~♡~ this picture was taken in San Francisco, just days before Sid's heart transplant in July 2006. We loved this, because all three of them, Shawn, Sid and the Tin Man all needed hearts. ~♡~



We are here in the hospital for biopsy and IVig infusion. For those of you who want to know....the biopsy is looking for rejection on a cellular level by snaking a tiny tube down the femoral artery in his neck to snip a tiny piece from his heart to examine. On April 27th, Shawn had a biopsy result of 3a...there are only 4 levels of rejection. Shawn has also been battling Humoral (anti-body) rejection since transplant, which the IVig (intravenous immunoglobulins) battles and manages that rejection.

We flew down Sunday, had a quiet day on Monday, we aren't staying at the Ronald McDonald House, we are in the Comfort Inn in Redwood City, and today we were up bright and early to be here by 6:30. Shawn was in, done, and out of recovery, on the way to the Short Stay Unit to start the 12 hour infusion by 10 am!! it was a very quick, no complications biopsy. Dr. Feinstein (one of the doctors that does Shawn's biopsies) said his numbers and pressures in his heart look good. not just "good" for Shawn (in the past, during his bouts of rejection, especially right after transplant, those numbers were so bad, they stopped telling me the number, they'd just say, "high") but those numbers were all good and normal.

Shawn is now sleeping, he is given pre-meds to combat some of the nasty side effects that come with the IVig (for Shawn, he has headaches, nausea with barfing, migraines, hives, all over body aches, etc). This has to be one of the easiest, quickest biopsy/IVig combo day I can remember....maybe I shouldn't say that...it's only 2, we have a ways to go and I don't want to jinx it. =)

The sad news this morning....which is more than sad. A little background....Sidney (Sid) lived with his mom, Peggy in the RMH house with us in 2006. Sid was the first kid in the house that we knew very well to receive a heart. We were with his mom when she told him the doctors called!! We went through the whole process with them.
A few weeks ago, his mom called me to say that suddenly he wasn't feeling well and a check up revealed advanced coronary artery disease. The doctors were sure a 2nd heart transplant would be needed.
Yesterday, Sid was here for a check-up, even had lunch with our friends Andrea and Alex in the cafeteria...the doctors could see on labs that his magnesium was low, so he's sent for an IV and infusion of magnesium. After the infusion, he isn't feeling good, he's admitted to be watched, around 2 am, he awakes and needs to vomit, starts to seize, and then into cardiac arrest. Sid has coded twice this morning, he is on full life support....and needs a miracle.

It's so sad and so scary....our hearts are heavy for our man Sid today.

and my alarm is telling me Shawn is due for some meds...will post soon. Please keep Sid and Shawn in your thoughts ;)
love from Stanford♥