Many
people have been asking about the my time in Houston for the Heart Transplant and I
thought that the best way to share those crazy weeks is through my brother Clint's
updates to our family and friends. I will warn you
that this is a long entry and I will do my best to give my perspective in the near future.
9.11.14
On our way to Houston. Kayde will be admitted to the hospital today, and most likely be there until a heart becomes available. PLEASE PRAY. Kayde is much stronger than the rest of us, but it is all starting to become very real. You can only prepare so much, From the beginning to the end, it's all in God's hands. We can't imagine this journey without him. Thank you all. We Love You. Pray Hard.
Kayde
was admitted to her room at St. Luke's (temporary home) last around
1:00 AM. Kevin, Chas, my parents, and I are all with her this
morning, but I am not sure how long they will allow her to have this
much company. Kayde is doing well! She is much more comfortable being
here. Dr. Simpson excitedly told her to ship her LifeVest (external
defibrillator) back to the company. Also her constant IV drip in her
arm has come to an end. Kayde will be in this room until she gets a
heart, so it truly is her temporary home.
Thanks
for all the prayers.
9.14.14
Kayde
had a rough night after having a small procedure done late Friday and
a long Saturday, but is back to herself today. She is SO strong.
Kevin's parents, sister, and brother-in-law we able to come see her
today, and brought Kayde's best medicine(Carter) with them. He took a
nap on her bed and got to hang out with mommy for a couple of hours.
As you all continue to pray for Kayde, please also pray that Mom
maintains the strength that she has had thus far. For the next few
months, Mom will be taking care of Kayde and living by herself about
half of each week while Dad, Kevin, and I go back and forth.
"For
I know the plans I have for you," declares The Lord, "plans
to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future." -Jeremiah 29:11
9.15.14
Today
has been a good day! Dr. Cooley, who founded the Texas Heart
Institute and was one of the first in in the transplant game, came by
to see Kayde. He is 94 years old and is bound to a wheel chair now,
but was the first person Kayde saw this morning. Some people have
asked to see Kayde. If you are planning on seeing her, please check
with her or Mom first. Some days are better than others as you all
can imagine, and she would prefer to be having a good day when she
sees you.
One
thing Kayde and I, and many of you, have had branded in our minds is
"God is good, All the time." Im sure a lot of you read that
in true T Bar M fashion. It is so true, and we can not wait to see
what good is going to come out of this whole process.
9.20.14
Kayde
is running away...with a lot of hearts...the staff's hearts. Every
nurse, doctor, or transplant coordinator that has had any contact
with her has quickly realized how special she is.
Sorry
that I haven't updated anyone in a few days. Dad and I got here
Thursday evening and spent a few hours hanging out in her room.
Kevin, Chas, and Mom were already here, so we were almost complete.
Kayde asked me to stay with her Thursday night, and we pretended we
were "camping" because she can't shower, its never
completely quiet, and the last time I stayed with her was back in May
while she was still living in Austin. Kevin's parents brought Carter
to the hospital around noon yesterday to complete the family. Carter
is staying with us in Houston this weekend, so we are visiting Kayde
in shifts, while taking Carter back and forth to the apartment during
his and Kayde's nap time.
Everything
is still going very well as far as her hospitalization goes. The
medical team has gotten her back to her normal self as far as feeling
good, her personality, and most importantly to her, her appetite. Dr.
Bogaev is back!!! Her and Dr. Simpson will be tag teaming Kayde's
stay here, and we couldn't ask for a better pair. Kayde's room is now
decorated and has a more "home-y" feel to it than any
hospital room in the history of hospitals. Her walls are littered
with pictures of Carter, Kevin, our immediate family, and our closest
family and friends, and as you all know, "our closest family and
friends" is actually somewhere close to a few hundred people. I
gave her the TEAM KAYDE photo album and as you can imagine, it
started a waterfall of tears. Several people have sent goodie bags,
snacks and treats, and comforting decorations. Kayde, our family,
every visitor, and ALL of the staff have enjoyed the goodies! Keep
sending them! The smallest things put a smile on Kayde's face, and
that lights up the entire hospital.
