Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. For as long as I can remember, we've always had our own turkey sit down meal together as a family. The only difference is that the "kids" prepare the meals for the "elders". It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, and the stress of cooking the perfect Thanksgiving feast. At times, I needed to stop myself and remember what the reason for the season is. To be grateful for what you have. It's about being thankful for all of God's blessings and gifts He has given us and is continuing to bless us with. 

Updates on Mom: She has started driving herself around town. She has been more independent in doing her errands. Her results and levels have been where they should. Mom continues to try out new recipes, and bake homemade bread! She has also continued her regular walking regimen every morning. 

This holiday season, I wanted to start traditions (actually rekindle them) and take a formal family picture. The family members were being good sports, considering I was withholding their turkey from them until we got some decent pictures!  I hope we can continue this for years to come. 

Happy Thanksgiving! We are grateful for you, your prayers, and well wishes this year! God Bless You!

Auntie Perpy's visit

First things first: Mom's T-Tube removal was successful. She recovered nicely and didn't have any of the uncomfortable side effects that go with it. Right out of the hospital, she was visiting friends, attending festivities and parties, and hanging out with Auntie Perpy. 

Here are some pix from a get together at my mom's house. Just a small get together to welcome Auntie Perpy and be amongst family. 

Mom enjoyed having Auntie Perpy around. She had a new driver! Auntie Perpy was very brave driving the streets of L.A. I had a great time photographing Auntie while she was here. It brought back memories of my dad photographing her at the music center way back in the 80's, her model hey days. It was a full circle moment! Check out this glamour gal in her slideshow from our beauty + glamour session! 

When I think of how far Mom has come, it is truly a blessing from God that she is healthy and happy and we are able to still make new memories together. God is Good.

T-Tube Removal

Hello, Everyone!

I know it's been a long time since we updated Mom's blog. Nothing much has been going on. There's a sense of normalcy and routine in which we all welcome. Mom is a little more busy, much more independent. The only thing she can't really do is drive herself around. So Chad, Johnny (my husband), and I have been driving Mom to her appointments and errands. We have all surrendered to her back seat driving.

Tomorrow, Mom will go back to UCLA to get her T-Tube removed. The T-Tube was placed connected to her bile duct as a way for the doctors to monitor her recovery. The coordinators have told us it takes about 3 months from last hospital discharge to remove the T-Tube. So you know, after the 90th day, Mom was inquiring every chance she got about her driving status. The coordinator said that she is cleared to get it removed but were put on a waiting list to get an appointment to get it removed, to Mom's dismay. Frankly, it was cumbersome for her to replace her dressing at the T-Tube site everyday.

She will stay overnight (as Mom would say, "23 and a half hours" to be precise---Type A personality, I tell ya!). Chad will drop her off at UCLA, and Auntie Glecy will pick her up. The  procedure has to be done overnight because a machine will slide the tube out inch by inch, hour by hour.

Please keep Mom in your prayers. They have helped her thus far. Thank you!

P.S.
We all look forward to Auntie Perpy's arrival and visit. :)

Day 112: Changes

Mom is now doing practically everything for herself these days. She's changing her own dressing, preparing her own medications, and meals. She is back to her old self. The only thing she can't do is drive, yet. We haven't received the green light from the doctors. So the only thing she needs us for is to drive her to her appointments, and run errands for her. She has started to attend some family functions, as well as her prayer group activities. She goes to church early Sunday morning to avoid big crowds (avoid risk of getting exposed to groups of sick people).

Here she is watching t.v. with her feet up. Her feet has been getting swollen more often, especially after doing chores around the house or standing for longer periods of time. 

There seems to be a lot of changes going on. Mom's taste buds have changed, and craves food she normally didn't like before. Inspired by watching her new favorite show, The Chew, she has also stepped out of her normal repertoire of standard recipes and has tried out new recipes from the Internet. She also has been making her own bread, regular white bread and cinnamon swirl bread. Mmmmmm.. Popo loves it and actually spit out the store bought bread we have at home. 

Mom's transplant experience has also inspired my brother and I to take steps to improve our own health. So we've been exercising six days a week in the evening with Popo.  

Mother's Day / Auntie Glecy's Birthday

(Left to right) Auntie Aida, Mom, Auntie Glecy, Auntie Julie, Auntie Cora, Uncle Ascio

Better late than never. Here's a picture from Mother's Day. Cousin Chris had a little shindig at her apartment to celebrate Auntie Glecy's Birthday. It was also the first function Mom attended since her surgery. Uncle Rex was also in attendance and said mass in the afternoon. 

