Maria had a horrible night but all in all there are glimmers of hope today.
The thymoglobulin has violently horrid and immediate side effects. She had her first round last night. After a series of weaker medications which they attempted to ease things for Maria over the course of about 5 hours, they finally gave her dilaudid and she just passed out. When she came to this morning and then got a little more rest, she had a pretty good day.
They had scheduled her to go ahead and start the plasmapheresis today but they called it off and have decided to hold on that until Monday and evaluate again whether to include it.
Her biopsy results today were not showing a lot of damage from the antibodies. So, there is still concern there since the blood results for the antibodies are so high but with the kidney not showing much distress from the antibodies. they aren't sure the plasmapheresis is necessary.
The plan for now is to monitor what the thymoglobulin does and react accordingly. As mentioned yesterday, that is administered IV only. She will get 5 treatments of that every other day. So, she had a good day today because she didn't have to do that. We're buckling in for tomorrow.
As of this moment we are predicting her being hospitalized until at least Tuesday and it's possible they'd keep her until Saturday next week to do all of the thymoglobulin treatments inpatient given her awful reaction. Time will tell.
Through the generous help of family and friends, I think we just may have this coming week covered for Gus. If Maria gets released and has to be transported for appointments, we're still short there, but there are so many unknowns it's hard to plan for that.
Her normal cocktail of anti-rejection meds is also being adjusted with the hopes that this rejection can be halted and she can go on from here.
Aunt Missy says Maria got her best medicine today out of her visit from Gus. We took his walker/gait trainer and Gus made Mama march through the halls twice to get some exercise. In the patient waiting area was a table he could get right up to so he happily played trains there for quite a while. It was good for all of us to just sit and do something so normal.
At some point, probably in about 2 weeks, there will be another biopsy to evaluate progress.
I snapped this picture yesterday because this sight took my breath away then and it still chokes me up now. This beautiful woman reaches that hand out straight from her heart. It's the hand I nervously yearned to touch 16 years ago, flush with new love; the hand I held as we exchanged vows 14 years ago and I slid that ring on to her finger; the hand that has extended comfort to so many of our pets as we've had to say goodbye to them over the years; the hand that touched my belly in wonder with the knowledge a new life was happening there; the hand that was the first one our newborn son gripped though his premature hand didn't even wrap all the way around one finger; the hand that had to hold his as he slept in his bassinet every minute of every night for the first year. Here is that hand reaching towards me as she lies vulnerable and worried for what's to come.
Three squeezes, baby, and you better keep squeezing back!
Praying for you all. Praying with all my might.
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