So we made it home from St. Louis as planned.  I went straight into working the weekend after we got home, and have also worked extra shifts since.  The hospital is VERY busy with influenza patients.  I've barely had time to get online since we've been back!  I'm actually updating from work today, but I promise to upload new pictures soon.

A0B0! Amber has no rejection!  We are cleared to head home on Thursday morning!  Amber did fantastic today for her bronch, and also was able to get her H1N1 shot and a pneumovax.  Things are looking up.  Now we head home on Thursday to start some followup on this pancreas issue.

It's been raining nonstop since we've arrived in St. Louis.  I'm going to check the weather for tomorrow and hope it's nice and we can go to the zoo before we leave!

So we made it to St. Louis yesterday.  Amber did fantastic on the plane ride!  She loved listening to her music and reading books.  She even took a short little nap.  Unfortunately, with all the stuff we have to carry with us on the plane, somehow we have lost Amber's Ipod!  This is a huge loss for this trip as Amber is very soothed by her music....I'm sure we'll make due without it though.  She'll get another one when we get home...good thing they are inexpensive nowadays!

Day to day, Amber has been doing quite well.  She has been well enough to restart PT every other week this past month, and next month will begin weekly speech therapy sessions again. 

So as you can tell by the pictures, Amber and I had a great time in Medford a few weeks ago.  The wedding was fun, and visiting with family and friends was great.  Amber was a little overwhelmed by all the action.  She had a difficult time sleeping while we were there, but seems to be recovering quite well at home.

Sorry, I don't have much time tonight to update.  Amber is doing great and we're back from our trip to Medford.  I did manage to post a few pics online so check out the Photo Album!

Yes, really....pancreatitis again.  Amber seems to be having another flair up of pancreatitis.  She spent the weekend at Ron's house and woke up Sunday morning just not "looking right" as we say.  Ron called me and brought her to my house so I could check her out.  He was right, she for sure was looking pale and tired, and she was retching quite a bit.  I was concerned enough to get her checked out...but not enough to take her to the ER.  (They pretty much just admit her when she rolls through the door anymore...she's too complicated of a case to work

So just a quick update.  Dr. Fridge, Amber's GI doc here in Portland, has decided it is best for Amber to remain on the TPN until her Lipase level is completely normal.  Yesterdays level was 91, which is still high, though it continues to trend down, so we are moving in the right direction.  I suspect it will take another week or two to work itself out.  Likely, there was a bit of inflamation from her procedure, and the fluid mass in her abdomen is probably resolving slowly, which may be the reason her level is still a bit high.  I agree with Dr.

OK...thanks for the reminder Aunt Theresa.....I just uploaded some of the photos taken at Amber's third birthday party last month!  Check the Parties section of the Photo Album!

Well, the doctor here in Seattle figured out why Amber keeps getting pancreatitis.  During the ERCP, he found that part of her main pancreatic duct was detached from the duodenum, and therefore, leaking pancreatic enzymes into the abdomen.  The enzymes then have been eating away at the pancreas and surrounding tissues, which caused the fluidlike mass in her belly which the doctors in Portland have been calling a "pseudocyst".  Dr Kozarek (here in Seattle) says it's not in fact a pseudocyst, it's actually what they call "walled off pancreatic necrosis".&nbs