Update #1   10:30 a.m.   Happy Halloween!!!!!

Mal had a pretty good night last night, did have some pain and little trouble sleeping.  Her labs have improved!!!!  Kidney numbers still normal, liver numbers down, bilirubin is now at 2.4, the numbers made quite a drop for example her ast was 312 yesterday but today is 75, the alt was 582 yesterday and today is 398, these are liver numbers and both should be around 40 or below, so this big drop is great!!  Izzie is feeling better.  Her blood counts did drop a small amount so she will get blood today, I suspect 2 untis.  The TPN is going well, she did get sick this morning, not sure if it was from the feeds as they were cut off at 2 a.m and were going very slow.  They will restart them again soon and continue to run them slow for 18 hours per day, at least that is the plan for today.   We are still waiting for more news on the bacteria that is growing, if it is her picc line it will be removed and a new one will be placed in her other arm.  I am sure we are looking at some med changes today, Todd did come around and said everything was going good, focusing on the bacteria and feeds at this point.    Thanks for checking on us and have a good day.  The Smiths

Update #2  9:15

It is so amazing to me how one day can be so different from the next.  Today was a good day. Mallory has felt good today, we even went to the gift shop for alittle shopping (Alex, we have a surprise for you).  No fever today and no visit from the throw up monster!  We met a couple of Falcons players today Jennings and Finneran), Mal did some walking and did some exercises with the Occupational Therapist.  The TPN feeds have been started and they have decided to start the tube feeds back, keeping them at a very slow rate and using a different formula, so we pray this works.  She just really needs the calories to help regain her strength and to increase her weight as she has lost quite a bit.  Todd had more blood drawn for cultures however this time he had them done by sticking her, this is to help determine if the picc line might have bacteria growing in it.  One our wonderful nurses, Lacy, brought her husband to meet Mal today, he has been praying for her and wanted to meet her in person.  We were happy to meet him and he said a prayer for her before he left, by the way he is a huge Bama fan!!!

Thanks to Heather for the package you sent Mal today it was a nice treat for her.  Also, thank you Julie and family for the flowers, she loves flowers and they are beautiful.  Thank you Michael for the halloween decorations, they look good in her room.  Brittany, the Child Life Specialist, gave her some angel wings to wear tomorrow, how appropriate we all know Mal is just a little angel!!  We appreciate you checking on us!!  Lisa and family

Update #1   12:00

Mal slept really good last night and only need pain meds one time!  Her BR is down to 4.7 , her other liver numbers did take quite a jump, still not sure why.  The CT scan was redone again this morning.  Dr. Heffron came by to tell us that the main thing he was looking for was to be able to see her hepatic arteries, and he did!!  He did see a small area of damage on the liver but did not seem concerned about this.  The CMV is back, this time at 1400, so this could be part of why she is not feeling well so the med for it has been restarted.  The second set of  blood cultures did show she does have some kind of bacteria growing.  They are treating a wide range of bacteria until they know exactly what we are dealing with then the meds might be changed around.    Her blood counts did drop and her kidney numbers are still completely normal.  Mal"s blood pressure and heart rate is much better today and no fever.   Thanks for checking on us.  The Smiths

Update #2    9:30 p.m.

Today has been hectic and Mal has not felt good.  She is not having alot of pain but she is just very tired and weak.  The CT scan was done tonight around 6:30, Dr. Heffron called a bit ago to say the view the test was done in was not what he ordered and he needs them to redo the scan.  They will not need to put the liquid down her tube but will need to do contrast in the IV again, we expect this to be done first thing in the morning.  He did not want to redo it tonight because that would be too much contrast in a short period.  It has also been decided to stop the tube feeds, Mal just cannot tolerate them.  They will start IV feeds tomorrow evening.  Dr. Romero said it will not hurt the liver if the IV feeds are short term, so they will feed her this way for a while in order to help her regain her strength and get the nutrition she needs and to help her gain weight until her appetite comes back.  As she gets stronger and feels better her appetite should increase and her feeds can decrease.  Her liver numbers are monitored everyday so they would stop the feeds if they started to see a change.  She had a fever most of the day, it finally went away around 4:00 or so.  Thanks for checking on us and please keep those prayers going.  Lisa

Update #1  10:45 a.m.

