Sunday Nov. 28

Here I am watching Dirty Jobs with Kasi, Ron, and Aubree.  Sitting chilling out as if we were home, but missing the boys like CRAZY!  Ben was going to come up here today, but he has a little cold and Nathan was going to Grandpa and Grandma DeRoo's and that was a better offer all of a sudden.  He doesn't really like the long ride up here, although he loves to see Kasi.  It was a good choice for him to stay though since he has a little cold. 
Kasi is hanging out with her numbers not going to the point in which she can eat, but lower than they were.  She will be able to start clear liquids when they are under 100, and they are currently at 123 and 105.  Last week at this time they were at 165 and 154, so she is making progress.  The doctors really feel that by Wednesday she will be able to have some clear liquids.  Kasi is thinking she will be able to go home NEXT week sometime, I am still hopeful for this coming weekend.  She might be a little more realistic than I am right now, but I am hopeful.   I have so much Christmas shopping to do and it is only going to be done a little bit at a time because I am not going to be able to leave her for long periods of time.  Yes, there will be people there, but there are somethings that only a mom can do for a 14 year old girl. 
Tomorrow she will be having her angiogram.  They will be giving her more fluids tonight to protect her kidneys for tomorrow.  This also causes her to "go" more often all night and tomorrow.  Well, tomorrow she will have to remain flat for 6-8 hours so that makes it hard for her because she will need a lot of help because she will remain in bed.  Once more something she has to be subject to that would make a lot of people uncomfortable.  Kasi, well, she is used to these things and I am too now, so I will take care of ALL her needs.  I wouldn't have it any other way though.  The sense of compassion I have has grown while being up here, knowing some of these kiddos don't have moms or loving people to help take care of their every need like that.  I would do it 100 times over.  In fact being here this long makes me want to volunteer at DeVos, but in my spare time of course. 
The angiogram will answer a lot of questions for the doctors and we are very excited to see what her aorta actually looks like now after surgery.  Plus they are going to get a good look at blood flow to her belly and kidneys too.  All stuff we are so curious to see how it is moving.  They will also being doing a study on her for a while too.  Imagine that.  She is so different then other cases, even the way the test results on her, they are opposite of what they "normally" are.  So, they are going to use her case to learn and research once again.  It is pretty cool to know that she is not going through all of this for no reason.  It will help others in the future.
So, today we rest, and wait for numbers.  Tomorrow she will be put under again, and have a procedure.  Our week will be looking up from then.  We have been waiting for this angio to happen, so we are happy it is finally here.