The good news?  We're just over 6 months post-transplant!

The bad news?  Ms. P's been hospitalized 4 times in the last 4 months; two of those stays being this month alone.

They told us to expect at least 1-2 hospitalizations after her transplant within the first year, but we seemed to have well surpassed this marker and we're just over halfway to her 1-year kidney-versary.

Parker's most recent hospitalization is brought to you by rhinovirus and pneumonia.  This poor peanut has been through so much.  She had been running a low-grade fever the last few days and complaining of a headache so when Seth and I checked her temperature last night before going to bed and it was almost 102, we knew we had better start packing the bag for another hospitalization.  Nothing breaks your heart like having to wake your sleeping child to tell them you have to take them to the emergency room in the middle of the night, 2 hours away where they will be met with needles, IV lines, chest x-rays, urine and blood samples.  At least with this hospitalization, there were rooms available.  Earlier this month, we spent over 24 hours in an emergency triage room waiting for a room to open.  Let me tell you, that is not an experience I'm hoping to repeat.

We're not sure how long this admission will be.  Her care team is keeping a close eye on her oxygen level which is teetering in the low 90s and waiting for a few cultures to come back before determining the next course of action.

In the meantime, the good news is that her recent hospitalizations are not due to issues with Kim the Kidney.  Her highly immunocompromised state simply puts her at tremendous risk of catching sickness and makes it extremely hard for her body to kick.  The tricky part is that a lot of these illnesses lead to diarrhea and dehydration, which cause strain on Kim and also cause difficulty in regulating her antirejection medication.

Please say an extra prayer for Ms. P and give your kiddos an extra hug and kiss before bed.

All of our love,
Seth, Elizabeth, Addison n' Parker