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Cookbooks, Ashley and Field Trips

First things first, I have 27 Love for Ashley, Recipes for Life cookbooks left. The cookbooks are $12.95 each plus $5 for shipping. If you would like a cookbook, please send me an email at loveashley@loveforashley.com. Remember, by purchasing a cookbook you contribute to Ashley's medical fund and transplant fund. So please buy a cookbook today. Please tell your friends and family, post information about Ashley on your Facebook page, MySpace....send a mass email to everyone on your address book...please help me get these cookbooks out of my living room.

Now Ashley was originally scheduled to go to Shands Hospital/Liver Clinic yesterday, February 9. However, we have reschedule it for Wednesday, February 18. Ashley will have labs done tomorrow and we will also submit a stool card to her pediatrician for testing (Ashley still has small amounts of blood in her stool). Right now, I am not sure what the plan is for Ashley's visit to the liver clinic other than the normal exam. Her liver doctor, Dr. Andres, wants to look at her lab results before deciding what to do next; ultrasound, MRI, scope, etc. I am guessing that Dr. A will get Ashley's results Friday, and then he will contact me on what he plans for Ashley in the liver clinic on Wednesday, February 18.

The good news is Ashley is doing really well. Right now, she is suffering from sinuses; runny nose, cough, etc. and she continues to complain daily about headaches but on the liver front she is doing well. So well infact that I plan to discuss with Dr. A. a schedule change regarding Ashley's visits to Gainesville/Shands liver clinic. My plan is to convince Dr. A that Ashley be seen in the liver clinic once a year during the summer, with labs done 4 times a year. If Ashley's labs indicate the need for an additional trip to the clinic then we can address it at that time. During the once a year visit to the liver clinic, I would like Ashley to have an ultrasound and/or an MRI to monitor her liver cysts/nodules, the size of her spleen, her kidneys, blood flow through the portal vein, etc. It sounds good; less visits to the doctor, less money spent on trips to the doctor and Gainesville but it may be difficult to convince Dr. A that this will work at keeping Ashley healthy and stable.

Ashley and I have a busy week, tomorrow we have a weekly mommy and daughter lunch at school. Thursday she has a Mud Walk at our local Environmental Center. The Mud Walk is a traditional rite of passage for 5th graders in the Seminole County Public School District. And it is exactly that...a mud walk; the kids, teachers and chaperone's are walking knee deep in mud. Yes, I am a chaperon. Friday, we will have another field trip back to the Environmental Center for what is called "Dry Day". Dry Day is more of learning experience for the kids, they learn about Florida's environment specifically the environment they live in now. It should be fun, I will post pictures of the Mud Walk so you can see just how dirty we get. Personally, I hate the idea of walking through mud; I hate getting dirty. I am stressing out about what to wear and I am worried about Ashley's health walking through the mud but I can't deny her this activity. These kids look forward to this day starting in Kindergarten. I guarantee you this...Ashley will be taking a shower as soon as we get home.

Once I get Ashley's lab results back I will post again. In the meantime, thank you for visiting the blog for Love for Ashley, we hope you come back again.

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