post-transplant UPDATES
1/30 7:50 PM - Perhaps it's at a time like this where God is sitting on His throne, listening to our prayers and petitions as we are begging for His help, for an answer from above and we're so busy speaking our needs that we can't hear the answer, and God cracks a smile and rests his chin in the palm of His hand and listens and watches and waits for a break in the commotion of our heavy hearts and silently whispers the words He spoke long ago, now recorded in the Psalms, saying "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
Where am I going with this? By no means am I suggesting that we stop praying! But sometimes in the midst of trials, things can seem so imminent, so out of control that we pray so frantically that we miss the answer altogether. And God, being the ever-so-patient I AM that He IS, just waits for us to finish before He speaks.
Such I suppose could be the case here. Once the frantic subsided and the focus on the word "rejection" began to fade, then the answer came. And that answer was simply this. The word "rejection" drowned out the rest of what was to be understood. For starters, the official results place Kelli's rejection level at 1a, not 1b as first reported. (As I said, I don't think much made it passed the word rejection.) Secondly, this level of rejection is expected and is treated simply by adjusting medications.
So, this would be the point where "Being still and knowing that He is God" and in control is the answer to our prayer.
1/28 1:00 PM - It is my hope that none of us become discouraged by today's unexpected turn of events. I added to the last post, a chart from the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation to help explain the results given a little better. We were forewarned by other transplant recipients to expect these kind of bumps in the road, but to remember that they are - just bumps.
"Amateurs built the Ark, Professionals built the Titanic - if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it."
It's important, in fact it is paramount, that we remember the power of prayer. One of my favorite testimonies to the power or prayer is the story of the Apostle Peter in Acts 12, where he is imprisoned and the church gathered together in prayer (the Bible says "without ceasing." to petition God for his release.) And that same night, as Peter lay sleeping, chained to two soldiers, the Angel of the Lord appeared and "smote" Peter and raised him up, (apparently Peter was a sound sleeper) and the Angel spoke saying, "Arise quickly" and the chains fell from off Peter.
At first Peter thought perhaps he was even dreaming, and it wasn't until the Angel had led Peter out into the street but what he realized he wasn't dreaming. Peter went to the house of Mary (this is where the church had gathered to pray) and he began knocking at the door.
Now, picture this... they answered the door - saw Peter standing at the door - and the Bible says they were "astonished". Isn't it amazing - here they were praying for the very blessing and miracle that stood before their very eyes and yet- they couldn't believe what they were seeing - almost makes you imagine they slammed the door and turned around and faced the crowed and they said, "What's the matter? Looks like you just saw a ghost!" And they reply, "I think I did - I think Peter's ghost is standing at the front door.!"
Peter had to shout to them and say, No, no it really is me! God sent His Angel to release me from prison."
What did God do here? God showed us the power of diligent, fervent and unceasing prayer. And the thing I love the most about these written truths is that in the midst of the miraculous workings of God, He allows us to witness the humanity of those whom he uses and those whom he blesses to show us that God deals with us in our weaknesses as we exercise faith in Him.
And bare with me for one more REALLY AWESOME ONE;
Paul and Silas in Acts 16 - in prison, having been beaten. (Now think about this - these are might servants of God, how could it be that they were not protected and spared this trial?)
The Bible says that at mid-night, Paul and Silas began to grumble and curse God for this hardship that had come upon them - (not really - it doesn't say that I see people grabbing for their Bibles). What it really says is that at midnight, they began to sing and praise God. And suddenly an earthquake shook the foundation of the prison and the doors were opened and everyone's (not just theirs but all the prisoners) bands were loosed.
And the prison guard awakening, and seeing all the prison doors open and the prisoners free, grabbed his sword to slay himself in fear that the king would put him to death when he found out he'd fallen asleep on the job and everyone had gotten away.
But, Paul cried out, "Do thyself no harm! We are all here."
The guard was so moved by what he had witnessed, by the power of God releasing the prisoners and Paul's compassionate outreach to him that he approached Paul and Silas and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
They told him, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will saved. And your household."