~Thank you, Chris, for emailing me this picture. Thank you for hanging out and visiting with my Mom last Friday, too.

Day 87: Backseat driving

The good news is that Mom is looking and feeling better than ever. She is more independent, on the go,  more active, and doing more and more regular chores and errands. She's looking forward to driving herself on errands. 

Yesterday I brought mom to her ultrasound appointment. I have noticed that Mom insists on giving driving directions whenever I drive her anywhere. Which is fine if I have never been to that place or am unfamiliar with the area. But these are places that I've driven to so many times: the hospital (hello?), the cemetery, the post office, the mall, Seafood Ranch! Driving in L.A., there are many different types of routes to get to one place. It's part of being a true L.A. driver, knowing your alternate routes just in case you get stuck in traffic or if for whatever reason, you are involved in a high speed chase. But not according to my Mom. Type A. There's only one route that is the best route.

All in all, this (and many other quirks and habits) is a sign that Mom is getting better. Even though the backseat driving directions, literally, drives me crazy, I have to smile in the fact that we are getting our Mom back. 

Here is one of my favorite recent pictures of Mom. We were just talking about the last time she was in Vegas (2010). This picture was taken at that time. 

Thank you for subscribing!

I love the fact that someone wrote my Mom and told her my posts were "hilarious" and enjoyed reading mom's blog.  I finally have proof! LOL  Okay, I know this blog isn't about me, but I just had to share (I know my brother  is shaking his head right now). 

Thank you to our subscribers who follow our blog. It is motivating and inspiring for me to post stories about Mom and her journey to recovery and a new chapter in her life.

If you want to read about Mom's story, where it all began, click here. 

We will continue to keep you posted on how Mom is doing. More importantly, I wanted to thank you so much for your cards and emails, texts and voicemails, prayers and intentions. It means so much to Mom and our family. 

Thank you for visiting our blog!

Day 80: White blood cells and T-Tubes

Mom just came back from her latest clinic visit. They took off two more medications off her list. Her white cell blood count is still lower than normal, however, of those white cells, most of them are the ones that fight infection. She is advised to just avoid sick people, don't stand next to someone that is coughing, etc. We advised mom to wear a mask during one of her prayer group meetings. She wasn't so enthusiastic about that. 

Mom still has a T-Tube attached to her side. She cannot immerse it in water, so taking baths, and swimming are absolutely out of the question. It's connected to the bile duct and it's one of the tools doctors use to monitor Mom's progress. The doctor said they will probably remove it after Fourth of July so that she can "enjoy the holiday." I'm sure Mom doesn't care about that. She just wants it removed as soon as possible so she doesn't have that tube hanging from her side. Mom should be happy to know that she is right on top of her "3 month" schedule. I know her Type A personality is rejoicing.

Day 77: Type A Personality

It must be part of her Type A personality. The tendency to want to be exact and precise. Even when it comes to her health and recovery. The doctors have told Mom  that she would be under careful observation for the first three months. The words THREE MONTHS have been burning in Mom's mind since the day she got out of surgery. Even though we tell Mom it's an estimation and that we should take as much precautions as possible to ensure a solid recovery, Mom keeps insisting she will not need us after THREE MONTHS. She insists that she will be okay and we can continue with work and our personal life. I'm sure Mom just wants to be more independent and wants us to go on with our normal lives. Or it may be that she's tired of us critiquing her food choices ("That's too high in potassium!" "That's a high carb!" "Seafood Ranch, again, Mom!"), poking and pricking her with daily blood tests, or inadvertently poisoning her with our lackluster cooking. 

Because of her strong determination and will to make that benchmark, she has been doing really well. I almost forget for a second that she didn't have her transplant when I see her cooking, washing clothes, and  reading her Kindle. She even made me breakfast today: rice, corned beef hash, scrambled egg, coffee. I felt a little bad that she was serving me, but relished in the moment of Mom's normalcy. 

Good news from her last clinic visit is that we no longer have to prick and prod her with needles anymore. Her blood sugar levels have gone back to normal levels. Her immunosuppressant (medications to suppress her immune system) prescriptions are adjusted every couple days. Doctors are still trying to find the perfect recipe of medications that will keep Mom stable. At this time, her white blood count is lower than normal, and she is susceptible to illness, so we are advising that Mom keep the social events to a bare minimum. We'll find out more tomorrow when she goes to her regular clinic visit at UCLA.