It has been such a hectic morning I am not even sure where to start.  Mal did rest pretty good last night however this morning has been crazy.  Mal has a fever, 101.1, tylenol has been given so hopefully the fever will go away.  Her kidney numbers are still normal and her blood counts are good.  Her liver numbers are up, 2 of them have doubled since yesterday and her bilirubin is now at 5.4, so what does this mean, we have no idea!  Mal is getting an IV put in then the nurse will put the drink for the CT Scan down her tube and she will have a CT later today with contrast of her abdomen and stomach, we hope this tells us more of what all is going on.  One of the blood cultures from yesterday did grow some kind of bacteria in it so Todd called our nurse and told her to replace the caps on both ports of her picc line and redraw them, the ports could be contaminated.  The feeds are still stopped until after the scan, this will be readdressed later today.  Mal is extremely weak and just does not feel well at all today.  Please continue to pray for our little girl!!  Thanks. Lisa

Update #2  10:15 p.m.

Well, today was an up and down day.  The chest xray is clear, Todd did have the nurse push the feeding tube down another two inches hoping this would prevent her from vomiting, the feeds were started again and then tonight she did get sick again so the feeds were stopped AGAIN.  Todd ordered IV reglan for every 6 hours, this is to help with the stomach issues.  Tomorrow the feeds will be reevaluated and the type of formula might be changed.  Tylenol was given for the fever and it did go away.  The abdominal xray has not been formally read yet.  She has slept alot today and is just trying to rest. 

Mike and Michael did come down today and brought Munchkin (our miniature schnauzer), we took Mal outside in a wheelchair and she saw her for a few minutes, then they visited with Mal and I took Munchkin for a walk.  While we were out with Munchkin, Greg and Dana Wigley stopped by for a few minutes.  They brought Mal a very cute Teddy Bear dressed in an Alabama cheerleading uniform wearing a necklace with "Izzie" on it and also a pink UGA hat.  Thank you so much this was a great gift!!  God Bless you all for checking on us.  The Smiths

Update #1   12:09 p.m

Last night was about the same, pain under control with pain meds and was able to sleep some.  Mal has not started the day off feeling too well this morning, she has vomitted a couple of times so the feeds are stopped but just temporarily, meds for nausea have been given so as soon as her stomach settles down they will start them again per Dr. Heffron.  An xray of her abdomen has been ordered for early afternoon.  Her labs are still stable. Dang it....just checked her temp, she has a fever, Dr. Heffron has been called.   Have a good day.  Lisa and family

Update #2  9:35 p.m.

First of all, Thank you Simon so much for coming by yesterday we are so sorry we missed you, the surgery took longer than expected.  Mallory was so happy to see the treats you brought her and yes has eaten some!  Also, she loved the Diana book, and so do I!  Alex was so excited about meeting you and loved the "menu" you brought him, he is a fine young man and we are happy to have met him.  Mallory hopes to see you soon.

We have had a good day today.  Mal has felt pretty good and had some visitors.  Our friends Tim and Debbie stopped by for a bit and Mallory"s great friends Haley and Ben came by, she was so happy to see them.  Her 6 p.m. labs are stable and her bilirubin dropped a bit to 3.0, so this is good news. She is sleeping now and we pray for a good night"s rest and as always we continue to pray for the donor"s family that chose to give Mal the gift of life!!!!!  Lisa and family 

Update #1  11:35 a.m.

Last night was okay, Mal did have a lot of pain but it was controlled with pain meds so she slept pretty good.  The oozing from the incision site has slowed down and the drainage tube is working, it appears to be draining the excess bile out.  The drainage into the bag should slow down as the duct starts to recover from the leak, which should close up on its own.  Mal did have an ultrasound done yesterday after surgery and they were having a hard time finding the hepatic veins in the liver so another was done this morning.  The veins were able to be found and are small, it has been decided to do labs every 12 hours for a few days just to keep a close eye on her numbers incase this is an issue.  Last night when labs were done here bilirubin had gone up to 4.3 but this morning it was back down to 3.2, the other liver numbers are stable at this point.  Her kidney numbers are normal!  Blood counts are good, this is all as of this morning.  Labs will be done again at 6:00 pm.  Mal is tired and sleeping alot, but is still fighting!!! Thanks for checking on us and have a good day.  Smiths

Update #2  4:40 p.m.

