No Transplant!

(Bailey wanted me to put the title in all caps and 5 exclamation marks . . . I'll show a little restraint.)

Wow, what a day!! They're doing another echo Monday morning just to make sure nothing has changed over the weekend and then they're scheduling her for surgery to take the Berlin Heart out. Can you believe it?! Dr. Darragh and Dr. Turrentine both met with us today to deliver the good news. I kept waiting for the other foot to drop - whatever that other foot might have been - but they pretty much didn't give us the other foot. I was expecting them to say that the numbers were good but they still wanted to give her another 30 days to take another look. They both seemed confident in their decision. They, of course, are going to be watching her closely and she'll have another cath in 3 months or so, but goodness . . . I've sat around here for 3 hours now pretty much speechless. I catch myself staring at the ceiling. This is just the best news. We were ready (and grateful) for a transplant, but now we get to re-direct our thinking and don't have to worry about all the restrictions and medication that would have followed a transplant: immune suppressant drugs, steroids, limited access to pets, no swimming in lakes or ponds or public pools, wearing masks in the hospital, us wearing masks at home when we get sick, diet restrictions, can't have children . . . I do not mean to make a transplant sound so dreary, because it was our best friend for 4 months, but keeping Bailey's heart is even better than we could have imagined the outcome to be over the last 4 months. God is incredible, isn't He? All the prayers we all have sent asking for a heart and for a heart FAST . . . God was just saying to Himself, "They just have no idea." I am so grateful that God is healing Bailey's heart. And I'm so grateful for the doctors for their patience and insight and willingness to stick with us and not just take "any old heart" and for just their gut instincts. There really is no better outcome to this adventure. We feel we are the happiest people in the world.

Bailey gave Dr. T a hug after they delivered the good news. It was a very touching moment. All the bickering and playing and picking on each other they've done the last 5 months - they've developed a lasting relationship that started as a doctor making a new patient cry (3 times, I might add) and now is something that can't be replicated.

They say she'll probably be able to go home in 2 or 3 weeks after surgery. So, she might very well make it to the first day of school - we'll see. (With a transplant, she would have had to stay home for 3 months.) We should DEFINITELY be able to make it to the Keith Urban concert - and without a mask. Yeah!!!!! We just really are doing a little dance in our chairs as we sit here.

I think it's finally hitting Bailey. Her reaction to the news earlier today was pretty uneventful. I took that as her deep down having a feeling all along that she would go home with her own heart. But, from the looks of it now, it just hadn't hit her yet. We sat down here to write out the page, and she started crying. Now she's giddy and dancing. I need some wine. Haha!

It's Brownie Thursday and Sue came through for us! She did reveal tonight that this would work out perfect because she only has one more box of brownies left.

Well, before we think about the bitter-sweet thought of going home, we're going to go enjoy the moment.

Have a FANTASTIC night/day, everyone! We love you all!

Angie