Biopsy 3: 1R (= that's good)

Mom had biopsy #3 today.  Recall the spectrum of rejection runs from 0R to 3R.  Today she was a 1R, which the Clinic basically thinks of as 0R.  

So, next week the fun test list includes:  biopsy #4, right heart catheterization through the neck, left heart catheterization through the groin,  blood work, etc.  Fingers crossed for the trend line to stay on this positive path.

Sprung!

Our girl is sprung for now and we intend, for good. They won't really have the results of those meds they poured over the last biopsy until they see this coming week's biopsy. So, even though she had a humongous large screen tv and a private room and midcentury modern decor and all kinds of people bringing her things....life is still better outside the hospital.

We are checked into a residential hotel near some good shopping for her walks and are planning to stay here 'til she is cleared to leave Cleveland a bit later in May. Biopsy #3 this Wednesday, always a good time!

XOXO

Small Setback

Mom had her second biopsy yesterday and it came back 2R, higher than the 1R she had last week and cause for a small bit of concern.  The hospital hopped right on it with an IV anti-rejection drug so we'll see over the next day what occurs.

Thanks for all of the good thoughts.    

The House That Shampoo Built

Did you know that the Cleveland Clinic opened its brand new state of the art facility in the fall of 2008?  Most of the funding for the building was donated by Ohio residents Sydell and Arnold Miller.  Mr. Miller died in '92, but earlier in his career was a hair stylist and later, the founder of Matrix Essentials, Inc.

By the way, the guest house where we stay when visiting Mom would be on the left of the picture, just north of the hospital.     

Heart Biopsy One of Two (or more)

The hospital schedules a biopsy one week post-transplant to figure out if your body is rejecting the organ. (You could be walking around feeling fine but you're body is rejecting...not a comforting thought.)

Her results came back as 1R, not the lowest/ best level but just one level from that, which is pretty good. Her heart cath results today also came back looking good.

Heart biopsy two next week.

Wonder Man

This is the surgeon who did Mom's transplant.  We love you, man! 

Saturday Stats

Hi there. Sitting here with Mom and these are the updates for today:

-- got out of ICU and back onto the 8th floor (ICU is endless commotion)
-- blood sugar down
-- lungs have expanded
-- able to get up and around a little bit

New address (temporary. Getting out of the hospital and over to the guest house for the next phase depends on progress):

Susan Leonard
Cleveland Clinic
Room J82-02
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195

Just saw the helicopter take off the roof a little while ago! Lives to save...

Little Miracles Each Day

My Mom got her chest tubes out yesterday, yeah! Her voice is almost normal too, her throat is getting better each day. The breathing tube really caused a lot of throat pain but the fact that she can swallow better and take her rejection meds in pill form gets her number of IVs down. This among many other things will get her to a room faster and out of ICU.

We have become cheerleaders for other families there and them for us. They all love my Dad of course and have been missing him the last few days. You end up spending time together and sharing stories during shift changes and breaks etc. in the family waiting room. We actually witnessed something nothing short of AMAZING Thursday night. Mr. Morris was brought in and put across from my Mom, they were prepping him for heart transplant surgery. He was crying because he had been told there was a match and they had gone to get the heart. He was awaiting the word on if it was good or not. Mr. Morris had surgery to have an artifical heart put in a few months ago, then his leg had to be amputated because of lack of circulation. Two weeks ago he had surgery to remove cancer they found in his colon. Just before we left Thursday night they found out the heart was good!! We were all tearing up over the awesome news. I was so glad to know before leaving that night or else I don't think I would have been able to sleep through the night hoping the heart was good. When you think things are bad they really aren't so bad after hearing his story.

My Mom enjoyed reading the cards you have sent yesterday. Thanks!

Thanks to all for the thoughts and prayers. It is working!

Some stats for you

Hi there. Here are some Thursday stats on Ms. Leonard of the New Heart:

-- has gone down from 10 IVs on Tuesday to 4 today.  (Nice tracks!)

-- breathing tube removed Wednesday AM

-- can now talk above a whisper.  Breathing easier; her lungs are 'waking up'

-- had a popsicle, jello and ice chips today to eat.  Kidneys getting back to normal

She's still in ICU but if this continues to be the improvement trajectory, she should be back in her own room in the next few days.  Still several weeks to go in Cleveland.

Thanks for all of your good thoughts.  We feel them!

THEY DID IT

They found another heart last night and did the surgery overnight, starting at 2A and ending after 8 this morning. It was a success and they are very pleased with mom's progress so far. The next few days are critical, so keep sending your good thoughts.

An interesting note: the surgeon was a young Croatian doctor from Zagreb named Dr. Tomislav Mihaljevic (http://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff_directory/6/Staff_5752.aspx). Our Gramma Rose Vidmic, whose parents immigrated from Zagreb, would be very pleased!

More as soon as we have it. Love to all.

Well, Friday was an interesting day

The nurses let Mom know first thing on Friday that they'd found a heart donor for her.  !!!  

They don't give you many details  -- where the person is, what the circumstances are, probably for privacy reasons -- but that set off a process that lasted all day Friday.  To wait only a week or so is truly incredible.  They started the prep process in the morning -- doing blood work, etc.  Dad rushed down from home, as he wasn't in Cleveland at the time.  The donor was apparently a jet ride away and was donating many organs.  The team of doctors that was going to inspect the heart left in the early afternoon to fly to heaven-knows-where and take their turn with the other medical teams from other hospitals who were likewise taking home an organ.  

They moved mom to another floor for more prepping in the afternoon, inserting some industrial strength IVs.  Every person whom she had contact with was careful to say that false alarms are common so anything could happen.

The doctors made it back late in the day so they could perform final tests on the heart before making a call on the surgery, which takes about 6 hours start to finish.  Ultimately they decided though it was a match, the heart they had harvested was not 'perfect' and they did not want to use it, so game off.

This reads sort of flatly on the web page, but it was a pretty dramatic-ish day.  We're glad they're picky but disappointed this wasn't The One.  We're also thoroughly amazed at the process that would have ended about 24 hours after it started if the surgery would have gone to completion. 

New Email Address

Hi Everyone,
My Mom will be using the email address leonard48623@yahoo.com for personal notes as opposed to her Charter email while here in Cleveland. Charter proved to be more than difficult to hook up to remotely. We are currently visiting her and have decorated her room with pictures and Colin and Sydney's art work. We are also watching the MSU/UConn Game. GO GREEN.