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11:15 AM 10/7:
We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding of wanting to take this weekend to focus on being together as a family after my mom’s extensive hospital stay. We were attempting to respond to messages and calls as best as week could but this was the first time in weeks the 3 of us have been able to be together and also be together outside of the hospital.
Saturday night my mom was able to visit with Harley and Charlie and they brought her a beautiful orchid to have ❤️ we had a yummy home cooked meal and were able to catch up on some tv shows we always watch together.
We did have a fever scare, but it was determined that the thermometer was faulty and had water damage, and after fixing that she had a perfect temperature.
Sunday we had another visit from home health. Everything still looking great as far as the scar, BP and household set up is. We were also able to get her to the beach 1 week post surgery. We didn’t stay long but it brought her to tears of joy having the sand beneath her the water touching her feet. With being at the beach, or in the sun in general, she will need to have long sleeves, a hat, sunscreen over 30 SPF, and adequate shade available since her lifetime medications do make her highly susceptible to skin cancer.
We are still navigating things that occur as they come. The 3 of us are all processing this in our own ways, handling certain situations in our own way, all while also balancing our own personal needs, issues and mental health. A lot of the medications intensify symptoms such as easy irritation, blurred vision, fatigue, drowsiness, etc. with the irritability being enhanced with multiple medications, we are all navigating how to interact with one another in positive ways as we are all a team and want to achieve the same end goal. So, wording, tone, body language are all very important and are more sensitive than normal. As we get through the beginning stages of recovery, these meds will be adjusted and removed as needed and lighten these major symptoms.
Her scar is very tight and she describes it as a rope being tied around her body and being tightened. This is normal and mostly caused by the 43 staples that are in her abdomen and the 2 stitches from her drainage sites. Once these are removed, the tightness should subside exponentially. She’s also dealing with severe back pains. This is because her core is nonexistent and her back is doing 100% of the support for her upper body. Since she is still retaining so much fluid, this stress on her back I way more enhanced but will be present until at least 30 days into recovery, if not longer as everyone recovers differently.
The fluid removal is one of the most important right now as that can alleviate multiple symptoms shes having. This can be helped with high protein intake to draw the fluid back into her vascular system so it can be peed out and removed from her tissue and also being as mobile as she can to keep the fluid from settling into pockets in her tissues.
Today she was at her clinical visit starting at 6:30 AM. Her and my dad have been there for labs, review with pharmacist, doctor, and she is now getting an albumen infusion to help pull some of the fluid and they will immediately provide her additional lasix to pee it out immediately to get as much relief as she can get. They are also working on solutions to bring up her magnesium levels. If this doesn’t work by Thursday, they will also do a magnesium infusion at her next clinic visit.
She is on 17 medications currently and the dosages will fluctuate a lot in these beginning weeks until they find the right combo for her specifically.
Once clinic is done today, my dad will bring her back to the house, drive back to Greenville, sleep for work, and go to work tonight at 10. He will be in Greenville to work as he can while I take care of mom and work remotely in Charleston, and he will return to Charleston for the weekend on Thursday. He will leave work at about 3 am Thursday and travel back to Charleston to get mom and be to the clinic by 7 AM. This will be his new norm until they adjust mom’s clinic visits to the next phase.
If anyone is wanting to get a gift/letter/etc. to my mom, you can drop it or send it to our home in Greenville and as he travels he can bring it directly to her as we do not have access to the mail receptacle at the Airbnb since it is a community mailbox center, and the post office has not been a good outlet for us to pick it up directly from them. If you have something you want to send, please message me for address on Facebook, Instagram or text. **my dad will be sleeping during the day for work at night, but my grandparents will be there to get things off the porch or my dad can check it as he gets up each day.
This will be a journey for life; I know some think we’ve hit the end and we are clear and on the other side, but we are far from the end of this journey for my mom. It is day by day indefinitely; a full recovery just from the surgery portion can take up to 1 year, she could reject her liver at any point of the remainder of her life if we don’t follow guidelines for her to keep her liver and live a long, healthy life post surgery.
This has been a tolling financial battle for us. The surgery alone is close to $1 million. That does include all the expenses we started accumulating from June 26th forward with Greenville hospital stays, tests, medications, the MUSC stay, medications, tests, all procedures, lodging, relocation, hurricane damages, pet care/needs, normal household expenses and bills, dietary changes, and so much more. Any little bit helps, so please continue to share my mom’s story so she can continue down this road of recovery positively and without stress.
I continue to ask for patience on updates and returned calls/messages as I am training for a new addition to my new job I started on 9/16, and will be the sole caretaker in Charleston while my dad works to maintain income and his benefits for my mom, and I will have very limited time to get her needs, my needs, and errands completed and will also want to spend quality time with mom after work as I can.
Thank you for continuing your support for her and our family along this journey. We are forever grateful for the incredible people we have in our lives. & an extra special thanks to Michelle, Roe, Hayley, Dreya, Meagan, Sherard, Merri, and their families for all their help back in Greenville while we are away. family isn’t always just blood, but it’s those who you meet throughout life and organically come together as family.
