Procedure Completed - Kayli Resting

The procedure was completed Kayli is resting in her room in the PICU.  Stephanie will update with more information later today---Mark

The Interventional Radiologist who performed Kayli's procedure was pleased with how it went, and said that Kayli handled the anesthesia and everything very well. If you have googled the TIPS procedure I spoke of, you might understand a little of the dynamics...but let me just put it this way... the pressure in our portal veins is normally around 5, Kayli's was at 20. The shunting procedure lowered her pressure to about 3. All of the pressure in Kayli's portal vein is what was causing the backup of blood and the blood vessels in her esophagus and tummy to burst causing the life threatening blood loss situation. Kayli came back from the procedure still on the ventilator but resting pretty comfortably. They weaned her off of the ventilator over the course of the afternoon, Mark said they had her completely off around 4:30pm! YAY!!

She has been Facebooking and texting some updates to friends, and I know her and Mark have been resting off and on all evening. She is happy to be off of the ventilator but has a pretty sore throat. She still cannot eat though, and hasn't eaten since Thursday night. I think that is the hardest thing for her is that she is hungry. They will most likely keep her on IV nutrition for another day or so, maybe Wednesday or Thursday she can start on clear fluids, and probably stay on liquids for a couple of days after that. Not sure at all at this point when she will be able to come home, unless someone talked to Mark this evening and he hasn't passed on to me yet. And no idea at all of when she might be able to go back to school. Kayli is now considered most certainly a good candidate for a liver transplant. The doctors had first thought that she would have a decent outcome from the immunosuprresants and steroids and not suffer from all of the usualy liver disease symptoms, but these GI bleeds proved otherwise. They had planned to turn down the first few donor liver matches, focusing on the drug therapy...but that has potentially changed and they may take the first match. We are not sure though how long the wait will be, could be weeks or months still.

Tomorrow morning I will get Emily off to school and then try to head straight down to the hospital. I would like to try and be there when the doctors make their rounds so that I can get info first hand and can update everyone. Thank you so much everyone for your prayers and willingness to help. The outpouring of love and prayers and encouragement continues to completely overwhelm our family. We love you all so much and we just know that God is working through all of you to wrap his arms around Kayli and us. We have been very Blessed with supportive family, friends, neighbors, community! May the Lord Bless each and every one of you and your families in all that you do.