Jan 14, Biopsy results, Round 3??

Had the biopsies today, and as Stacy and I had worried, the news was less than great for Sierra.

To help set the stage, Dr Perry does the biopsies, and has done for over 8 years now.  He does an excellent job, and we are very comfortable with him and his care, but he is a man of few words.  We have learned that if everything is OK on the biopsy, you might get a 'she looks fine'. But if there are concerns he will talk.  This time he 'talked'.  He told Stacy that Sierra's heart pressures are up (a sign her heart is not beating properly), her coronary arteries are slightly more restrictive, and heart is squeezing hard enough.  This helps explain the puffiness, fatigue, nausea, and the cough.  He talked to her about listing her on the transplant list. Something we were fearing.  I'm just glad we will have options.  
Stacy says it best in her Facebook posting:

Just to set the record straight. Sierra is NOT on the transplant list. They are having a meeting Friday and would like to list her as soon as possible. She is stable and doing fine. The wait is so long now that they want to get her on the list before she is really sick as transplanted hearts do not respond well to VADS (something like the berlin that Lindsey was on). Her Pressures in her heart were high today and with her swelling she's been having, she is not getting better. We will know more Friday. She will probably be listed as a 2 and we may be able to wait at home as long as she is stable.

That is really all we know for now. Unfortunately we know to well what is ahead of us.  Still many questions to understand or at least ask.  Mostly what new issues will arise from a re-transplant, antibodies, kidneys, rejections, etc.  Are there new therapies developed in the last 2 years we don't know about. How have other patients responded to re-transplant. What are the VAD options? Will our insurance allow us to wait at home? How fast am I allowed to drive to California once we get the call :) When or how should I start growing my facial hair. And the list goes on.....

For now, they are coming home . Going back to school, skiing, dance, life, the way it was and should be.  Sierra will be adding another med to help with the fluid retention, but other than that, everything else is the same.

Oh yah, Lindsey's biopsy went GREAT! Everything was normal. Rejection results for both the kids tomorrow. Depending on final results of the biopsies, Lindsey could go 6 months before her next biopsy. crazy.

Sure fled bad calling my mother today. This kind of news is hard on her. She is a wonderful Mom and grandmother to my kids.

Here are few fun pictures so far from the trip. 

Waiting at the airport.

Who can forget Shannon.