Hello everyone-I hope you are all well and getting your fun summer plans finalized. As for my summer in Vietnam, I have decided to continue this same blog on this site rather than starting a new blog. These blogs are not user-friendly to set up and I don’t want all of you to have to re-register for the updates … so stay right here and join me in Ho Chi Minh!!! 😍

As for Steve’s Liver Journey it has been less than smooth. That poor guy and his wife have been through the wringer. We were told he would go home somewhere between 5 days and 2 weeks after his transplant. Well 2 weeks was YESTERDAY and he’s nowhere close to going home because he has had a lot of setbacks. Up until 2 days ago, he has been exhibiting some stroke- like + seizure-like behaviors for almost a week. Then his gut stopped working so his tube feeds were shut off. Have I mentioned how emaciated he already is? Four more days without feeding was not ideal yet understandably necessary. It was quite scary and very depressing wondering if the condition he was in was his new norm.💔

MRIs were delayed several days because Lahey was already behind on those and the Emergency Dept was bombarded. Finally yesterday the MRI showed he had not had a stroke and that these abnormal behaviors were probably a very serious side effect of the anti-rejection meds which had been stopped for several days last week when his levels became toxic. Those meds can take up to 10 days to clear out of your system after being stopped so slowly his symptoms have been subsiding.

We were all so excited last night because he had had a pretty good two days. Feeds were back on and those scary neurological symptoms seemed to be subsiding. In fact, when I rolled him on his side and was rubbing his back, I made a joke asking, “How do you keep your girlish figure?” And instead of staring blankly at the wall he actually coherently made a joke right back to Me!! 🥳 (I was so excited that I forgot what he actually said!!).

Then this afternoon I get the call that he’s had 2 modest setbacks again today. Honest to God!! Give a guy and his very supportive wife a break! More tests to follow tomorrow. Please join us with more prayers for brighter days ahead soon. 🙏🏻 Thank you all for the love, support and concern that you have so generously given already. We deeply appreciate You ❤️💕❤️