Happy Thanksgiving!!  Update #1  10:31 a.m.

Wow, when I sit here and think about my family and the last few months and all that we have gone through I realize how thankful I am.  When I look over in the bed at Mal and think about all that her little body has gone through it makes me so sad, so mad, so happy and so thankful.  I am sure all of you can relate to each of those emotions without me having to describe why I feel them.  My little girl has endured so much but I am so thankful that she is still here, she has had to fight for her live on more than one occassion and she continues to come out of top, she truly is a fighter.  I am so thankful for her will to fight and her endurance to win.  I am also thankful for you, all our family, friends and even those that I have never met, your notes, calls and cards have made a difference, so THANK YOU!! Thank you Dr. Heffron, Todd, Dr Romero and all those on your staff, thank you to the wonderful nurses and for Egleston, what a difference you all have made in our lives.  Mike, Michael, Mallory and myself, we are closer because of this experience  (if that is possible), so to the three of you WOW I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!  The four of us fighting this battle together has been amazing and we will continue to WIN!!! 

Mallory"s night was about the normal, not the greatest.  Her br is 1.5 and other liver numbers are stable.  Her electrolytes and bicarbs are still out of range so some adjustments will be made and we will continue to pray for better labs.  Have a great day and enjoy every minute you have with your loved ones.  We are celebrating our day here at Egleston, but the important thing is that the four of us will be together!!  Don"t eat too much.  Lisa

Update #2  10:15

So, Mal slept most of the day today, she did receive one new IV med, sodium bicarb to help straighten things out, later in the day around 5 or so she did seem to feel better and looked better.  Hopefully, her labs will improve tomorrow and maybe we are just a few days away from getting out of here.  All her new meds have been delivered here (2 brown grocery bags full) so when we do go home we will have all them on hand.  I did go home today and cooked our food for tomorrow, it was nice to be at the house for a short time.  I will admit cooking this meal was emotional, you see Mal loves my potato salad and usually when I am cooking it she is sampling it while it is still warm, I cried the whole time I was stirring it, I missed her being there getting a clean spoon for each bite. So I did bring her a small bowl and she ate some of it, made me feel so good!  I pray she will eat more tomorrow.  Mike and Michael will come down and bring all the home cooked food and we will dine at Cafe Egleston!  Praying for a good night and that she is able to sleep tonight.  Good night and God Bless each of you.  Lisa

Update #1  11:00

Another rough nite.  Mal"s BR is 1.9 other liver numbers stable.  Her electrolytes and bicarbs are all out of whack so they will make some changes to her fluids and start a new IV med. We will not be going home today so we will spend Thanksgiving here.  I will go home in a little while and cook our traditional meal for tomorrow, Mike and Michael will bring it down tomorrow and we will have our dinner here.  Mal is not feeling too good at all today and is just trying to get some much needed rest.  Thanks for checking on us and be safe if you plan on traveling!  Lisa

Update #2 10:15 p.m.  17 Weeks today

So, Mallory has not had a great day, she is still just so tired and weak.  She slept alot today and also had some "sick" issues to deal with.  Overall she is doing much better, we just gotta get her strength built up, some weight on her, and her appetite back so she can get rid of this nasty feeding tube.  The tube gags her so bad and she just is miserable with this thing.  One of our wonderful nurses from the PICU, Monique, came by for a short visit and also brought Mal a giftcard from Starbucks!  Thanks Monique.  Not much else going on.  Have a good night.  Lisa and family

Update #1  11:15

Mal had a decent night last night, she did get sick again but it does appear to be getting better.  Her BR is 1.6 and all other numbers look very good.  She is sleeping right now, seems as though she gets her best sleep from around 8:00 a.m. til noon or so.  The doctors are pleased with how things are going with Mal, it has been a long slow road for her but is appears she has finally turned the corner.  I cannot wait until the day she is feeling like herself again and able to get out and enjoy life, I know that day is coming, God will get her there.  Thanks for checking on us again today and have a good one.  Lisa

Update #2   10:45 pm

Mal had a good day today, she did sleep late but she was just making up for lost sleep and she needed it.  We did some walking today and she even did a little singing and dancing in front of the nurses station and they all loved seeing it, so happy to see our Mal coming back!!  She sang a small part of My Girl and when the chorus came on she put her arm around me while saying "My Girl", melted my heart.  We are still taking one day at a time and thank each of you for continuing on this Journey with us.  Tomorrow will start week #17, we all know what that means, good things!!  Have a good night and will update again tomorrow.  Thanks Alex and Sarah for stopping by to say hello and for the goodies you brought.  Also, thanks to Michelle and Ali from Liver Families for the package you sent Mal, it was a nice surprise.  Lisa and family

Update#1  12:30 p.m.

