Here is an update on what we have been up to since we arrived home.

Arden went to the hospital for three scheduled appointments during our first week at home: one lab draw and two cardiology checkups. She will continue to have weekly lab draws and one cardiology appointment each week during February. Arden will only go to the cardiologist once every other week in March. After six months, she will only have to go once a month. At the one-year mark, she will drop down to quarterly checkups.
She will also have a heart catheterization at the end of February. These appointments are all part of the routine schedule for all transplant patients.

Arden’s heart is continuing to work perfectly for her, and her antibody levels are no longer a problem. She still has fluid around her lungs, making it difficult to breathe sometimes. Her doctors anticipate this will improve with time, but they monitor it with x-rays and ultrasounds.

Arden loves being home with her sisters. She continues to attend school virtually and uses the travel time to and from the hospital to do homework and even did a quiz in the car last week. She looks forward to going back to school, but her immune system is at its lowest during the first few months after transplant, so for now, being home is the safest option for her.

Thank you for your support and prayers for our family. We could not have gone on this journey without the help of so many friends and family members.