What did God do here? He brought Paul and Silas to it - and He brought them through it, not for their benefit alone, but for the blessing of all the prisoners and the guard and the guards family.... God's vision extends far beyond our limited perspective. We rarely see beyond the end our own nose - God sees the limitless vastness of eternity. I guess we could say God like's to get the most from every miracle; impact as many lives as possible, squeeze every last ounce of salvation He can into every blessing!
As in this instance we now face, we've prayed the hand of God into action and we've seen His blessings countless times. Let's not be discouraged to realize that His work here isn't finished - he's not done with the blessings; for Kelli, for her family and friends; and for all those whose lives might be blessed by the hearing and seeing of her testimony unto their own personal encounter with God's magnificent, all-sufficient grace.
God bless.
1/28 10:00 AM - The results came in moments ago from Kelli's biopsy yesterday and the results were not what we had hoped to hear. The results showed that the heart is at rejection level 1 B. While I am not at this point 100% certain as to the definition of this rejection, I understand it to be classified in the "mild" category, (not that it makes it any less disheartening, when we want no rejection issues.) We continue to enlist your prayers; specifically now for this matter to be healed. I will share more when I know more.
Information supplied by CHFPatients.com
| At least 40% of heart transplant patients have at least one rejection episode in the first year after surgery | |||
| Acute rejection is a cell mediated response which occurs most commonly during the first three months after transplantation and is the consequence of the activation of the native T-cells and their proliferation. This is the phenomenon usually referred to by the phrase "Rejection", and it is a treatable condition for which standard immunosuppression is routinely used. | |||
| Acute Organ Rejection - ISHLT Grades and Treatment | |||
| Grade | Patients Status | Early (less than 3 months) | Late (after 3 months) |
| 0 | Stable | No changes | Standard immunosuppression |
| 1A | Stable | No changes | Standard immunosuppression |
| 1B | Stable | No changes | Adjust drug doses |
| 2 | Stable | No changes | Adjust drug doses |
| 2 | Unstable, meaning: rising CVP and PCWP, decreasing EF arrhythmias and other symptoms |
Increase drug doses possibly add 100mg prednisone TID |
Same as for early treatment |
| 3A | Stable | Increase drug doses 100mg prednisone TID |
Same as for early treatment |
| 3A | Unstable, meaning: rising CVP and PCWP, decreasing EF arrhythmias and other symptoms |
one gram IV prednisone Increase drug doses |
Same as for early treatment |
| 3B | Stable | one gram IV prednisone Increase drug doses |
100mg oral prednisone TID |
| 3B | Unstable, meaning: rising CVP and PCWP, decreasing EF arrhythmias and other symptoms |
ALG, ATG, or OKT3 for 7 to 10 days | one gram IV prednisone for 3 days |
| 4 | Irrelevant | ALG, ATG, or OKT3 for 7 to 10 days | |
1/27 7:00 PM - Kelli's visit went well. They said the drain tube is doing it's thing. Heartbeat is good, blood pressure; good. The doctor did mention that the echo showed some leakage in one of the heart valves. At this point he says it's too early to tell what course will be taken concerning this. Given we're such a short time out of transplant and so much going on internally as far as the healing process, it could even be something that remedies itself once things settle down, or it could be something that will need surgery to correct. The doctors will keep a close eye on it and act accordingly. This is Kelli's prayer request that this matter be resolved without the need for further surgery. We will not know until tomorrow what the results of the second biopsy are, so we will keep you posted.
1/25 6:30 PM - The weekend has come and gone. Kelli has her 2nd outpatient visit on Tuesday. Since her discharge on Friday, having been sent home with the drain tube still in, she has had some small amounts of drainage through the weekend. It seems each time throughout this process as Kelli is admitted to the hospital and then released, she goes through a recouping process. Kelli's progress this weekend has been good. We continue to pray for her pain issues to subside and for the fluid build up to come to a quick and permanent end, so that the healing process may also complete.