Day 68: Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is Mom's 68th birthday. Today was a good day. She went to church with Chad, was visited by Auntie Aida, watched some Korean soap opera, and spent time at home with us. Simple, but nevertheless, very special.  

We are happy and relieved that Mom has not been readmitted into the hospital since her last stay. Her Prograf and potassium levels are at normal levels. Her blood sugar levels are more stable so we do not have to inject her with insulin three times a day anymore. Yay! 

So life is starting to be a little bit more normal everyday. Here is Mom catching up with her email. Mom is a little bummed that a lot of her siblings are traveling and having their own adventures and journeys. I'm sure she is counting the months when she'll get the clearance to travel. She is continuing to do more for herself, like showering, cooking, walking, and tidying up. She is also starting to read from her Kindle, so if you have any good book recommendations, let us know! 

Two weeks ago, Mom came out for the first time to help celebrate Mother's Day and Auntie Glecy's birthday at Cousin  Christina's house. I am bummed that I didn't take pictures that day and wanted to post some on the blog. If anyone has any pictures of the day, please email them to me! Thanks! It was a beautiful, blessed day spent with family and we're happy that Mom was able to participate and socialize with everyone.

Day 45: Adventures at Seafood Ranch

Spent Tuesday through Thursday with Mom at home. It's been a busy few days. I can't help but feel like Mom's personal assistant. No longer are the days of staying home, taking care of her. She's got a list of Things to Do, by golly, and most of days are filled with driving around. I will take that as a good sign of health. 

Mom continues to want to eat Filipino food, like sinigang, tinola, and fish. So, of course, one of our stops is to pick up food. I discovered the Filipino rush at the local Seafood Ranch Market where there's a line of 20 people waiting to order. I told Mom, "Ummm, Mom there's 25 people ahead of me and they're ordering 5-10 tubs of food each." She said, "That's ok. You're number will be called. Just wait." Grrrr. I drag my feet back to the crowd of people, packed like sardines by the food area of the market. By the time I ordered, I felt like a total amateur, pointing at the dishes, asking them what they were. Kind of embarrassing when the Caucasian guy after me is asking for kare kare and adobo without hesitation. So I went for the fried bangus (or so I thought...found out it was catfish. Boo.) and barbeque pork sticks. It's days like this I wish I knew how to cook Filipino food.  Or at least, how to order it. 

Of course, as luck would have it, the refrigerator is out of order, so we're living out of coolers for the next two weeks. I see more trips to Seafood Ranch Market in my future.

Day 42: Life Lessons

Mom is continuing to walk without a walker and is doing small things around the house. She felt OK last weekend but is starting to feel discomfort again. Her last lab test results showed high potassium levels again.  We really need to monitor what she is eating. However, her blood sugar has been lower. That is good news.

Taking care of Mom has been definitely a life experience. Both Chad and I do not have children, so we have never had the role of caregiving at this degree. But I can imagine how taking care of children might be like through this experience. In the beginning of Mom's recovery, when she just got home, it was almost like taking care of a small child. She needed her meals cooked or prepared, needed our assistance in the shower, and watched out for her while she took her steps. Chad and I coordinated our schedules to take turns caregiving, reminiscent of how my parents took care of us when we were small. At night, we slept lightly, listening for Mom, if she called out for assistance or pain medication (OK, Chad slept lightly). We coaxed her to eat more, even though she didn't want to, and be the one to have to tell her she couldn't have some of her favorite foods. Like a child, she rather eat a cookie or ice cream sandwich, instead of eating all of her dinner, and like a parent, we gave in and let her have it even though we knew her blood sugar was going to be elevated. When we ask how she was feeling, we found out that we had to ask more specific questions because her answer would always be "Fine," when obviously she was experiencing fatigue or discomfort. 

Now that she's feeling better, she has "grown" to somewhat teenager status. She's moving faster, wants to be more independent, and is asking when she can start driving. Of course, we're being cautious and waiting until after she's more stable in her tests, stitches and staples are out, and her T-Tube in her side is taken out as well. Frankly, she's being a little more stubborn and more of a backseat driver, hahaha. 

I still can't believe it's been more than a month since Mom had her new liver. I'm still amazed. I am very grateful for the doctors and nurses at UCLA and of course, for the countless prayers and intentions everyone has bestowed on us. Thank you.