Well, Mallory is finally out of surgery.  The procedure took longer than expected, a little over 3 hours.  Anyways, Mal did have a bile duct leak at the area where the donor bile duct and her bile duct was sewn together.  No real way to know what caused this, but it could have been related to the fluid in her abdomen causing pressure, just not really sure.  Mal is still in recovery and we were told she is doing good.  Thanks for checking on us.  The Smiths

Update #1  9:50

Last night was just "ok", Mal did take pain meds throughout the night so was able to get some rest.  Her surgery is scheduled for around12:00 today, I pray they find out what this fluid is and are able to easily correct the problem.  Sounds like it is bile because of a leak and she will come out with a stint.  Surgery should not take longer than 1 1/2 hour or so, we will update after the surgery is over and we have talked to the doctors.  Ellie, thank you so much for the visit yesterday, Mal really enjoyed spending time with you!  Later!  Lisa

Update #2  5:25

First of all, we would like to say Thank you to our wonderful nurse that we had last night, Angie!!  She is awesome, she was able to ge the 2nd port on Mal"s picc line working again.  GO ANGIE!!  Looks like the delivery date of the shirts to Katie and Bridget will probably be November 2nd or the 5th.  Bridget will then get the ones for GA to me and I will contact each of you to make arrangements to get them to you.

Dr. Heffron and Todd came by late today and have scheduled yet another procedure for our girl, tomorrow.  Because the drain bag is not working and the site is still producing a lot of liquid, they now believe she does indeed have a bile leak.  Tomorrow this will be checked and she will probably get a stint.  Please pray the problem is found and the solution is an easy one.  Please also pray for Mal"s emotional status, while she continues to fight, I can see this is wearing her down, emotionally.   I will update again tomorrow when we know a time for the procedure.

Update #1  10:15

Last night was not a good night, Mal had quite a bit of pain and was not feeling well most of the night.  We had to change the dressing many times on her stomach due to the drainage.  Her labs are still looking very good and remain stable.  Not sure what today holds, the doctors have not made rounds yet.  We did hear that Dr. Heffron is working a miracle right now, doing a transplant!  I hear Alex is doing well and we think he is moving to the floor today.  Hope you all have a good day and we will post again later.

Update #2  10:15

Hello all.  So, Mal had a very good day today.  She wanted pizza from Cici"s and was able to eat one piece for lunch!! It is so crazy but the fluid is still coming out at the incision instead of into the bag.  Dr. Heffron said this is fine, at least it is coming out.  It is a little frustrating for her because we are needing to change the dressing VERY often. Mike and Michael came down tonight and we watched the movie Meet the Robinsons, it was a cute movie.  She did not have a lot of pain today but is in some pain tonight and has just had some pain meds and is ready to get some sleep.  By the way, we should have a delivery date on the Team Mal shirts tomorrow, I will let everyone know when I find out.  It took a little longer to prepare the order than we thought because we had over 200 shirts!!!  Thanks you all are great!!  Thanks for checking on us.  Good night.  Lisa

Update #1  11:25

Mal had a much better night last night and is feeling better this morning also.  Her labs look good today and she is asking for pizza, so off I go.  Have a good day and I will update again tonight!  Lisa

Update #3    7:03 p.m.

Ok, so here is the deal.  Mal had surgery today at 4:00.  It appears that the fluid is NOT bile so they did not need to place a stint, the fluid has been sent to the lab for confirmation of this.  It looks like it is fluid from some type of reabsorbing hemotoma (bleeding), a draingage tube was put in with a bag attached to it for the fluids to drain into.  The bag will be left until it is not draining any longer, not sure how long this is but I think only a few days.  Mallory is back in the room now, awake and her pain level is much lower.  She was even hungry and has eaten some noodles.  Thanks for chceking on us again today.  The Smiths

Update #2 2:00

The CT Scan has just been done, no more sticks for Mal, they decided to do it without contrast.  She does have a lot of fluid behind her liver, on her right side and above her bladder.  Todd came down during the scan and read it with the Radiologist.  I asked Todd how they "fix" this, normally they either put in a stint or a drainage bag so the fluid can drain outside her body, or sometimes they do both.  We are not sure what they are going to do at this point.  Todd will talk with Dr. Heffron for the final decision.  I will update again when we know more.   

We wanted to say Good job to Brooks for having such a great report card and for not getting his clip moved from green to red, we are so proud of you!!!!

Update #1 11:43 a.m.

