When we decided to name our blog Abbey Owen's Journey I had no idea the road we would travel.  Since the last post we have had a trial of our faith, felt the depths of despair, prayed, fasted, received priesthood blessings, and eventually put our heavy hearts in our Heavenly Father's hands.

We had anticipated our clinic visit on January 11th but it was cancelled due to weather. Abbey really looks forward to these visits and had spent the morning fixing her hair and picking out her outfit. This is really the only place that she goes, so she makes the best of it.  She was sad, so we decided to go for a ride anyway up to the hospital to visit the gift store.  She says up there she doesn't feel strange wearing her mask because other people have theirs on too. 

 She was looking forward to Saturday because Liss was coming with crafts and staying for the weekend.  As soon as Liss arrives, Randy and I become invisible, she loves her sister so much. Knowing this, we knew that something was off that morning.  Abb said she was tired and wanted to get back in bed with me.  She never takes a nap and rarely sleeps in.  Randy immediately called to check on her lab results and found that her hematocrit was low and her liver numbers had climbed significantly. This was almost identical to what had happened the previous weekend.  We were told to immediately bring her back to the hospital. By now Liss had arrived and brought in the greatest thing.  Abb and I thought, what in the world is she carrying in.  It was taller than her and wrapped in plastic garbage bags.  Abb couldn't even guess what it could possibly be and then she just started to laugh. The whole body shaking huge grin type of laugh.  She had unwrapped a life size photo stand-able Taylor Swift!!!  Now they could be inseparable. Thanks Kelleen Smith!! And what's even better as Randy goes back to the apt late at night it scares him every time. Tomorrow she is going to join us in room 4413.

Sunday January 13th they scheduled Abb for another endoscopy and liver biopsy.  The endoscopy showed no blood leakage at the bile duct but they saw mild liver rejection so she was given a large dose  of steroids which is the course of action for this.  Monday after the radiologist and liver team examined it again they all felt there was no rejection but still the ongoing infection she was being treated for. But that didn't solve the question of where she was bleeding and the drops in her hematocrit. She was doing so well they asked if we wanted to be discharged but Randy said no he felt like we needed to stay longer.  Tuesday it was decided that she would have a specialized endoscopy that could go into the bile duct and see if there was a narrowing or other problem.  The scheduling at the University of Utah would take a few days so we were just to wait.  That night Abb complained about her stomach and threw up and again her blood pressure and hematocrit plummeted.  Thank goodness we were still at the hospital.  This time we could also see that she was physically losing blood.  They decided to do a CT scan with contrast to compare to the one completed 9 days prior.

The conclusion was completely heartbreaking.  She would need immediate surgery to remove the aneurysm which had doubled in size on her hepatic artery.  The same surgeon that had performed her transplant along with his clinic partner from the University of Utah would be operating on Abb.  I can't even find words to express how this felt.  To tell Abb what she would have to endure yet again and this time she would experience all of the pain.  She asked "will I have staples again, the drains, a catheter, more IV's, am I going to be okay this time, could I die?" The surgeons came to our area and on the computer showed us the complicated and risky surgery that would have to take place.  As you looked around at the other doctors present you could see the seriousness in each face and also that they were not certain of the outcome.  I just couldn't even be brave, I climbed in Abbey's bed and just held her in my arms and we cried.  She has worn 2 necklaces from the minute she could, one from her Aunt Tami that has a heart with an angel in it and also a necklace a jeweler from Trolley Square gave her after he met us at the Ronald McDonald House.  She got a watch for Christmas and she had that and her Primary Children's bracelet on.  As Liss and I took these off our hearts were breaking, we put her in the gown and I climbed back in the hospital bed for the ride down to surgery.  I just couldn't get out, I still don't know how I was ever able to leave her.  I could see the surgeon looking at us from a distance as we said our good byes.  My parents were also there and her grandpa was able to help Randy give her a priesthood blessing.  As we somehow walked to the waiting room for what they told us could be a surgery longer than her initial liver transplant I think all of our minds were racing and we were trying to have faith not fear.  We were again in the same empty waiting room watching the phones on the counter hoping they would ring with an update, all of us glancing at the clock every few minutes.  Liss and I were given priesthood blessings and we also kneeled many times in prayer to ask our Heavenly Father to look down on Abbey and to direct the hands of the surgeons.  The surgery started at 6:00 pm and we got our first update around 7:15 that she was stable and they had made the incision and was starting.  We received updates in person from our liver doctor who was in the surgery and he would  explain what had been completed.  We would listen for any noise to come down the hall and one of us would jump up as he approached.  None of us had eaten all day and we were constantly saying prayers to ourselves.  We finally received word about 1:30 am that the surgery had been completed and the doctor would be meeting with us soon.  I reminded Liss and Randy that after her liver transplant when he had spoken to us he just told us like it was no sugar coating.  I had prepared myself to just lower my head and plug my ears if I needed to.  As he walked in he had a huge smile on his face.  He said first of all her liver looks beautiful.  There had been concern that they would start looking for another liver for Abb so this was comforting news.  He took a blank paper and started to draw a picture of the procedure that his experienced hands had performed.  He said this was the best surgery he has ever done.  I know that he would not exaggerate.  He removed a piece of hepatic artery and replaced it with a donor vessel and also removed the bile duct and brought a piece of small intestine up to attach to the liver.  We asked him how many times he had performed this type of procedure and he replied "once before, and the patient passed away within 5 minutes of the procedure due to the aneurysm rupturing."  How do you express to someone the thanks you have, as he left we again knelt and thanked our Heavenly Father for the miracle we felt had happened.
Abb was moved to PICU and we were able to see her about 2:30 am and her grandparents who I am sure this set a record for being up this late headed to the motel.   Liss stayed in the room with Abb and Randy and I went to our 4th floor room for a few hours of sleep.  It was so good to see her again.
This road has been hard the last few days since surgery she has had major abdominal surgery and is in pain.  She was able to have the breathing tube removed early Thursday morning and we were quickly moved back to the 4th floor.  She still has not been able to eat anything but ice chips and was glad today to have the Andersen tube removed from her nose which takes the contents from the stomach.  Going into surgery she just had the one pic line but she now had an IV in her neck and two on her right arm and two more added to her left arm.  Those have been removed over the last couple of days leaving just 2 now.  Today after labs was the first time that we kind of took a little breathe, her hematocrit was stable and her liver numbers were declining.  Abb is able to control her pain with a pump which has helped her try and stay ahead of the pain.  
Our only focus and goal now is to help Abb be comfortable and start on her recovery.  We are constantly thinking of the tender mercies even during this difficult week.  If they would have focused on the specialized endoscopy and not done the CT scan they would have never found that the aneurysm had doubled in size.  If we would have left the hospital what could have happened.  We are so blessed that we have been healthy and been able to remain at her side to help her.  
We love Abb so much and this week we felt the magnitude of that love.  We talked about all of the great traits that she has; brave, strong, kind, funny, sweet, nice, pretty, creative, content, artistic, and friendly.  

And even through this additional trial she has endured and never lost her spirit.  

WE LOVE OUR ABB!

Thanks for everything you all have done and are doing for us.  I don't just say this each time for something so say, we are truly touched and lifted by all of your concern and loving gestures.

The Owen Family