8 months old today

This week started out stressful again, but has still been a good week overall.  Sunday night Daphne was having trouble breathing and needed to be bagged and suctioned.  Monday morning a chest x-ray revealed that a part of her lung may have collapsed or that fluid may have collected in her lung.  We were told that they would just continue to monitor the situation and that it was not uncommon for something like that to happen. 

Tuesday was much scarier.  An ultrasound showed no flow in the portal vein.  Daphne would have to go into surgery again to remove the clot.  We were devastated.  It was just one week ago that she had surgery to remove a clot after the first transplant, and that surgery had not gone well.  This surgery was very different though.  Last week Daphne’s clot was in the portal vein and the hepatic artery.  This week it was just in the portal vein which wasn’t as bad.  Last week, right before the ultrasound found the clot her blood work numbers started to show problems.  This week the clot was found before her liver numbers changed at all.  And also, this week Daphne was much healthier going into the surgery. 

After Daphne was done Dr. Shapiro explained that her main portal vein was only a few millimetres wide so he added a jump graft from donor vessel that is much wider.  This should help us avoid clots.  While she was in surgery Dr. Shapiro also connected her bowels, a surgery she was supposed to have the next day.  The only drawback was that now it would take even longer to close Daphne’s incision.  Things are too swollen to close her up. 

The rest of the week was less eventful fortunately.  Daphne’s progress was monitored closely.  Further x-rays showed that her lungs were clear.  Friday did bring some bad news though.  Daphne’s dressing had some fresh blood on it, also her ultrasound showed a clot on the outside of her liver.  Her heparin was stopped until her bleeding subsided, which it did and now the heparin is back on again.  Finding the right balance with her blood is very tricky.  It is extremely important that Daphne not form clots and that is why she is on heparin to thin her blood.  On the other hand, bleeding isn’t good for her either. 

At home we have been taken good care of by many friends and family.  Poor Rowan was sick this week, now her fever is gone but she is still a bit stuffed up and has a scratchy throat.