I have been remiss in keeping you all updated. Since February, Karly has been fighting some kind of infection in or around her eye. We first thought it was caused by her sinus', but after treatment of that, we saw no improvement. Then she tried an eye drop antibiotic...not much improvement. Then a different eye drop antibiotic...again no improvement. She was bleeding out the corners of her right eye, and it was worsening. Finally, we were allowed to see her eye surgeon who had placed her eye tubes prior to her transplant. He confirmed that she was infected in her lacrimal sac. He said that he needed to make a new tear duct that bypasses the old blocked one. He performed a Dacryocystorhinostomy this morning. It is the surgical procedure usually used to treat most cases of blocked tear ducts in adults and rarely in children.This technique creates a new route for tears to drain out through your nose normally again by developing a new connection between your lacrimal sac and your nose. He said she was abscessed and no amount of antibiotic would have worked, so we are grateful that she was diagnosed and now treated. We hope for a speedy, painless recovery. She can't do anything for 48 hours, then about a week of taking it easy.
Her BP has been high since the beginning of May. Not sure why. We are in a wait and see mode...will it return to an acceptable number or stay high? If it stays high, then the most likely cause is that her renal arteries are blocked again...not what we want. A couple good things with the HBP is that the pressure pushes blood through her kidney better and makes her lasix work better. Bad things are: makes her heart work harder, makes it harder to control potassium intake and possible stenosis.
Karly turned 22 on Monday. She reflected that she will be outliving Kelsey who died at the age of 22. It is both a sad memory and a happy one. She celebrated with her boyfriend, Zach and also her family. We are grateful for every birthday of everyone. We take nothing for granted. We hope you count the cost of life everyday. God has a plan for YOU. Don't waste it. Living life centered on God's purpose for us is amazing. Karly has had an amazingly, God-awed year. Ask her about it sometime when you have time to listen. God is good all the time!
Thank you for standing strong with us throughout the years. I hope to do a better job communicating, but thanks for your patience.
Love,
Mom
