10:00 p.m.

Today has been a good day for Mallory, her liver and kidney numbers looked better this morning.  She is still getting IV fluids continuously although they did slow the rate down some today.  As far as the ultrasound, it appears she has an increased amount of calcium in her left kidney (which we knew about) and a stone in the right kidney (which is new).  We have not seen the kidney doctor so we are not sure what if anything will be done about this.  As far as the dehydration issues we are waiting to hear what the kidney doctor"s thoughts are on this. 

We did see Dr. Heffron tonight and he told us that Valerie"s surgery went very good and the kidney doctor is working on getting the new kidney in.  Thanks to all of you that are praying for her.

Good night and God Bless!!   Lisa

Hey everyone! It"s about 11 o clock. Be sure to look at the post below this one for the update on me. This is a special bonus post!! A few rooms down from me, is an amazingly sweet 16 year old girl named Valerie. She is VERY sick and has been waiting on a liver AND a kidney. Through a few visits here we have gotten to know each other. Well tonight, my mom and i were watching t.v. and we heard a SCREAM out in the hall. It was one of those moments where you just have a feeling. A moment of true peace where you can feel God stronger than usual. We ran out in the hall to confirm what we had thought in that moment. Valerie had gotten the call, her LIVER AND KIDNEY are here!!! It was very exciting to celebrate with her, her mother, the nurses, and even some of the other patients on the hall. It brought back so many memories, we couldnt help but cry. I am on cloud nine right now, because i know how lifted up she must be feeling right now! Id like to ask you all to thank God for every miracle and blessing, and pray for Val"s surgery to be flawless, along with a flawless recovery, of both her body and spirit!

God is in control!

10:00 p.m.

Well, we are still at Egleston.  Mallory"s numbers went up today, both liver and kidney, it appears she is dehydrated again.  Fluids were started back and the liver doctors decided  to call Dr. Greenbaum (kidney doctor) in for a consult.  We did not actually see him but he did have an ultrasound done on her kidneys this evening,  however we do not have the results yet.  Depending on what the ultrasound shows and if she continues to get dehydrated then it is possible a biopsy will be done on her kidneys.  I am not sure if we will get any test results or any additional test done over the weekend but will certainly update as we know more.    Please keep those prayers going and ask all your friends and families to remember Mallory in their prayers.  Thanks for stopping in and don"t forget to sign the guestbook.  Good night, Lisa

9:45 p.m.

Not alot going on today.  Labs were stable this morning.  Mallory will have labs again in the morning and if they are still stable then she will be able to go home.  We have new prescriptions and labs will be on Monday and Thursday for a while, so when they give the word we are ready to head out!  The additional medicines they have been giving her over the past few days are helping and we are thankful for that.  She seems to be feeling better and is getting bored so that is a good sign that it is time to go home.  Don"t forget to leave Mallory a joke in the guestbook she has really enjoyed reading them so far.  Please say a prayer for JoAnn"s family (my friend/coworker) as she passed away last night, this was a huge shock to all of us and we are going to miss her terribly, she was such a sweet kind lady and will be missed by everyone that knew her.  Well, I hope to be doing the update from home tomorrow night.  Good night.  Lisa

11:45 p.m.

Hello all, please be sure to read the post below that Mallory made earlier today.  Everything has gone pretty good today.  Liver numbers are almost back to normal and her kidney numbers did go down again.  We are still waiting on things to start getting back to normal, I suspect if this does not happen soon there will be some more medicines added to help with this.  Tonight, Mallory"s IV did something freaky called phlebitis, which is an irritation/inflammation to the veins, so it had to be removed and a new one placed.  Mallory"s veins are not the greatest and tend to roll/hide from the needles, can you blame them?  It took three sticks but the new IV is in place and working just fine.  Thanks Anicia!  Our nurse tonight is Monique and it seems like everytime she takes care of Mallory something crazy or unexplainable happens, it is so funny, we love you Monique!! And, Cassie was of course here for moral support!  We love all our nurses, you guys are great!!!! Thanks for checking on Mallory and good night.  Lisa

11:00 p.m.

Today has been pretty good.  Mallory is still getting IV fluids around the clock.  Her liver numbers are almost back down to completely normal and her kidney numbers were slightly down again today.  A few more medicine changes were made today.  She is experiencing the shoulder pain again which is probably related to bowel issues again, which she is being given medicine to remedy.  Once her bowels start to cooperate and her labs stay stable, that will be when she gets to go home.  Todd said she would be getting labs done at least once a week when we go home.  They want to keep a close eye on her kidney numbers and her prograf level, which was down to 14 today.  Michael and Mike came down last night and we had a nice time just the 4 of us hanging out, we even played a game and it was fun!!  Well, thanks for taking the time to check on Mallory and for continuing to pray for her.  Don"t forget to leave a note in the guest book.  Good night, Lisa

8:00 p.m.

