another update

Ok I finally got the call from the doctor and he said the biopsy showed mild rejection so he raised my prograft from 5 to 7 and raised my predisone 4 to 5 he said hopefully getting my medicines regulated this will fix my problem. The doctor I seen is so rude I told Dr.McGuire
I did not want to see him anymore. They put me to sleep to do the biopsy because I could not handle the pain because of my scar from the surgery so didn't feel a thing.
I would like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kim and I love you so much. You have done so much for me during this trying time in my life going through this without you I just don't think I could have done it.You are the best christian, wife, mother and friend anyone could ask for and I love you so much Thank You for everything and I love you and your family can't wait to see all the kids.
In Christian Love Mary

just a rock in the road for me

Well, I will have to say that my visit this morning sent us in a loop. He said that my blood work had doubled since Friday and he was real concerned about it. The doctor practicneer came in and he said out of the blue that your new liver has pbc like your old one had and immediately Billy said I want to see Dr. McGuire or Dr. Dubay he said he was not leaving until we saw one of them and Beth my coordinator came in and right behind her was the doctors and he said if pbc comes back in your new liver it will be between 10 to 15 years later not this soon. He said that other doctor had to much knowledge and didn't know how to use all of it and I said I don't want to see him again and he said ok.
Dr. McGuire said if I am rejecting the Liver there was several treatments to do. 1. They could put me in the hospital and run a heavy dose of predisone in me for like 2 days. 2. They are going to have to really work with getting my medicines all fixed and that could take a while.
I had to be at the Kirkland Clinic at 2:30 today for the ultrasound and tomorrow I have to be at the surgery floor on first to have a liver biopsy. The biopsies I had before they found out what was going on with me was rough and it hurt but he told me that he would sedate me and I wouldn't know what was going on which made me feel better about it. When they get these results back they should know what is going on with me it may take a couple of days afterwards but he said they will find out what is happening.
Love Mary

another doctor update!

Well, surprisingly everything went great. You will not believe what the doctor did today, I got my stales out and the doctor asked Billy if he wanted to get them out and Billy was up at my bedside like lightning and I am not so sure of this. The doctor came over and took two staples out and handed Billy the tool to take them out now let me tell you I was a bit uncomfortable the funny thing is when he showed Billy how to do it he left the room and never came back as he was leaving out of the room I was saying please doctor don't you want to stay in here and supervise him and he said "No he will do just fine and I said that is a matter of opinion. Really he did fine and he really felt like he had done something, a few times it was painful but all in all it went pretty smooth.
The doctor said my gloucose level was high and he said that some people become a diabetic but he didn't think I was he just hasn't gotten the medicine right yet this could take a while.
I asked the doctor about when he thought I could get out and he said whenever I felt like it as long as I was very cautious that meant if I go anywhere I cannot touch anybody, shake their hands because this is where the infection always comes from. I know yall are all saying "She better not go out anywhere just yet" I agree, I still am not up to traveling much so I will be in for at least two more weeks and then I will go out for short amounts of time.
I want you all to know I am the luckiest person in the world to have so many friends that really care for me. Having Christian friends is what has given me the strength I need to push myself to heal and heal fast.
Everyone who came to clean my house I give a big THANK YOU and I have keep it clean believe it or not, all of you put several hours into helping me out that really words can't explain how I feel about you. And whoever cleaned my refridgerator 'WOW'
it sure did need it Thank you. And those of you who fixed food for me and my family it has all been wonderful. The only thing is I haven't been able to find the salt substitute that i need for my food Thank you! Remember you all cannot talk about me my refrigerator was in such bad shape just remember that i had a great excuse all I use to do is sleep.
You know I am now up past 11 a lot. I was surprised the other night when Jasmine and Alex came downstairs and was so excited about me still up, now Billy was already asleep. It amazes me at the small details that mean a lot I am bound and determined to not miss anything anymore. I have enjoyed being able to just lay up in the bed and watch Television. Sally has been coming and staying with me because Billy is still insecure about me being home by myself right now. Here is my and Sally's routine she comes in and she will crawl in on Billys side of the bed and I am on my side and there we are watching tv and sleeping. Now yall remember that Sally has an injury also her foot is still hurting her so we are healing together how fun is that, we really look funny but hey it works. Then around lunchtime we get up and eat a breakfast or lunch whichever is the time we get up. It has been nice having someone over in case I do need something now I try to do things myself but I am not overdoing it.
Love you all Mary

