BMT Day 98

Today is BMT Day 98, 105 days straight in the hospital, and over 8 months in Seattle away from home. I’m grateful for where we are in this journey. I’m grateful for Ashtyn’s brain, which is sharp and clear. I’m grateful for her eyes and ears that work perfectly. I’m grateful for her heart, though it has a mild rhythm disorder, it functions as it should. I’m grateful for her lungs, still in the process of healing, but no longer needs oxygen even at night. I’m grateful for her liver that took a dangerous hit in 2016 during a time of decompensated septic shock, but regardless tolerated this 3rd transplant without a problem. I’m grateful for her kidneys that still have a ways to go to fully recover. They aren’t functioning at 100% but I’m grateful Ashtyn didn’t, and continues to not need dialysis. I’m grateful for her stomach and bowels, which aren’t absorbing water and functioning as well as we’d like but they could be so much worse. She is able to take over 50 pills everyday, eat all necessary calories, and drink all required fluids with minimal nausea. There’s also only mild, if any, graft verses host disease in her gut. I’m grateful for her bone marrow that is far from being robust, still needing frequent help from blood and platelet transfusions, and has a good year before it provides a strong immune system, but it’s cancer free which makes it perfect in my eyes. I’m grateful for God and for so many people who made this all possible. I don’t know exactly when we’ll get out of the hospital and exactly when we’ll get to go home. Those unknowns are out of my control. I have found it beneficial to let go of what I don’t have control over and be grateful for what’s placed before me. We are definitely not miserable, feel a lot of happiness, and will continue enjoying the people we have come to love until we join those we love at home.

RN Jen

RN Katie

RN Courtney

RN Bri

CNA Sam

CNA Megan