Wow, what a night!  It was another rough one.  I will try to explain this the best I can.  Mal started having very severe pain again last night then about 3 a.m she called me over to her bed.  She had started oozing fluid in the middle of the incision.  I immediately got our nurse and it was decided that we should call Todd.  Her blood pressure was staying stable, she had no fever so Todd said to just watch her and to save the gauze.  It continued to get worse so Todd was called again, he ordered for an ultrasound for this morning.  The dressing was needing to be changed very often and each time was saturated with fluids, I will leave it at that and not go into the details of the fluid.  Todd came by a short time ago to examine Mal and take a look at the incision.  After seeing what was going on he cancelled the ultrasound and has ordered a CT Scan with contrast, so we are waiting on that to be done. Dang it, cannot use her picc line for the contrast, gotta get an IV, just did two sticks with no luck, her veins are not cooperating!  Todd thinks it could possibly be one of two things, a reabsorbing hematoma (bleed) which would probably just be watched and not treated, or a bile leak!!!  If it is a bile leak then Mal would probably get another stint!  We definitely need lots of prayers right now!!!  I pray we get an answer soon as far as what is going on and then an easy fix.  Will update as I know more.  Thanks you so much for checking on us.  Lisa  

Update #3 9:40

So, today has been okay, Mal did recieve 2 units of blood and 1 bag of IV fluids but is now back on continuous IV fluids. The feeds made her feel sick again tonight so they turned them off about an hour early and gave her medicine for nausea.   I washed her hair for her today and she looks just beautiful.  We are getting ready for bed now and I pray she has a restful painfree night!  The Smiths

Update #2  12:15

The doctors have made rounds so I thought I would update everyone.  Dr. Romero came by (he is the GI doc) he has decided not to increase her feeds today because she was nauseated from them last night.  He does plan to increase them tomorrow, she has just got to get more nutrition.  I told him she was not eating, so right now we are relying on the feeds, he says she will eventually start feeling like eating again, but until she is better they need to continue to give her the feeds.  He does not want to give her anything to boost her appetite, not now anyways.  Todd also came by, he took one look at her and immediately knew she did not feel well and is dehydrated.  He has order for IV fluids and they will give her 2 units of blood today.  No other changes today, just working on getting her energy level up.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good afternoon.  Lisa

Update #1  11:00

So, yesterday started out with Mal not feeling well at all, by mid afternoon she did feel better and had a decent afternoon.  Last night was an okay night and today has started off with her not feeling too good, she has been sleeping most of the morning and told me a few minutes ago that she feels very weak today.  Her labs look pretty good, they are almost exactly the same as yesterday.  We have not had any doctors come by yet but expect them soon.  I am going to ask if they can give her something to boost her appetite that would not "hurt" her liver.  She is just not eating and we need to get a hold on this issue and get her eating again.  Thanks for the prayers and notes, they help us get through the day.  Lisa and family

Update #2 10:55 a.m.

Guess I should have waited a little longer for the first update.  Dr. Heffron just came by, I asked him how did he think Mal is doing overall?  He said she is doing "good" and her liver is doing "good", he is not surprised by the low blood counts given what all she has been through.  I mentioned the "H" word (home), knowing that we are not quite there yet but just thought I would gets his thoughts on the matter.  He said Mal still has a lot of recouperating to do, he said she still requires too much care to go home, I agree, and he will see how the next several days go before even discussing going home.  He also said that during her recovery there still may be a few bumps in the road for Mal, I pray this is not the case.  We are remaining optimistic that if we can get her pain GONE and she can start eating and regain her strength she will get better and better with each passing day...this is our prayer!!!  Lisa and family

Update #1  9:50 a.m.  Happy Sunday!

Mallory had a rough night last night, she was up alot and needed pain meds several times, her back, shoulder and abdomen are still giving her pain, over time this should get better.  Her labs were stable this morning, her blood counts did go down a bit so they will probably check them again later today and give blood if necessary.  They have increased her feeds again and she is getting a 1/2 bag of IV fluids this morning.  Mal is still sleeping and seems to be restless, please pray for her pain to go away very soon!  Mal has been through so much and remains very weak, she has also lost some weight, as you can imagine.  I pray her appetite starts coming back very soon.  Thanks for checking on us and have a great day.  The Smiths

Update #3

Oops, I forgot something.  A couple of Friday nights ago was the homecoming game for KMHS, Mal was HC Queen last year and should have been there to crown this years queen, but we were still here.  The school handed out flyers telling about Mal and her story and then at half time the Band spelled out "MAL" on the field and the crowd, yelled "We Love You Mal".  KMHS has been so supportive of Mal both during her senior year and during this hosptial stay!  Go Mustangs!!

Update #2  7:20 p.m.