There’s been an extraordinary amount of you who help us and check in. We love you all.
#AngelaStrong
4:15 PM 10/5:
Today has been a good day so far for mama. She’s been on schedule for all meds, met an awesome home health nurse named Dan, had a few outdoor walks, we all had lunch together, and now she’s resting.
Nurse said that he was thoroughly impressed with our preparation and our system we have for all 20 of her medications. He said her BP, pulse and oxygen were perfect. He reviewed the process we will see for her fluid swelling and the best ways to have that come off is lots of movement and lots of protein. He said her incision and 2 drain sites look great and should heal nicely.
We have to watch her carefully for any rejection symptoms, blood clots, missed meals or medication, cleanliness, and awareness in public places indefinitely. Her immune system will always be low in some way so we do not want to ever risk a silly mistake to send us down the wrong path.
One of the major life adjustments my mom will have to make is wearing sunscreen and being protected from the sun as her anti rejection meds make her highly susceptible to skin cancers. If you know mama, the sun and oil is her favorite combo but she will never do anything to jeopardize her health again!
Looking forward to another home cooked meal together as a family tonight. We have always tried to live in the moment and make the best of every day, but when you face a near-death situation or the potential of losing someone you love most, you reassess your focus and priorities and make sure you have everything in the right perspective.
#AngelaStrong
8:45 AM 10/5:
Good morning! We took the time last night to soak up being together as a family after not all being together for over 2.5 weeks so we appreciate your patience as we respond to the overwhelming support and messages we all have received
Yesterday was a remarkable day! My mom went from knocking on death’s door and being very touch and go, to being able to be a SURVIVOR and walking out of the front doors of MUSC after discharge. We are all so thankful for everyone who tuned into the Instagram Live and also who have watched it post-recording my mom was beyond overwhelmed when she watched it back, heard all the comments & being showered with so much love.
Yes, we are out of the hospital, my mom is finally free from the place she’s called home for 18 days; however, this journey is far from over and we are starting to navigate the recovery process without the 24/7 side by sides with doctors and nurses.
She was able to have a little ride in the car, nice home cooked dinner, and relax and reflect on all that’s gone on. She had a rocky start to her sleep with nightmares and cold chills. We reassessed as a family, came together and surrounded her in bed to give her comfort, warmth and protection and she was able to fall back asleep through the night.
She has to be very regimented with medications (some for the remainder of her life), healthy living habits, extreme cleanliness from others, and lots of encouragement and reassurance this will be okay.
Today we will have the Home Health Care Nurse come in to show us how to aid with my mom port surgery and provide support if we need it while adjusting to life outside of the hospital.
We are going to take each day as it comes and enjoy each day to its fullest. My mom has a second chance to live and we are looking forward to see her new journey and adventures and also to see who wants to genuinely be a part of that
#AngelaStrong
1:05 PM 10/4:
** today is discharge day!! we will be doing an Instagram live video when she is leaving the hospital between 5 & 6 pm! If you would like to watch, please follow my dad on Instagram at @1personarmy
7:45 AM 10/4:
Yesterday my mom had a great day overall, but with the stressors previously mentioned she was very anxious and upset. They completed a chest xray and an EKG to confirm it was just anxiety and not any type of heart condition or reaction. Once we were able to get her calmed down and deep breathing, she was completely fine and we proceeded on with her outstanding day of accomplishments! She was be to go on more walks without any issue, continue doing her asperator machines (help remove the natural fluid from her lungs from surgery to prevent pneumonia; very common post surgery), and take a nice & hot shower! What’s also amazing is along this journey, my mom has been gaining her sense of taste and smell back that she had lost back in February of 2020! Coincidence or related?! We are not sure!
Today should be her biggest day of accomplishments yet! They plan to have her last drainage port removed and she should be able to come to our temporary Charleston home! She is beyond ready to be out of the hospital, but also nervous because this is all so new and she does not want to do one thing that would jeopardize her new liver!
My dad and I are so so excited to see her outside of MUSC. This has been her home for over 2 weeks! As excited as we are to go, we will miss a lot of the nurses and doctors that have helped my mama through this. Some we will still see, so that’s a plus! My mom has made so many new forever friends from this crazy experience and she couldn’t be more thankful! Caroline, Camila, Melissa, John, Joey, Joe, Brianna, Patel, Amira, Tristan, Diana, Kai, Kandis, and of course she couldn’t have gotten here without Dr. Simpson, Dr. Willner, or Dr. di Sabado and his entire team in the OR. (I am sure I have missed a couple people since my dad and I have been rotating hospital stays for the last 17 days). We are beyond blessed these people were able to cross our family’s path and help take care of my mama and save her life MUSC has been incredible.
Final stretch of the hospital stay, let’s get you in a house!
#AngelaStrong
1 PM 10/3:
Major apologies for not providing an update over the last 48 hours. We have been juggling a lot of incredible events and also unfortunate events.
