Here are the top 10 updates on Day 10 post-surgery
1) The entire family was together today. The kids hung out a little, picked on mom, ate some pizza, teased each other, and played some games, knowing all too well that having these experiences again was never guaranteed. Feeling blessed!
2) Today the ng tube came out!!! Last transplant, Erin had a g-tube in her stomach and thus was able to avoid the extremely uncomfortable and annoying tube from her nose to her small intestines. This was one of the biggest barriers to her continued successful recovery and now it is GONE!
3) On Wednesday, given Erin’s remarkable progress her team said they were considering discharging her next Tuesday, just shy of 2 weeks after her transplant!  In comparison, she spent 3 weeks in the hospital with her first transplant and this surgery and recovery was expected to be far more challenging.
4) Thursday’s bronchoscopy went well. No biopsies done, just a lavage to clean out the lungs and suck out any mucus. Only downside was there was A LOT of mucus requiring them to do another bronchoscopy before they are comfortable releasing her from the hospital. As of right now, that is scheduled for Wednesday.
5) Friday’s swallow test went well and she got the ‘go ahead’ to have a regular diet, with restrictions on how to safely drink liquids to avoid aspirating. Her first true meal, Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza from Papa John’s! It tasted amazing!
6) Longest walk = 6 laps or 750ft this morning with the family cheering her on. It has been over a year since she was able to walk this distance!
7) She no longer needs help getting in and out of bed. She is able to safely sit down and reposition herself.
8) She said goodbye to the beautiful hospital gowns and is wearing her own clothes!
9) She has lost the 20 pounds of water weight that she gained after surgery and despite a limited appetite, she has been able to maintain her regular weight.
10) Erin has found her voice, literally and figuratively. Her physical voice is slowly getting stronger, but her self advocacy voice has grown leaps and bounds. Over the past ten years, including moments during transplant journey, she has encountered doctors, nurses, therapists, and social workers who have doubted her, underestimated her, not trusted her, and disrespected her. Today, she took a deep breath and spoke for five minutes straight, addressing the concerns the team had removing her ng tube. In the end, they heard what she had to say and were willing to give her a try, and that is all she has ever wanted, a chance to prove to the rest of the world what those close to her have always know….she is a force to be reckoned with!