25 Days...

As of today Emily has been on the transplant list for 25 days! Wow! They keep saying it will be anytime, and I believe that it will, it is just hard waiting. Today also makes 8 weeks in the hospital. That is just incredible. We have been taking his one day at a time and they have really added up.

I just got back from LA. The girls and I drove over early Friday morning and arrived about noon. Sharleen was very nervous about seeing Emily. The last visit, Emily was on the respirator and heavily medicated. She was only able to visit Emily for a few minutes and was very upset. This time Emily was bright eyed and happy to see her sisters! Even though she is still on the respirator they have the medications dialed in so that she is awake and comfortable. This was a great surprise for Sharleen – she has been very worried about Emily and I think this visit will help give her confidence that Emily will be OK.

The girls do not have the attention span for long visits so Mom got to spend a lot of time with the sisters. On Friday they went to the movies – Corpse Bride. Emily was very jealous! Dad got to do the bedside duty most of Friday and Saturday. It was good fun (well, maybe fun is not the right word). It feels good to be with her. When I am back in Phoenix my imagination takes hold and it is very tough to stay positive. When I see her I know that this will all work out.

On Saturday I got a call from my sister, or maybe I called her, and she told me that the West Valley View had run an article in the Friday edition about Emily. This is our local paper and we had some contact with them but had no idea when the story would run. The print edition included several photos that I had sent them. The story is really nicely done and draws heavily from my blog entries – but with the spelling corrected. Unfortunately, I did not get a copy before I went to LA. Emily can’t wait to see it. My Dad got a few extra copies to send to friends and family around the country.

Now the part that you have all been waiting for, Emily is doing well. She is in good spirits and has adjusted very well to her new reality. She communicates freely and still has a sharp tounge (pen). All the doctors and nurses love to come and talk to her. She gets staff members stopping in all the time to check on her. These people really care about their patients. Today, Emily and the girls made her name in big letters to hang on the wall. It was fun to watch and help.

Enough for now... I am hoping for a 2am wake-up call so I can drive back over! Thanks to everyone who has visited and commented. Thanks for the emails, cards and letters. Thank you for the donations and offers of assistance. All of these things are very important and helpful. Soon, Emily will be able to thank all of you herself!