As many of you may have seen if you follow my dad on socials, my mom has made incredible strides in her physical recovery this far! She has been able to walk for long durations of time, conquer the stairs numerous times and now doesn’t have to go one at a time!, she has had 1 of 2 drains removed, almost all ports & IVs are gone, and she was able to produce a bowel movement and able to get off her clear liquid diet and was able enjoy real food for the first time since Saturday!!
To say we are proud of her is beyond an understatement! She has been exceeding and crushing all post transplant normalcies this entire recovery process!
With all of that, she still struggles with pain, tenderness, frustrations, muscle spasms, and still majorly swollen from fluid build up (it will dissipate with time as the new liver continues to work with all of her organs and become regulated).
These are all things she will gradually be able to improve on and be back to her normal self with just a couple tweaks to her original lifestyle!
She should be released from the hospital TOMORROW!!
With her healing and recovery, we cannot stress enough the importance for her mental health, cleanliness of herself and others around her, and healthy living and eating habits.
With that being said, one of her biggest upsets has happened along this miraculous journey which is extremely unfortunate.
Her mother has gone back to FL from her own choice and did not even provide my mom a goodbye or notify her that she was leaving SC. We found out via Facebook otherwise who knew when we would know where she was or if she was safe. On Tuesday we had not heard from her for hours and when she finally had shown up it wasn’t about how my mom was doing that day or making sure we know the guidelines to move forward outside of the hospital (as she was supposed to be staying with us for support), it was about we can make this tweak or that tweak, my mom doesn’t need to be fully independent, and then continuing to insult my moms appearance. My dad got extremely upset with this conversation and behavior and was not going to allow someone to say insults about his wife, especially when she is within 10 feet of them trying to sleep. He passionately told her to leave the room & she made the choice to state we don’t have to worry about her coming back. Now we know that she has taken the statement to leave the room as a statement to leave the state. Regardless, if she has differences with my dad or I, she should never let that come between her saying goodbye to her own daughter that just went through a life saving surgery. Instead, she has added more stress, sadness and heartbreak for, as usual, my dad and I to pick up the pieces from.
As many truly know, this is not out of character. This type of behavior from controlling and toxic standpoints has gone on majority of my moms life and it’s been crushing to see over the years because all my dad and I want is to protect her and have her be loved. Even with all the years of hurt, we never put up a boundary in hopes that maybe one day the behavior would change, but unfortunately has not.
I would never want anyone to be part from a parent, no one does, but, especially right now, this is not healthy for her to focus on. She thrives to have a positive relationship with her mom, and it breaks her heart when time after time again, she is shown that is too difficult to be provided.
I know many of you know how this relationship has been, but others do not and do not get the full story or get a different version. Many versions of my family and I being the villains, but that is simply not the case. Our family has always been small so we would never want to willing make that smaller.
From here on out we ask to be surrounded by genuine, positive people, love, support, and continue to cheer my mom on as she gets through this long recovery process!
My mama is an incredible, selfless human and all we want is her to have that reciprocated to her.
Here’s to moving forward and being out of the hospital after 17 days this stay!
#AngelaStrong
11:30 PM 10/1:
The last 24 hours have been a lot of ups and a lot of downs.
My mom was not able to sleep well last night with all her machines hooked up, her back spasms from being chair/bed ridden for over 3 months (said she feels like she is going through labor pains/contractions), and when she was able to get a few minutes of sleep she was having extremely vivid nightmares and would wake up with anxiety. My dad was staying with her in the room so he too was not sleeping well since he was trying to comfort her in anyway he could. My dad has been a trooper and has not had many hours of sleep or a bed to use since Friday night into Saturday morning, and he is still going strong.
As morning finally came, she was able to start to turn her day around for the better. She was able to have the catheter, prior dialysis port in her neck, and EKG leads all removed! She was able to take a shower and was away all the hard that happened through the night and parts of the day and feel like a human. She was able to walk the halls with little to no assistance and she rang the bell to honor her donor for giving the best gift to her she could ever ask for - a new lover for a new lease on life. We will all be eternally grateful for that person & their family for keeping ours together. ❤️
She was also so happy to see friendly faces of our neighbors who have been staying in Charleston from the storms that hit Greenville. She was so happy and surprised when Kristan, Sherard, and little Rowan walk in the door to visit!
I’m overwhelmed with so much happiness and so much anxiety. I’m trying to navigate through it all while balancing so much. I will do whatever I possibly can for my mom and also my dad. We are a unit and we will always be there for one another. I don’t know what I would do without them. With being so overwhelmed with these emotional days, I thank you all for your patience with me as I have to disengage for a couple hours and I try to regroup to get all my messages responded to, work, spend time with my mom, and try to squeeze in a minute or two with my dad since we take shifts.
So thankful for all the framily back in GVL for holding down our fort and stepping in without question, everyone for all the check ins, & all our IL framily for still sending love and prayers from such a distance and for all your calls and check ins!
Looking forward to them both having a better night to have an even greater tomorrow.
They are hopeful she could leave the hospital as early as Friday s long as she is still okay and feels comfortable
One day at a time.
#AngelaStrong
10 PM 9/30:
Quite the eventful day again today! First day back to work for me remotely from Charleston so bear with me as I adjust to getting work done, updates for mom done, and get visits with her when I am able.