Day 37

Mom came home on Tuesday. I guess the hospital stay was a good one for her. She is doing so much better. She seems her normal energetic self. It's been awhile since I've seen my mom smile and laugh without discomfort or pain. She's really showing off now because she refuses to use her walker. She says it slows her down. She's also getting a little bit more of an appetite because she requested to eat Filipino food for lunch yesterday. Frankly, I think she's just tired of eating our cooking.  

Happy Friday! 

By the way, here's mom's babies - her plants. See, Mom? I didn't kill them while you were away!

Day 30: Back in the hospital

Yesterday, Chad and I brought Mom in for her weekly Clinic Visit. The routine is that she gets her blood drawn so the doctors can make adjustments to her medication and address any concerns or issues she might have. As stated in the last post, Mom was feeling very weak and fatigued for the last two days. At first, I thought she was feeling tired because she was moving around more or that she wasn't getting enough food in her system. According to her labs, her Prograf (immunosuppressants she is taking to prevent liver rejection), potassium and creatinine levels were too high and they admitted her back into the hospital. High potassium levels may cause heart arrhythmia, and high creatinine levels show danger of kidney failure. There was a discussion of Mom undergoing a couple days of dialysis, but thankfully, as of this morning, the doctor said she doesn't need to, after all. She was given medicine to draw out the potassium and given an IV of fluids. She immediately felt better. She will be staying at the hospital for a few more days under observation. On a positive note, her liver enzymes continue to be at normal levels. 

Before she got admitted back into the hospital.

Chad and I were talking last night and gathered that this is all part of the learning process. This being our second week of caregiving, we are still learning how to take care of Mom. Every week, I'm sure, will be a learning experience. We're just glad that Mom is under great care by UCLA and that she continues to be strong through this difficult and uncomfortable experience. 

Special Thank You's: 

• to Auntie Carmen Ilano for bringing Mom her communion in the morning.
• to Auntie Aida Terashima for cooking her tinola (soup) and bringing it over!
• to Nancy Eiser for sending over the pears and sweets!

Day 28

Mom's moving about more and more. She got up and opened the door in the living room (where I am sleeping) about 7:00 a.m. I awoke startled that I may have overslept. She says, "It's not 8:00, yet. Go back to sleep." I assume she opened the door for Popo, just in case he woke up and wanted to go out. The chill of the morning air made it difficult to go back to sleep. So another day began. 

Today she has a list of things for me to do. Again, evidence that she is doing better and wants the house to be run as if she's running it. Today is Wednesday, so I'm watering plants, doing laundry, and washing the linens. I am also going to attempt to make homemade chicken soup, as the canned ones have too much sodium in it, and Mom requested it. Wish me luck! These days, it's easier to make everything from scratch because there's so much restrictions to Mom's low potassium, low sodium, low carb diet.  

Day 27

For the last few days, Mom has been feeling discomfort at her incision site and feeling shortness of breath. She continues to take her pain medication every 12 hours. Most of the day she is praying or watching mass on television. Since surgery, she has no interest in watching t.v. or reading. She struggles with having an appetite because she prefers eating just carbohydrates and not a lot of protein. So we've been trying to feed her a variety of meals, hoping to satisfy her cravings. Taking her medications with meals, especially the ones in the morning (about 17-19), make it difficult to swallow and making the eating experience a chore. 

With that said, she is moving a little faster and awake most hours. I have been staying over the house since Saturday and have seen subtle improvements, like she's able to dry her own hair, talk on the phone for short periods, and has been walking a few yards more up and down the block. Last night, we watched Dancing with the Stars together, a favorite show my dad and her enjoyed watching, and stayed up for nearly the whole 2-hour episode. I pray that Mom keeps finding the strength to move forward and keep her spirits up. 

Popo, our Chihuahua, is still adjusting to Mom's condition. He stares at her when she's sitting on the couch and longs to sit on her lap. He still comes around when I'm feeding her, especially when he sees his favorites, like bagel or toast. He is a good distraction to the quiet house. I'm glad he's here with me.

Today, Mom meets with the oncologist. In fact, we're leaving now. I will update you on our visit. 

Thank you, always, for your continued support and prayers.

Update: 12:49pm


We just got home from Mom's oncologist appointment. The doctor reported that she was happy with Mom's pathology results and that when they did the liver transplant, there was no evidence of the cancer spreading to other parts of her body. So our next steps is to continue to have regular scans at Kaiser, her regular hospital, to monitor her health. 

