January 22

Sorry! It's been so great being home that I've abandoned the blog. Erin is doing great! She's back at school-first year of high school! I am back at wotk and loving it! Erin went to Birmingham twice this week to check blood levels. They were a little off, so she will have to have them checked again this next week. It's awesome to be home with Casey and mike!

December 26

Hallelujah! We are home! Got home Wed. About 11:30. Spending Christmas at home is completely awesome! Watching Erin get out and play for the first time in years has thrilled mike, Casey, and me beyond words. There aren't words to express the pleasure it gives us to see her once again enjoy herself thank you, Lord, for your immeasurable blessings this Christmas season!

December 5

Went to Abigail Davis' birthday party today & to church this morning. Happy 9th Birthday, Abigail! We love you! Abigail had her party at the church, so we bowled & played games & had chocolate chip cookie cake Yum! I'm doing great; it's the first time I bowled with my new lungs. It was AMAZING, but I still just throw the ball down the alley. LOL! Mr. Clark wore puppy ears cause Abigail had a puppy theme. Mommy put up the Christmas tree today, & we hunted Chrimstmas decorations all day long yesterday. WHEW! we were tired last night. We went & saw the new Harry Potter movie when we were home last week, and I got to see my puppy & kitty!!!!

Thanksgiving Day 2010

Got to go home for Thanksgiving!!!!! Biopsy turned out great; no sign of rejection! Praise God! Trying to get my prograf levels worked out, so I have to be back in Houston Monday morning for labs & clinic. I am HOME for Thanksgiving! Saw my family today: Both sets of grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, even my great aunt & great uncle & my mimi! 21 people were at my house today for dinner-WONDERFUL! Hanging out with Casey & Camille today. I ate a lot of good food today! We decorated the Bradford pear tree out front today with lights for Christmas! I am going shopping for a new bedroom suite tomorrow and a new set of mattresses. So glad to be home with my family & puppy & kitty! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

November 17

Erin had surgery yesterday. Drs did a bronchoscopy to check out her new lungs & biopsy them. He said they looked great, and we are just waiting on word from the biopsy to be sure no signs of rejection, but we are already praising God in advance for all of the wonderful things he has done & will do! She also had her Gtube & port removed; she was sorry to see them go because they were wonderful while she had them. We sooooo did not want to get either one, but when we did, they were both very useful and appreciated. She has a Ph probe in now to measure acid reflux, and that will come out tonight. Mike & Casey drove home last night. We stayed in the hospital 8 1/2 hours yesterday! Whew! Long day! Longer day for Mike & Casey! Erin is feeling great! Erin has clinic Monday, and depending on her lung function Monday, dr will decide whether we get to home for Thanksgiving or not. Believing God!

November 12

Erin is doing great! She has a little tendonitis (we think) in her ankle, so that has slowed her down a little bit. She is scheduled for her 6 week bronchoscopy Tuesday; the doctors will check for any sign of rejection & take a biopsy. They will also remove her port & possibly her Gtube. We are looking forward to seeing our Casey & Mike this weekend. We got to visit with our dog Buddy last weekend. Erin & I were both ecstatic! Depending on the results of the bronchoscopy, we may get to go home for Thanksgiving.

November 4

Well, Erin is 4 weeks & 4 days out, and she blew 61 today! WOW! She's NEVER blown 61 in her entire life. The highest Mike & I ever remember her blowing before is 42. She is feeling wonderful! She went trick or treating; she's walked around the Galleria. We are so grateful to God for all of his blessings. We are believing that he is blessing these new lungs & our family every day. It's turned cold here in Houston. Seems like we've almost come full circle cause we got here to Houston when it was cold last year. We went to Beth Moore's Bible study the other night, and Ms. Beth hugged Erin & told everyone she had a transplant. We thought that was super cool! We are very grateful to everyone who is participating in the 5kWalk/Run Saturday. Thanks to all! Looking forward to seeing our Mike & Casey this weekend; we so miss them. Hopefully we will be home right around Christmas!