Mom has been able to get out of bed to sit in a chair, walk the ICU floor with minimal assistance, still staying off dialysis, and has been moved to the transplant recovery floor from the ICU. She got back to her original floor (transplant recovery) and everyone was so surprised she is already back! Less than 24hours in ICU is almost unheard of.
Mom is breaking all kind of transplant norms. Less than 5 hours for surgery, extubated before leaving OR, being mobile and walking far and fast not even 24hours after surgery, getting released from ICU in less than 24hours, and at her rate, we will see if the list will grow!
With all these big milestones, we are of course being very cautious to make sure this is all done correctly and safely. There is a long road ahead and we will make sure to follow all the guidelines to get closer to that end goal, but with baby strides. With all her progress we definitely wouldn’t want to take a step back.
We will be following a very regimented diet plan, PT plan, and get her set on a good routine to ease her back into normalcy.
She was in good spirits today visiting today with all her nurses, doctors, my dad, myself, grandma and her brother who came down all the way from IL on his Harley! We are beyond thankful he made it safe with all the obstacles he came across in his 30 hour venture!
We will be taking every day one at a time. We are so beyond blessed and thankful for all the support and amazing team that has gotten my mom to where she is as of today. It truly takes a village and she has a very large one on the personal side and on the medical side.
Throughout this whole journey, especially in the last 48 hours, my mom has had lots of signs to know everything was going to be okay, that she was going to be okay, and that she has so much more life to live.
We will be forever grateful that she was able to have a lifesaving surgery and a second chance for a whole new life.
#AngelaStrong
10:20 AM 9/30:
From dad: Surgeon that did the transplant was just in. Very impressed with progress. No dialysis. Starting fluids for thirst and she can have Popsicles! Said they were going to get her moving today. Already transfer order to move out of ICU!
9:20 PM 9/29:
We are so beyond thankful that everything with Mom’s surgery went better than expected and planned! The doctor came out to update us before hour five started, as they were anticipating at minimum six hours in the OR.
She was able to remain in stable condition during the entire surgery. They were also able to extubate her in the OR instead of sending her with the breathing tube to the ICU. Typically transplant patients always have this tube in for at least one to two days in the ICU, so with her not having to have that is a major milestone already!
They were also able to minimize her scar, so it will not be near as large as she thought it was going to be initially so she will be so happy to know that when she is done being loopy from anesthesia! Even with the loopiness, she is still very alert when she is awake and she said she is ready to get the hell out of there because she has “shit to do” and she wants to see her puppies… Lol.
They are also overly impressed with her urine output already being done. That’s a true sign that her kidney function is going to most likely regulate itself, so she will most likely not have to be on dialysis moving forward!
Moving forward, she will be in the ICU as they see fit until they send her to the main transplant floor for her therapies and further treatment to be able to leave the hospital for good! They plan to start PT as early as tomorrow with her, as movement is one of the biggest things Transplant patients need to be able to do to jumpstart their recovery process. They typically anticipate people being in the ICU for 2 to 4 days, but with all the progress she has already made in just some short hours, I do not think her stay in the ICU will be for that long. once the ICU stay is complete, the anticipated traditional hospital stay is about a week give or take, but again, I do not see her having to do that at this time! Once the hospital stay is done, we will transport her to our Airbnb in Charleston and we plan to be here until the first week of November. I will be working full-time from home and my dad will be commuting from Greenville to Charleston as needed for her follow up appointments until we are able to come back to Greenville. We also have my grandmother here for help around the airbnb for my mom in case any additional assistance is needed as we will take each day as it comes.
Please keep my dad in your thoughts tonight as he is staying with her in the ICU overnight with no sleep since yesterday morning so I am able to get well rested for work; he will be very tired. He will finally be able to get sleep tomorrow evening. We will always make sure each other is taken care of, but we will also make every sacrifice possible so my mom can get better as that is the most important thing!
My grandparents made it safely to Greenville, South Carolina to be at our home. Thanks again so much to Bob & Michelle for assisting them and keeping an eye on our pups all while still not having power. And also thank you to Meagan & TJ, and Hayley Elliott for all of your support with making sure Jax and Gemma are cared and loved for through all of this.
Our neighborhood is hoping to be restored with power as early as late tonight, so we pray that it does not take until the projected date of this coming Friday. Please pray that Greenville can get back to a safe state for all.
As always, I can never say it enough, we are beyond thankful for the village of people that we have surrounding our family during this time. All the prayers, love, support, donations, check ins, gifts, words of encouragement, request to come visit, and so much more has been truly heartwarming as we don’t know what we would do without all of that from you.
As we are over the biggest hurdle of this whole journey so far, we still have a long road of recovery for my mom.
Please continue to share my mom‘s story so others can see what she has been through and maybe others will feel compelled to contribute in some way. Every little bit helps, and we will be eternally grateful for each and every one of you and also for God guiding her through this challenging time in her life.
Here is to recovery!