Kayde
just got back from a walk with her nurse, and kept going for nearly
30 minutes and we are watching the Aggies destroy SMU! Mom and Dad
are about to bring Carter back to the hospital, and the Albrechts are
on their way to visit, so I'm sure we will all be sore from laughing
by the time we call it a day.
Please
keep praying that THE RIGHT HEART becomes available. Her doctors have
turned down a few since she has been here, and only because she is
perfectly stable and in good health minus her heart, so we are not in
a huge hurry to take just anything. Her head coordinator said it
best, "We don't want to give you a car off a random used car
lot, we want to give you the Certified Pre-Owned." So as you all
support Kayde from near and far, pray that the most perfectly matched
heart will come available, and that the Donor family will understand
how great of a gift that they are offering to an extremely thankful
and deserving patient. Kayde is staying strong as you all can
imagine, and it is easy to be strong while we are with her. Every
time we leave, the emotions hit us, so please also pray that we will
have the strength to push through the times that we can not be with
her.
9.28.14
Please pray. The heart failure is starting to take a toll even under the intensified medication and constant supervision. Pray that God will give needed wisdom to the doctors, and that they will use the knowledge he has given them to make all of the right calls. Pray that the right heart will become available for Kayde. I know that Kayde means as much to many of you as she does to me, so I ask that you please take the time to ask for God's protections and mercy in her favor. Whatever the road may be, please pray that God carries her down it as delicately as possible. Please
pray that Kayde's body is receptive to the Doctors' actions. Please
pray that God will instill his wisdom in these doctors. Pray for
strength and peace for Kayde. Pray for strength and understanding for
Mom, Dad, and Kevin who are there with her. Please pray that God will
make the right heart available for Kayde in a timely manner to keep
from having to perform other procedures that can negatively affect
the transplant process. Everything will happen in God's perfect
timing, we hold faithful to that.
Please
understand that this will most likely not be a good time to visit
Kayde. Kayde and all of us have greatly appreciated everyone who has
taken the time to see her. We greatly appreciated all of the
blankets, pictures, verses, phrases, snacks, and well wishes. ALL OF
YOU mean so much to us. I can not imagine this trying journey without
the amazing friends and family that surround us. I do not know how
someone could manage to experience any of this without God's love and
comfort, and without the understanding that he ultimately has
everything under control.
“Because
he loves me, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he
acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer
him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and
honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show
him my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16
9.29.14
We
need as much prayer now as we ever have. Kayde has had a pretty rough
weekend, and it doesn't seem to be letting up. The heart failure is
raring its ugly head. Her heart is not performing like it needs to to
take care of the rest of her body. The last 5 days or so, Kayde has
been experiencing the same symptoms that led her into the hospital
(nausea, lack of appetite, weakness). Sunday morning, Dr. Bogaev
changed her medicines a little bit to see if she could counter the
symptoms. Sunday evening Dr. Simpson did a procedure to move her
Swan catheter from the left side of her neck to the right. Kayde
experienced a low fever last night, and also this morning. They are
going to run a couple of tests this morning, and try to turn things
around. If they can't get things turned around, they will have to
take more serious action, which could mean that they will have to put
a pump in to correct the output of her heart, so that the rest of her
body is not affected by the lack of good, oxygenated blood to her
other organs.
9.30.14
(Early Morning)
As
most of you now know, Kayde is not doing very well. She is nauseous
almost all of the time and has no appetite. The fever that she had
Sunday night has not shown up again, but the symptoms from heart
failure are very evident. We need a heart NOW. She did show some
signs of improvement yesterday, so they have put off the procedures
that they were considering. Unless she shows miraculous signs of
improvement today, or a heart becomes available, those
procedures will most likely be in the very near future, and will
greatly prolong the long term goal. She got a much better night of
rest last night than the last few, but she is still tired, weak, and
nauseous. We should know more of a game plan this morning after the
doctors consultation, and I will keep you all updated.