Today has been a pretty good day for Mallory.  Her liver and kidney numbers looked slightly better today.  Her prograf level was almost 19, this number needs to run between 10-12, so they have changed her dosage to just 1mg once a day, since her first transplant she has taken this medicine twice a day.  Other medicines were added and some had dosage changes.  The thought is that this is dehydration which is probably partially caused by the high level of prograf.  When levels of prograf are high this can become toxic, causing headaches, nausea, tremors and other issues.  Mallory is still getting IV fluids around the clock and will have labs done again tomorrow morning.  Going home will be based on how she is feeling and how her labs look each day.  Thanks for checking in on Mallory and for remembering her in your prayers.  Oh yeah, please continue to pray for sweet JoAnn, my friend and coworker.  Have a good evening.  Lisa

10:30 a.m.

I just wanted to let everyone know Mallory has been admitted to Egleston.  Yesterday she was just not feeling well so we called Todd then headed to the ER.  We arrived around 2:45 in the afternoon and was FINALLY put in a room around 11:30.  Mallory"s liver number were slightly elevated and her kidney numbers had taken a pretty big jump since the last labs.  Several medicine changes were made, an IV placed and IV fluiids started.  An xray of her abdomen was also done.  It appears this is all a dehydration issue.  She is getting continuous fluids, labs will be monitored and hopefully this will be a very short stay.  I will update again tonight to let you know how the day went.  Please continue to keep those prayers going!!  Thanks so much.  Lisa

9:22 p.m.

Well, Mallory had a great time with Kelly and Heather on Thursday night, but I am afraid she might have "overdid it".  Thanks to both of you girls for making our girl smile!!  Yesterday and today she has been very tired and has just not felt well.  Last night was not a great night, she had a bad headache and was throwing up, second time this week.  I think she might have been dehydrated so I am pushing the fluids today, I know she gets so mad at me for always reminding her to eat and drink, but I just can"t stop myself.  We will have labs drawn on Monday but will probably not get the results until some time on Tuesday.  She is upstairs relaxing in her bed, playing around on the laptop as I type.  Please say an extra prayer for her tonight, she has been doing so well, I am sure this is just a rough couple of days. Please also say a prayer for our friend Katherine, she is having some bad days also, here is the link to her website should you want to read her story......http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=katherinearnold01

 Thanks for the thoughts and prayers and good night.  Lisa

Hey! it"s Mallory. the reason you aren"t hearing much from us is because im doing great! last night i went down to the children"s office park and was recorded to be featured along with 11 other patients in a new CHOA fundraising video. It was alot of fun. PLUS i finished my book yesterday, which i started on monday. it was an amazing book, TWILIGHT, and i highly recommend it. Also, if you do read it, remember you cant have a crush on edward, because he is mine =).

And today i am going to atlantic station with kelley and heather. they are two other transplant patients who are a little older than me. heather had a kidney and a liver, and kelley had a liver. i am really excited about seeing them! i just wanted to update and let everyone know im doing good!!!

Mallory

6:35 p.m.

Just wanted to leave a short note to let everyone know Mallory continues to do great!!  She is just enjoying her summer and starting to prepare for college.  She did get signed up for 4 classes and 1 lab for the fall semester, which will start on August 15th.  Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful dads out there.  I must say this is an emotional day for me.  I am so proud to celebrate Mike being such a great dad to Michael and Mallory and am so thankful for him  On the other hand, my dad is not here, he passed away in January 2005 and I still miss him every day.  I used to always buy him shirts for Father"s Day and he loved them, he loved the ones I picked out.  So, even though you are not here on earth with us, Daddy I miss you and love you!!!!  Have a great week and we will update again later in the week.  Lisa

hello it is Mallory. well i have nothing but good news! we had labs on monday... the first time without the picc! my veins are really lame so i had to get stuck 3 times before they decided to give blood but it finally came out! all of my lab numbers were awesome! everything is very stable.. so thats great! this weekend i swam alot it was nice to have my arm free!

tonight michael took me guitar shopping and i got an electric guitar. just wait.. one of these days my songs will be featured on guitar hero 84 or something! well thats about it for now. thanks for stopping by!!

Mallory

4:00 p.m.

So the picc line is out and we do not have to return to clinic for 5 weeks, with labs being every two weeks now.  This is the longest we have gone on the lab and clinic schedule since Mallory"s first transplant in July 2006!!  We are so thankful that Mallory is doing so well these days!  Of course, with all the prayers still going up for her we are confident she will continue to get stronger and stronger every day.  She has been very busy hanging out with her friends over the last couple of weeks and really enjoying her time with them.  We have orientation at KSU this Thursday and Mallory will plan to register for her classes.  She will start her classes in August, I believe she is excited but at the same time a little nervous!  God is so great to have gotten her through all this and we are just overjoyed with how well she is doing.  Please keep those prayers going that she will remain healthy!  Labs will be done on Monday so we will let everyone know how things are going after that.  God Bless and have a great weekend.  Lisa

10:00 p.m.

