A Number's Game

• 35 days spent away between the hospital and RMH
• 6 days on the transplant list
• 1.2ml of Hecoria - one of Liv's new meds this one's a biggie for immuno-suppression and to fight rejection
• small % of cells on the week four biopsy that showed a slight amount of rejection 
• 6 hours is all it took to get the RMH room packed and get the heck out of there
• Endless # of smiles and presents that Olivia had to celebrate Christmas back where she belongs
• December 27th marked one month post transplant

Yes, Olivia did get sprung from the RMH despite the fact that her second biopsy showed some rejection.  The first few days were rocky (hence no post celebrating earlier).  She was out of her element and quite often demanded or begged to go back to RMH.  It also didn't help that the course of treatment to treat this little bit of rejection was a three day burst of steroids.  The steroids make her super hungry but she doesn't know what she wants to eat and when she sleeps, it's like waking Rip Van Winkle.  IMPOSSIBLE. So by Friday I was ready to pull my hair out.  She was whining and crying but reverting back to almost completely non verbal.  Ohhh the energy that her beautiful new four chamber heart provides her, she uses it for both good and bad.  

By Christmas Eve she had settled in and was running around the house giggly happy to see all the things familiar to her and of course having her back and feeling well was its own Christmas gift to everyone who was able to visit.  She is so happy and so vibrant.  A woman at the RMH told me that you can't help but smile when you see her and while I can't always say that (Mommy sees Ugly No Nap Livvy too) I do finally understand what she's saying.  

Nonna and I took Liv to her clinic appointment on the day after Christmas and everything looked really good.  Echo shows excellent function and ECG was encouraging as well.  The big test will be the next biopsy on Thursday 1/3.  We're really looking for the steroid burst to have done it's job and pressures continuing to fall as her body's circulation accommodates the new efficient blood flow and hopefully rejection has been steered away.  

Thank you all so much for your love, thoughts and prayers.  We wish you very happy holidays as well!