All Tests Are In!

You all are wonderful PUSHers!!! Keep praying and read the news of today!!!

1. Tomorrow (8/4/06) at noon there will be 30 transplant coordinators and doctors all in one room discussing the pros and cons of doing both double lung and liver transplant at the same time on Patti! Today, Dr. Mehta said, with confidence and knowing that the do have to do the meeting, "we're going to do it." Now remember they still have to have the meeting and there is still a possibility that they are going to say no, but Dr. Mehta said he has the top 3 liver transplant surgeons and the top 3 lung transplant surgeons in the world and "we're going to do it." Sounds good to me. That is the most exciting news at the moment but keep praying and read about today...

2. Today...

• There were so many doctors an caseworkers and such going into and out of Patti's room that the nurses only got to take her vital signs about twice! It was a busy busy day and Sally is exhausted so I can't imanging how Patti feels!
• Besides all the tests that had to be done. The chest X-ray, breathing treatments and testing, bloodwork, sputum, etc.
• Biggest concern is infection. The infection doctor is concerned about all of the antibiotics she has had to be on since last February (2005). Since then she has been on antibiotics 3 weeks on, one week off. And she is on really strong antibiotics too -- there is only one stronger. Infection is a HUGE concern now so pray for infections to subside. One of the infection doctors said that if we can keep infections down, he isn't too worried about weening her off the antibiotics. He believes she can do it and in the future the antibiotics will still be effective if needed. BUT if infection sets in again and she has to go on the strongest medication known to fight it, there may be problems. Good thing to keep infections down. Pray, pray, pray.
• The new transplant coordinator is Liz Newhouse. She used to be a Pre-transplant coordinator for liver transplant patients and she recently moved to the lung transplant patients. What more could we ask for? Liver and Lung? Sounds good to me.
• Only thing for Patti to do in the morning is have an ultrasound on her liver before the meeting.

3. What is next?

• Joan needs to get to Cleveland. It is my understanding that Barbie has gone back to work on the housing situation. If, for some reason, Patti is released from the hospital before the transplants happen, she HAS to stay in one of the "houses" near the Cleveland Clinic that Barbie had found before to wait until a donor is located as from now on Patti's primary care doctors are the doctors in Cleveland. Joan will be there with her and we will probably start getting the help from the Boomer Esiason Foundatation for the housing. This will eliminate the need for Joan to have other housing for now and she (Joan) should be able to get a job too. Patti should be able to be "home" alone for the day as long as she doesn't try to do anything but watch TV without help.
• Sally has to leave Cleveland tomorrow after the doctors meet and return with the verdict. Yet another reason for Joan to get there.

Also on a good note for Patti. She talked to Ally, the girl that was on the TV game show "Deal or No Deal" who has CF for about 45 minutes today. That was good. Patti needed that. But I won't tell you what I heard about their conversation. I'll wait and let Patti tell you all that when this is all over. :-)

Keep praying everyone. You are doing a good job!