Good evening everyone!!  Just wanted to leave a short note to let everyone know that Mallory continues to do great!!  We will not have labs again until Monday of next week.  She has clinic tomorrow and we are very hopeful that the picc line will be removed!!  She has had a picc line since July of last year so this will be a HUGE deal!!  Tonight she is at the Braves game with Michael and I suspect they are having a great time together, Braves just WON.  I will post a new picture on here very soon so all of you can see how great she looks!!  Well, thanks for checking in and hope to hear from you in the guest book!!  Lisa

10:15 p.m.

Mallory had a very good week.  Labs were done on Monday and Izzie is still perfect!!!  Everything looked very good, her kidney numbers are still just slightly elevated but are stable.  We received a call yesterday from the liver folks and they have decided to change her lab schedule, to every 2 weeks, isn"t that INCREDIBLE news!!!!   Yesterday we went to the podiatrist and she had her other toenail taken care of.  My mom and Robert came and spent a few days with us this week and we enjoyed them being here, they are now safely back in Alabama.  In case you watched "So you think you can dance" last night one of Mallory"s very best friends Abby was on the show.  She did not make it through but we are so proud of her, Abby we love you and you are a sweetheart!  Please say a special prayer for our friend Katherine, read more at http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=katherinearnold01

Well, have a great weekend and God Bless!!   Lisa

9:55 p.m.

My email address is lisasmithga@comcast.net

If you would like to have a Team ARamp bracelet please email me your complete name and address and I will be happy to send you one.  Please also let me know if you want a child size or an adult size.  I will send them until I run out, I still have quite a few but not a huge quantity.  Thanks!!!   Lisa

8:45 p.m.

Well, when there is no update for a few days you can assume things are going well.  Mallory is doing very good, however she has developed some sinus issues, sore throat, a cough and some sinus pressure.  Please say a special prayer she will get over this quickly.  Tomorrow we will have labs, it has been a week since our last lab draw so we are anxious to see her numbers which ARE going to be great.  She will also have some urine test done tomorrow, we will let everyone know the results as soon as we get them, which will probably be Tuesday.  Let"s see if I can remember all the activities over the last few days, I am sure I will forget something.  Thursday Mallory hung out with Karissa, they went to lunch and then to the mall and she enjoyed spending time with Karissa.  Friday afternoon she went for her doctor prescribed massage, I think I need to go get one also!  She and I decided at the last minute to take a very quick road trip.  Brooks (my nephew) graduated from kindergarten last week and Bridget decided to give him a little party.  We decided to surprise everyone and show up in Eufaula Friday night.  It was so funny to see everyone, they were SHOCKED to say the least, we really enjoyed spending time with my family and we are soooo proud of Brooks.  We spent the night then left to come back home Saturday afternoon.  I went by the cemetary where my dad is and visited him, I sure do miss him so very much, but he is watching over us I just know it.  I can imagine that he and Alex have met and are looking out for Mallory all the time.  Well, thanks for checking on Mallory and for the continued prayers and support.  Happy Memorial Day!  Don"t forget to send Mallory a note so she knows you stopped in!!  God Bless you all!!!  Lisa

8:21 p.m.

Good Evening everyone, so we are just sitting here watching American Idol and pulling for David.......Cook, because Mallory is in love with him.  If anyone should read this and you personally know David Cook please arrange for a date with Mallory!!!!  Yesterday Mallory hung out with her friends Haley, Kyle and Ben and they had a great time together.  Last night she developed a headache and her blood pressure was VERY high, we gave her some fluids and Imitrex and today she is much better, but had a rough night.  Today she went to the dentist for 2 filings and was able to get one done with no novacaine, GO MALLORY.  Then her wonderful brother Michael came and picked her up and they went to the mall, she had been wanting a Braves jersey and found the perfect one at the mall and purchased it.  Michael decided he wanted to purchase something fun so Mallory convinced him to get a life size cut out of Chipper Jones, too funny.  They had a great time like they always do.  Mallory is very blessed to have such a great brother that is her best friend!!!!  Then tonight we all went to Ruby Tuesday with a pit stop at Walmart.  I also wanted to let everyone know that Alex"s sister has created a website for him, www.teamaramp.org, please check it out and continue to pray for the Rampenthal family.  Thanks for checking on us and good night.  Lisa

10:45 p.m.

The last two days have been very good for Mallory.  Ellie came over and spent a few hours last night and they had a good time catching up.  Tonight Michael had dinner with us and we had a great time.  I got some very good video of Michael and Mallory singing Karoke, lots of fun and laughs.  Labs were very good today, liver numbers are still PERFECT and kidney numbers are stable.  I received a call today from Dr. Heffron"s office and it was great news, labs will now be done only once a week, on Mondays!  YIPPEE!!  No doctor"s appointments this week, only a dentist visit on Wednesday.  Mallory is doing great and we are all so excited!!!  I will update again later in the week.  Thanks for the prayers. Lisa

8:15 p.m.