Day 23: Clinic Visit (Day 22 4/12/12)

Yesterday Mom had her first Clinic Visit. And boy, was that an adventure. For the next four Thursdays, Mom has  scheduled visits with the transplant coordinator and surgeon. This is an opportunity for them to check her blood work and adjust her medications, if needed. This is how our first day at clinic went:

• 5:01-Wake up (well, I woke up; everyone else was already up at 4:35am!)
• 5:15-Pack car with medications, food (for Mom's breakfast, thanks to Chad), blood pressure machine, walker, etc.
• 5:30-Get on the road to UCLA (get stuck in L.A. traffic!)
• 6:10-Get to the lab for Mom to get her blood drawn
• 7:00-Mom finally gets called to get her blood drawn (We forgot her Lab Appointment Sheets!; I blame the "head charge nurse" )
• 7:15-Head back to the car to take Mom's vitals (blood pressure, blood sugar, temperature) and administer her medication and insulin, while she eats breakfast.
• 7:35-Chad rushes to the cafeteria because we forgot to pack water for the medication!
• 7:50-Head to Mom's 8:00 Clinic Visit

• 8:00-See the Transplant Coordinator and Diabetic Counselor (who thinks Chad is a snazzy dresser....Me? Not so much);   Go back to the waiting room to wait for surgeons and blood work results
• 10:15-See Surgeon
• 11:00-Leave UCLA

The surgeon reported that Mom's enzyme count is within normal limits, which means that the liver is continuing to function properly. She had a high number of creatinine in her renal test so the doctor suggested Mom drink more water to flush her kidneys. Mom reports that since drinking more water, she feels much better, less weak, throat feels less swollen, and her voice is back! Yay! She was so soft spoken that she couldn't even talk on the phone because no one could hear her! Her incision site, also known as the Chevron, or "Mercedes" incision, is healing nicely, as well. Thankfully, Mom hasn't had the other side effects of nausea, intense anger, or tremors with the medications, which is very common using these immuno suppressants. I'm so happy that Mom does not have to endure those side effects. We were really concerned about that during our Caregiver Class.

After our eventful morning and a much deserved nap, we had an unexpected visitor from Auntie Glecy. Mom asked her to get some Boost protein shakes earlier that morning while we were at Clinic. Chad went into work after our UCLA visit that morning so I stayed home with Mom. It was a pleasant visit from Auntie. I joked with her that she "was lucky" that I was there because I was under strict orders from Chad that Mom have no visits from anyone, until we were settled into our routine, Mom was feeling stronger, and her health was more stable. So, in a sense, Auntie Glecy skirted by and was allowed my "LVN clearance" because she came with her protein shakes. She made sure to leave right before the "head charge nurse" arrived to relieve me of my shift. hahaha...It was a nice visit while Auntie updated Mom on what's going on with her and the family.

Even though Auntie Glecy got clearance, Mom is still not up for receiving visitors at this time. She gets tired with even talking. So we will keep everyone posted when she's up for visiting and / or Skyping. 

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers. God is Good.  

Day 20: Less pain

Yesterday, Chad brought Mom to her first lab (blood work drawn). They were there 5:55 am at UCLA. There were already 8 people ahead of them. The lab opens at 6:30 am.  Yawn. 

Mom's blood sugar still has been running a little high. We've been trying to limit her carb intake, but we also need her to eat for energy. So we have been advised to increase her insulin and allow Mom to walk after meals. Chad took Mom for a short walk up and down the driveway. At the same time, Mom's making a mental to do list for Chad: fix the cracks in the driveway, water the plants, water the tree, take in the trash cans, take out the trash, wipe down the shower, etc. I'm telling you, this woman's mind is sharp! She doesn't miss a beat.

Mom has been resting more and sleeping longer since she's been back from the hospital. She has also been requesting for her pain medication less, as well. We hope she is not bearing through any pain without medication just so she won't endure the side effects. 

Thanks for checking in! 

Day 18: Happy Easter

Taking a nap after opening all her cards.

This is a year of firsts. This is the first Easter I spent at home. First Easter we had no Easter eggs or chocolate. The first Easter that I attended Mass in my pajamas. Mom and I "attended" Mass watching it on TV this morning. Well, she watched, I sort of...dozed off. It was the first night I stayed over and took care of Mom, and I had difficulty sleeping. Trying to sleep lightly so I can hear if Mom needed me.