Mal had a very good day today, I believe she only had pain medicine one time!  She did eat about 1/2 sandwich for lunch and also ate a little bit of Japanese chicken teriyaki for dinner tonight.  They did check her blood counts again today around 4:30, wanting to make sure they did not go down more.....they went UP!!  Bama did indeed roll over the Vols today, it was a great game and we enjoyed it!!  I decided Mal needed some new pajamas so I left for a short time and bought her a new pair, of course, I had to have some of my own also!!!  Mike has just left for the night and Mal and me are getting ready to settle in for the evening.  She is having some back and shoulder pain tonight and is tired, I pray for a good nights sleep for Miss Mal tonight.  Lisa

Update #1  10:00 a.m.

Mallory had a very good night last night, I believe she only woke up one time!!  Dr. Romero came by and says everything looks good.  Her kidney numbers are still normal, her bilirubin is 1.2 and other liver numbers are going down.  Blood counts are still on the low side but they are stable.  They could be low from all the IV fluids she is getting, this can dilute the numbers.  She is still sleeping right now but does seem to feel better today!  Looks like we are going to have another good one!!  Now if we can just get Bama to roll over Tennessee we will be in good shape, the game is at 12:30, I will need to make sure the nurses don"t take her blood pressure during the big game.  ROLL TIDE!!!!  Hope you all have a great day and we will update again tonight.  Thanks so much for checking on us.  The Smiths

Update #2  9:45 p.m.

Mallory had a much better day.  She did eat alittle bit throughout the day and was able to go on 4 walks.  Her pain has been more manageable.  Her prograf dosage was changed again.  The feeds have been started back at a very slow rate for 18 hours a day, this is to help with nutirtion since her appetite is not back yet.  The IV fluids have been stopped also.  I just realized with the exception of about an hour during the middle of the night she will not be hooked to any machines and no IV pole to drag to the bathroom!!  This is great!!!  Tonight her daddy and brother came down, Mal kept telling Mike how good he looks...she was buttering him up!  Yep, she wants something...a new puppy!!!  We have watched alot of tv today and played some games, oh yeah and Mallory decorated a pumpkin sent to her by Cynthia. (Thank you Cynthia) So, a very good day in room 468!!  Thanks for checking on us and good night.  Lisa

Update #1 11:26 a.m.

Mal slept much better last night and had less pain!!!  She has still been sleeping this morning, lot of catching up to do.  No doctors yet so not much new to report.  Her labs are good, kidney numbers still PERFECT, liver numbers down a little, her blood counts went down again too, not sure why.  I believe we will try to start walking again today and get her up more, please pray she is able to do this pain free.  Thank you for continuing to check on Mal and for all the notes you send her they really mean alot to her.  Have a good day.  The Smiths

Update #2 7:50 p.m.

Mal"s day today was a little better than yesterday and she did have less pain.  Her prograf medicine was increased from 6mg twice a day to 8 mg twice a day, this should help raise the level in her body and decrease her liver numbers.  Also, the CMV virus is back...YUCK!!! so they have started the gancyclovir meds for this again.  Dr. Romero has decided to completely stop the feeds until she is having less pain and feeling better, she is still not really eating so we pray her pain gets better soon so she can get her appetite back or at least go back on the feeds so she is getting some nutrition.  We are excited to watch Grey"s Anatomy tonight...GO IZZIE!!! Oh yeah, Mal recieved a "special" package in the mail today from MawMaw Roberts in Alabama, her famous teacakes, that put a smile on her face! I will try not to eat them all during the night while she is asleep, but I cannot make any promises!! Thanks for checking on us and have a good evening.  The Smiths

Update #1  11:20

We have not seen any doctors yet, I assume they will be making rounds soon.  Mal had alot of pain again last night and was getting very sick from the feeds, they ended up turning them off around 5 a.m. so we will wait to see what Dr. Romero"s plan will be regarding this.  Her labs are stable today with not much change.  Her kidney numbers continue to be completely normal, livr numbers still little too high and blood counts are low, but stable.  This is really all to report at this time, will update more later.  The Smiths

Update #2  9:30 p.m.