Happy 8 month anniversary Mallory and Izzie!  Yep, believe it or not it has been 8 months ago today that Mallory received her 2nd gift of life, we are forever grateful to both of our donor families and continue to pray for them all the time.  The last two days have been very good for Mallory.  Yesterday Haley came over and spent some time with Mallory and they had a very good time together.  Last night we had a great time here at the house, Mallory did some singing for us (I joined in also) and we got in all on tape, it was so much fun!  When we have time maybe we will post one here for everyone to enjoy.  Today Mallory and me went to Georgian Bank, the kids of the employees are drawing the pictures to hang in the Tranplant Unit at Egleston, Mallory submitted 7 pictures all of which were great.  Rachel is here now and is going to spend the night with us, not sure what their plans are for the evening but I know they will have a great time together.  Mallory has been feeling very well the last fews days, WONDERFUL!!!!!  Labs will be done on Monday so I will post again Monday night.  Have a good evening.  Lisa

10:20 P.M.

Today was a good day for Mallory.  She had labs done and everything looks very good.  Her kidney number are just a tiny bit too high, her liver numbers are PERFECT, did you get that? PERFECT!!!  Well, that"s really all to update tonight, thanks for checking on us and have a good night!!  Lisa

10:30 p.m.

So, yesterday Mallory went to the podiatrist about her toenails.  Both her big toes have ingrown toenails, it was decided yesterday to just take care of one toe and wait two weeks to treat the other.  The doctor was a little nervous about doing the procedure, she does not do well with shots in her toe, and her platelet count is low right now.  We assured him it would be okay to do the procedure and he agreed to do it, but only one toe.  It has been throbbing and hurting quite a bit today, hopefully it will be much better tomorrow.  We went to clinic at Egleston and it was a very good visit.  One medicine was stopped and one was decreased.  Not counting her prograf she is down to 6 pills in the morning and 2 at night, and we do not have to go back to clinic for 3 weeks!!  Yippee, 3 weeks!  We then went to the kidney doctor and he will do a few additional test as well as be checking in on her kidney numbers on Monday and Thursday.  We have a revised plan for fluid intake, she will try to drink 2.5 liters and get 1/2 liter of IV fluids.  The kidney doctor will make changes based on labs and will just call us with the changes, next appointment with him is in 3 months!  On another note, Michael and Carla went camping with a group of friends and Michael had an accident.  Long story short, he fell out of a tree!  This all happened Tuesday evening in Elijah so he went to the local hospital for x-rays, no broken bones.  His back and hip is VERY sore and the back of his left leg is scratched up pretty bad, but at least no broken bones.  Please pray for his pain to go away very quickly.  We love you Michael and are so happy you are okay.  Well, labs tomorrow so we will do another update tomorrow night.  Please continue to pray for Alex"s family and friends!  Good night.  Lisa

8:30 p.m.

Please be sure to read the post Mallory wrote yesterday, below this one.  Today was a good day for Mallory, she has been doing pretty good lately and we are so thankful!!  Labs were done today, her liver numbers are PERFECT, GO IZZIE!!  Her kidney numbers are okay, one is still too high but we are confident with all those prayers going that the numbers will get back to normal very soon!  Tomorrow we are going to the podiatrist, she has two ingrown toenails!  Then on Wednesday we have clinic and an appointment with the kidney specialist.  Thanks for all the kind words in the guest book, we enjoy hearing from ALL of you.  Prayers are going up for Alex"s family!  God Bless.  Lisa

Hey, It"s Mallory. This is a very difficult post for me to make. Yesterday was Alex"s 21st Birthday. He went home, and hospice was called in to take care of him. We recieved devastating news this morning. Alex passed away early this morning, around 5 am. Alex has fulfilled his purpose in life, which I believe was to touch and shape the lives of  many of us. Everyone who was lucky enough to know Alex knows how true this is, and how much he was a part of our lives. To know Alex is to know God is definitely up there doing exactly what he has promised all of us. Although we are all heartbroken to have lost such an amazing person, we must remember that Alex"s immortal spirit can remain in our hearts at all times. He is in heaven and is happier than anyone can be on earth. He no longer has to suffer from pain, or the worry of a fever or high lab numbers, and most importantly he doesn"t have to live in this world which is full of sin.

I feel so blessed that I got to know him. I am going to brag a little bit, about how lucky i am to have been touched by such an amazing person. After only knowing Alex for a short period of time, I realized that I was so privaledged to be his friend. We have both had a cloe connection to him since day one. He has a liver named Mallory, and I actually have a kidney named Alex. I have recieved so many sweet gifts from him, including what is probably the very last picture he colored, but the best gift was his friendship. I can rest easier knowing that he knows how special he was (and still is)  to me, and i know how special i was to him.