Mom is an excellent patient. She is adjusting to the low carb, low sodium, low potassium diet. It's very difficult for her because her medications are  causing her to have high blood sugar. She's missing her nuts, her mango, and her bananas. And apparently, she's craving chocolate. We're finding new snacks to satisfy her that is on her "acceptable foods" list.

Chad trained me in changing Mom's dressing (for her T-Tube, which is attached to her bile duct). He should have followed in Mom's footsteps and became a nurse. He has a steady hand and great bedside manner. He has me writing reports and memorizing medications. It's no joke around here.

We will post on her when Mom's ready to receive visitors or phone calls. She naps most of the day and talks minimally.   

Happy Easter!

Day 17: Back home

Thank you, Betsy Kawahara, for Mom's card! It was delivered to her room the day before she was discharged.

Today I woke up and I felt like I won the lottery. Mom is back home! For the first time, since Mom went to the hospital, I feel like I can exhale. She was discharged yesterday afternoon. Even though we're not out of the woods, yet, we feel like we're moving forward to life after transplant and more healing.

There's about 17-19 medications, insulin shots, blood sugar, temperature, and blood pressure readings, and dressings to be changed daily. Right now, we're trying to get into a routine at home. So, Mom prefers no visitors at the house, at this time. She is still getting acclimated to being home and of course, getting used to having her children be her nurses. We joke that Chad is the Head Charge Nurse (everything has to be permitted and approved by him), I am the LVN (the substitute/backup), and Johnny is the "Lift Team" or part time cook (also known as Guen's personal assistant, hahaha...shhh...).

Thank you to those that have mailed cards to Mom. She is looking forward to opening each one when she feels a little better. It makes her happy to know that you have been praying for her.

We will  let everyone know when she's up to receiving visitors.

Thank you!

Guenie

Day 16: A Good Friday

Chad and I stayed over the last two nights at the hospital with Mom. Being around helped her get a full night's sleep. I could tell that the sleep did Mom well. She was calm and less anxious. Less hallucinations (or I like to call "visitors"). She got up and did her laps and continues to get good marks from the nurses and doctors. Yesterday we had training from the transplant coordinator on her medications (19 to be exact), as well as insulin training. Because of the medication, Mom's blood sugar has been high, so for now, we'll be administering insulin three times a day until her blood sugar stabilizes. We are told to monitor her temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels everyday. Before I left the hospital, Mom said, "I am just going to let you guys take over. I don't want to think."  Can I get that in writing? We'll see how long that lasts. haha I'm glad Mom has some faith in us.

The transplant coordinator told Chad that Mom is like "Miss America" on this floor because she's done so well, and she's been so nice and cooperative since her transplant. Aside from being "Miss America," she's also "Speedy Gonzalez" because she's whipping around corners with her walker. A little too fast for our taste.

I just talked to Chad on the phone this morning, and he says there's a high probability that Mom may be discharged from the hospital today. That's exciting.

We'll keep you posted!

Day 14: Doing laps

Mom says, "No pictures," but I know everyone wants to see how she's doing.

Enjoying tilapia for lunch.

I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since Mom had her liver transplant surgery. She continues to heal and recover quickly. Aside from having trouble sleeping due to her pain medication (causing some confusion, at times, which is part of the side effects), she is making progress and she continues to move forward. If you have received a phone call or text message from Mom lately and the message was questionable, it is because she is on her pain medication. In order for her to heal, the doctors need to manage her pain. Unfortunately, she has been exhibiting confused behavior, but nothing out of the norm for transplant patients. In order for her to get some sleep, Chad and I have planned for one of us to sleep over at the hospital every night.  

Today, Chad and I met with the dietician to discuss Mom's dietary guidelines. She will be on a low potassium, low sodium, low carb diet. There are some specific restrictions but I'm sure we'll be experts in no time. Before her surgery, Mom always ate small portions and watched what she ate, so we predict this will probably not be a problem. If anything, we'd all probably lose weight by eating what Mom has to eat!

Mom hit a milestone today. She was able to use a walker and walk to and from the bathroom pretty much unassisted. She walked around the floor three times today. Even after they pulled out the last tube (JP) from her abdomen, she was strong enough to make that last lap. I asked if she felt a lot of pain and she replied, "Yes, only because they just sutured me but at least I don't have that extra weight (the tube and the drain bottle) hanging from me." I wish I had her high tolerance for pain.