Pray
for a heart to come available very soon.
(Late Morning)
We have a Heart... They are sending a team to confirm it. More details to come.
(Afternoon)
This
morning, Dr. Boagev came into Kayde's room and was informing us that
we were out of time, and that we need to have a pump implanted in her
heart so that the rest of her body would be supplied with good
oxygenated blood. About 20 minutes into the discussion, she got a
call from her partner, Dr. Simpson. Simpson informed her that a heart
has come available, but that there were 83 people on the list ahead
of her. We continued the conversation about the pump and each of us
we're getting very emotional. Dr. Simpson called Bogaev again and
informed her that the heart that had come available was turned down
by all others ahead of Kayde on the list, so Bogaev went downstairs
to look at the statistics and specifics for herself. She came back
teary eyed and let us know that this heart looked to be perfect and
all that needed to be done was to "accept" the heart.
Obviously we ACCEPTED! The Texas Heart Institute sent their team to
wherever the donor was, and just got back to us around 3:30 that we
got the "All Good" from the donor location. Kayde is now
getting prepped for surgery, and the OR staff should be coming to get
her at any moment.
What
we ask now is that you all pray for the wisdom of the doctors and
surgeons. PLEASE also pray for the donors family. Pray that they know
our Lord and have full faith that he will put their amazing gift to
good use. If they don't know The Lord, please pray that through this,
they will come to know him, and at some point that they will allow
Kayde to meet them.
I
have to wrap this up because they are in Kayde's room right now to
take her to OR.
(Evening)
The Heart is In. It's Pumping. It's Kayde's. Keep the Prayers coming. It is not completely over yet.
10.1.14
Wow, it has been a long day. Around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, the surgeons who flew to the donor location gave us the go-ahead for surgery. The anesthesiologist and OR staff came to prep Kayde, and get her ready. Right at 4:00, we started making our way to the surgical floor. We were extremely happy to have all of the Campbell's and Wolf's there with Kayde as we walked with the team to the OR. We said our Good Luck's and I Love You's just outside the doors before they wheeled her in. As you all know, Kayde is much stronger than the rest of us...We went back upstairs, to the room that Kayde has called home for the last few weeks, and removed the pictures, decorations, stuffed animals, balloons, and all kinds of things that you all have sent. The entire staff was shocked whenever they would walk in her room, I guess because they don't normally see the unexplainable amount of support that our Kayde has around her. So we took everything out of the room, and will either put it up once she is in a normal room again or decorate the apartment for when she goes to that temporary home. A surgical liaison walked us to the waiting room, and I believe we were a little intimidating, and possibly a little noisy for others that were waiting, but what can you expect? Before long, friends and family poured into the waiting room, and tears poured. We have been SO overwhelmed by the amount of Love and Support from the get-go, and today was no different. Around 6:15, Mom happened to be in the hall as the surgeon who went to retrieve the donor heart came around the corner with a cooler, and calmly gave her a thumbs up and continued into OR. By 6:45, we were informed by the liaison that Kayde's extremely sick and worn-out heart had been removed, and the new heart was being placed. Somewhere between 8:15 and 8:45, we were told that the new heart was placed, beating, pumping, and functioning all together much better than hers had in a very long time. At 9:20, the head surgeon came to talk to the family, and informed us that everything was going very well, and that they were monitoring everything, and making positive that all was good before she would be closed up and prepped for recovery...Mom, Dad, Kevin, Chas, and I were asked to join Dr. Bogaev in the Recovery ICU and see our beautiful Kayde with her new heart. Each of us got to hold her hand, kiss her cheek, and tell her how much we loved her. She looked amazing. Her face, arms, and legs were full of color like that haven't been for a good while. Her feet and hands were warm to hold. She was sleeping, but seemed more peaceful than she has been in months. Many of you have seen the way her whole torso beats with her heart...That is no longer the case. You have to look for her heart beat, or feel her pulse. It has been a long time since I have seen her look so good, and this is only the beginning. Tonight and tomorrow should tell nearly everything. Dr. Bogaev is planning on fast tracking her progress because of how well the surgery went, and believes that she will be able to move to a normal recovery room at some point tomorrow. Though it is all tentative, for the surgeon and Dr. Bogaev to feel so good about everything is such a relief. Dr. Bogaev looked us in the eyes and said, "This is the perfect heart for Kayde. It is such a good heart." With that, we thank the Good Lord who at the right time, offered us the greatest gift imaginable. We thank donor for their incredible gift. We thank the donor family, who in a time of grief and loss, were able to give what may to them have seemed unneeded, but to us was so beautiful. We pray that the donor family knows The Lord and has a relationship with him that goes deep enough to realize that their loss have given life. If they don't know Our God, we pray that somehow, through this, they will see his incredible love for EVERYONE. So many lives are touched through this heart, it goes much deeper than a donor and a recipient.