Mary Smiles Again

Hello everybody, This is Mary back from the dead I thought that was funny since it is almost Halloween. Guess what I've got the best Christmas, birthday, anniversary and any other occasion you can think of present "A NEW LIVER". Two weeks ago today after one year one week and fifteen days I got my Liver transplant and I am an amazingly different person not only do I think that so does everybody else.
Thanks to all of you and your prayers I have had the most successful experience. My doctors and nurses at UAB was sooooo good to me, when I went to the doctor for blood work Monday he said I made his day because I looked so much better than I had on Friday. The doctor came in to examine me and he kept looking for something at my stomach and I asked "what are you looking for" he answered I am looking for a drainage tube and he was so surprised that I had none, everyone comes home with at least one tube. I told him I am nothing like any of the others I am a fast track Liver Patient.
I have the best Christian friends any one could ever have. Guess what everybody the house is still clean and not messed up "YET" I am so lucky I would like to take a moment and be a little mushy. Without any of my friends I would not be this relaxed and I would feel like I needed to push myself to get well faster than I was really ready. All I can say is THANK YOU and I love you all so much.
I don't know what life was like after 5 because I would sleep so much before my transplant and now at 11 my eyes are just getting a little tired and I love being awake and just talking to my family and even friends, I am so happy and now there is a smile on my face almost all the time. I am back everyone me and my old self well really a new self.
When I came home I was so scared because my stomach was so sick all the time and I had lost 10 pounds since I had come home and the doctor took me off of my Cellcept and now my appetite has come back with a vengeance all I want to do is eat I can't even believe it. I have been saying I can't wait to really want to eat, because before I ate because I knew I had to eat and now my body has been craving food. Today I got up and had 2 scrambled eggs and two pieces of toast which is good for me because I usually don't want breakfast. And about 12 my stomach told me that I was hungry so Sally and I heated up some potato soup I ate a big bowl of it with lots of crackers and then Lee Ann brought some Butterbeans and fried potatoes and I ate some potatoes with Ketchup and that was delicious and after church Jeanette is sending us a plate from church and I am ready for the food.
I talked to little Jatkerias mom (I am not sure that I spelled the name yet) As I talked to her we got to talking about winter and she was saying Jatkeria didn't have any long sleeve pjs because they had to leave in such a hurry and she couldn't get things she needed. So Billy is going this weekend and buy her something warm she wears she said a size 4 toddler. Jatkeria's mom said they are all going to the Ronald McDonalds house real soon sometime this weekend and she was happy about that. The baby is doing great Everyone listen to this she got her staples out yesterday Monday and I have mine all the way up till Friday and I couldn't believe she got hers out I tried to get mine out again yesterday but he said no not till Friday, so I didn't say another word, so Friday is the day for me.
The doctor told me that my blood work went from 3. something to 19. something and he had never seen any blood work go so drastic I was concerned about what all that meant and I asked did this mean anything about rejection the Liver and he said no if a person rejects a liver they never make it home they reject it in the hospital, and he said if you reject a liver it's not because of the liver it is always because of infection he said infection causes rejection and that is why I am going to be very careful in the winter and for awhile I will have to stay inside because he said there is a lot of germs out there and it would be very easy for me to catch one because of my surgery site and. He said everything was going wonderfully not to worry about rejection and even if I did reject it there is so many other medicines left to use that he wouldn't even worry about it if it happened but he is confident that it will not happen so I left there happy as a lart whatever a lart is. My made up word.
I hope I have updated a little more and I will update some more later since I will have the time. I will be off work till after the first of the year because people have donated me enough days so I can stay at home as long as I can and recooperate
but i am sure i will be going back after the first and that may be half days for just a while I will wait and see and not be in a hurry, everyone I have enjoyed being at home and relaxing. You would think that I would be relaxed but before I had my surgery I would sleep a lot but I never got rested and I already feel better..
In Christian Love Mary Courington

NEW FROM MARY!!!