Tomorrow we meet with the tranplant coordinator. She will teach us how to care for Mom when she gets home. It still amazes me that we'll be taking her home soon, if all continues to go well. There's always the slight chance of returning to surgery or staying a little longer in the hospital. So we will keep everyone posted.

If you're so interested and would like some literature on Life After Liver Transplant go here.

The view from Mom's room

The family appreciates everyone's love, support, well wishes, and prayers. We believe all your intentions have made today and tomorrow possible. God is Good.

Love,
Guenie

Day 12: Moving Out

Aside from getting her Holy Days mixed up, Mom is continuing to heal and recover as well as to be expected. She is now on a "Carbohydrate Controlled" diet since her blood sugar is a little elevated. She continues to be on pain medication, which will help manage the pain in order for her to heal faster. If you're wondering how she is dealing with being on the pain meds, you will be happy to know that her immediate family is on her mind. In fact, she tells Chad and I that her loved ones from the Philippines and all over the world are always "visiting" her. She even says she has seen Popo, our family dog. We're glad she has good company. Even if it's in her mind. 

Mom also was visited by the physical therapist. She was able to walk up and down the hallway in front of her room. I saw her stand and she had a smile on her face. She made it look easy. 

I told Mom that I wanted to take a picture of her so that her family and friends, who are very concerned about her, can see her. She said, "No pictures. You know I hate taking pictures." So Chad and I are hoping to snap some shots of her in the hospital without her noticing and post them up here. 

So I spent the day with Mom and am reading The Hunger Games. I hope I get past the whole book before Mom discharges. Mom says she wants to read the book after I'm finished. 

As of tonight, as reported by Chad, Mom was finally moved out of ICU to the regular "floor" which is great news. This means that she is progressing and recovering nicely.  Doctors will continue to check in on her and see if she's continuing to make the progress she needs to be discharged. 

Stay tuned....

Day 11: 2 days after 2nd surgery

It's a beautiful Spring day outside the UCLA Medical Center

Today Johnny, Chad, and I visited Mom today. She looked good. We know Mom is in better spirits when she's asking me to write lists and add more books to her Kindle. We know she's feeling a little bit better when she's telling Johnny to rearrange the hospital furniture. We know she's in good spirits when she's adding more tasks on Chad's Things To Do list. All in a soft spoken voice because it is difficult for her to project her voice. She also did not have as many lines (tubes)  attached to her since I saw her last, which is always a good thing.

If you would like to leave messages for Mom, feel free to leave a comment post below and we'll see that she gets it. Chad told her about her blog and it makes her happy to know that a lot of people are praying for her.

We'll keep you posted...



Dear Family and Close Friends,

Because of the volume of concerns from our family and friends, Chad and I have decided to keep everyone posted via blog. On this blog, we will give updates on mom's progress and recovery to health. 

To find out more about Mom's condition, click here.

Mom was called in to be a backup recipient for a liver at UCLA Medical Center last week, and by Thursday morning, March 22nd, she became the primary recipient and prepped for surgery that day. According to the doctor, the liver started working almost immediately. Initially, right after surgery, she was dealing with the pain, which is to be expected. After about three days, Mom showed signs of feeling better and nurses reported that she was healing nicely. She continues to be strong and has been keeping the nurses on their toes.

Friday, March 30th, Mom went back into surgery to address some blood clots. This is very common for liver transplant patients to go back to surgery multiple times before they are discharged. It is difficult for us to estimate when she will be out of the hospital, as all patients are different and they cannot predict when she will be well enough to be discharged. She is still in ICU and is not allowed to receive any visitors at this time. We are unable to receive flowers, as well, as her health should not be compromised from any type of foreign substances or virus. As of today, Chad reported that she was doing okay, and was resting most of the day.

We will keep you posted on this blog if any new developments should arise. 

Please feel free to comment on this blog. We like to read Mom comments, messages, and well wishes from time to time. 

If you would like to send a private message, please email me. If you have tried calling either me or Chad via cell phone lately, know that if we don't get a chance to call you back immediately, it probably means we are unable to at that time, as we are commuting back and forth to the hospital from home or work. Please post comments on the blog, or email me a private message.

Thank you so much for all the prayers and positive energy all of you have shown and expressed to our family. It is greatly appreciated. Please feel free to forward this information or blog address: www.nona-alapag.com  to those that may be interested in wanting to know more about Mom.

Visit back here for more updates. 

God Bless,

Guenie (Daughter)