Sorry for the late delay it has been busy here today.  Mal"s br is 1.5 and her other liver numbers are stable, kidney numbers and blood counts look good.  She was up alot last night, I believe we had that dreaded monster visit 4 times during the night.  Dr. Romero explained to us this morning why he thinks this is happening, it does make sense to us but kind of hard to explain.  Both Dr. Romero and Dr. Heffron have told Mal to drink alot...smoothies, milkshakes, etc., solid food is still okay too just need to avoid large amounts and eating it late in the day, so we will adjust accordingly.  There has been some talk of us going home!!  Jill and Rochelle (both work with Dr. Heffron"s team) came by earlier and we discussed all out home healthcare needs, they will start working on this and getting everything in order.  As you know she has MANY meds and several of them are VERY expensive so they will start with getting approval from insurance, order the meds from the pharmacy we use and have them delivered here.  We will also need a feeding pump, IV pump and all the "accessories" for both of them.  Syringes for the meds, gauze and tape for the small dressing change, extra stint bags, heparin and saline flushes, a wheelchair and the list goes on and on.  Jill said they might want labs everyday which means a nurse visit every morning, (we look forward to seeing you Cortney) or it might be Monday, Wednesday and Friday, not sure yet.  So, we will be very busy once we get home, but that is just fine with us at least we will be home.  Mike and I have done this before we can do it again!!  Have a good day.  Lisa

Update #2  9:20 p.m.

Mal had a very good day today.  We are allowed one pass out for this hospital stay so we decided to use it today.  Mike and Michael came down and we went to Lenox Mall and Old Navy, it was so nice to be out of here.  Mal had a great time and we did make a few purchases!!  She had a smoothie while we were out and seemed to really enjoy herself, I think we were "free" for about 3 1/2 hours, it was so nice for the four of us to be together outside of room 468. It was so nice to see her up and about, it has been a long time since she was outside these walls.  We are still not sure when we will go home, but we will be ready when they write the orders.

Farid came by and brought Mal some flowers and a turkey breast from Honey Baked Ham, (one of her favorites) and she has enjoyed snacking on that tonight.  Thank you Farid.  She is tired and having a stomach ache right now, seems like every night this happens and I just wish it would stop, she would feel so much better if her stomach would cooperate at night.  By the way, her night time meds are 3 prograf capsules and 12 syringes of liquid.  Grand total each day 6 capsules and 27 syringes of meds every day!!  She is a trooper about taking them all and I am so very proud of her.  Have a good evening and thanks for checking in on us.  Lisa

Update #1   10:45 a.m.

Mal did have a better night and was not as restless as she has been.  We did have a short visit from the throw up monster again, I really do not like him at all!!  Mals labs look great today, her br is 1.5 and her other liver numbers are going down also!!  Kidney numbers and blood counts look great also!  All her medicines but one has been converted to oral.  We are doing liquids and putting them in her feeding tube, pills are hard to swallow because of the tube, no point in her having to taste the nasty meds when they can go in her tube.  We do a few at a time so she will not get sick from them.  I counted them this morning as I gave them to her, she has 3 small capsules (her prograf) and 15 syringes of meds every morning.  Tonight I will count what she takes in the evening and let you know.  CRAZY!!  but thank GOD for these medicines!!  Have a good day.  Lisa

Update#2  8:15 pm

What started off as a sleepy day for Mal ended up being a good day.  She did eat some rotesserie chicken and drank a whole coke today.  Earlier this afternoon she and I both got our laptops out and played music and had a good time dancing in our room, the nurses and techs even joined us for the little party.  Mal did some more walking and I went out and picked up dinner and we went downstairs and ate in the cafeteria.  Mal is tired now and is going to sleep for the night. 

Thanks Mickey and Cherry for dropping by to surprise us today it was so good to see both of you!  Mal liked the turkey plate and was excited to see the truffels...apparently she loves them.  Brooks and Brantley both have pink eye, we hope ya"ll feel better real soon.  Bama lost again today and that is bad news but the good and important news is that Mal is getting better, certainly more important that football, yes even Alabama football.  Thanks for checking on us.  Lisa

Update #1 12:30

So, Mal has been asleep most of the day today, she did not have a great night.  The good news is that the itching is gone the bad news is that the throw up monster made an appearance last night.  Since she did not sleep much last night she is making up for it today, which is just fine as long as she is getting some rest.  Dr. Heffron came by earlier and was pleased with how things are going, her BR is 1.7 and all other liver numbers went down so that is more good news.  I can"t wait til the day when I get a print out of her labs and there are no arrows by her results for the numbers being too low or high.  I believe today is the 2nd day since we have been here that our nurse did not get a call from the lab with a "critical" result on Mal, the other day was yesterday!!!   Be sure to click on the photos link as we have added new photos from this hospital stay.  If you will click on the thumbnail the photo will enlarge, give it time to load and will adjust to about a 4x6 size.  Enjoy!!  Lisa

Update #2  9:45 p.m.

