At the hospital...

Last night Elizabeth started passing blood through her actively draining biliary drainage tube. It was clotting in the line, and the bile that had been draining couldn't since the blood clots were stopping the flow. After flushing the line and pulling the clots out with the flush syringe, we were relieved because the bile began flowing again, and Elizabeth started to feel better. She had started to feel pretty lousy with the bile back-up, and it was a good sign that we were able to clear the blood from the line and the green-yellow bile could get out.

At 4am this morning, Elizabeth's line started to show blood through it again. At 2am I had been up with her finishing her vancomycin IV, so sometime during those two hours is when it started up again. Elizabeth called me at 4am because she was having abdominal pain. Her liver is feeling rather hard when we palpate it, so we're concerned that she may be having some internal bleeding. A CT scan would best diagnose what is going on, so that is what we are requesting.

Dad left at around 7am to take Elizabeth into the hospital after we talked to a bevy of docs on the phone back and forth since about 5:30am. I'm home with the three boys for now.

Please pray that they can diagnose what is causing the bleeding quickly, and that they can treat it without needing to admit Elizabeth to the hospital. Today is Christmas Eve, and although I've already explained to Elizabeth that Santa can find her no matter where she is, she would much rather be at home than the stinky old hospital. (Once I reassured her that Santa will find her, even if she is inpatient, she quickly moved onto her other pressing issue: "Will Santa leave anything for the poor and homeless kids?" It breaks my heart that Elizabeth worries about these things when she is dealing with her own set of circumstances, but that is my princess, always worried about everybody else. I am so proud of her, but sometimes I wish she wasn't so grown up and aware of the crappy things in life. My answer to her was that yes, Santa finds a way to leave something for all the kids in the world, even if it is just sending people to serve them Christmas dinner--that Santa makes sure the Christmas spirit touches all the kids--she's been really big on talking about Christmas spirit lately. And she said that he must be like an angel that God sends. She always finds a way to remind me what is important. She has too much to do and teach before her life ends... I can't help but believe that she is still here because there is a greater purpose for her.)

I will update again once I know anything. Again, please pray that she will be alright first and formost. Spending Christmas at home would be a bonus. Hug your kids.