's spirits, and that she might be able to move around some more and be more active, even if it's within the confines of the apartment.

They found BK virus in Ava (not sure where...maybe in the urine?) I'm not too familiar with this virus, but they don't consider it to be a problem at this point, but something to keep an eye on. As Ava continues to be immunosuppressed, they have noticed that her CMV levels have been increasing (this is another virus they discovered before transplant). You may recall that this virus stays in your system permanently but may remain dormant until activated for some reason. Ava has been showing some symptoms of a possible urinary tract infection (UTI); not sure if her urinary symptoms might be related to the BK virus, or if it's just a UTI, or perhaps end up being nothing. If she does have a UTI, this will not affect her plan for discharge.

Thank you for your continued prayers. We pray for successful discharge, and for the Lee family to be able to settle into the apartment as a family of 4 before they transition to a family of 5! Next week will be full of Ava's outpatient visits, as well as Esther's more frequent visits to the OB/GYN in this last month of pregnancy. Gwen will also begin having more visits with an allergist at some point. Gwen's skin has been flaring up again, so your prayers for her are appreciated.

Please continue to pray for Ava's spirits in addition to her physical activity and protection from various viruses. Apparently the RSV virus has been making its rounds in the Seattle and has been making some children quite sick. Thank you for praying for Ava's protection and path to full health!