Hi everyone, it has been a busy couple of days. I went to Albany on Wed with Bridge and my friend Keelin. I had to leave during dialysis because my sister was in the hospital having surgery on her knee again, so Keelin stayed with Bridge and then took her home. Before dialysis started though, one of the ports that she receives dialysis through was sticking somewhat. So what does this mean? They put a clot busting agent in (tpa) it and will check it today at dialysis, but if it is still meeting resistance, they might need to take out her central line and replace it on her left side. This can not be happening!! we'll see today. I then went to Boston with the 2 possible donors on Thursday, we left around 4:30 in the morning and were at Children's hospital first thing for lots of testing. We will not know the results for about a week. Even with those results, they told us that it can change even the day of surgery that the potential donor could not work, so it is a weird numb feeling being in limbo so to speak. Everyone asks how we are doing and I really can't explain it, never before have we felt so powerless. I want to thank everyone for all their love and support. The fundraiser coming together for October 11th sounds like it is going to be a blast, I just wish we could be there. I want to remind everyone that registration for this event is not through Stratton, it is through Megan and Robin at Stratton rentals(802-297-3078)
you can also register online at www.firstgiving.com/bridgethegap . Hope everyone has a great fall weekend!!
Take care, love Megan and Mark
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hi everyone, it is getting closer. We have decided on one of our generous donors and moving forward with all the testing, we will be back and forth to Boston several times in the next 2 weeks, for all the same testing that I went through, and will know on Monday, the 5th of October. We actually have 3 appointments that day in Boston and are hoping that by the time we get back to Vermont will know the results. If all the tests come back good then we will turn around and come back on Wed the 7th of October for dialysis and then the next morning will have surgery at 7:30am at Children's in Boston. They told us to expect to be in the hospital for 4-5 days, so unfortunately we will not be able to be at the event, but will have many family and friends to help support this amazing young lady we have. I want to thank the National Kidney Foundation as well as Tracy Metzger for helping support us and setting up a website that has Bridgette's picture as well as blog site and even her 2008 first place lip sync video attached. You can reach this site at www.firstgiving.com/bridgethegap I also want to thank MaryBeth Hand for helping set up a page about Bridgette to all the doctors that we work with during the winter months. Thank you to Stratton Mountain for generously letting us help fund raise for Bridge at the Northface event on October the 11th. Thank you Michelle and Dave for donating all your time as well as all the Bridge The Gap t-shirts. Thank you Megan McMahon for coordinating and putting everything together with Stratton. Thank you Casey Apps and Hannah Giannoti for making the Bridge the Gap bracelets, they are so cool. Thank you to the Mountain School for continuously supporting our family. Thank you to Russell Sage College for the Dunk Tank!!! We have so many amazing friends/family!!! I know you know that I can not list them all, but please know that Mark and I love and greatly appreciate each and everyone of you.
Love, Megan and Mark
Love, Megan and Mark
Friday, September 11, 2009
September 11, 2009
Hi everyone, just want to start out with a reflection and a remembrance of all those that were lost on this day in 2001. Mark and I, as I'm sure you all will never forget it. We finally have heard from Boston in an unoffical way. The chief nephrologist is in Korea and will be back this weekend and he gives the final ok, but it looks like the 3 other possible donors are all a match per the attending nephrologist. We are so very happy, but at the same time are not getting ourselves to excited because of what happened with me, we were so close and then got the rug taken out from under us, so we are moving forward with hope. We won't know offically until next week, and then the process starts of all the tests that need to be passsed and completed before the first surgery which is on the 8th of October. This surgery is to remove her native kidneys, and the transplant if all is well will happen on the 22nd of October. We have started the compute from school every M/W/F which is a little more draining than I thought. The time we leave school is 11:30am and it brings us back to Vermont around 6:40pm, which is hard, but with that glimmer of hope ahead, hopefully this will only be for 7 weeks. Bridge is still amazing and actually growing. We started the growth hormone shots, now I know they don't work that fast but she has actuall gone from 132 centimeters to 135 which we are excited about. When she actuall gets a kidney that works, look out!!!! Just wanted to let everyone know that Megan McMahon and her posse have done amazing work for the fund raiser they are putting together on the 11th of Ocotber in Stratton Mountain Vermont. The fund raiser is called "Bridge The Gap". They have worked with Stratton Mountain and attached this event onto another event(The Northface Challenge). You have to register before October 9th in order to be able to receive T-shirt. I will have this link hopefully by Monday the 14th. The most important thing to remember is that even though this event is at Stratton, it is not connected with them. We have to have our own registration form and checks have to be made out to The National Kidney Foundation/Bridgette Eichhorn Fund. If it doesn't state this than it will go to the National Kidney Foundation general fund. I also wanted to let everyone know that if they needed lodging, Stratton has deals right now at The Inn at Stratton for $79 and $99 dollar a night. The # is 1-800-Stratton. I will give everyone updates on Monday, have a great weekend and as Bridgette would say, "Be Safe"