I ask that everyone keep their praying knees. Pray for a speedy, thorough recovery. Pray that Kayde will be full of life. Pray that each and every person that will be with her in the coming weeks and months will have the strength to be the Kayde's rock that she has always been for us.
I will keep everyone as well updated as I can, but please be patient with me. It takes more than you could imagine for me to get through one of these emails.
10.2.14
What
a beautiful day. Another beautiful day that God has given us to spend
with each other. Kayde has a window that looks out over the street in
front of the hospital, and has a tree blowing in the wind. The simple
things mean SO much. As I walked to her bed this morning, I noticed
that it was empty. It was empty because Kayde had gotten up out of
her bed, and was sitting in a chair by the window. When Kayde came
out of surgery 36 hours ago, I never imagined how well she would take
on the challenge ahead of her. SHE LOOKS LIKE A MILLION BUCKS. Kayde
is kicking heart failure's butt!!! As we have been sitting, and
waiting, and praying the last few days, we have had the incredible
support of Mom's parents, several of our family friends from New
Braunfels, extended family from all over Texas, and some very sweet
people who are on the surgery floor and have their own worries, but
at the same time are incredibly excited for Kayde and our family. We
have SEVERAL new TEAM KAYDE members with heartbands and everything!
So many of you have sent me scripture, or motivational quotes, and
one of my favorites came from Carol, a lady that makes my job a piece
of cake, and keep our company moving,
"My
grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about mu
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in
persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
-2Corinthians 12:9
This
week has solidified our faith more than anyone could ever imagine. We
have asked several times, "How could someone not see God in
this? How could something so beautifully timed and such a perfect
match happen without Him?" I stick to that. I truly believe that
so many people have and will be touched by God through this. Doctors,
surgeons, nurses, other waiting room visitors, our family, friends,
and many people that have just caught a glimpse of what has taken
place this week, have said, "Isn't it amazing what can be done
through God?"
We
give all of the praise and glory to Him. We can't accomplish anything
outside of His will and His perfect timing. We thank the donor family
for their beautiful gift. We pray that they know Our God.
Please
continue to pray for Kayde's recovery, the strength of our family to
support her, the wisdom and knowledge of the doctors, and that anyone
we may come in contact with can see God's beauty and grace through us
and this adventure that we are on. We are one, in Him, and that can
not be broken.
10.4.14
Most
of you have probably not heard, and it is nothing to fret over, but
Kayde did have surgery last night on her arm. There was a blood clot
that had placed itself in the vein, so that it was blocking
circulation. The vascular surgeon went in, removed it, and said that
it was a piece of cake. We didn't want to worry anyone, because it
was not a major issue. We will experience "hiccups" along
this road, and they are things that are just going to happen, and all
it is is a hiccup.
On
another note, everything is going great with the heart transplant.