#AngelaStrong
2:15 PM 9/29:
Surgery is complete and went perfect!! She received a nice, large, healthy liver. Remained perfectly stable the entire surgery. Now to the road of recovery
11:45 AM 9/29:
Old liver has fully been removed and now working on putting in new liver
9:53 AM 9/29:
Procedure officially started and she is under and completely stable
8:15 AM 9/29:
She’s been taken down to the OR after rounds and rounds of visitations this morning starting at 6am. They are aiming to start surgery at about 9am. Will be posting updates as I can here for everyone in her waiting room from SC to IL to HI and all in between
#angelastrong
10:05 PM 9/28:
Final confirmation for liver received!
9:40 PM 9/28:
It has been a whirlwind since the last update so I apologize for the delays.
Late Thursday night into Friday afternoon I was in the middle of “tropical storm” (still think it was a hurricane when it hit us) Helene. It was a very scary experience, especially alone with the pups. We made sure shelter was readily available, but Greenville is currently in a great state of devastation and will be for quite some time. We lost power at about 5:30 am yesterday and it make take a week or two to get power restored. There is minimal food and fuel available. We are beyond thankful for our framily who have stepped up to help us even when dealing with their own setbacks with the power outages. Special shout out to Bob & Michelle and Meagan, TJ & Rachel for swooping in to be with Jax and Gemma since my grandparents got trapped in Greeneville TN on their way to SC with no cell service. We all were additionally panicked with not being able to locate or reach them. We have made contact and they are staying in TN until safe to finish their trip.
They were able to get the dialysis started for mom yesterday afternoon. She has been on that for just over 24 hours. They located the port in her neck vs a femoral port since she is still able to be mobile and to decrease her chances of infection again. However, it’s been very temperamental and the dressing has had to be changed 6 times.
This morning they performed a chest x-ray and a head CT as she started getting a headache after the original port was placed and all came back clear. It seems to just be the stiffness in her neck from having to be positioned a certain way, and, of course, stress.
Early this afternoon we received news from the doctor that they have found a match donor for her! Incredible news and all we have been hoping and praying for! The liver has cleared all tests and we are waiting on the 150% confirmation that it’s still a go for surgery around 7am tomorrow.
She is currently receiving 2 blood transfusions in preparation for the surgery tomorrow.
This is the milestone we have all been wishing for. Recovery and post surgery plans will be a whole new realm of to-dos and expenses.
As this was completely unexpected, it has been a challenge to overcome the financial obstacles that have added to our family’s normal expenses. With medical expenses aside, we have to keep on top of normal monthly expenses, travel expenses, lodging, animal care, family care, unexpected hurricane adjustments, and so much more.
We are so happy to get to this point in my mom’s journey. Please continue to support us with hope, prayer, love, donations, etc. every little bit helps us survive and every little bit is cherished more than you will ever know.
As updates for surgery are given, I will keep everyone informed in the best way possible. Surgery is expected to average about 6 hours or so but can change as they discover what they’re working with in the OR.
Keep fighting
5:30 PM 9/26:
Sorry there has not been an update sooner. It’s been a busy day of doctors visiting the room, having reviews done at my new job, and the most chaotic being the dogs rolling around in a mud bath in the backyard and being covered head to paw and spreading red clay all over our couch, bed and carpets beyond grateful for Bob & Michelle and Roe & Tony for coming to our rescue with carpet cleaners before there was too much damage so I could be on my review meeting for my new job.
As for mom, I know she’s been trying to help send texts to update some as she can, but she’s having some troubles with confusion and also translating thoughts to texts, so please don’t be alarmed if you can’t make out the urgencies of her texts! This is the main updating channel for if anyone has any questions, or please call/text my dad or I!
Today started early as always with a 3 AM blood draw. With the draw they have seen another increase in her Kidney levels and her MELD raising to 43 (transplant time is traditionally 40).
Her liver team, kidney team, transplant team, and Chief of Transplants have all mutually decided the best way to prevent her from needing a kidney transplant on top of the liver transplant is to move her to ICU for dialysis until the transplant is complete. This can be somewhat normal for someone in severe condition like mama. Doing this will help her feel relief, take as much fluid off as they can to be ready for surgery, and help her kidneys function better since the liver no longer functions.
This will also help prevent her having to be on dialysis after her surgery or cut the duration shorter for dialysis after surgery.
They would have listed her last week if it weren’t for the infection; thankfully that has cleared up and they were able to move forward with listing. Insurance is still in processing but with her critical condition they will not hold off on the surgery if a donor is available first than the insurance paper.
A donor could be available any day so we are ready for when that time comes. Things been a hard journey to watch my mom take on, but as most of you know she will never go down without a fight and she’s been kicking ass.
** I know many have asked for the address to send mail/flowers/gifts to. The address will no longer be valid for her once she moves to the ICU this evening. They are just waiting for a bed. Once a new address I available and you wish to send something, please reach out! ** if you are looking to send flowers, they must be potted soil plants while in ICU for her to have them in her room**
As always, we appreciate all the kind words, support, messages, contributions, love and prayers. Please continue to help us in any way you are able and keep speeding the word to help my mama.