Megan
Hi everyone, just want to start out with a reflection and a remembrance of all those that were lost on this day in 2001. Mark and I, as I'm sure you all will never forget it. We finally have heard from Boston in an unoffical way. The chief nephrologist is in Korea and will be back this weekend and he gives the final ok, but it looks like the 3 other possible donors are all a match per the attending nephrologist. We are so very happy, but at the same time are not getting ourselves to excited because of what happened with me, we were so close and then got the rug taken out from under us, so we are moving forward with hope. We won't know offically until next week, and then the process starts of all the tests that need to be passsed and completed before the first surgery which is on the 8th of October. This surgery is to remove her native kidneys, and the transplant if all is well will happen on the 22nd of October. We have started the compute from school every M/W/F which is a little more draining than I thought. The time we leave school is 11:30am and it brings us back to Vermont around 6:40pm, which is hard, but with that glimmer of hope ahead, hopefully this will only be for 7 weeks. Bridge is still amazing and actually growing. We started the growth hormone shots, now I know they don't work that fast but she has actuall gone from 132 centimeters to 135 which we are excited about. When she actuall gets a kidney that works, look out!!!! Just wanted to let everyone know that Megan McMahon and her posse have done amazing work for the fund raiser they are putting together on the 11th of Ocotber in Stratton Mountain Vermont. The fund raiser is called "Bridge The Gap". They have worked with Stratton Mountain and attached this event onto another event(The Northface Challenge). You have to register before October 9th in order to be able to receive T-shirt. I will have this link hopefully by Monday the 14th. The most important thing to remember is that even though this event is at Stratton, it is not connected with them. We have to have our own registration form and checks have to be made out to The National Kidney Foundation/Bridgette Eichhorn Fund. If it doesn't state this than it will go to the National Kidney Foundation general fund. I also wanted to let everyone know that if they needed lodging, Stratton has deals right now at The Inn at Stratton for $79 and $99 dollar a night. The # is 1-800-Stratton. I will give everyone updates on Monday, have a great weekend and as Bridgette would say, "Be Safe"
Megan
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
September 1, 2009
Boston called last night about 6pm to let me know that they have pushed the transplant off until the 22nd of October. They also don't have a date for the first surgery but they think it will be around the 6/7/8/9 of October. They think that they won't have results from the new blood tests until September the 8th or 9th due to the upcoming holiday and they don't want to take Bridgette's kidneys out on the 10th since she is still making urine. They say that if they take them out and have no match then hemodialysis will be that much harder on her and her fluid intake as well as dietary intake will become much more strict. I have to look at it in a positive way, this way now she will be able to go to school for 1 month. She will go every M/W/F from 8:30-11:30, then we will drive to Albany for dialysis and on T/Th she will have full days in school, so in her mind this is better and she is happier now, and that's all I can ask for.
Enjoy the beautiful weather, Love Megan
Boston called last night about 6pm to let me know that they have pushed the transplant off until the 22nd of October. They also don't have a date for the first surgery but they think it will be around the 6/7/8/9 of October. They think that they won't have results from the new blood tests until September the 8th or 9th due to the upcoming holiday and they don't want to take Bridgette's kidneys out on the 10th since she is still making urine. They say that if they take them out and have no match then hemodialysis will be that much harder on her and her fluid intake as well as dietary intake will become much more strict. I have to look at it in a positive way, this way now she will be able to go to school for 1 month. She will go every M/W/F from 8:30-11:30, then we will drive to Albany for dialysis and on T/Th she will have full days in school, so in her mind this is better and she is happier now, and that's all I can ask for.
Enjoy the beautiful weather, Love Megan
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