Kayde is getting frustrated because there are several different
doctors that are trying to call the shots, and change up medications,
and it is very overwhelming for someone who knows every prescription,
every dosage, and what EXACTLY that medication is for. All seems to
be going well, Kayde is just frustrated with all of the other
"distractions" that have come alongside the transplant.
Another
note: Many of you have heard us talk about Ally, the Bionic Bride.
She is another aggie that has gone through a very similar situation
as Kayde. She was a freshman at A&M when this all started, later
she got the pump implanted in her heart that was to be implanted in
Kayde until we got the call for a heart. While she had the implanted
pump, she got married, which gave her the title "Bionic Bride."
Afterwards, she did get a heart transplant, and things were going
well. She is now 26, and on the same floor as Kayde is. Kayde is
recovering from transplant, and Ally is waiting for her second. The love, support, and prayer that we have
experienced has been SO overwhelming, and we wouldn't trade it for
the world. What I ask is that as you all pray for Kayde, and her road
to recovery, please also pray for others who are waiting for
transplants. Especially sweet Ally. The two surgeries that Kayde has
had, including her transplant, as soon as word got around, it also
got to Ally, and even through her own disappointing and trying
journey, she has been very encouraging to Kayde, and has even sent a
nurse to give Kayde one of her personal surgery caps to wear during
surgery. Please pray for this sweet Aggie heart. We can not imagine
the struggle she is going through. How little it makes ours seem.
Ally is a trooper, and by God's great grace, she will get through
this, but I just bet you it wouldn't hurt for God to hear all of the
prayers sent up for Kayde again, but instead, for Ally. Please join
us in praying for her.
As
long as everything stays on the course we are on, Dad and I will come
home tomorrow(Sunday) night, and do what we can to have a
"normal" week, and take care of the matters at home. Those
of you who have volunteered to have meals prepared for us at home, we
thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It is unnecessary, but it
sure does make getting to the next time we get to be with Kayde that
much easier. If anything is to change between now and Sunday night,
we will let you all know ASAP.
I
want everyone to know that they have all of our permission to send
these emails to absolutely whoever you would like. There is NO REASON
that anyone would be offended or disagree with me in saying that this
needs to reach the masses.
Thank
you all for the incredible FAMILY that we have. Please continue to
send up prayers for Kayde, Ally, and whoever else may need the extra
God time. Lord knows there are SO many people who need as much
support as Kayde has received, and don't always get the same. Not
that they don't have their support teams, but I find it hard to
imagine that many compare to TEAM KAYDE.
10.8.14
Today
is a GREAT day! I nearly wet my pants when I saw the attached
picture. Let me start off by catching you all up on the last 4 or 5
days...Saturday morning, Kayde had a sonogram done on her chest, she
was in quite a bit of pain from the blood clot removal surgery, and
she still just felt "Out of it." Sunday came around, and
right out of the gate, a pair of surgeons came into Kayde's room, and
informed us that the sonogram had shown quite a bit of fluid build up
in the pericardium cavity around her heart, and that they would have
to go into surgery yet again to do a procedure called a "Pericardium
Window," where they cut into that cavity and allow the fluid to
drain to her general chest cavity where her body would absorb it, or
it would make it's way out of the drain tubes between her chest and
abdomen. Everything went very well. What didn't go well was the
surgical team's scheduling. When we found out about Kayde's surgery
on Friday, they told her they were coming to get her at 9AM after
being NPO since midnight. They didn't come get her until
6:30ish. Sunday, they promised that they wouldn't let that happen
again for her surgery on Monday. It happened again. So, not only was
Kayde totally anxious, she also had gone 2 of her first 5 days of
having an appetite without being able to eat anything. Not being able
to eat anything, which consequently kept her from being able to take
the pain meds that needed to be taken to keep her comfortable. Kayde
doesn't do very well with medication on an empty stomach, and that
made her twice as anxious.
I
think we have gotten past the point of most "hiccups."
Today Dad sent a text message to me around 12:45, and let me
know that they had removed all remaining drain tubes and catheter.