Friday night when i left his room, I wasnt sure when i would see him again. This morning when i heard the news, i thought; "That was the last time that i will ever see him," and that thought upset me. But very quickly I prayed, and was reminded by God that i would someday see him again, and when i do see him, he will be in no pain, will have no worries, and he will be able to see me the same way. I am going to make the most out of my life here on Earth, help as many people i can, and serve God the best that i can. But when the Lord decides to bring me up to my home in  heaven, that will be a beautiful day, and I am excited to meet my Creator and my Savior, the one who is giving me this beautiful life filled with the beautiful people who I have come to know.

Please everyone, pray with me.

" Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for the blessings you place in our lives. Alex has been a wonderful example to us all about how one person can make a difference in so many lives. Thank you for placing him in my life, and for allowing him to touch others through only what they hear about him. I believe that you have a plan for all of us, so thank you for including such an outstanding young man into my plan. Thank you for the time he has had here, and Thank you for sending your son to die for us, so that we may be forgiven for our sins and return to our home in heaven with you, Lord. It is comforting to know that our Loved ones are exactly where they should be, with you Lord. In Your name, Amen."

10:15 p.m.    HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIDGET, WE LOVE YOU!!

Sorry there was no update last night (this one might be long), it turned it to be a very hectic day and I just did not have time.  Mallory did have labs done yesterday and they were very good.  Her liver numbers were great, one kidney number is almost back to normal while one is still just a little too high.  Yesterday we went to Egleston to a surprise birthday party for Alex, he will be 21 tomorrow but his family decided to celebrate a little early.  We had a great time and so did Alex, you see he loves the beach so his party was a beach theme.  Mike had a great idea to bring the beach to him, so we got some sand, put it in a big plastic container and he LOVED it.  He kept his feet in the sand during the entire party and loved the way if felt to his feet.  The party went well and we even got to see a short dance from Dr. Romero, what a great man, he will do whatever it takes to make his patients smile.  Last night Michael, Carla and me drove to Columbus and attended Destin"s graduation at Ft. Benning.  Destin, we are so proud of you and love you so much, oh yeah and Carla"s friend had a new baby girl today and she is adorable.  Mallory had a very good day today and went to lunch with and spent some time with Haley!!   Tonight we went to see Alex, Mal and me had us a tshirt made to support him and we had some special bracelets made and wanted to deliver them, his mom loved them and so did all the nurses.  Thank you so much to everyone that made a donation to help purchase these bracelets, they turned out great.  They arer red with the words "Team ARamp, Believe!", we believe in Alex and we believe God is taking care of him.  Thanks to everyone that has left a note for Alex, we told him about them tonight and we printed them out for his mom to read to him.  If anyone wishes to leave him a note, please feel free to do so and we will make sure he gets it.  I think that covers everything, thanks for checking in.  Lisa  (pardon any typos, I am very tired)

9:30 p.m.

Today was clinic and it was a very good visit.  One medicine was decreased and one was discontinued!  She had another x-ray done to check the pneumatosis and good news, it is GONE!!!!!  Great news!!!!   Mallory"s weight was good, we will continue to get 3 liters of fluid in her each day, she will drink as much as possible and we will supplement with IV fluids as needed.  We also met some of my coworkers at the hospital where we all went to the 6th floor transplant unit bearing gifts.  Through various fundraisers at Georgian Bank we are raising funds to help furnish the unit, we had thermometers, washing powder, pajamas, socks as well as other various items.  It was so much fun and the staff was so grateful to receive these items.  We had a photographer on hand, I will try to get a copy of some of the pictures and post them on here.  Update on Alex -  Last Friday we were told that Alex was removed from the transplant list, he was told by the anesthesiologist team that he is not healthy enough to be put to sleep, he just would not survive. We did stop by and visit Alex for about 30 minutes.  He was happy to see us and was in good spirits, we all laughed some and we cried some!  He is not doing well and will not be with us much longer, he seems to have come to peace with this.  We are deeply saddened by this situation but also so thankful to be able to say we know Alex and have him as a part of our lives. We love you Alex!!  Thanks for checking in on us, labs tomorrow!  Lisa and family

8:50 p.m.

Mallory had a very good weekend.  She has been drinking her two liters and getting a liter of IV fluids each day.  Tomorrow she will have labs and on Wednesday we have clinic at Egleston.  We need prayers for good numbers especially for her kidneys!  Yesterday Mallory and I went to the Avenues and to a shoe store, she has been looking for a pair of black dress shoes and she finally found the perfect pair.  We then went to dinner at Fridays and had her favorite "Jack Daniels Chicken" and shared a brownie dessert.  Today we went to the grocery store and let me just say she was in the food shopping mood!!!  Tonight Mike grilled out burgers, then I made a pot of spaghetti for Michael and Carla and we took it by to them at Michael"s apartment.  That pretty much sums up the weekend.  Have a good night.  Lisa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANTLEY, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3:30 p.m.