What started off as a rocky day ended up as a very good day.  The itching stopped, HOORAY!!  Another med was switched over to oral so now we are down to one IV med (4 times a day) and the IV fluids.  We washed her hair today and she walked all the way over to the lobby in the new building and back!  Dr. Heffron was quit impressed with the long walk.  Mal wanted a bologna and cheese sandwich, so off to Publix I went and she ate half of it.  Then later tonight she really wanted some candy, Twizzlers Twerps, so Mike and I went out and were able to find it so she has been munching on some candy.  Today really has been a good day and Mallory is starting to look better each day.  Still not sure when we will go home but I feel it is just around the corner.  Thanks for checking on us!!!!  Lisa

Update #1  10:15 a.m.

So, another rough one!  The itching just would not stop, the nurse had to call Todd two times and we were still awake around 2 a.m.  She has had several doses of benadryl, atarex and adavan and is FINALLY sleeping, soaked her feet many times in cold water.  It is just the weirdest thing, she is not itching all over just her feet and calves, she was absolutely miserable.  Let"s pray that when she wakes up the itching is gone, Mal told me earlier that it feels like her legs and feet are sunburn, probably due to all the scratching.  Her labs look great, liver numbers going down BR is 1.7!  YIPPEE!!! Can"t wait to see what she wants to eat today.

On another note, we are still doing our cell phone fundraiser, this started many months ago but then we were admitted so I have not sent the phones in yet, this is kind of an ongoing fundraiser.  So, if you have any old cell phones please send them our way, I only need the phone and battery, I do not need the chargers or manuals.  These will be sent in and Mal will recieve a donation to her COTA medical account for each phone, the more we have the bigger the donation!!!  Thanks for checking on us and for your continued support.  Lisa and family

Update #2  10:15

Mallory had a good day except for the itching.  Her feet and calves itch so bad and it is absolutely driving her crazy.  She has been getting Benadryl and Atarax all day but is still not getting much relieve, our wonderful nurse Hannah is in the process of calling Todd to see if there is anything else that might help.  Mal did eat 2 small meals today, ravioli for lunch and chicken alfredo for dinner!!  She did some liver laps and some exercises with the Physical Therapist.  Because of the itching and some of her labs they decided to open the stint back to drainage.  One of her antibiotics was discontinued and one was changed from IV to oral, GREAT, another step to getting out of here.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good night.  Smiths

Update #1  10:31 a.m.

I am beginning to really dislike nights around here!  Mal did not get very much sleep at all, she was extremely restless all night.  Her labs are stable and the bilirubin did go up a bit to 2.5.  Right now she is dealing with itching, her feet and legs are itching so bad she is about to scream.  Also, she mentioned the possibility of wanting some Italian food today so it looks like I might be off to Olive Garden or Maggianos later today!  No doctors yet so this is all I have to report. 

Hey Guys!! so this is a good post because.. its MALLORY! Thought id take over tonight and let you know of my day!!

Well first of all I walked nine liver laps! woohoo! When my mom was out at her luncheon today, i called her and said i want a steak!! I watched waking up in reno and when i saw Lonnie Earl eat his 72 oz steak i wanted one too! So she brought me a kids sirloin from Longhorn and i ate half of it!! Also, i made alot of friendship bracelets for some of my nurses. tonight when Daddy and Michael got here we snuck into the construction area of the 6th floor to snoop around, and then stayed on the deserted 6th floor to play the computer games.

We have had a great day today, and my doctors are working toward pointing me out the door asap!

Thanks for checking in... here"s my mom to add anything i forgot!!!

Not too much to add, I am so excited about our day!!  Mal did so good and we are so very proud of her!!!!  Her CMV test came back for the second time as undetected so they changed the medicine for it from IV to oral, another step toward going home.  Prayers are being answered!!!!

Update #1  10:00 a.m.

Not alot to report this morning.  Mallory did have a better night last night, still very restless but an improvement over previous nights.  Her bilirubin is 2.1, her other liver numbers did go up, this could be because the drainage bag was capped and removed today.  No doctors yet so I am not sure if there will be any changes made today or not.  Have a good day!!  Lisa

Update #2   9:35 p.m.

Mal had a pretty good day for the most part.  I believe she is trying to over do it, we all know Mal she is an over achiever to say the least.  She did more liver laps and worked out in the gym, she also sat outside for a few minutes.  No eating today but that will come in time.  She really wants to be home before Thanksgiving, I told her today that she has been sick for a long time and that now she is finally starting to feel better and that it is not going to happen overnight.  I also told her that if we are not home by Thanksgiving then it is okay, we will be home shortly after that.  I think she does need to push herself but I don"t want her to over do it at the same time.  Her stint drainage bag was capped and removed today...praying for no fever!!!!  Thanks for checking on us.  Lisa

Update #1  10:50 a.m.