Well, another day is behind us and it was a rough one.  Mal is still having pain and having a hard time being able to rest.  She has been taking pain meds all day and is now resting comfortably.  Her picc line is still being stubborn, it does have 2 ports on it and one will give a very slow blood return, but at least it is working.  Labs were done at 2 and again at 8, both times her blood counts had dropped, only by a small amount, so we will hold off on labs until tomorrow at 6 a.m.  Her dad and brother came down tonight and Michael brought her a City of Marietta Firefighter shirt, she loves it and will wear it proud.  We hear Alex is doing well but did not see him today, Mal is just not up to visitors, maybe she will be in the next day or so.  Dr. Heffron and Todd stopped by today and are pleased with how things are going!!  MawMaw will be leaving tomorrow, we are very thankful for her time here with us and she was a tremendous help.  We will miss her and love her very much.  Thanks MawMaw, you are the best!!!!  I hope and pray things will continue to get better and we can talk about going home soon, we might go home on feeds and IV meds, but that is okay, afterall I am a nurse now!!!  Thanks for your continued support and most importantly prayers!  Lisa and family

Update #1  12:45

Sorry for the delay in posting today but it has been a hectic day.  Last night was not good, Mallory had severe pain, her blood pressure was very high (still is) and she was up all night, they were pretty much giving her pain meds around the clock and she was still in a great deal of pain.  Todd was called around 3:00 a.m. about her pain, he decided to shorten the length of time between her pain medicine doses.  She also got very sick from the feeds around 8:30 this morning.  The hours and rate of her feedings have been adjusted, hopefully she will be able to tolerate them better as she is still not eating, just very small amounts from time to time.  Her picc line decided to be stubborn and stop working as far as being able to draw labs, so you guessed it they had to stick her, a couple of times I might add.  They have medicine sitting in the line now to try to loosen it up, praying this works.  Her labs do look better this morning thanks to the 3 units of blood so we hope they stay this way.  Right now she is sleeping and seems to be resting well.  Thanks for checking on us.  Lisa and family

Update #2  6:40 p.m

Well, Mal had labs done again around 2:30 this afternoon for the blood counts, they came back even lower than the 2 done this morning.  So, it was then decided to do a stick of her finger in order to confirm the results, so around 3:30 they did labs again.  This confirmed the low counts from the 2:30 lab draw.  So, it appears she has a bleed somewhere....Todd (Heffron"s PA) came by and spoke to us before he left today.  Her blood pressure and her heart rate is stable so this morning they really did not think it was a bleed, that is why all the different labs.  It is suspected that she has a slow "bleed" going on, possibly in her intestines or from the result of moving things around yesterday when they closed her.  The plan is to give her 3 units of blood tonight and to monitor her counts by doing labs every 8 hours.  Todd explained that this is totally different than the internal bleeding that she had 3 weeks ago, he is confident that with the additional blood her body will clot off the bleeding and it will not be an issue.  Right now her platelet count is very good so this should help with the situation, they will also monitor her platelet count every 8 hours.  Mallory has been very tired today and experienced a lot of pain and has been taking pain meds to try to control this.  Her first unit of blood is going now so we hope this will help matters...and quickly. 

The first tshirt order has been placed, I believe it was for just over 200 shirts, I will let you know in the next day or so when we can expect them.  Also, Michael is in his third week of firefighter training, he seems to really be enjoying it (sounds like a lot of hard work to me) and we are so very proud of him.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good evening.  Lisa and family

Update #1  10:00

We had an okay night last night, Mal did have quite a bit of pain.  Her kidney numbers still look good, liver numbers went down a bit but now her blood counts are all "out of range".  It is so crazy how much things can change in just 24 hours.  Her H & H (hemocrit and hemoglobin) dropped significantly from yesterday morning as did her red blood count.  Her white blood count double and is now at 30, normal is 4 - 11.  The blood tests did get run two times this morning to "compare" the numbers.  It has been decided to run her counts again today at 2:00, if the results are still the same she will receive 2 units of blood.  I have no idea what could have caused this, the doctors have not made rounds yet.  I will plan to do another update after her blood counts have been run again this afternoon.  Thanks for checking on us.  Lisa and family

Update #2  8:10 p.m.

Mal has dealt with some pain today, she has not felt great but is hanging in there.  Dr. Heffron gave her a dose of steroids while in the OR and he has increased her anti rejection medicine from 3 mg twice a day to 5 mg twice a day.  They had been keeping her level low to help the kidneys recover, since the kidney numbers are normal and they appear to have recovered he will try to raise her prograf level to help with rejection, it appears she might have some rejection to the liver due to the low levels of prograf.  Her liver numbers are high right now, bilirubin is good at 1.1, we should see improvement in this tomorrow or the next day.  Her blood counts and platelets continue to look good.  Please continue to pray for Mal in this recovery phase and that all "numbers" return to normal again soon and stay that way!!!  The Smiths

Update #1 10:00 a.m.

