A New Lease on Life

On April 17, 2014, at about 2 am, I got the call! The 3rd call I actually got, and the 3rd time was a charm.  When I answered the phone, I heard the doctor say, "Ms. Ingram, I know we have had a couple false alarms, but this is it."  My heart dropped.  He told us to get to Boston Children's Hospital  asap.  I was already familiar with the process once we got there, but my nerves got the best of me.  I was all in a panic.  LJ woke up because I started crying, and shaking, as I was packing our clothes for the long, scary trip.  I had no idea what to think......Was it really real this time? Would we get there just to find out that it wasn't going to happen,,,again?  If it is the "real" call, when will we be coming back home?  I was not at all ready deal with all the ups and downs of transplantation alone, so far way from my family, my mom mostly.  All I could think about was Josh, and how this was all we prayed about, and dreamed of for my baby.  It was just a whirlwind of emotions.  Happiness was definitely in the mix.  The thought of LJ being done with dialysis, no more alarms at night, no more prepping the system at night, and no more of LJ being stuck in bed for 13 hours for his treatment.  The biggest thing about it, is LJ being a more healthy version of himself.  My older brother, and his wife were on standby for the trip, and once they came to get us, we were on our way to start a new life!!!

LJ playing with bubbles when we first got to the hospital in Boston.  We were waiting for them to get him a room so he could be prepped for surgery.

This picture was after LJ was taken off the ventilator.  He was placed on it during surgery, and stayed under sedation, on the ventilator for a few days after transplant.... and it was so hard not being able to hear his voice.

Here is my handsome man, relaxing, watching cartoons after the nurse us came in to check his vitals.

The blessing of transplant did not come without its complications, and heartaches.  There were many ups and downs right after.  Some days, it seemed like we would never make it home.  We had to say in  the hospital in Boston, until LJ was well enough to go home (which we were never given an exact amount of time that would take), and then, we had to stay locally in Boston, MA for a few weeks, just to be sure he was stable, since we live almost 400 miles away.

Right after transplant, it seemed like LJ was doing great.  His labs were looking terrific, and he seemed to be healing well.  Then one day, he seemed not himself, and he told me his tummy hurt.  When they got labs on him, his creatinine (which is how they measure kidney function) was 2, normal levels are less than 1.  The doctors told me LJ had to be rushed to surgery because there was a blockage, and his kidneys were suffering.  It was a terrible feeling, knowing that my child had just went through such a big surgery, and had to be rushed to another one again, just a couple weeks later.  There was nothing I could do though, it had to be done.  Thank the Lord, it went well, and the surgeons said that as soon as they clipped the blockage, urine shot out right in the OR.   

That was the biggest obstacle that my angel had to deal with right after, and he did well with it, my little soldier.  We were able to leave the hospital after about 2 months, and we stayed locally at they Yawkey Family Inn for a couple weeks.  They are amazing there.  It was like a hotel, but for families of children being treated at the hospital.  It is a great resource,  The cost is just a fraction of what a hotel would be, and it is such a warm, and welcoming atmosphere.  You can meet other families dealing with medical issues, and form bonds...it is really nice place to be if you have to be so far from home.  I was especially happy to be there, because I knew that we were that much closer to going home.....And finally going home......that was the best feeling EVER!!!