They were in the process of moving her to the 12th floor of the tower
building of St. Lukes, which is the transplant recovery unit. Kayde
will be surrounded by other people in similar situations which I see
being an incredible opportunity. Just imagine our Kayde being able to
be a motivator for all of the other patients. I also hope that there
will be people around her that will encourage her to keep being the
fighter that she has been up to this point. As rough as everything
has been, Kayde has only gotten down and upset once, and that was
after all of the stress of Friday thru Monday had built and built,
and the surgical recovery team told her she couldn't go back to her
room. It was miserable to see her so upset. Through this entire
journey, Kayde has been the one telling me that everything would be
fine, and Monday was the first time that the roles were switched. It
broke my heart that as soon as I walked out of recovery, I had to
come back to New Braunfels when my heart and mind weren't leaving the
hospital.
Enough
of that. Everything seems to be going well! We are all very excited
to see what God has in store for the next several weeks, months, and
forevermore. It should be a very positive opportunity to reach out to
everyone that has been touched by this experience of ours. Kayde will
be able to continue touching SO MANY lives.
Thank
you all for the support up to this point, and thank you for your
continued love, prayer, and support. All of you mean so much to me
and the rest of the Campbell's and Wolf's. When I say that we
couldn't do it without you, I hope you understand that I mean that
with the deepest sincerity.
10.10.14
Still
praising God every minute of every day! Kayde is continuing to do
very well! She has moved to her final room at St Lukes where she will
continue to recover with Physical Therapy and Education! Yes,
Education! Along with this Gift comes the necessity to learn how to
"Live" with a suppressed immune system! Not a mountain,
just a little hill! I'm pretty sure we'll be able to figure it out!
Carter got to visit today for the first time since "T" Day!
We
love you all and are still completely overwhelmed by your kindness!
10.17.14
Right
now, Kevin, Mom, Dad, and I are sitting in the living room of our
Houston apartment with KAYDE AND CARTER!!! Kayde was released from
the hospital yesterday afternoon, and Kevin brought her to the
apartment around 7 or so. Dad and I got into town around 9:00 and
sat around and visited with our hero, Kayde, for a couple of hours
before everyone went to bed. For the first time in about 5 weeks,
Kayde got to sleep in a non-hospital bed. This morning, Kevin's
parents brought Carter to town, and spent a few hours with all of us
before heading home. This afternoon, we were all pooped, and took
naps, amazing naps, while Dad took Mom to run a couple of errands.
Sleep is not something that any of us have had a lot of in the last
month or so. Kayde is really doing amazing! She is walking around on
her own, and some times with the help of her new friend Lucy. Lucy is
a walker to help her get around, but she really doesn't seem to need
it much. It is such a blessing to be able to spend time with Kayde
outside of a hospital. It's amazing how much we take for granted the
comfort of a home, even if it is a temporary apartment. I'm assuming
that we will be watching a lot of HGTV in the next couple of days,
and that is perfectly fine with me, because that is what Kayde wants
to do. We will go on a walk this evening after dinner, and I'm sure
several more before the weekend is over. Kayde, and Carter, LOVE
being outside. Another small thing that we all take for granted.
Kayde
seemed to have a little bit of anxiety last night when it finally hit
her that she was no longer under 24/7 care of the Texas Heart
Institute. Just like everything in the last month, God makes himself
perfectly evident. This morning, Dad and Kayde were relaxing in bed a
little later than normal, and read exactly what they needed to read
in "Jesus Calling",
"Anxiety
is a result of envisioning the future without Me. So the best
defense against worry is staying in communication with Me. When you
turn your thoughts toward Me, you can think much more positively.
Remember to listen, as well as to speak, making your thoughts a
dialogue with Me.
If
you must consider upcoming events, follow these rules: 1) Do not
linger in the future, because anxieties sprout up like mushrooms when
you wander there. 2) Remember the promise of My continual Presence;
include Me in any imagery that comes to mind. This mental discipline
does not come easily, because you are accustomed to being god of your
fantasies. However, the reality of My Presence with you, now and
forevermore, outshines any fantasy you could ever imagine."