Mallory had another very restless night last night, she is just very anxious.  I hope soon she will start to rest better at night.  I am so proud of the day she had yesterday and pray today is just as good or better.  Her bilirubin is at 2.3 today and her other numbers are all stable.  She is having some pain from the neubugen, hoping that will get better soon also.  Feeds are still going well too.  Have a good day!!  Lisa

Update #2   8:45 p.m.

Mallory had a very good day today.  She did 10 liver laps, we went out for two other walks, played on her computer, ate a popsicle and ate a few bites of turkey.  She asked Dr. Heffron if he thought she could be home by Thanksgiving and he told her it was very possible, music to our ears, so we will work very hard toward that. 

Thanks Kristen and Melanie for visiting today and for the gifts, we really enjoyed your company.  Also, thanks Ellie for visiting us today and for the gifts you brought Mal today!  Hope you all have a good night, praying for restful night, and good labs tomorrow.  Lisa and family

Update #1  10:15 a.m.

We are beginning to not like nights around here, it was another rough one.  Mal was very restless again last night and did still have some "throwing up" episodes.  She is able to keep the feeds down but can"t keep down anything she is drinking, she gags alot from the feeding tube and is just miserable at times.  The doctors have not been around yet so I am not sure if we have any changes for today.  That is about all for now, have a good day!!  Lisa

I meant to say Thank you to Derek and Bridget for visiting today, it was great to see both of you and we cannot wait to see Brooks and Brantley"s cute little faces.  Bridget, I love your new ring!!  Give the boys a kiss for us.  Lisa

Update #2  7:00 p.m.

WOW!!!  Mallory had a GREAT day today.  I am so excited I don"t know whether to laugh or cry.  Here is what all she did today:  took a nice hot bath and we washed her hair, went over to the PICU to deliver shirts to a couple of nurses, went to the gift shop, did 6 liver laps (laps around 4East) and drum roll please.......ate 2 popsicles!!!  If I could do a flip right now to celebrate I would, I feel like I won the lottery!!  I believe she is making a statement  "I AM READY TO GO HOME!!"  Praying for a good night"s rest and more progress tomorrow.  Lisa

Update # 1 2:00 p.m.

Sorry for the delay in updating.  Mal had another restless night, she is just ready to get out of here and is extremely restless.  Her labs look good and her bilirubin today is 2.8.  Dr. Heffron came by and she told him again she is ready to go home, he told her she plays a big role in that, for example, she needs to get out and about more so we will start working on that to help get her strength back, she also needs to try to eat some.  Eating is hard for her because of the feeding tube, it gags her alot and is just hard to deal with.  I have the shirts now, they look great.  Thanks Katie and Bridget!!  I will start contacting everyone next week about getting your shirts to you.  Have a good day.  Lisa

Update 32 8:45 p.m.

Hope you were able to hear us speak on Star 94 today, Mallory did a great job and we are so proud of her.  The three day event raised a little over 1.2 million dollars!!!!

Mallory is tired tonight but did have a good day.  She is still getting the neubegen for her white blood count, it is still very low. Well, tonight she is feeling the effects of the medicine as her legs are hurting her pretty bad, please pray for this pain to go away.  The TPN was cut off earlier and we all applauded the unhooking of the bag, Izzie should start to feel even better now.  The feeds are going well also.  Other than the leg pain and just being extremely tired and weak she is beginning to get better, Thank you Jesus!!

We were able to go down and say hello to a few Georgian Bank coworkers, thanks Jane for stopping by the room to check on us.  One of our favorite nurse from 4East, Becky, came by today and introduced us to her husband and they brought Mal some fun items to help pass the time (Becky moved to NC and we miss her so much), it was great to see both of them.

Bama lost and that was disappointing but oh well it is just football and we have so many other more important things to focus on.  Thanks for checking in on us and good night.  Lisa and family

1:50 PM

We wanted to let everyone know that Mallory will be interviewed on Star 94 today between 2:30 - 2:45 pm. If you are out of the Atlanta area you can listen to the radiothon live at star94.com. The Smiths

Update #1  11:00 a.m.

Well, Mal did not sleep much at all last night, she was basically just very restless.  I can tell she is starting to feel better.  Dr. Heffron came by earlier and she told him she was ready to go home, he will set a few goals for her to meet then hopefully out the door!!  It sure would be GREAT to be home by Thanksgiving!  He told her he can tell she is doing better if she is asking to go home, he also said he is very pleased with the way things are going and that he had been worried for a while.  Her labs look good, kidney numbers great, liver numbers stable and bilirubin down to 2.9!!!  Her blood counts are good except her white count is very low again.  Her TPN will be stopped today, YES!, Izzie will be happy to hear this.  Her feeds are being increased to her goal amount today, praying she can tolerate it.  Some of my coworkers from Georgian Bank are downstairs answering the phones for the Radiothon, THANKS to each of you for being here to help raise money for Childrens.  Don"t forget I will post again around 2 today to update you for sure about Mal"s interview, maybe you will hear her and be inspired to call in a donation of your own!!  Right now it is still set for 2:30, www.star94.com to listen on line.  Thanks for checking on us.  Lisa

Update #2  9:45 p.m.

