Overall good news . . .

This is one of the last photo’s taken of Chloé in hospital:

She was released to go home on Sunday 7 April 2013, 25 days after she received a part of her mother’s (Jenny) liver.

Although still attached to a V.A.C. Ulta Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System, she’s extremely busy. I think she’s trying to make up for the time spent in her cot in hospital. This makes it difficult for anyone who’s babysitting as the “pump” needs to be carted around as she moves.

But, she’s home and she’s happy. She’s going back to hospital today for a visit to the doctors and have them take a look at her operation wound.

Anyone who’s within a mile radius of Chloé has to wear a mask and latex gloves

Jenny is doing good in hospital. She started eating soft food recently, which is being handled through her ostomy into an ostomy bag. Sometime this week, they will link the bottom part of her intestine (after the tear) with an enterostomy tube so that she can receive feeding through it. This needs to be done to keep the lower intestine and colon in working order.

Jenny might be able to go home in two week’s time, but still with the ostomy bag and the enterostomy tube. After about 3 months, she will have to be admitted to hospital again to fix the ileum.

So far, so good. We have hope for continued good health and healing all over.

Kitta

Wordless Wednesday . . . 3 April 2013

Kitta

We just keep on fighting to get out of the woods . . .

Chloé was doing SO great over the weekend. She was almost constantly hungry and ate very well. Since Monday she’s started eating less and drinking less formula. They’re doing some xrays today to see if there’s anything obvious wrong. It might be that she just misses her Daddy who could not visit due to coming down with the flu.

Jenny, Chloé’s Mommy, was taken back to theater yesterday afternoon. Her operation would started to smell bad. Upon opening, they found that the perforated intestine that they fixed, had started leaking again. This part of the intestine was sutured and is now outside her body to heal – in a plastic bag taped to her body. When completely whole again, they will put it back and stitch the wound again.

Hold on girls, all will be better soon!!

Kitta

It’s been a little over a week now . . .

. . . since Chloé’s liver transplant and she’s doing great!!

She’s eating solids and drinking almost all her formula per feeding. She just loves visitors – any entertainment to lighten her boring stay in ICU.

Chloé’s mommy, Jenny, is recovering from her 2nd operation – they one where they had to fix the puncture in the small intestine made by the drainage pipe from the 1st operation. She’s still in some pain and not really totally clear headed – probably from the medicine, probably from the shock. But she’s doing better every day. She’ll also be in ICU for a few more days.

Hold on girls, all will be better soon!!

Kitta

A moment of silence . . .

The little girl (South Africa’s 1st Living-Donor-Liver-Transplant-recipient ever) who was done the day before Chloé, passed away on Thursday morning due to a lung infection.

We’re so sorry.

Kitta

Some woods have more trees . . .

It is going SO good with Chloé, she’s singing and laughing and overall a happy little girl.

She just adores her Daddy and is VERY, VERY happy when he comes to visit after work.

Mommy, however, is not doing too good. She hasn’t been able to eat or keep anything in. Today they took her back to theater to open up and see what’s wrong.

They found a perforated colon which they stitched up. We can only hope they thoroughly cleared out all the leakage into her abdomen and that there won’t be any more infection. She will spend the next 5 days in ICU.

Hold on Chloé, every day is a little better!! Hold on Mommy, all will be better soon!!

Happiness is . . . one small step at a time . . .

Yesterday:

Everything happens on this chair: x-rays, fisio, cuddling, love. This is where the world is manageable for her. On Daddy’s lap, being held with love. This was yesterday, when she mumbled words to songs because of the tube in her throat. When she did not want to move at all because it was just too sore.

Today:

Today, Chloé sings Ba Ba Black Sheep and she comforts her doll Annetjie. She looks a LOT better and some of the cortisone swelling went down. She moves around – no sitting or standing yet, but she moves. And she drank some formula today.

Hold on Chloé, every day sees you closer to health than the one before.

Kitta

Every day a little better . . .

Chloé currently drinks water with a straw – a little bit at a time. Tomorrow, they will start feeding her 15 ml of formula.

When sung to, she lifts her fingers and taps the rhythm. She also mumbles the words along.

Due to the tube still in her throat (which they use to medicate), she does not talk yet. And she’s a real chatterbox when she gets half a chance. I think she’s still not 100% awake yet. And of course, the anti-rejection medicine’s side effects also needs to be handled and coped with. Medicine that her small little body has never experienced before.

A whole process never experienced before, treading into unknown territory . . . it’s scary. Very.

One day at a time. Every day that passes is a win. Every day that comes is a hurdle.

Hold on Chloé, it will be better soon!!

Kitta

PS: On Friday they split a donor liver to help two other patients on the transplant list! Good for you!!! Here’s hoping their recovery will be swift with this new lease on life.

 

Awake! (sort of . . .)

Today they reduced the sedatives:

I don’t think she really knows where she is and I think it’s all very confusing to her. And sore.

At least she’s out of bed for a bit, sitting on Aunt Viola’s lap. Some comforting makes the world look like a better place.

Trying to keep a germ-free environment will prove to be a lot of effort and continuous awareness. Everything’s got to be scrubbed and disinfected. No one with even the slightest whiff of a flu/cold virus should be allowed in the vicinity. Washing hands every time before touching anything that will come in contact with Chloé, washing toys and clothes, disinfecting everything.

It’s an uphill struggle. But every uphill must have a downhill. And soon we’ll be on the home stretch.

Hold on Chloé. Soon it will be better!!!

Kitta

Oh cortisone . . .

The high dosage of cortisone that Chloé is on, causes the most awful swelling:

We know it’s what she must have at this stage, but still . . . she looks like a completely different child (from another family). Although, at this stage, she looks a bit like her bigger (not older) cousin.

Mommy is good:

Still in a lot of pain and currently in high care (which is quite a way off from ICU). She’s got to trek with all her attachments to see Chloé every time. A hero-mommy.

Hang in there, Mommy and Chloé. All will be better soon!!

Kitta