2008 October - Aria MacDonald

YAY, we finally had some good news.  Aria’s blood perked up and the team let us go home earlier than the planned Friday morning.

We are so relieved and so pleased to be home.  Yesterday was just awful, mainly because of lack of sleep for me and I was missing Asher terribly. 

Aria is just dandy and it is so great to have her in the house again.  She hasn’t really seen Asher much in the past week or longer.  We brought him in after we got home but she was sick and not really up to it although she did smile and kiss him.  Today she saw him when we got home and wouldn’t stop kissing and hugging him, it was super cute.  She is so much better and back to her old self.

Thanks for your support.  We appreciate hugely the comments of support.  Thanks to Deb, Linda and Josie for the dinners, delicious and tummy filling.  So wonderful to come home to food and not be staring into a fridge of old food wondering what to cook!!

Disappointment is something we are rather familar with but it is still tough to deal with.

I stayed the night with Aria last night, the first time in about a year almost.  And I don’t miss it, it was awful, only about 4 hours sleep max.  And I missed Asher, our first night apart.  But, at least Aria’s temp was normal all night and we could go home the next day hopefully.

Well it was not to be, Aria’s bloods are not stable and because the infection was thru her entire blood stream we won’t escape for until Friday morning.  I was and am gutted.  Aria was so much better today and it was hard to keep her entertained. 

Anyway better go, today was a hard one.  Thanks for your support

As Anita mentioned in the last post, its great when people help us out to allow us to do ‘normal’ things.

Tonight both Anita and I had ‘normal’ life events that we were able to make it to.

Thanks to Poppa and Auntie A, who took Aria and Asher under their wings and took great care of them, thanks to Asher and Aria too, who were ok with having them look after them instead of mummy and daddy.

Aria is slowly getting better (we hope) she certainly had a little more energy today in bursts, even walking down the ward all the way to the lifts, she LOVES lifts. Praying that overnight that temperature doesn’t spike again, which would be one more step closer to home…..

Thanks for caring enough to stop by, we appreciate all of you.

Not such a good night last night, I doubt we will get home today.  Pretty disappointed.  Aria spiked a temp of 38.7 overnight and managed to pull off her dressing which she got a talking to about.

It is interesting trying to keep our family going and still try and keep commitments as best we can.  It takes a lot of organising and planning.  Thankfully we have a list of family and friends who can help us.

Anyway thank you for your support too!

Or if I was still back in ‘only-use-your-hose-once-a-week’ Brisbane it would be Rain through the Sunshine. 

We got relief in the past 12 hours which I am so amazed by.  Both Hamish and I were really struggling yesterday.  Hamish was supposed to preach yesterday and was pretty upset about having to pull out pretty much at the last minute.  And I was very tired and we were both so sad to see Aria sick again.

God sent some people to help us.  Our Pastor visited Hamish last night and I had a bit of a ‘waah’ to Rebecca and a chat to Alexandra.  So grateful to have people to help us with our angst.  And I had a brillant night sleep, Asher slept right thru which I was surprised about but so grateful. 

We also got some answers.  Both of us were concerned that the mystery illness which caused Aria’s two week stay was back.  But not the case!  She has a line infection, staph, not sure which staph yet but at least this should mean a short stay (should, but who really knows).  But she is cooler this morning 37.4 so that is a good sign.

So yes, things are looking up.  I am sitting here so amazed how things can turn around and we needs are met.  So awesome

UPDATE:  Wow the consultant is making noises about us maybe maybe maybe going home tomorrow once we know which Staph it is and are sure Aria is on the right ABX.  WOW that would be cool

We are home and straight back into life.  Yup, you guess it…..

Aria is back in hospital

So I am quickly dumping my suitcases (just got home from Australia attending my Nana’s funeral) and gathering up a bunch of stuff for Hamish and Aria and heading into Starship.

There really aren’t words right now, I am so very very tired and was so looking forward to seeing Hamish and Aria at the airport.  I am gutted for Aria that she.is.sick.again.  AGAIN!!!  AGAIN!!!  ARGGGHHHH!!!! 🙁

Better stop, I am a bit mad.  I wish Aria’s life was different.  Enough said, better go.

Well we are over half way through Dad and Aria time.

Aria has been really good over the last few days. She has been very co-operative and happy, she sometimes asks for Mama and Ash and is trying really hard to understand what is going on.

I tell her that Mum and Asher are visiting Nana Rose in Australia, which is an island that is a long, long boat ride away. This seems to satisfy her, as long as I also tell her that its two sleeps till mum and Asher come home.

Special thanks to Josie our daycare provider, who has taken Aria while Anita has been away, even on her own birthday. Aria really loves spending time at Josie’s which makes things so much easier.

Looking forward to tomorrow, seeing what adventures Aria and I can get up to.

Catch you later.

Aria, Asher and I had the privilege of attending Rebecca’sfinal weigh in this morning.  Rebecca had been shedding the kilos and in return gathering up a huge number of generous and kind sponsors to contribute to Aria’s fundraising.  30kgs in 26 weeks with over $12,000 of sponsorship at stake.

Today she hit the big 30 kgs on the final weigh in!!!!!! 

Congratulations Rebecca!!!! 😀

Rebecca has put heart and soul into this project and has become a huge support and invaluable friend along the way.  We are so proud of her as are the many other people who have shared this adventure with her.

Thank you Rebecca!  You mean a great deal to our family! 

Also- thanks for everyone for their support and kind words regarding my Nana’s passing.

Aria’s great Grandmother passed away on Wednesday evening.  Aria’s full name is Aria Evelyn Pearl MacDonald.  We choose her two middle names to remember her maternal great grandmothers, both of which are now in Glory, both of which were great servants of God.

It is a sad thing that neither Aria or Asher got to meet my nana, she was a great lady with a great faith.  Sadly a stroke about ten years ago robbed her of the full enjoyment of the past ten years.  And sadly Aria’s illness robbed her of the opportunity to meet her great grandmother. 

Asher and I are off for about 5 days (pending the issuing of an urgent passport for Mr) for the funeral.  Daddy and Aria are staying behind which is sad.  I am sure Aria will miss mummy and Ashie and we will miss her.

Where O Death is your Sting?  See you again Nana.

We have a new little tool which might prove to be handy.  Lots of people have been asking me for this and thanks to Daniel, our website wiz we now have it.

See the new box on the right hand side, enter your email address and you will get an update when our site is updated.  Bear in mind, when we are in hospital this might be every day!

We have another little change in the pipeline too and news about transplant timing.  Stay tuned 🙂