Mal had a pretty good day.  We went downstairs two times to check out the Star 94 Radiothon, Mal was presented with a special gift from Tom Sullivan, one of the Star 94 announcers, a stethoscope that he had gotten from ABC with the Grey"s Anatomy logo on it, she loves it and told me to be sure to put it in a safe place once we returned to the room. As far as we know she will be on Saturday at 2:30, be sure to check the journal around 2:00 and I will post if the time will be different. She has tried to stay awake most of the day with only a few short naps so she can hopefully sleep better tonight.  They have decided to give her a bag of IV fluids each night to keep her from getting dehydrated, the rate of the feeds have been increase again.  The rate is almost where Dr. Romero wants them to be able to take down the TPN, maybe by Monday this will happen which is good news for her liver!  So, all in all a good day for us.  Thanks to Rex for the Alabama stuffed animal you sent to Mal she loves it!!  I should have the shirts on Saturday and will be contacting each of you on how to get them to you.  Thanks for checking on us and Good night from the Smiths.

Update #1  11:15 a.m.

Mal had a rough night last night, a few little visits from the throw up monster, he really is wearing his welcome out!!  She was just very restless, we will try to stay awake more today in hopes of sleeping better tonight.  She is dehydrated again so she is getting a bag of fluids.  Her bilirubin went down to 3.6 and her other liver numbers went down slightly also.  Her blood counts and kidney numbers are still good!  Mal is scheduled to be interviewed tomorrow on Star 94 at 2:30, I will make a post around 2:00 if this time changes as they are usually running behind.  Remember you can listen online at star94.com if you are not local.  Thanks for checking on us.  Lisa

Update #2   9:30 p.m.

Mal had a good day today.  She went down to the cafeteria with the Occupational Therapist to check out the Radiothon (it is live from here this year), she did some exercises and walking with the Physical Therapist and she and I went for a walk.  I can tell she is still very weak, but she did seem alittle better today.  Her friend Christine and one of her sorority sisters came by for a short visit today, they recently had a fundraiser at KSU on Mal"s behalf and today presented her with a card, some photos and a check, thank you girls so much for having a fundraiser to benefit Mallory"s medical fund, we are very grateful.  Praying for no fever , a pain free night and good labs tomorrow.  Good night!!!  Lisa

Update #1  10:30 a.m. Mal had a pretty good night last night, no fever!  She did wake up alot to go the the bathroom, George and Alex are alive and doing well!!  Her bilirubin is at 4.2 today and her other liver numbers did go down.  Her white blood count remains very low but they are giving her that nasty medicine to help with that.  Otherwise, things are looking up!  Feeds are going well so hopefully they can stop the TPN soon. The Star 94 Radiothon started today and is being broadcast from the cafeteria here.  Alex is scheduled to be interviewed today at 4 and Mal is scheduled for Saturday at 2:30, tune in if you can, it is amazing to hear these kids of all ages tell about their experience here.  star94.com to listen online.  Have a good day!!  Lisa

Update #2  10:40        Mallory had a decent day today, except for the fever and few little visits from the dreadful throw up monster.  The biopsy came in showing some small cell damage to her liver, doctors are not worried about this since the liver can regenerate, so all is good with Izzie.  She did walk a couple of times today and did a few exercises with Physical Therapy. Mike and Michael were both here tonight and we did a few "mad libs", it was fun and we even got a few laughs out of Mal.  It was so good to see her smile and laugh and to have the four of us here together, hanging out and having some good family time.  She is dehydrated tonight so she is receiving a bag of IV fluids.  Hopefully, she will get a good nights sleep tonight.  Thanks for stopping by to check on us!  God Bless   The Smiths

When I went to make the post earlier and saw that we were on day 106 of this journey, it made me think “WOW!”  When we arrived here on July 24^th we all thought we would be here a few days get a stint placed and head back home, boy were we wrong!  Not in a million years did any of us expect to hear “retransplant”.

I am so amazed at what all Mal has gone through.  I would be so interested to see how many units of blood she has received, how many doses of pain meds she has had, how many IV antibiotics she has gotten, how many pills she has swallowed, I could go on and on.  As a mom, it is so difficult to see what all Mallory has endured over the last 15 months of her life, and the last 3 months have just been mind boggling.  She has been through more in her life already than most of us will for our entire life.

Mal is such a strong person and honestly I think I get my strength from her, she helps me get through this with her.  I have told her before I wish I could take her place and that I am sorry she is going through all this.  Her reply to me was, you probably are not strong enough, and I think she is right.   A few weeks ago while in ICU, the nurse and me were helping Mal get from the bed to the chair, it was so hard for her, hurt so bad.  I will never forget her looking at me and saying, “God must have some really big plans for me to put me through this two times”.  That absolutely broke my heart.

