First of all I can’t begin to thank everyone for all of the prayers, texts, messages and care packages. There is no doubt they are working. We have had two really long days of appointments and diagnostics with her different doctors.She continues to beat benchmarks for their TPAIT program. Her incision sites are large but are healing really nicely. The tissue damage from the bad arterial line and heparin toxicity is shockingly better. 

We got some great news today that her platelet count is down from 1.3 million to just over 500,000. This means the Hydroxyurea is doing it’s job but it is also an indication that she may not have to be on this med long term. This is the med that has the most longterm side effects but we have no choice but to take it. 

Her blood glucose levels are still extremely challenging. Since this is not the way a diabetic typcially becomes a diabetic it is much more challenging both on her body as well as for her endocrinology team. She has run low at night then will spike. This leaves her feeling terrible and us constantly making insulin adjustments. It has been eye opening dealing with this. Every morsel is measured and calculated in order to give her the right amount of insulin for the carb intake. Due to the reconstruction of her digestive system eating is still problematic as everything is still healing and waking up. Sometimes she can eat and sometimes it’s only a few bites at a time. Eavery day is a little better though. 

The Coronavirus has really thrown us for a loop in a different way from the rest of the world. We are thankful Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has been far more restrictive than Alabama. Not a person steps foot into the any lobby entrance with out a temperature screening. We have been only leaving the apartment for doctors appointments, to walk Winnie and the occassional pharmacy or minimal grocery run. We usre miss our home, our yard and having a bedroom with less than 4 people in it. It is far from perfect and to say we have our moments with each other is an understatement but we are getting though it a few hours at a time. 

I have specific prayer requests for Scarlett as well as Shep and Ansley. Please pray for Scarlett’s continued healing, for her platelet count to normalize, for her Diabetest to become more manageable and for her islet cells to graft and wake up. Please pray for Ansley and Shep. Shep has been sick for 9 days while he was here. He is better now but the labs indicate abnomal pancreatic values. We met with Scarlett’s team and they are starting the referal process in order to determine if he has the same Gene Mutation. Thank you for loving on my family! 

Much Love, Alissa