2008 December - Aria MacDonald

We made it home in time for New Years, not that we have any grand plans because we are so tired but it wouldn’t be nice to start the new year in hospital.

Aria still isn’t 100%.  Her liver number are all high and wonky and she looks pretty yellow which is a bummer.  Still not really sure what is up but it is something to do with the TPN.  We are hoping things improve.  She is pretty happy though which is good.

This admission, thankfully was short.  I was in most of the time apart from one night where Hamish was on the night shift.  Asher has been well looked after by Poppa and Nana, Rebecca and Aunty Alex and Aunty Megan and Uncle Bruce today.  We are so thankful we have these people in our lives to support us and we can rest easy knowing that Ashie is with people who love him.  Still I do miss him during the day and find it pretty hard.

Happy New Year!  May 2009 bring you much blessing.

Aria’s temperature has come back to earth and things are looking promising for a release early tomorrow morning.

We really appreciate all those that have helped us out by taking care of Asher so Hamish can go to work and so I don’t have to look after Asher AND Aria in hospital all day. Poppa & Nana, Rebecca, Auntie Alex and Auntie Megan and Uncle Bruce have all helped us this week by taking Asher. We know that all of them love Asher so much and will take great care of him which is a huge burden off our mind.

I hope the next update will be with all of us back home again tomorrow, hopefully for a wee bit longer than 4 days this time!

Aria is back in hospital 🙁

Yesterday we had a good day.  We even rang into a long time and faithful supporter of Aria’s, Lisa Robertson, at Farmers in Manukau.  She had never met Aria so it was nice that she good to eyeball this little girl she reads so much about.  Anyway just after we said goodbye to Lisa Aria had a big puke in the middle of Farmers, thankfully over herself and poor Daddy, not on the floor or anything.  Not a good sign and by 4.30pm she had a temp of 38.4

Aria was so excited to go back to hospital.  She kept yelling Star! Go! Car! So we packed the bags and went it for the evening.  Thankfully we got a bed by 8.45 after only waiting a couple of hours!  Amazing I was so happy as I haven’t done an ED visit for well over a year but I braved it alone and it wasn’t that bad.  We were silly and forgot to take Asher’s car seat out of the car and Hamish had to drive all the way into Starship to get it but it was nice to see him and he was there to help when we went up to the ward.

Anyway Aria is still hot and we aren’t sure what is up.  Her line cultures are clear so far.

We have the first stage results of her biopsy back today.  Seems like scarring and damage to her liver from 2.5 years of TPN.  This was to be expected but is sad news all the same.  Her liver is no longer perfect although is still in very good nick considering.  On a scale of 1 to 10 it is a 3 Dr M told me. 1 being perfect 10 being she needs a liver transplant.  Still I think we can be happy it has done so well thanks to the hard work of her team that looks after her.

Please pray we are home soon and Aria is a better.

Happy Christmas from the MacDonald family!

May your Christmas Day be filled with happiness and joy.

Please spare a thought and prayer for those we know in hospital today with sick children and away from family,

Joy to the World!  The Lord has come!  That we may have peace and reconcilation with God, how amazing he sent His son to pay for our sin.

Got the great news this afternoon that we are going to be home for Christmas.

Aria’s biopsy went smoothly, and with that out of the way, and a period of post-op observation observed, Aria will be on the road bright and early back to our place…. YAY!!

We won’t get results on the biopsy till next week because of the processing they have to undergo and the holidays but we can at least be thankful of being at home for Christmas.

Thanks again for your prayer and support, it make a real difference.

If we don’t update the blog again before Christmas, our little family wish you all, and all your families a blessed and happy Christmas.

Christmas Eve Update:  WE ARE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we wait this morning for results.  Mainly because liver function tests weren’t ordered for our standard 6pm bloods.  Either someone stuffed up, because it seems madness to us they weren’t ordered or they were going to wait until the morning to do them.  Either way, as I type this they have been done.

We wait to see how the morning unfolds.  Hamish reckons Aria’s eyes look clearer this morning.

Best case – no biopsy and Hamish can start work at 2pm as planned and we go home on day leave

Worst case – biopsy and no work for Hamish and we wait for the results of the biopsy.  And look after a groggy grumpy post anesthetic Aria today and tonight 🙁

It is almost exciting to see how the day will unfold!  God knows, thankfully.  I will stop pondering and leave it up to Him.

Stay tuned 😉

UPDATE Just got the call!  Aria is going down to surgery!

Aria’s liver is on a rollacoaster ride!

Her bloods taken last night were up to 95 so at 6am the nurse came and told me they wanted to do a liver biopsy today, Monday. So Hamish called work to say he wouldn’t be in and he and Asher came in.

Then at 10am they decided the acute list for surgery was too full and Aria would get a biopsy tomorrow.  So we decided to go home on day leave and Hamish went back to work.

But before we left we asked to see Aria’s liver results from this morning, taken at 8.30am.  The results were back (that was quick!) at around 10.30 and her Bili took a big drop to 73 !!!!!!!! 😀

 

So who knows what is going on.  I am pleased God does.  We will keep praying for another massive drop and the hope to aviod biopsy tomorrow

We got the news this morning that Aria’s liver numbers have gone UP again. In response to this they have decided to send her for a biopsy today.

We are disappointed it has come to this as we were really hopeful that things were coming right. We’d love to be home for Christmas (we are supposed to be hosting the family) but we can be accepting of the fact that God’s plans aren’t always our plans.

Good news is that Asher is pretty much back to normal, so he will be ok to come and join us in hospital today.

Please keep praying for answers and for healing, it is really appreciated.

We were hoping for good news this morning but it did not come.  Aria’s blood were stable over night which is what we fear.  Her bili was 90 on Friday which was great but only dropped to 89 today.  We were hoping for another drop and home on Monday.

So a biopsy is booked for Tuesday 🙁

Please if you know God or even if you don’t, please pray for Aria and our family that we might avoid Theatre and a General Anesthetic days before Christmas and her bloods might drop again tonight and tomorrow.

Aria’s liver numbers have improved!  Her Bili is at 90 down from 120 yesterday.  If it keeps going down we will get home on Monday.  However if it remains the same or goes up there will be a biopsy on Monday.

Poor Asher is sick though which is a huge shame.  He has a temp and looks like another tummy bug.  So we can’t visit today because we can’t take bugs on to the ward 🙁

But still we are praying for a positive result and Aria gets home with plently of time for Christmas.  Stay tuned!