Back to the Apartment!

Well, Erin got out of the hospital Wednesday, and she's feeling great! Mike & I are exhausted! We took her to Texas Roadhouse Wed. night to celebrate, and yesterday was spent at hospital doing labs, pfts, clinic visit & pt. She blew a 50!!!! She's NEVER blown a 50 in her entire life. It was Awesome! There is a pic of her smile on facebook. WE then drove out to Katy to find Mike some shoes. The doctor said she could do whatever she wanted. This morning she had a bronchoscopy, and she had some fluid between the chest wall & her lungs, and she had some mucuous in her lungs. Now, she's on a breathing treatment and another med. She slept most of the day after the bronch. Wishing we could see our Casey perform at the game tonight. We love her & miss her very much! Monday Erin will have labs, Xray, clinic visit, surgical follow up (to check on stitches), and pt. A full day!!

Columbus Day

Erin is in a regular room on the 14th floor at Texas Children's. All tubes are out; epidural is out; no oxygen. She is looking great with a pink complexion and red cheeks. She walked down the hall 3 times yesterday. She will maybe get out of the hospital to go back to apartment Wednesday. Probably could have gone back to apartment today, but today's a holiday, and we are waiting on meds to come by mail from Waynesboro. That's fine with us; we are in no hurry! Had LOTS of company this weekend: Aunt Caroline, Donna & Mike Stevens, Judy, Leroy & Pax Luke, Dale & Teresa McKee, Robert & Nicole Cooley. It was GREAT to see everyone. Thanks, you guys, for taking time out of your weekend to come by & see us! We love you!

In A Room

This morning Erin got remaining 2 chest tubes out. Uncle Mike & Aunt Donna drove all night, so they could see Erin this weekend. Judy, Leroy, & Pax Luke also drove all night to see Pax play ball & visit Erin. Aunt Caroline drove from Dallas & is spending the night with Erin in the hospital. Erin also got put in a regular room today on the 14th floor. Erin was so excited to see all of her company. Thanks, to all the churches who have prayed for us. Today we got letters from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of Raleigh, MS. Thanks to these churches and of course our own home church Calvary Baptist Church in W'boro. We received news that several different churches had special prayer services for Erin last Sunday. While Erin was in surgery last week, it comforted me so much knowing that so many were praying for my little girl to our Wonderful Amazing God.

So Glad to Be a War Eagle!

Wow! We are simply amazed at the support our Wayne Co War Eagles are giving to our girl! Tonight at the ball game there were Erin signs everywhere, and the cheerleaders were wearing purple ribbons. How awesome is that? Well, we didn't get out of PICU today. We were supposed to, but there weren't any beds available. We are skipping PCU and going straight to a regular room tomorrow. Erin had 2 chest tubes removed today, and she is back to her normal self. Thanks to Sara & Kyle for visiting today. Looking forward to our weekend company. Erin still has 2 chest tubes in, and the epidural is still in, but she's on very little pain medication. Good luck to our Casey at State Band Competition tomorrow. We miss you & wish we could be there to cheer you on!

just a little bump

Well, we experienced a little bump in the road with some medication, but the doctor says he is very pleased with Erin's progress. She is having to limit her fluid intake until the chest tubes are out. She may get 2 chest tubes out tomorrow. She got out of bed several times today and sat up for a little while each time. Her appetite was not great today and she didn't feel that well either, but now her spirits are improving. Her friend Maddie went to the Carrie Underwood concert last night and got Erin a Carrie Underwood t shirt. When Maddie's mom Tina gave Erin the shirt, I saw Erin smile for the first time in days. Carol Tondre and her son Connor came by today to visit Erin; Connor has been waiting on the transplant list for 14 months, so please pray that he gets his lungs soon and that they are the ones God means for him to have. Mike finally got some rest last night; he slept a full 10 hours, so he feels much better. He's being a great daddy feeding Erin and helping her in & out of bed. Everything is going great except we miss our Casey and her smiling face. I posted a picture of Erin on facebook if you would like to take a peek. She looks gorgeous!