From
our amazing family and friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ,
to the thousands of people who have never met Kayde, we have been
constantly overwhelmed by the love, support, and prayer that flows
over and around us. You all have been such a huge part of Kayde's
heart journey. I can not begin to explain how important it has been
to Kayde, and all of our families. The overwhelming support has gone
even further than you all know. The doctors, nurses, other patients,
and many many more have all seen your love through us. Ally also has
been told how all of TEAM KAYDE is praying for her as well, and knows
how important that support is for the entire process of waiting.
More
emails will follow, but if it takes a while, just know that 'No news
is good news'.
10.28.14
Ok,
where to begin. As you know, we had a little bit of a scare last
week, which ended up being a huge blessing. I'll go a little more in
depth than the last email. From the first weekly biopsy to the third,
there was one number that they look at for rejection that was coming
up positive, but all others were right on track.
Kayde
texted Dr. Bogaev the night she had the flutters, and she advised her
to grab a banana because she may have been low on potassium. Kayde
still felt the same after trying the banana, and decided to go ahead
and go in to the hospital, and let them run a blood test to just be
on the safe side. She had her first biopsy since being out of the
hospital the next morning, so they decided to have Kayde admitted
just for her peace of mind. She would have had to be back in 6 hours
had they sent her home that night anyway. The next morning, they did
the biopsy, as scheduled, and also a total blood panel just to check
on EVERYTHING. The next morning, one of Kayde's doctors came in and
let her know that the most important thing that they were considering
to be a cause for the flutters was that they hadn't seen an antibody
coming from the donor heart that didn't match Kayde's body. The first
blood test had proven that this was NOT an issue. Kayde stayed in the
hospital until Friday so that they could get all tests back before
letting her leave. Dr. Bogaev was pretty convinced that the flutters
were most likely tied to some sort of rejection. Needless to say, she
was ECSTATIC to come in and give Kayde the news that she showed ZERO
signs of rejection, including the number that had come back positive
in all of the previous biopsies.
As
soon as they got the all clear, and Bogaev told her she could leave
the hospital, Kayde basically demanded for someone to get Carter to
Houston ASAP. As she should. Luckily, Kevin's sister, Stephanie, was
at the ranch in Rockne visiting her parents. Her and her
husband, Clint(out of Kevin's 3 brother-in-laws, 2 of us are
named Clint), drove Carter to Houston, and lit up Kayde's world.
Kayde has been talking about taking Carter to a pumpkin patch, for
his first time, the last few weeks, and so they did! From what I heard, Carter wasn't
very cooperative, but that sure doesn't show in the pictures! He is
the greatest thing to ever come into our lives, and especially
Kayde's.
Throughout
the last several months, I have tried to be as strong as possible,
thinking that it would make everything easier on Kayde. There have
been times that I have wondered "Why is this happening to
someone as amazing of a person as Kayde?" I've quit asking that
question. That question is so narrow-minded. God doesn't give us 4 by
6 pictures during our life time, its much bigger than that. His big
picture is the size of the universe, and this is just a short speck
in time. He has reason for everything, and I believe I have somewhat
figured out what it is. Once I accepted that God has a reason for
this and put full faith in him, a peace came over me. It was like he
placed his hand on my shoulder and said "Don't worry, I've got
this." Like a blanket of comfort. What I've realized is that
this is our opportunity to bring Him glory. What has happened is a
strengthening of the bond between God and all of us individually, and
also, all of us as one body of believers. I never imagined the amount
of people that would have a role in the process of heart failure and
transplant. Each and every one of you have been amazing supporters,
prayer warriors, care takers, and most importantly friends. Not only
has God used this opportunity to heal and bless Kayde, but He has
also used our experience to heal and bless many of you, and also
people that are loosely tied to us, or don't even know our family.