We have had a few people ask about sending a donation for Alex.  If you would like to donate via PayPal or by sending us a check, please leave a note in the guest book with your email address and we will email you the instructions for PayPal and/or our mailing address.  Once we have decided exactly what we are going to do we will post the details here.  If this message is confusing to you, please see the note below that Mallory posted last night.  Have a great weekend.

Thank you all so much, you really are AWESOME!!!!

Hey everyone. It" is mallory here. My mom did an update below, so be sure to check it out !

I just wanted to get on here to ask a favor. I know alot of you guys say that if i need anything you"ll be there for me. So here is where im going to cash in on that favor! I know we"ve been asking for alot of prayers for alex, but i was hoping everyone could REALLY step it up! ANYTIME during the day when him or me pops up in your head..stop what you"re doing and PRAY!! praying doesnt have to happen once a day, it is happening all day and God always hears you! So i just wanted to really encourage everyone to keep doing the great job and try to pray even more than you are now!

I also was wondering for another small favor... We (me and my family) were hoping we could do something special for alex. although prayer is the best thing we can do for him, we"ve got that covered pretty well, so we"d like to do something else for him as well. I wanted to ask if there was anyone willing to make a contribution to this cause... im not asking for alot.. if you have a spare dollar here, or even a spare quarter, this would help me out tremendously, because i really want to do something sweet for alex, and anything anyone could offer would be a big help!  if you cannot help me out, no matter what the reason, do not worry at all .. just keep praying for alex and that will always be the best thing we can do for him!

thank you and please please please keep praying!

7:45 p.m.

Happy Friday!  Mallory had labs done yesterday, her liver numbers looked very good however her kidney numbers had gone up again and her prograf level was high so they changed her dose.  We received a call from Dr. Heffron"s office, they wanted us to give Mallory a liter of IV fluids then go to Egleston  for labs this morning.  So, labs were done again this morning and her kidney numbers had gone down by a little bit however they are still too high.  We are to give her 1 liter of IV fluids each day through the weekend as well as have her drink 2 liters.  Labs will be done again on Monday to check her numbers and we will go from there.  She is dealing with headaches which are probably caused by her being dry and the increased prograf level.  Please say a prayer for good labs on Monday and for her headaches to go away.  We received some pretty devesdating news on Alex today, please continue to pray for him, he still needs a MIRACLE!!  For those of you that are not familiar with who Alex is, he is a wonderful young man that we met back in October while at Egleston, he and Mallory have become very good friends and he is very special to our family.  He is FIGHTING for his life now and needs our prayers, please ask everyone you know to pray for him and add him to any and all prayer list you can!!!  Hang in there Alex, we love you!!  Lisa and family

9:45 p.m.

Well, today has been a  very good day.  We went to the Board meeting and I told Mallory"s story in front of about 80 folks.  I was so nervous but once I got going it was all good.  I was told by many folks that I did a great job, our family was so happy to be a part of this event!!!  We then went to Egleston for Mallory to have a weight check and an x-ray.  Her weight was perfect and the x-ray was good also, the pnuematosis is almost completely gone!!!!  We then went by to see Alex and this visit truly brightened our day.  He was awake, smiling and we even got a few laughs out of him.  His spirits are much better and now he just needs to get his call for the surgery, we love you Alex and are praying for you all the time!!!!  Thanks for checking in on us.  Labs again tomorrow.  Lisa

10:00 p.m.

The last two days have been pretty good days.  Mallory will have a weight check and x-ray tomorrow.  We are going to a meeting tomorrow before our visit to the hospital that is being held for the Children"s Healthcare Community Board members, there is supposed to be just over 100 people in attendance.  I have been asked to tell Mallory"s story and to talk about the Gerogian Bank Transplant Unit and what it means to our family.  I am so excited for this opportunity but at the same time I am alittle nervous about speaking in front of such a large group.  Also, there will be another article on Mallory and her story with Children"s in June in a new magazine geared toward pediatric healthcare.  As soon as it is out I will let everyone know and try to post a copy on here.  Thanks for checking in.  Lisa

10:05 P.M.

Everything is going pretty good for Mallory.  Yesterday she woke up with a bad headache and threw up, as the day went by she did feel better.  Today she had labs done, her liver numbers had gone down and looked better, her kidney numbers did go up again but we were kind of expecting this because they did decrease the amount of fluids they want her to have, she is down to 2 liters a day now, this might be changed again after all her labs are reviewed.  We will go to Egleston on Wednesday for another x-ray to check the pnuematosis.  No update on Alex as I have not talked to his dad today.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good night.  Lisa            P.S.  Don"t forget to let your family know your decision on Organ Donation!!!!  You Can Be a Hero!!!

10: p.m.