We are almost over her largest hurdle yet. Let’s help her get there!
#AngelaStrong
7:40 PM 9/25:
It has been a very busy, sad, exciting and eventful day. Mama is putting up the biggest fight possible and the doctors are amazed to see her strength with all of these complications she has.
They are monitoring her kidneys closely with medication and blood draws. She may have to be on dialysis after to make sure the kidneys get regulated correctly after surgery.
They did another diagnostic fluid draw today to check on infection and it has improved again
She was able to get showered and freshened up after a long day and she is now ready for some much needed rest.
We as a family are going to sync up our phones and TVs and watch the season premieres of our Chicago shows since we are a part, but this is something we do to always spend family time together. Amongst all the chaos, unexpectedness, and uncertainty, we are trying to give her as much normalcy as we can.
Let’s all pray and hope this liver is received this weekend
It’s all so crazy how coincidences can happen, but we have met a lot of nurses and doctors from around our hometown, one of her doctors attended ND and she gave mama her first guardian angel to be by her side. We couldn’t have asked for a better care team along this journey. My mom has loved everyone and made such good bonds. That is beyond important to love and trust who takes care of you. Makes everything just a little bit easier.
#AngelaStrong
2:35 PM 9/25:
SHE HAS BEEN LISTED
#AngelaStrong
Continue to pray as we are getting through the end of this race. We are so close to her being over the biggest hurdle in this health battle.
12:40 PM 9/25:
Mom is being watched very carefully as her liver function is basically nonexistent so it is making her kidney function get worse. They had kidney specialists in this morning to assess the situation so she can avoid having to have a liver AND kidney transplant.
The doctors are hopeful that once her liver is fixed, the kidneys can regulate themselves and potentially need light assistance with dialysis after to avoid nd further surgeries.
The board review for transplant placement is this afternoon and we should know more about where she stands. Once placed, she should be at the very top of the list as her MELD is still at a 42 which labels her as very critical. They are hopeful she will have a new liver by as soon as Monday.
With the liver in full failure, her kidneys being strained, and her body being at max capacity on fluid, she is very tired and has labored breathing.
Once we have final update from this afternoon, I will get a new update provided by this evening.
Please bear with me as I am still learning a new job, packing for a 1+ month relocation, taking care of the pups, myself, and my family from afar, all while getting 50-75 responses out a day in the midst of bad weather we are getting in the upstate.
Thank you for the continued support and contributions! We never would have thought we would raise over $10,000 for my mama. Let’s keep it going because this is still going to be a very long journey for all involved
7 PM 9/24:
Today has been another whirlwind of a day.
She started very early with blood draws and an EKG since her BP has been severely low as well. EKG came back clear. She had to receive a blood transfusion again due to very low platelets and hemoglobin. She had to have the Vein Team come in the start 3 new IVs as all her veins are hard to find with the fluid. They are also watching her lungs closely as she has a minor collapsed lung from all the fluid in her body.
We have postponed the additional fluid draw today so she can save up her energy for the big day if she can.
She also had to go down today for an ultrasound to confirm there are no blockage or inflammation in kidneys. Currently everything looks okay.
Beyond thankful for all the prayers for her infection, it’s has DROPPED and she is in stable range to move forward with transplant placement! That was the only factor standing in the way.
With this great news, also comes some tough news. Her kidney levels have sky rocketed and are being watched carefully. Even though they are reading out of range, that will not hinder her from her placement on the transplant list. Also, her MELD score has increased significantly again to a 42.
With her condition being this critical, we are pretty certain that when they do their patient review tomorrow it will all be submitted to insurance to have her placed and once insurance approved, it will not be long for her to get a donor.
Since she needs a full liver, it will be from a deceased donor; otherwise I would be in the bed next to her prepping to give her part of mine since I am a match and she has had so many other offer to donate if they were able to including my dad and other family.
This has all been very overwhelming, and as it is very exciting to know that we are so close to getting to the other side, we are all scared. My mom is terrified and her mind wanders the what ifs, but we have continued to keep her as positive as possible because this is great news.
Please continue to support us if you will in any way that looks for you. Prayer, love, check-ins, donations, gifts.. we are beyond blessed and thankful for all of you.
#AngelaStrong
6:20 PM 9/23:
Today has been a tough day for my mom. She was not able to go outside and enjoy the fresh air like we have been able to do since she’s been there. She look forward to us taking her in a wheelchair outside to get out of her room for just a few minutes.
She had another small fluid draw to get a sample for the infection. This one was more complicated to complete than ones she’s previously had and she was in terrible pain and had a decent portion of blood loss from the procedure site, however she remained stable and they were so beyond impressed by her strength to get through these minor complications.
All boxes have been checked off besides the infection. Once she is clear of infection, they can then make her active on the transplant list to be connected to a donor. Based on her numbers and scores, they do not see it taking long to find a match based on her condition once she is active.
Her swelling is very severe and she can still barely walk and her skin cannot stretch any further so she is very uncomfortable. They are going to prepare to do another 2 liter fluid draw soon to hopefully give her some more relief.