Mal had a better night last night, she was able to get some pain meds and slept well.  She went into surgery around 7:30 this morning to be closed.  Dr. Heffron came out a few minutes ago and said everything went well. He was able to close her completely and also removed the JP drain.  He did decide to do a biopsy while he had her in the OR because one of her liver numbers is still pretty high.  We have not seen her yet as she is still in recovery. Thanks for checking on us and have a good day.  The Smiths

Hiiii it"s me again, Mallory!!! I decided to take over this entry! Today was an okay day... i was hurting some but what can i expect? I"ll be better tomorrow.. im blaming my bad day on my pillow case.. because it was at home being washed and i had a boring hospital pillow case on my pillow! Anyways today we had April as my nurse which is always fun because she is so funny and sweet! Oh yeah, yesterday was the Liver walk and Molly brought me back "Luigi Liver" which is a litttle stuffed liver man! he is way cool.

So tomorrow I get to be closed.. I am so excited! I think Dr H is going to take out my JP drain too, i really don"t want him to forget that! Im thinking of writing a reminder on my stomach so he will see it when he gets to the OR! How funny would that be?!?!

Well I will let my mom give you a real update if she wishes to do so. I just wanted to say hi and thank you to everything that yall are doing for me! P.S. Becky we really miss you... the nights arent the same without you in our room to watch tv with us!!

Mallory and Izzie

Update #1   11:30

Mallory had somewhat of a rough start to the night, she was having some pain, mostly in her rib area.  The nurse called Todd on 2 different occassions and we were finally able to get something to help with the pain and Mal was able to get some rest.  Her numbers are all stable today and she is feeling pretty good right now.  Dr. Heffron came by and has ordered an ultrasound for today and another one for during or after surgery tomorrow, just so he can compare the two.  The surgery to close her will be tomorrow at 7:30 a.m., he could not tell me how long it will take, just depends on how things go.  I had a couple of calls and messages from some  folks that attended the Georgian Bank event last night and apparantly it was a HUGE success, we are so excited!  We are waiting to see parts of the event on video!!  Dr. Heffron had a great time also.  Thanks for checking on us!!!  The Smith"s

Update #2  8:50

WOW!  What a great day we had today.  We WALKED over to ICU today to visit Alex, he was so happy to meet Mallory, he looked amazing!!  He was already sitting up in a chair and was even walking around.  It was awesome to see the two of them together, they have so much in common and both are full of strength and fight!!!  Mal ate a small lunch today and ate some steak from Longhorns for dinner, she did a great job!!!!  Last night she had 2 visitors, Kelly (liver recipient) and Heather (liver/kidney recipient), they looked great and Mal enjoyed them stopping by.  Today Haley came by and spent some time with Mal and later in the day Claire and her mom stopped by.  We were happy to see all of them.  She is tired and getting ready to get some sleep.  Thanks for checking in on us.....The Smiths

Update #2  8:25

Mallory had a great day today.  She walked all the way to the gift shop and back, if you know this hospital you know that is a long way!  Dr. Heffron came by earlier and told us that he has scheduled an Operating Room for Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. to close Mal, she is SOOOO excited.  He also said that after he closes her and she continues to do well he will start talking about sending us home, music to our ears!!!!!  He is not concerned at all about the high white blood count, this is probably a result of the medicine given to her for several days in a row to boost the white blood count and the additional steroids given to her yesterday.  He increased her Prograf, (anti rejection medicine), and they did give her some IV fluids because of being dehydrated.  They are going to give her the feeds just at night now so that she can try to eat during the day.  We hope to see her appetite increase over the next few days.  We also heard today that Alex is doing great, he is up and walking around already.  Thanks for all the prayers and for checking on us.  The Smith"s

Update #1 10:55

Mallory slept very good last night!  Her feeding tube was clogged this morning and this stressed her out a little bit as she thought they might have to remove and replace it.  Our nurse, Courtney, worked on it several times and was able to unclog it, GO COURTNEY GO!!!!  Her labs look pretty good again today, her BUN is up just a tiny bit but probably because she has no IV fluids going right now and is not drinking a whole lot so she might be dehydrated.  Her liver numbers are about the same as yesterday except one, the GGT is still going up, not sure why or what the plan is, probably watch and wait.  Her white blood count went up again to 15.49, which is high, crazy how just a few days ago it was very low and now very high!!!  We will see what Dr. Heffron thinks about this when he makes his rounds later.  We plan to wash her hair today and continue walking more and more, she is doing a GREAT job at this!!  Thanks for checking on us!  Oh yeah, be sure to scroll down and read the note Mal left yesterday.  The Smiths

So, I guess everyone was surprised to hear from Miss Mallory.  Another good day is behind us, just finished watching Grey"s and getting ready to turn in for the night.  Mallory did quite a bit of walking today, took a bath on her own and did some exercizes with the Occupational Therapist.  They did increase her prograf and also gave her a dose of IV steroids since her liver numbers had gone up just a tiny bit.  Dr. Heffron came around this afternoon said he is pleased with how things are going and he will plan to close her early next week.  We have not heard how Alex is doing, but I will update you when I find our more about how he is doing.