There have been so many hurdles for her over the past three months, but as always she has handled them all so well.  Don’t get me wrong there have been times when I know she is getting very frustrated but she has still managed to keep fighting and is winning this battle.  I cannot put into words how proud I am of her; she has been such an inspiration to so many people.  Mallory has a lot of faith, faith in God, and this makes me proud. When I see all the notes from so many different people that she has touched, people she does not even know, it makes me smile, it makes me cry and it amazes me. 

God has worked so many miracles for our family, we truly are blessed.  I am so thankful for this hospital, for the doctors, the nurses, the medicines, the machines, etc.  However, I am most thankful for the donor and I constantly pray for the donor’s family, they lost a loved one and Mal received the greatest gift, the gift of life.  Although, I will never know the family of the donor, we have a connection now and I love them for their decision, Mal is still here today because of not one but two families giving the gift of life, I am forever grateful for their decision.  If you are not an organ donor or have never donated blood or platelets, please give this some more thought, our Mal is still here because of donors, not only organ donors but blood and platelet donors.

Last but not least, thank you!!  I am so grateful for all our families and friends; it is so nice to have such a large support group.  The notes to Mallory, the cards, the gifts, the emails, the phone calls, you all have no idea how much this means to our family.  I would like to say a special thank you to my mom, Thank you for putting your life on hold and spending time with us during all of this; I love you and appreciate you!  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, I love all of you.  And, well Mike is just the best husband and dad in the world and Mal truly has the best big brother a girl could ever want, not to mention the best son ever.  NUFF SAID!!  Lisa

Update #1  2:00 p.m.

Sorry the late update, just been kinda hectic in our room today.  Mal"s blood counts are low, she has received 2 units of blood, an IV dose of neubegin (to increase white blood count, makes her bones hurt), and some albumin.  The CT scan results are in, the flow in the liver is good, the biopsy is not back yet however the docs feel everything is good with Izzie.  Her liver numbers did go down today and her bilirubin is 4.0, good news!  The bacteria that was growing last week, seems to be gone!  However, because of the fever yesterday and again today (102.9) more cultures were done yesterday and also today.  The ones from yesterday is showing bacteria growth, so another IV medicine has been added.  Mal did have some pain last night and was given darvocet, which seems to have helped.  Went up on the tube feeds again, once they get them to where they want them and she is able to tolerate them, the TPN will be stopped. She did gain alittle more weight also.  She is still tired and weak but her strength and appetite will come back over time.  Dr. Romero told Mal today that she is getting better and that everything that is going on now is treatable and her liver is fine.  He also told her that she would get off to school and she would have her life back again, it is just a slow road for her.  Thanks!!  Lisa

Update #3  8:30 p.m.

Not much new to report since the last update.  The CT scan has been done, so we wait to hear from it and the biopsy, we are praying for good news on both!  Mal was able to tolerate the contrast going in at a very high rate, which is great, this should  mean she can tolerate the feeds going in faster and come off the TPN.  She has been resting well since the surgery and has not had much pain, right now the pain is under control with benadryl and tylenol, hoping this will get her through the night. Alex did get to go home today, Congratulations Alex we are so happy you were able to get out of here, remember what I told you, drink lots of water and be sure to take those meds on time, if you need anything or just need someone to talk to, call me!! Thats about it for now, more tomorrow.  Smiths

Update #2  2:30 p.m.

Mal is out of surgery and is now in recovery.  The surgeon discovered that the bile leak was still there, so he replaced the stint with a larger one, this should help the opening to close up around the tube and stop the leak.  A small piece of the liver was taken for a biopsy, we may know the results of this today at latest tomorrow.  They also changed her feeding tube, this time instead of leaving the tip in her stomach they pushed the tube down to her small intestines, hopefully this will allow them to go up on her feeds and get rid of the TPN as soon as possible.  The IV was placed in her hand for the contrast for the CT scan later today.  The plan now is that when she returns to the room they will start putting the contrast in her feeding tube as fast as she can tolerate it then have the scan done today.  This is all we know for now.  As always thanks for checking on us.