HELLO EVERYONE THIS IS MARY!!!! I AM DOING VERY WELL. TODAY THEY STARTED TEACHING ME HOW TO TAKE MY NEW MEDS, THIS WAS ALL QUITE EMOTIONAL, AND STRESSFUL FOR ME. I WAS SCARED AT FIRST ABOUT FORGETTING HOW TO TAKE THEM. BUT JASMINE SAVED THE DAY!!! LOL!! SHE SAT DOWN AND WENT OVER AND OVER AND OVER MY MEDS WITH ME TONIGHT. AND YAY!!! I FINALLY GOT IT.
THE DOCTORS SAID THAT I HAVE FAST TRACKED EVERY EXPECTATION THAT THEY HAVE HAD FOR ANY LIVER TRANSPLANT PATIENT. THE PT CAME TODAY TO WALK ME AND SHE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT I HAD HAD A LIVER TRANSPLANT, SHE SAID THAT EVERY PATIENT SHE HAS WORKED WITH HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY SWOLLEN, AND I WAS THE FIRST ONE SHE HAS HAD THAT HAD NO SWELLING. SHE WAS IN TOTAL SHOCK!!!!SHE WALKED ME UP SOME STAIRS WHICH WASN'T THAT BAD, AND BACK TO MY ROOM. SHE SAID THAT THAT WAS ALL THE PT THAT I WOULD NEED, BC I WAS SUCH SHAPE.
I HAVE ONLY HAD A LITTLE ITCHING WHICH WAS CAUSED FROM THE MEDS. I AM REALLY RELIEVED! NO MORE ITCHING!!!!!!!! THE DOCTOR SAID THIS MORNING THAT HE THINKS I CAN COME HOME ON WEDNESDAY. THAT I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS, CARDS, MONEY, FOOD, AND FRIENDSHIP. YOU ALL MEAN THE WORLD TO ME. LOVE YOU ALL, MARY

LATEST UPDATE!!

Hi everyone its Jazz again with another update on mom! Last night they finally got her in a regular room with no specific visiting hours!! YAY! Alex, dad, Zac, and me are VERY Happy about that!!! Anywho mom is doing very well with her new liver and today, is trying to rest a little bit! She has been very emotional today but the doctor says that it is normal with all of the side affects of the new meds that she is on! I am so thankful for everyone who has came and sat with us throughout this trying exhausting time for us all!!! I appreciate it so much!! It means alot to us!! thank you all for your support and prayers! Its working!!! I'll be sure to keep updating soon!!! LOVE, JASMINE

VISITING HOURS!!

THE VISITING TIMES ARE 10:30am-11:00am, 2:30pm-3:00pm, 4:30-5:00pm, 8:30pm-9:00pm! Dad seen mom this morning and said that she was NOT ITCHING!!! YAY!! We are relieved and most of all mom is too! Dad said that mom was talking up a storm and doing great! I'll be sure to update later!!! TTYL JASMINE

UPDATE!!!!!

Hi everybody!
This is Jazz again! Good news to everyone mom did great during the transplant!!!The doctor said that it only took them 4 hours to do the transplant and that she was doing excellent! He said that mom had a new BEAUTIFUL LIVER!!!(lol)Dad, Alex, and me are doing good too! We all got to go up and see mom last night at about 12:15 or 12:30pm something like that i'm not really sure because i was so exhausted and had passed out asleep in the floor!When we got back there they had already taken moms breathing tube out and she was breathing on her own! She even had her eyes open talking about how she was hurting and saying her famous words of "I need something to drink" lol THATS MOM!!! But it was only because she had the breathing tube in for such a long time during surgery! They have certain visiting hours to visit during these first few days after the surgery I'm not sure what they are right now but I will try to blog them later for mom! First of all Alex, Dad, Mom, and I would like to thank everyone who came and spent a really long day of waiting with us, it really made it a whole lot better!! I was a nervous wreck but it would've been even worse if all of you weren't there to keep us company! I love all of you so much and want you to know that we are so lucky to have WONDERFUL christian friends and family to be there for us! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Well i'll try to keep updating throughout these next few days! LOVE, JASMINE

TRANSPLANT TIME!!!!!!

Hello everyone this is Jasmine I'm posting for mom today! It is 2:41pm and mom is in the prep room getting ready for the transplant. If you didn't know mom got the call around 1:45pm yesterday and told all of us to be here art 4:00pm and that they will do the transplant in the morning around 9:30! So we loaded up and came over to the hospital. Dad stayed with mom and the rest of us went home to stay for the night to prepare for a long day spent at the hospital! We arrived around 6:00am this morning and have been here ever since.We will be in the SCIU waiting room on the 7th floor if any of you would like to come visit. The quickest place to park would probaly be in the 4th ave. parking deck and come straight up!!! I will try to keep you all posted as the days go by. Please keep us all in your prayers! we appreciate it a lot! LOVE EVERYONE, JASMINE!!