Found a reason for Thanks on Thanksgiving…
Last Sunday, Grace was admitted to Children’s Hospital of WI with H1N1. Most people with the illness don’t warrant a hospital stay, but due to the delicate state of her kidneys, her body was unable to tolerate it on its own. Most people don’t realize that the kidneys regulate much of the balance in the body and without them things go haywire. After 4 days, her vital signs were once again stable, although we still need to monitor her pretty closely at home and her medications are now numerous.
Her kidneys, however, are done and she will need to be on dialysis within about 2 weeks. Her surgery to place the peritoneal catheter (tube put into her belly) is scheduled for Monday and she will most likely begin peritoneal dialysis the week of Thanksgiving. We chose this type instead of hemodialysis (port in the arm) because we can do it at home while Gracie sleeps. Her nephrologist did change her opinion about waiting on a transplant recently. She suggests we get the dialysis going because in and of itself it’s a huge undertaking, but soon we can begin the process of donor matching.
The thing I have to be surprisingly thankful for is that I was just told that my sister, Cici, currently serving in Iraq, is now in Kuwait waiting to get on a plane to come HOME to her family in DC 
This was completely unexpected because she was scheduled to be there for a few more months. She will be home in a matter of a few days. If anything could make me feel happy at this time – this was the one thing that could do it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to ALL of our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, tachers, and classmates who have offered to help in so many ways - some have even offered a kidney Just knowing that we have so many people who care so much about our family is getting us (me especially) through this awful thing. Grace knows she is loved and I’m so very thankful for that.
I will continue to try and think of ways for people to help – there have been so many offers from so many different directions it is incredible to me and I am overwhelmed by it (in a good way). Thankyou so so so much.
Love, Angie