Update #1  8:30

Early update as we had a crazy nite and looks like a busy day.  This morning around 3 a.m., Mal spiked a fever of 103.6, she has never in her life had a fever this high.  Todd was of course called, tylenol was given, more blood was drawn for cultures and the drainage bag for her stint was put back on (just capped and removed yesterday).  The fever is gone now and she is sleeping well.  So, the plan is still the same as far as the biopsy and stint change, the surgery will take place around 10 this morning.  Another CT scan has been ordered for some time today after the surgery, she will need an IV port placed for this for the contrast, but it has been decided they will place it while she is asleep, one less stick she has to deal with.  Mal will be in great hand with her IR (Interventional Radiology) buddies Mike and Kyle as they always take great care of her.  Her liver numbers did got down some and her BR is still at 5.5, her blood counts and platelets also dropped.  So, as you can see we need more and more prayers for Miss Mal and the team of doctors and nurses caring for her.  We appreciate you and hope you have a good day.  Lisa and family

7:50 p.m.  I knew I was forgeting something.  This Saturday Mallory will be interviewed on Star 94 for the Radiothon to help raise money for Children"s.  Her interview time is 2:30 p.m., could run little early or could run little late.  You can listen online at Star94.com for you out of towners.  We did this last year and was truly an emotional moment for us!! Hope you can tune in!!!

Update #2  7:00 p.m.

I decided to get the post done a little earlier tonight.  Mal had a pretty good day today, she is sleeping right now and seems to be exhausted.  We did take a few walks today, went out to the garden for a few minutes and she also went to the gym with the Physical Therapist, she was able to do a few leg exercises and also rode the bike for 7 1/2 minutes, GO MAL!  The feeds and the TPN are going well, Dr. Heffron wants to slowly increase the tube feeds while decreasing the TPN feeds, she has gained another 2 pounds.  Her fever went down after the tylenol was given and has stayed down all day.  The chest xray was clear.  Dr. Heffron has decided that she needs a stint change so that will be done tomorrow around 10, he will get a small piece of the liver for another biopsy.  He feels this is necessary because her liver numbers are staying high so he wants to check out the liver. He also said she looks good and is slowly getting better.  Please pray for no pain, right now she is pain free, however she usually has a great deal of pain after a biopsy and stint procedure.  All in all she has had a good day.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good evening.  Michael...keep up the good work, we are so proud of you!   Lisa and family

Update #1  10:30 a.m.

Last night was a decent night, Mal did not have any pain and was able to sleep pretty good.  She did wake up this morning with a fever, 101.5, tylenol was given and blood cultures were ordered AGAIN.  She also has already had a chest xray done, no results yet.  Her bilirubin is 5.5 today, her liver numbers went down slightly, they are too high but at least they went down today.  Her kidney numbers are still great, Way to go Alex and George, and her blood counts are stable.  We have not seen any doctors yet but suspect they will be making rounds soon.  Thank you Alex for the cute little sutffed animal you gave Mal last night, she loves it and we hope you get to go home today.  However, you must keep in touch!!  Hope you all have a good day and thanks for chcking on us.  By the way, if you stop in to check on us don"t forget to leave us a message.  I like Robin"s idea, so everyone, next time you post tell us all where you are located, also tell us of any churches that you know of and the city of the church that is praying for Mal, it will be interesting to see how big her prayer chain is.    Lisa

Update #2  8:30 p.m.

Update #1  11:00 a..m.

So, last nice was just okay, Mal was restless but was able to get some sleep.  She did get "sick" a couple of times which is better than the night before.  Her liver numbers have gone up and her bilirubin is up to 5.6, so they suspect some kind of infection, a new IV antibiotic will be started today and some additional labs have been ordered.  Her potassium is low today so she will get a bag of IV potassium.  Her kidney numbers are still great.  The great news is that she has gained 4 pounds since Friday, the TPN and feeds are working!!!  YES!!  Thanks for checking on us and have a good Sunday.  Happy Birthday Munchkin!!!  The Smiths

Update #2  9:36 p.m.

Well, the game is over and Bama lost, they did play a good game and we would love to have won but at least they held their own and gave LSU a tough time.  ROLL TIDE!!  Not much new to report tonight, Mal has still been throwing up some and is still just very tired and weak and just not feeling great.  The good news is that she is not having any pain so she is not requiring any pain medicine.  I pray she sleeps well tonight and that the throw monster will get tired of hanging out with us very soon!  Thanks for checking on us.  Smiths

Update #1  11:15 a.m.

Mal slept pretty good last night.  She has been throwing up again this morning, 3 times and once last night.  Her labs are stable and her bilirubin is 4.4.  Dr. Heffron came by, if she continues to throw up he might order and endoscopic procedure to look at her stomach, otherwise he thinks everything is going good.  Dr. Gold and Muhammed came by (work with Dr. Romero), they are going to talk to Heffron about doing an upper GI.  Not sure if either of these test will be done it has just been mentioned because she is still throwing up, right now it is, you guessed it - Wait and Watch.  That is it for now, have a good day!  Roll Tide, Beat LSU!!!!  Lisa

Update #2  10:15 p.m.

