Tricia had a sinus infection last week which is now in her lungs. She has been on antibiotics since the beginning of the week, but she woke up this morning with a fever for the first time. The CAMPATH she received a few months ago seems to have slowed or stopped the progression of the rejection, but the damage has been done, and she still has no immune system, so this lung infection could be very dangerous for her.
It has been a very rough year for Tricia so far. This time last year she weighed nearly 50 pounds more than she weighs today and was feeling as healthy as she had in many years. Her weight has not been as low as it is today since she was still in grade school, and her breathing numbers are approaching what they were before her transplant.
We have been back and forth to Duke about a dozen times since the end of the spring, and we are both feeling the effects of spending all of our "free time" on the road and in the hospital. So far, Tricia has not needed O2, but with the winter approaching that may change soon. She had a procedure to place a feeding tube (her third in her life, but first since her transplant) last week which she is utilizing at night while she sleeps for some extra calories.
Her medical team tells us that, as long as she remains "stable" she will not need to be placed on the transplant list, but in the meantime, she is doing as much as she can with testing and physical therapy to be prepared when the time comes to be listed.
Needless to say, we appreciate your prayers right now.
Nate