Hello all.  Sorry we did not have a post last night but we decided to just wait and do it tonight.  The last two days have been uneventful.  Mallory is doing well, yesterday I took her to Target and we enjoyed hanging out there for a little while, we LOVE Target!  Today she has just hung out here at the house, she is on so many medicines for the pain and is just so tired all the time.  We have decided to decrease one of the pain meds because the combination of all the medicines is just making her so tired.  Today I went to Egleston to pick up some of the cans of the Carnation drink that the doctors have her drinking each day for the nutrition and calories.  We are unable to find this particular one at any store, we did order some on line but it has to be shipped so we needed some to get us through until the shipment arrives.  Mallory will have labs on Monday, and xray and weight check on Wednesday and labs again on Thursday.  Please continue to pray for her.  A brief update on Alex, he is VERY sick and has been listed for another liver and now a kidney.  At first he was not wanting to pursue further treatment, his dad called us on Tuesday night to see if Mallory would go talk to him.  Of course, she is willing to do whatever she can to help, she did go over and talk to him, praying the whole way over to the PICU to see him.  She did not tell him what she thinks he needs to do but just advised him to pray about it and have faith in God, she was with him for about 15 minutes, the next day he hear he decided to go forward with the transplants.  There is a lot more to the story but I just do not feel I should share it at this time.  In a nutshell, please pray for a miracle for him, he is extremely weak and his next hurdle is to get the organs and make it through the surgery!!  I saw him today and he seemed ver positive and ready!!!!!!!  Miracles happen and he will get his and beat this.  Thanks so much.  Lisa

9:45 p.m.

Awe, home sweet home!!  We arrived home today around 1:30 and we are so happy to be here.  Mallory is feeling pretty good today, just been tired and still dealing with some shoulder pain.  Her liver numbers were up a little again today and her kidney numbers were down slightly.  She will have labs again on Monday.  We have a few appointments next week including an x-ray to check the pneumatosis.  Her shoulder pain is still there but the meds we have seem to be helping.  We have several medicine changes so I just finished filling the pill container for the next week.  Michael and Carla came over tonight and ate dinner with us, we cooked sloppy joe"s and french fries and had a good evening.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good evening.  Lisa

10:50 p.m.

We were not able to go home today.  Mallory woke up with a horrible headache.  She was given 2 liters of IV fluids and some darvon however the headache would not go away.  Morphine was ordered and after two doses and around 4:00 this afternoon the headache was finally gone.  She is still having some shoulder pain and it has been kinda bad tonight.  She is still doing a very good job getting her fluids down but because her kidneys are not working like they should she became dehydrated.  This will continue to be monitored with labs. Her liver numbers and her kidney numbers were up again today, but just slightly.  The doctors are still making adjustments to her prograf level based on daily labs.  Mallory had ordered herself a new purse over the weekend and it came in today, Mike brought it down tonight and she loves it, I think she might even sleep with it, haha!!!  Paige, thanks so much for stopping by today, it was nice to see you and catch up.  I know everyone is anxious for an update on Alex.  At this point I really cannot share all the details, however he is very sick and needs our support and prayers, please say some extra prayers for him!!!  If you would like to send him a card or a note that would be great, CHOA Egleston, Patient Alex Rampenthal, 1405 Clifton Road, Atlanta GA 30322.  Remember to Be a Hero, Be an Organ Donor and be sure to tell your family your decision to gift the greatest gift ever....THE GIFT OF LIFE!!! Thank you to Mallory"s donor and bless their family. 

10:15 p.m

Mallory has felt pretty good today.  Labs were slightly up from yesterday.  The plans as far as her kidneys is that she will continue withthe 2.5 - 3 liters each day and check her numbers with labs.  Her kidneys are still not concentrating the urine like they should so this will just continue to be monitored as well. We will follow up with the kidney doctor on May 14th.  Her pain seems a little better, her IV meds were changed to oral today to see if this will manage the pain, we might go home tomorrow.  We are of course ready to be back at home but only if we can control the pain while there.  Thanks to everyone for the notes on the webiste, we enjoy reading them.  Well, have a good night and maybe we will update from home tomorrow!!  Lisa

http://thrashers.nhl.com/

So if you click on the link above it will take you to the Trashers website.  You can read a short story about the teen room and click on the photo gallery to see pictures of our one and only Mallory!!!

Update for today is below

10:30 p.m.

Mallory had a good day again today.  She did get an xray done this morning, (at 6 a.m. I might add).  According to the xray the pneumatosis was a little bit better, which is good news.  Things should continue to get better each day, it is slow but it is headed in the right direction.  She did have another good day of eating and exceeding the goal for her fluids.  Labs this morning were very much like the ones from yesterday.  Her prograg dose has been increased again because her level is lower than what they want it to be.  Mike, Michael and Carla came down tonight and we had a good time just hanging out.  I had a craving for cupcakes and picked up some at Kroger today, let me just say if you see Michael anytime soon ask him about the pink frosting!!  He is such a good sport, Mallory told him it would make her feel better if she could "smash" one into his face, well he of course let her do it, it was sooo funny!!!!  Awe, family fun you just can"t beat it.   Well, good night and God Bless you all.  Lisa

8:45 p.m.