I
never thought that in my lifetime, my blood, or myself would ever
experience anything like this. I never wanted to endure this. I never
wanted Kayde to endure this. I wouldn't wish it upon my greatest
enemy. I never want to feel this way again, or have a loved one go
through any of this. With that being said, I truly believe that who I
am today has been transformed by this situation, and that is
something that I would never take back. For that, I am thankful. With
our little speck of faith in God's vast "Big Picture," and
the faithfulness that he promises to us, he shows up BIG and does BIG
things through us.
It's
been a rough road, and sometimes more like a roller coaster of
frustration and uncertainty, but as it is now beginning to look up, I
can't help but see the beauty in the whole situation. None of us ever
dream that they will go through a situation like this, but look at
all of the good that has happened because of the faith we have had
through the entire process. That is beautiful, and that is something
I wouldn't want to change for the world.
You
all mean so much to our family, Campbell's and Wolf's, and I say that
from the bottom of my heart. I can not imagine this wild ride without
each and everyone of you. I pray for the health and well-being of
each and every one of you. I thank God every day for giving us such a
wonderful group of friends/family to be our blanket of comfort. In
the coming days and weeks, please pray for the healing that Kayde
needs as she begins rehab and physical therapy. She is weak from
being down for the last few months, and it doesn't help that she has
always been so small to begin with. However, I know that with the
ongoing support and prayer, she will continue to have an incredible
recovery.
11.13.14
We
have had several calls and emails this week from people worried
because they have not heard anything in a while...I have a good
reason. Because everything has gone so well up to this point, Dr.
Bogaev let Mom and Kayde come home Monday thru Wednesday last week
for Dad's Birthday! Kayde had to go back to have blood work done on
Thursday. They then, somehow, convinced Dr. Bogaev to let them come
home for the weekend as well.
I
know most of you would have LOVED to have known that, but being that
she is still technically supposed to be under extreme supervision,
Dr. Bogaev made it very clear that only family was allowed to see her
while she was home. Having said that, while she was here, she had her
hair done at William Edge, which seems like a very small thing, but
to her, it meant the world! She had gone almost 2 months without
truly washing her hair, and ended up cutting it quite a bit shorter
than it has been. It looks great! Carter was able to come spend the
weekend with her, and he is getting SO big, and is pretty close to
walking!! We also got to watch our beloved Aggies BTHO Auburn!
Mom
and Kayde got to meet with Pastor Ray and the Oakwood Church staff on
Tuesday before taking Carter back to the ranch with his Grandma and
Grandpa Wolf. They then went back to Houston, and had her biopsy
procedure done today. As far as Dr. Bogaev can see first hand,
everything looks great, and she is very pleased! As long as the
results come back as expected on Friday, Kayde will most likely be
able to go a month in between future biopsies!!! Lord knows she is
ready to quit being poked and cut into.
Kayde
has been such a trooper through EVERYTHING, and she is such an
incredible inspiration to every person who has heard or had any
connection to her story. The doctors, transplant coordinators,
nurses, and other patients at the Texas Heart Institute have
beautifully welcomed Kayde into the extremely exclusive fraternity of
Transplant Recipients. We could not have asked for a better
experience in an unfortunate time.
On
another note, Kayde has asked me to have you all continue to pray for
Ally. She is still in the hospital, waiting for a donor heart. It has
now been about 6 months since she was admitted, and as you can
imagine, disappointment just keeps building as time continues to wear
on her. She is a very special girl, that even in the midst of her own
battle, has been extremely supportive of Kayde. Even when Kayde has
received what Ally is still waiting for. God is sure to show his
greatness with Ally as he did with Kayde, but please pray that He
gives her all of the comfort and strength that she needs in this
time. Please pray that God shows her His greatness in the very near
future, and gives her the life that she wants to live. I know there
are many others in similar situations, and please join me in praying
for them as well. Ally has touched us all with her kindness and
compassion, and I pray that she soon can join Kayde in
life-after-transplant.
God
bless you all. THANK YOU, from the bottom of our hearts, for being a
part of our family.