Fresh Air!

This morning Erin woke up with a great appetite. She ate pancakes, hashbrowns, & sweet tea. She got out of bed and stayed up for about 20 minutes. Doctors are really pleased with her progress. She may have one chest tube removed today and her central line may be taken out today. Her regular port will be accessed and used as her central line. In other words, they are decreasing her meds greatly. The catheter may come out today. They are reducing her fluids, so that the chest tubes can be removed. (less fluid in her body means less fluid in her lungs). She was wide awake this morning. A drastic difference from yesterday. She was still showing a lot of effects from the pain meds yesterday. She had Carrie Underwood tickets for tonight that Dr. Lefler in Dallas so kindly gave her. Thank you, Dr. Lefler! Maybe next time LOL. When Erin first got the call to come to the hospital; she was jumping up and down so excited then she stopped & said "Dang, I was supposed to go see Carrie Underwood!" Of course, 2 new lungs won out over Carrie Underwood! Sorry, Carrie! Anyone who knows Erin knows her favorite food is a loaded baked potato, so today our friend Tina is bringing her one along with lunch for me & Mike! Have I told ya'll how God has blessed us with so many new friends who have taken care of us here? It is truly amazing how HE works! Erin is sleeping now. So, Erin's Jason's Deli baked potato is on its way! Casey, Bro. Whit, Granny, & Papa left today, so it's just me & Mike. We have been going upstairs every night to Ronald McDonald house to sleep (It's just one floor above the PICU), so we are extremely close. Please continue to pour out your wonderful prayers to our Almighty God!

OUR MIRACLE

Hi! This is Erin's mom! ERIN GOT HER LUNGS!!!!! About midnight Saturday night the beeper went off, and we got to the hospital about 1 in the morning. Erin was ecstatic and cool as a cucumber. Her memaw asked her if she was scared, and she said, "No, I have 1000 people praying for me at home." After a long night of preoperative procedures, Erin went into surgery at 6:46 still as calm as could be. The first incision was made at 10:14, but the lungs did not arrive until 2 hours later. Mike, Casey, Granny, Papa, & Aunt Donna Rials arrived about 7 AM. My mom, mimi, and brother Russell & Sharon were already here visiting for the weekend, so my mom & Russell accompanied us to the hospital. Friends & family hung around the hospital with us supporting us through this arduous day. Thank you to Whit Lewis, John & Jennifer Williams; Clark, Tina, Elizabeth, Madelaine, & Abigail Davis; Andy Cade; and Stacy Wells for spending the day with us at the hospital. Thank you to EVERYONE for all the texts, emails, & phone calls that were sent that day and since then. At about 6:45 Erin came out of surgery with a gorgeous new set of lungs. Oh, How Great is Our God! Erin has been breathing on her own since yesterday morning. She is completely off oxygen (except at night). She's eating & drinking with a great appetite. She's sitting up in bed. The next 36 hours are still critical. In the next few days, the doctors hope to remove her chest tubes and epidural. She will be doing breathing treatments twice a day for the next couple of weeks. Doctors say she may go back to our apartment in Houston as early as Monday. WOW! We will still have to stay in Houston for at least another 3 months. Mike, Casey, Erin, & I will NEVER be able to express to everyone the gratitude that we feel for all who have supported us through this time in our lives. God has greatly blessed us & we give HIM all the praise & glory! We continue to ask you to pray for Erin's health and want you to know that Erin is just beginning her life as a new transplantee & will need many prayers as she begins this journey. Do not ever question the ability of our God to perform miracles!
.

September 26, 2010

Had fun today with the Davises and ate at my favorite restaurant-Jason's Deli. My loaded potato was really good! I really, really, really, really..... miss my kitty & puppy. I went to church this morning. I met a new friend this weekend; her name is Bailey, and she is quiet and shy. My memaw and my mimi are coming this weekend and maybe Aunt Caroline or Uncle Russell. I've gained a little weight, and my lung function is 14.