On another note, I have had quite a few calls from different people wanting to come visit Mal.  She is feeling better and says she would love some visitors.  If you do plan on coming for a visit please call ahead of time to make sure she is feeling okay, please try to plan your visit sometime between mid afternoon to early evening as this is when she seems to feel the best and since she might have quite a few visitors over the weekend and we don"t want to wear her out please plan to visit for no more than 30 minutes.  Please don"t take this the wrong way, Mal is looking forward to visitors, I just do not want to tire her out, I am sure you will all understand.  I think it would do her good to interact with some of her friends and family!!! If you do not have my cell number, just email me at lisa.smith@malbry.com and I will send it to you or you could just call the hospital and ask for room 468, crazy but I don"t even know the phone number here.  Thanks so much and we look foward to seeing some of you this weekend.  Lisa and family

Hello everyone.. it"s me....MALLORY!!!! I decided to say hi! Im just watching tv and laying in the bed! Today was a good day , im sure youll hear about it later from my mom! I wanted to thank everyone for all of their praying, and for visiting my page to check on me, and for all of the sweet  messages that are left! All of it means so much to me! Please keep on praying... the prayers are certainly working!!

Sincerely,

Mallory.....and izzie!!!

Update #1  10:50

Mal had a good night last night again.  She has been a little nauseated this morning so they might slow down her feedings.  She also has a low grade temp, 100.2, they get concerned at 101.5, so we will just wait and watch.  Her kidney numbers are still good, her liver numbers went up a little bit so they will probably increase her dosage of Prograf (anti rejection med).  We asked Todd when they would be closing her, he said he was not sure so we will check with Dr. Heffron when he makes rounds hopefully later today.  Mike and I went over to the ICU waiting area last night and met Alex"s dad, he was very nice and seemed very tired!!  We heard this morning that his surgery went well and that he is doing good this morning!!!!  Thanks for checking on us and have a good day.  The Smiths

Update #2  10:25

Another good day in room 468!!  Mal walked several times today, did some exercises and just had a very good day today.  The doctors are pleased and everything seems to be headed in the right direction.  Mike and I went up to the ICU lobby earlier and met Alex"s dad, he was in surgery and his dad had received the first update that everything was going well.  I am thinking he might be back in ICU by now..please conitnue to pray for Alex, our new friend.  Thanks for checking on us and have a good evening.  Lisa and Family

Special Request!!

I just went over to the ICU to check up on Alex, he is 20 years old.  I had the pleasure of getting to meet him and he is an incredible young man.  Turns out his new liver is not functioning properly (transplanted last week) he was listed yesterday for another liver and within 12 hours he got the call that a liver was available for him.  He will have another transplant around 4:00 today, I told him that we have some great prayer warriors and I would request prayers for him  Please pray for a successful surgery for Alex, for Dr. Heffron and his team and of course the donors family.  Oh yeah, when he found out Mallory had named her liver he decided to do the same....he picked "Mallory" for his new livers name, to quote Alex, "I need a strong healthy liver, Mallory is so strong so I will name my liver Mallory".  Isn"t that awesome!!  Anyways, please pray for Alex.  Thanks Lisa

Update #1  11:35

Sorry for the delay in the update, when Mal sleeps I try to also, so they may be later these days. Last night was another good night for Mal and she is actually still sleeping.  Her liver and kidney numbers continue to look great!!!  Her white blood count is up to 11 now...imagine that.  Don"t think this is a sign of infection but rather that now the medicine they gave her to boost it has finally kicked in and is working. Labs are done every morning at 6:00 a.m., so they just will continue to monitor her numbers.  Please say a special prayer for a young man by the name of Alex, he is 20 years old and had a liver transplant the end of last week, he is not doing well and it looks like he will need another transplant, immediately.  We have not met him yet but are anxious to do so.  Thanks for checking on us and hope your day is good.  Lisa and family