This might be a long post as I have a lot to cover.  First of all some thank you messages, here goes:

To the Mitchell"s for the Alabama pillow you sent to Mal, it is soooo cute and she LOVES it!  To Heather for the magazine, I am sure she will enjoy reading it as soon as she is up to it and no she does not have this one.  To Aunt Bonnie and family for Mal"s gift (love the pajama pants) and for my birthday goodie bag.  To Lisa for delivering lunch, for my very pretty bracelet and for Mal"s pajama set!  To Steve for providing my lunch, Doc Greens, it was very good.  To the Hughes family for the BEAUTIFUL flowers for Mal and myself, I must say our room is beginning to look like a florist! To Mike, Michael and Mal for the cards, shirts and cupcakes. I sure hope I did not forget anyone, it has been a busy day with lots of gifts for us today. Thanks also for all the cards and birthday wishes I have received and for all the cards sent to Mallory.  Several people have asked for the address to Egleston so here it is: CHOA-Egletson, 1405 Clifton Road, Atlanta GA 30322 Attn: Mallory Smith, Room 468

Mallory had a pretty good day today.  We did go for a couple of walks and took a wheelchair outside for a few minutes just to see the beautiful fall day! She also did some exercises with the physical therapist. Mallory had an echocardiagram (not sure I spelled that correct) done today, Dr. Romero just wanted to make sure her heart is okay because of the bacteria infection she has.  We have not gotten any official results however the technician that performed the test told us not to lose any sleep over it so I assume that means all is good.  She is still getting the tube feeds very slowly and so far so good.  A few medicine changes otherwise everything is stable.  Prayers for a good nights sleep for our little princess and for good labs tomorrow.  Thank you all for all the prayers, keep them going!!!!  Lisa

Update #1  2:00

Sorry for the delay in updating, today has been kinda crazy.  Mal had a good night and slept pretty good last night.  Her kidney numbers and blood counts are good and her liver numbers continue to go down, her bilirubin did go up to 4.2, still not sure why.  She is still tired and weak but we are going to start trying to walk more and get up and about more.  No visit from the throw up monster, Yippie!!  Doctors say everything is good, some med changes otherwise things are stable.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good day.  Lisa

Update #2   7:45 p.m.

Wow, it has been a hectic day in room 468!  The abdominal xray came back and there were no blockages found, good news.  She was given versed to relax for the picc placement, well right after they gave it she threw up again and did not feel the effects from it so they gave her adavan, apparantly the versed did kick in also so Mal has slept all day, not a bad thing she needed the rest.  The new picc went in without any complicatons, an xray was done to confirm placement and the old picc was removed.  We have had some medicine changes and the feeds are still on hold, I suspect they will start them again tomorrow at a very slow rate.  So, apparantly she is feeling so weak and tired and throwing up as a result of the CMV and the bacteria, as nothing else has been found.  Dr. Heffron and Todd came by and said things are going good, we need to get her eating and walking around some, so that is our goal for now.  Mike came down this afternoon and I did get out for a bit, the fresh air was great and it was a beautiful day.  Thanks for the continued support and prayers.  Lisa and family

Update #1  10:10 a.m.

Well, we had a visitor last night  the throw up monster, not once not twice but 6 times!! It was a rough night and not much sleep.  So, here is what is in store for today.  Mal will have an abnominal xray some time this morning to check for any blockages.  Additional labs were ordered this morning to check for pancreatitis, those results came back okay.  Her other labs look good, kidney numbers fine, bilirubin 3.0, other liver numbers down a tiny bit and blood counts better thanks to the blood yesterday. The picc team has been around to look at her veins and I expect them back any time now to put a new line in her right arm and remove the one in her left arm.  Some medicines have been added and some have been discontinued, so we will see how the day goes and update again later.  By the way, the tube feeds have been stopped for now but the IV TPN feeds will continue.  Thanks for checking on us and for praying for our girl.  The Smiths

Update #2  9:00 p.m.

Like I said yesterday, it amazes me how one day can be so different than the previous day.  Mal has had an ok day, she has done a lot of sleeping today and is so tired.  She did do some physical therapy today and I think that wore her out.  Some medicines have been changed to treat the bacteria, probably some kind of "gut bug".  The new medicine was started today and a few others were stopped, please pray this medicine zaps this bug right out of Mal!  The picc line has not been removed yet but should be done tomorrow.  TPN is going well and the tube feeds are going okay right now too, she is getting them at a very slow rate and will continue that way for now.  I told Dr. Romero that I am worried about her appetite, he told me that it would eventually come back and he is not concerned about that at this time. So, if we can get this bug under control and the cmv under control, I think we will see a huge improvement in Mal and she will feel so much better, these two things together would make anyone very tired and weak. Thanks for all the prayers you are sending our way and please keep them coming.  On another note, Alex got partially closed yesterday and is having a rough time, please also say a prayer for him! 

Thanks to Annie and her mom for the visit and goodies today, you are so sweet to stop in and check on us.  Annie, you looked adorable thank you for dressing up just for Mal.  Robin and Frank, Mal received her package today, thank you so much, the elephant hat is so cute, of course we made Mike and Michael try it on for us!!   Lisa