We ask that you pray for her infection to go away so she can get the relief she needs with a new liver. This infection is the only thing standing in her way to being able to survive and overcome this health battle.
11:20 PM 9/22:
I have just made it back to Greenville for the week. My dad arrived safely in Charleston around 7:30 and he is with my mom for the week and I will return to Charleston to be with them indefinitely u til we get to the other side of this transplant process.
Today was another very emotional day; we are all just trying to feel our feelings and process need as it comes.
She is severely swollen so now that her kidneys have been in a safe zone for a good duration of time, they are going to restart her lasix to try to help reduce the fluid build up, however, right now she’s so swollen it is hard to walk.
They plan to do another partial fluid draw tomorrow to get an updated status on the infection. Tomorrow will also be the meeting with her full team to determine next steps/placement on the transplant list.
Continue to pray for her to have strength to keep fighting, for my dad and I to have strength to support her and take care of us, and that she gets the best placement possible to receive a liver as quick as she can.
We again are beyond thankful for the overwhelming amount of contributions to support us through this difficult time.
#AngelaStrong
10:50 AM 9/22:
I apologize for not responding yesterday or providing an update as I know a lot of people are caring for my mom, our family, and following her journey. But, yesterday was hard. Yesterday was emotional. Yesterday was a day we all needed to disconnect and focus on helping each other get through as we are all fighting this battle in our own way and some of us needed to have a break, to breakdown. I will try to get any personal responses out as I can.
This journey has been full of good and bad days, a lot of scattered answers, and just trying to stay in the best lane we can to get to the other side.
Her MELD score fluctuates daily based off the daily blood draw taken, currently it has decreased slightly but she is still in a very critical stage with her score.
yesterday they performed another fluid draw to test the severity of the infection and the infection has gotten worse. They have switched to a new antibiotic and performed a CT with contrast to see if they can have a more definitive finding of what the cause of infection is.
Even with the minor improvement with the MELD score and her kidneys finally being regulated, there is no change in how the discussion will go tomorrow for the placement review to submit to insurance and get and understanding of the timeline she would receive the liver she needs to survive this battle.
They will do another fluid draw to assess the infection tomorrow once the antibiotics have time to work. We are hoping tomorrow will shine light on what the next few weeks will look like.
I will be leaving this afternoon to go back to Greenville and my dad will be returning to Charleston. I have used this weekend to spend as much quality time with my mom and keep her in a positive mindset the best to my ability. I will be in Greenville for the next week (unless an emergent change occurs) and hopefully be able to be in Charleston full time starting next Sunday with the grace of my new job being remote and the grace of my dads company for allowing him the time away from his position.
We are beyond thankful for all of the generous donations provided and will be forever grateful to everyone for their contributions , prayers, love, support, and assistance through this all.
11 PM 9/20: so sorry for the late/delayed update. It’s been a challenge juggling working a new job, completing trainings, get on calls with doctors and my parents, and then the 3 hour drive to Charleston.
She had a rough night last night and was extremely disoriented and did not know where she was. She was able to get rest and the disorientation subsided a lot. She had a long and tiring day of testing and monitoring. They are trying to get the infection to go away and make a determination by Monday morning for transplant scheduling.
Transplant is her only option for survival for the condition she is in. She will not be released from the hospital until she’s able to go through surgery.
Please pray for safety over my dad as he is currently traveling back to Greenville with the pups to regroup and gather things for his next week’s stay in the hospital with my mom. He will not be home until 1 AM. I will be working from home for one more week and then once our Airbnb is available, I will be moving to Charleston to work remotely until she is able to come home from MUSC. Expenses are ramping up quickly - travel, food, lodging, and so much more before we even get to the medical side of things.
We truly appreciate all of the support in whatever form that looks for you. Our family is in fight or flight mode so any little bit helps.
I am beyond overwhelmed with all the reach outs from you all. I am getting everyone responses as quickly as I can and always appreciate your patience.
#AngelaStrong
10:04 PM 9/19:
It has been an overwhelming journey since 6/26, last 48 hours, but especially the past 8 hours.
After an extraordinary amount of tests completed last night and today, it has been determined that my mom is too critical to not receive a transplant. They are finishing up the last required steps and she will placed to be a recipient on the transplant list. Liver disease severity is primarily based off of a MELD score. That score ranges from 1-40, 40 being transplant needed as soon as possible. Today’s readings read to be a 41. She’s starting to have trouble with her kidneys as well on top of BP issues, brain fog, swelling, protein levels, bilirubin levels, and the list goes on of complications.
At this rate they are not wanting her to leave the hospital until she receives a liver. She will be in Charleston until at least early November. They are hoping to place her on the list within the next 48 hours and once placed, it could be within days or weeks to receive a liver since it comes from a deceased donor (she needs a whole liver and not a partial). From there, once surgery is completed, she will be in ICU about 3 days, regular hospital for about a week, and then we will have to stay local to the hospital for at least 3 weeks.
Please give us time to process this as it has come full circle at a rapid pace. We are still trying to wrap our minds around this as a family as our world has completely flipped around.
