It’s been two years. Delia’s liver just celebrated its 2nd birthday in her body. We acknowledged and remembered the anniversary of The Day everything changed and celebrated what’s ahead of us. I can’t believe it’s already been two years and also can’t believe that it’s only been two years. There’s so many feelings around something like this, so much gratitude that she’s okay and pain that she went through this. Gratitude at the young adult she’s becoming with so much strength and wisdom while also so much sadness at how this has irrevocably changed her life. I have so much gratitude for the liver that showed up exactly when she needed it to, and so very much sadness at the child who was lost so mine could live. Life is complicated isn’t it, my friend calls it brutiful, all this brutal beauty and I can’t think of a better way to describe all these feelings. 

As for how she’s doing… great! She has an appointment with her Stanford Liver Team every three months and her latest update was all good news. She’s not quite officially out of rejection yet, but her liver is doing so well that they were able to take her off of all her extra meds that were counteracting the additional steroids she was on to fight her immune system. Translation- she’s on fewer meds! She’s far enough away from transplant and rejection now that she was able to fully transfer to pills instead of needing to do liquid form of her meds where dosages are easily manipulated. NO MORE SYRINGES! This is great news for us, every Sunday I fill up her pill box and that’s all she has to worry about. This will make traveling easier and sleepovers more doable. Thank you to the few people she had sleepovers with who gave her the medications at the correct times and followed all the dosages and especially my mom who had to squint really hard to see the lines on the syringes. 

Delia grew an additional inch since our October appointment and gained another good chunk of weight so her growth chart is well, off the charts, and she is far from the emaciated, malnourished looking kid she was two years ago. We haven’t had a blood draw for a month but we’ll go in the week after next and hopefully they’ll give us two months reprieve before the next one. 

Overall, she’s doing very well. Our family is doing well and we are happy and healthy. Thank you for your support and your interest in our journey. 

This month is Donate Life month and I will never again be able to let that pass without thinking about it. If you aren’t an organ donor already, become one! This is something I’ve been passionate about since I was 15 and obviously had no idea at the time the role it would play in my future.