Friends of Kaley Conway: "We are going to pump you up!" -- Dr. Tujios

Friday, February 17, 2012

"We are going to pump you up!" -- Dr. Tujios

Well, maybe those weren't my transplant teams' exact words about the steroid treatments..... :)

Update: I am THRILLED to say that Prayers are being answered!!!!!!!!!!

Day 4 in the hospital and the IV steroid (solu-medrol) treatments in combination with a different/previous anti-rejection drug (prograf) are working just as the doctors had hoped! After the transjugular biopsy last Monday, the results showed that I am having an episode of moderate-severe rejection. My transplant team decided that they NEEDed/had to stop the rejection ASAP!

After 3 rounds of IV steroids in St. Paul's and the combined increase of anti rejection meds, the results are GREAT! My liver numbers we are focusing on (ALT and AST) should be 10-35 and mine were in the 300's a couple days before I was admitted on Valentine's Day. But by then they had already started slowly trending down (because they'd already been increasing anti rejection doses)and now after each round of steroids they have decreased immensely!!! Yesterday they were down at 39 and 138 (10-35 goal) from the 300's! Today's results have not yet been reported but they anticipate they will be continuing to decrease AND drum roll please......if so I can go home today on an out patient basis!!!! Praise God! My doctor will monitor me on high oral doses of steroids--tapering them off until down to normal and liver is stable--which would mean I would no longer in rejection!! My blood thinner (Coumadin) still isn't therapeutic so I'm continuing with the twice daily shots for now and may need to the next 6 months.

But so far the treatment is fighting the rejection and I am already starting to feel better: less pain around liver and incision, Not nauseous literally 24 hours a day, and I look forward to more progress each day!

I may not be a meteorologist but Nobody is going to rain on my parade today! All of YOUR faithful prayers and positive thoughts are working!

Praise God and may you be blessed in many ways for your Unwavering support! THANK YOU!

2 comments:

Sherrie KulwickiFebruary 17, 2012 at 2:19 PM
WHOOOHOOOOO! Thank you Lord! Hang in there Kaley!! We love you! We are praying!! The Kulwicki's
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KacyFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:13 PM
So glad to hear it!
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Contribution Information and Background

If you wish to make a financial contribution towards Kaley's recovery online, please utilize the PayPal DONATE button below. If you prefer to send a check, please make it payable to Kaley Conway and email friendsofkaleyconway@gmail.com for the mailing address.

*Calls, texts and emails are all welcome. People may visit for short periods of time in very small numbers. Since Kaley's immune system is so weak and will continue to be, please do not visit if you have been, feel, think you might be or have ANY symptoms of being sick.

A very condensed version of Kaley's story:

On Monday, November 21st, Kaley was rushed to the emergency room at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital where her medical team found her to be in acute liver and kidney failure with her right lung partially deflated. Arrangements were quickly made to transport her by ambulance to St. Paul’s/UT Southwestern ICU. Upon admission to the ICU, a team of specialists determined that she would need a liver transplant in order to survive and that the liver would have to become available on an emergent basis. They began the task of getting her body healthy enough to be placed on the national liver transplant list. During this time, the medical team confirmed her diagnosis to be medication-induced liver failure, caused by Augmentin, a common antibiotic prescribed for strep throat. The next couple of days included a multitude of critical procedures, including continuous kidney dialysis, pulmonary treatments for her lungs, and stabilizing an acute infection in the kidneys and lungs. Kaley was placed on the national liver transplant recipient list on Thanksgiving day. She entered the list at the top, meaning most critical. In less than 24 hours after being listed, they received a telephone call from the UTSW Transplant Coordinator that they had located a liver, which was a perfect match and in great condition. On Saturday, November 26th, at 8:17 a.m., Kaley was taken to the operating room to receive her new liver. The surgery took 11 hours, and the medical team determined that they would preform a 2nd look-see procedure 2 days later. At the completion of the first surgery, they loosely closed her and took her to the ICU. On Tuesday, November 29th, Kaley had her 2nd and final surgery which took about 3 hours.