As many of you already know, I have been sick on and off since the beginning of January. When I was in Rochester for my yearly check up at the beginning of February, they told me everything was great! 

Not too long after, my White Blood Cell count was dropping significantly. 

After my heart transplant, my doctors have had me on immunosuppression drugs, in order to keep my white blood cells at a safe level to prevent the cells from actually attacking my transplanted heart and cause my body to reject my new heart.  

It is an important balancing act: keep my white blood cell count from becoming too elevated to prevent rejection of my heart & keep my white blood cell count from decreasing so much that I cannot fight off infection normally, causing me to be dangerously sick.

February 15th, I spiked a fever. 

  

The next morning, I woke up with mouth sores, which is a horribly painful sign that my white blood cell count was not where it should be.

Throughout the week, I was sick with fevers. I had uncomfortable, loose runny stools. The mouth sores persisted and I have been experiencing exhaustion since then. 

I had gone to the clinic locally, while remaining in contact about my condition with the Mayo Clinic as well. 

My local clinic did blood work, swabs of my mouth and gave me antibiotics.

That weekend on February 20th--thankfully--my fever broke and I was able to relax a bit, although I still had painful mouth sores and was still uncomfortable using the bathroom. 

Friday the 26th, Mayo called and confirmed with me that my white blood cell count was very low. 

This was caused by being on a dosage of immunosuppression drugs that was too high for my body. 

As a result, I cut back on the medication (as advised). They gave me the weekend to adjust, but, told me that I would need to go back to their hospital if I did not make the necessary improvements.

That same day, I spiked a fever AGAIN. 

But, by morning, the fever had broken.

 

March 27th around 4:30pm, the fever was back and my doctors at Mayo told me I had to go in to the ER at home. There, the doctors informed me that my white blood cell count was even LOWER than it had been before.

I was flown from the Stanley hospital to my Mayo team that same night. 

I am currently in the hospital here in Rochester.

They have been doing test after test, including injections and a bone marrow biopsy.

We are unsure of a discharge date at this time, it depends solely on how my body reacts to the treatments and how long it will take to stabilize my conditions.

This is why my family and I are asking for your love and support. Basic, every day living expenses--such as rent, food, personal care, etc.) are becoming detrimental to our finances.

We are overwhelmed with expenses from having to be flown, clinic visits, Emergency Room stays, everything from tests to IVs administered both while in ND and MN. 

We are so grateful for the support and the love I have been shown from everyone around us, to even those from far away, praying and routing for a healthy, quick recovery and return home for me.  

Thank you, from Me & My Family and Friends for all of the continued prayers that has helped me get through such scary, trying times.  I ask of you to please keep them coming!

Any contributions we receive will be graciously appreciated from all us to say the absolute least and I will forever thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Anything will help us tremendously in my journey to recovery. 

Thank you for taking the time to read about this chapter in my life/recovery ❤

WE LOVE YOU ALL.

~~Bree