September 19, 2010

I'm tired. I'm out of the hospital. I got out last Wednesday. I ate 2 loaded baked potatoes today. Kelsey, who is my BFF, and my family came to Houston for the weekend. Kelsey & I went bowling Saturday. I hung out with some new friends today, and I went to church this morning. I met Beth Moore this morning too!

Back in the Hospital

Erin is back in the hospital; she's been there for the past week. Her lung function was down, and she had lost weight. Today she's feeling better; her lung function is 14, and her appetite is back. Her daddy, Casey & Aunt Donna Stevens came down for the weekend. They went back Monday. She's been passing the time in the hospital challenging everybody to games of Mario Kart, and she's been winning! She's also done some schoolwork and slept. She has also been working on art projects. Thanks to everyone for the cards, presents, phone calls, fb messages, & MOST OF ALL YOUR HEARTFELT PRAYERS! She will be here at least another week. She is still missing her puppy & kitty; however, she is tolerating the hospital in TX better this time because now she knows some people, and they have been entertaining her. The nurse asked her the first night if she had any special needs, and she replied, "Yes, I need lots of attention!" Gotta love that! LOL and Yes, we are still waiting for lungs!!

Monday, August 30

Rain! Rain! Rain! Rain! I am watching TV & lying down. I did a little bit of algebra today which was boring. I want Buddy & Ms Kitty. I slept most of the day because it is raining. Momma & I hung out with John & Sherry Bolduc for lunch at Chacho's (a Mexican restaurant). This weekend I went to the beach with Aunt Caroline & mommy. First, we went to Moody Gardens, the aquarium in Galveston, and I got a stuffed sea turtle with a hoodie on that says "Moody Gardens." That aquarium is bigger than the one downtown here. WE saw 3 different kinds of eels. Next, we ate at McAlister's, my favorite restaurant. Then, we got Dippin Dots, another favorite of mine. After that, we checked into the motel and I did a breathing treatment and took a nap. When I woke up, we went to the beach and I got tired and I got sand in my pants. LOL! Then, we went to the pool. We were so tired that we just ate Sonic for supper. Then, me & Mommy came back to the apartment yesterday & napped for the rest of the day. I love you, Aunt Caroline, and thank you for a great weekend!

August 24, Tuesday

Hi! (cough) (coughing deeper) & laughing. I made an A today on history! (I think) & I'm a little sicker. I have lost weight. I'm going to the beach (Galveston) this weekend with my aunt Caroline & my momma! I ate KFC for supper; they forgot to put my potato wedges in with my chicken. It wasn't good! I want my puppy & my kitty. It rained & thundered here today, and it woke me up from my nap. I went to pt today, and I did schoolwork! I also went to McDonald's and got an M & M McFlurry & some sweet tea! Momma has to cook tomorrow & go buy groceries and buy a flashlight, bucket & net to catch sand crabs with. I'm off my IV meds for now. I have to take a glucose test to check my blood sugar levels, & I have to have a bone scan & a blood gas done. WE haven't scheduled those tests yet.

Back to Houston Saturday

Hey! This is Steph! I am going back to Houston Saturday to stay with Erin, and Mike will be coming home. I have really loved being able to spend time at home with Casey. I miss her sooooo much when I'm in Houston. I've been working for the last two weeks, and I will miss everyone at work too. Going to church with the CBC crew has been great, and it has been great to worship in a small church again. Casey has celebrated her 16th birthday, and Erin has celebrated her 14th. Thanks to everyone for all of the birthday wishes! Casey will be in Amanda Mills & Hunt Blackledge's wedding Saturday. Other than Amanda, Casey will be the most beautiful girl there. Erin is still hanging out waiting for a pair of lungs. Her 02 stats have been dropping lately at pt, and she is back on IV meds; her lung function is 15 (so a little change but not much). Please continue praying for Erin & our family. We continue to thank all of you for your continued prayer, encouragement, & support. God has been so AWESOME to us by continually blessing our lives!