Today was a good day for Mallory.  Her liver numbers have gone up slightly so the prograf dose has been increased.  Her kidney numbers are pretty much stable.  She has done a great job getting in her 2.5 liters again and has eaten good today.  Her shoulder pain is still hanging around but seems to be just a little bit better.  Tomorrow she will get another xray to see if the pneumatosis (air between the walls of her colon) has gotten any better.  Not sure yet when we will go home but it looks like it could be very soon.  Don"t forget this is National Donor Month, please consider being a donor!!  Thank you again to our TWO donor families, they will always have a special place in our hearts.  We are not sure how Alex is doing, he is still in ICU so please continue to pray for him.  Good night!  Lisa

10:05 p.m.

Mallory felt pretty good today, she is still having alot of shoulder pain.  In case you did not see the last post, the feeding tube is gone.  The doctor"s decided today was the day, Mallory actually removed it herself, she was so excited.  The kidney doctors decreased the amount of fluids that they want her to take in from 3 liters to 2.5 liters and she has done a great job getting this done and has eaten very good today.  Her liver and kidney numbers looked great today.  Her blood counts are a little low and so are her platelets.  She has brusies all over the bottoms of her legs because of the platelets being so low.  This will just continue to be monitored.  She ran into her IR buddies Mike and Kyle in the cafeteria and was happy to see them.  Ellie came by to see Mallory and brought her some beautiful flowers, Thanks Ellie.  Funny story....after the feeding tube was removed we ran into Dr. Heffron in the lobby, Mallory asked him if he noticed anything different about her.  His first response was that she looked pink (wearing all pink), second response was that she had on makeup (she did not).  Mallory pointed to her cheek and said look in this area, he still did not notice, Mallory told him, the feeding tube is gone!!  It was so funny.  I think that is about it for this update.  Have a good night and as always tahnks for stopping in.  Lisa

11:20 a.m.

GREAT NEWS!!!  THE FEEDING TUBE HAS BEEN REMOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9:00 p.m.

Mallory had a pretty good day, however she is still having quite a bit of shoulder pain.  Another xray was done and it was slightly better but still showed a lot of air.  She has done a great job getting in her 3 liters of fluid and I am so proud of her!!  Mallory was a part of the grand opening of the Teen Room for the transplant unit today and she had a very good time.  The room is sponsored by the Thrashers so she was able to meet one of the players and they played foosball.  I might add she was the only one he played foosball with and according to Mallory and some of the nurses he was HOT!!!  I was at the dentist so I missed out on this fun event. I also went by the bank today to pick up a laptop and our wonderful Chef, Simon, gave us some of his delicious brownies, Thanks Simon!!  Mallory went to the giftshop while I was away and bought herself a Sponge Bob balloon.  She has been working on some neat crafts and made something special for MawMaw. Our nurse tonight is Jennifer and we have not seen her in a very long time, so we are excited she is here.   God Bless !  Lisa 

9:45 p.m.

Labs were good again today.  Mallory has felt pretty good today other than having the continued shoulder pain and being a little anxious.  The doctors reviewed the xray again that was taken yesterday and found a pocket of air between her liver and diaphram so it is assumed that this is causing the shoulder pain.  Her body should absorb this pocket of air over time, no way to know how long it will take for this to happen.  The kidney specialist came by and said that Mallory"s kidneys are not concentrating her urine like they should, Mallory will continue to have 3 liters of fluid each day, she will try to drink as much as possible.  The plan will be to decrease her fluid requirement every few days to try "train" her kidneys to concentrate the urine better without her getting dehydrated.  A few of the tests results regarding her kidneys have not come back yet.  And, guess what?  Today Mallory walked up the stairs from the 1st floor to the 6th floor of the hospital, I can barely do that myself!!  Everyone is so proud of her, GO MALLORY!!  Thanks for checking in on her and don"t forget to leave a note.  Lisa

11:00 p.m.

Today was a decent day for Mallory other than the continued shoulder pain.  She is still requiring IV meds for the pain, it is such a nusiance for her, we will be so thankful once this pain is gone.  Labs were good today!!  A few extra labs were done today, kidney labs but I believe it takes about 4 days for the results.  They have decided to go ahead and do the urinalysis tomorrow morning, so she is NPO (nothing by mouth) until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.  Another xray was done and it showed a slight improvement since the one done on Sunday.  Mallory did eat very good today and is maintaining her weight, so we pray the feeding tube can come out soon.  As far as we know Alex will not be moving to the floor, they have decided to keep him in the PICU, he is just not ready yet, please continue to pray for him.  Thanks for stopping in.   Lisa