I will get to everyone I promise, but I also need time to process what’s going on with my mom. My dad needs to process what’s going on with his wife. My mom needs to process what’s going on to her.
This is a lot. We appreciate all the love, support, prayers, donations etc. more than anyone knows and we will be forever grateful for each and every one of you. Please remember that.
https://gofund.me/16917ddd
1:32 PM 9/19:
She’s had a rotating door of nurses, doctors and specialists in. She is also on rotation for the Rapid Response team to make sure we are prepared for any direction things may go.
My dad just told me they have taken her to go into a stress test to make sure she will be able to withstand the extensiveness of what the transplant surgery will entail.
Her BP is still severely low so they have put her on medications to hopefully raise that and also on Albumen to help overall since her protein function is minimal and helps contribute to her having relief with this disease.
It looks like she will be there throughout the weekend so I will be heading to Charleston to be with her Friday after work through Sunday and give my dad some relief as well since this is overwhelming for us all and those around us.
https://gofund.me/ce405c0b
8:58 AM 9/19:
They have been testing her throughout the night, and as much as she needs rest, she needs around the clock care at this time. They had to provide a blood transfusion in the middle of the night since her hemoglobin was low and so is her BP. They are going to get another EKG done and additional testing, then do other tests once she’s stable so they can get her placement on the list and see how quick that can happen.
Her protein, sodium, and iron storing cells are also low - so trying to also regulate that as those are major factors with liver disease.
She did have infection so they started antibiotics last night to clear that up.
Waiting to see how the day goes to receive more answers.
Appreciate you all who are supporting our journey
https://gofund.me/e071a9c8
10:05 PM 9/18:
She’s been admitted to MUSC and they’re doing an EKG test now, planning for any blood transfusions if needed, giving antibiotics to fight off infection, and they’re doing a bunch of tests to see where we are at and how to move forward.
We are so thankful that she loves her nurse, Emma. It is so important to love & have trust in those who take care of you.
She is beyond thankful to hear of all the love & support you have all provided. I will continue to let her know all of the kind words
She will be monitored closely overnight and hopefully have answers soon on how we move forward from where we are.
https://gofund.me/a2122667
Original post:
It’s been a very hectic 24 hours. My dad is currently taking my mom down to MUSC for the next steps in the transplant process.
She woke up with severely low BP, cold chills, fever and a lot of disorientation. After the doctors reviewed her lab work from yesterday, they saw her numbers trending in the wrong direction and certain levels are in a dangerous range and they want to have her admitted to complete further testing and move forward with transplant placement.
As my parents were in route to MUSC, the Greenville G.I. doctor reached out and requested that she be admitted to Greenville Memorial as soon as possible as yesterday’s fluid drain procedure showed potential bacterial infection and she needed to be on IV fluids immediately. Since they were already in route to MUSC, he advised to still head there so everything could be managed and handled in one location without having to worry about relocation. Being with the transplant team will be what’s best for her at this time.
Currently I am home for work and the dogs until we get things settled for pet care, and if she is not back home by then, I will be heading to Charleston Friday evening. My dad’s company has allowed him time away so he can be by his wife’s side during this scary time for our family.
My mom is beyond scared. Please continue to pray, for her especially, throughout this process. My mom is such a strong woman who has always put other before her and now is when she needs everyone to be there for her.
I will continue to provide updates as I can and will add them to this existing post. Please be patient with me as I am trying to navigate learning a new position, responding to all of those who care for my mom and our family, as well as trying to be strong for myself, my dad and of course my mom.
Thank you for all the continued support and prayers
https://gofund.me/890024a5
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Angela has always been a social butterfly and a friend to anyone and everyone. Now is when Angela is in need to have that support given back to her.
She nor our family are ones to ask for help, however she is in dire need of a full liver transplant to be able to survive her diagnosis and eventually get back to a somewhat normal lifestyle.
On June 26th we were fortunate to get my mom to the ER just in time to start getting treatment that has been going on long before symptoms were showing. The doctors were beyond thankful that she was still with us because many that have been in her condition have not been able to be as fortunate.
This mental, physical, and financial journey has already been tolling for us for 78 days and we still have an extremely long road ahead.
With dozens of doctors visits currently spread between 3 different hospitals, 20+ medications, numerous procedures and testing, travel & lodging expenses in Charleston for us and the dogs, income losses, groceries for new dietary needs, once a donor is found - my mom will need to stay in Charleston for 1-2 months for critical care and monitoring, and so on, everything has added up exponentially faster than anticipated.
Many have helped our family in so many ways and we will never be able to thank you enough for all that has been done. We ask that if anyone is able to help with our biggest hurdle, to please donate what you’re able to provide and support us as we continue down this long road.
As we have come to learn, the average cost of a liver transplant in the United States is highly variable and can range from around $600,000 to over $878,400. We are currently already at about $45,000 and counting for medical expenses alone.
Any amount helps with the continued love, support and prayers given.
Thank you all for your continued support and we hope to have our Angela, my mom, and Tyrone’s other half to be back to her normal self ❤️
Organizer
Hailey Young
Organizer
Greenville, SC