Next Trip to Shands Hospital

Ashley's next trip to Shands is officially schedule for August 11. Originally scheduled for August 18 but because that is the first day of the new school year, we rescheduled the appointment.

Ashley will be seen by Dr. Gonzalez in the Liver Clinic. Before her appointment I need to schedule a complete upper GI study on Ashley. This study was ordered by her docs in February when Ashley had her Endoscope and it was discovered that her stomach is misshaped. The odd shaped belly could just be normal for her anatomy or the cause of her enlarged spleen.

A few days before we leave for Shands Ashley will also have a series of labs drawn to see how that liver of hers is functioning and to see what her platelets are doing. Hopefully, this appointment will show no surprises. I am sure she will need an abdominal ultrasound to check out those three ugly little masses in her liver. The trip to Shands may turn out to be a two day appointment if all goes well.

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Ashley's Story

“Although Ashley’s liver is failing, she isn’t sick enough to be placed on the liver transplant list. We were told that Ashley would need a new liver by the time she reaches puberty." Ashley was born at the end of July in 1998, but her story doesn’t start there;her story begins when she was just a little peanut in my womb. At 24 weeks gestation we learned we were having a girl, but our little girl had something wrong with her. Imagine sitting in the examining room, and the excitement of learning you are having a girl, then at the same time you hear the silence in the room when something is just not right with the baby. We were told that Ashley possibly had an ovarian cyst. It was normal and not to worry. But something told us it was more than just an ovarian cyst. As soon as Ashley was delivered she struggled to live. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice, and she was blue. Thankfully the doctor cut the cord immediately and although Ashley was still blue; she was b

Answers lead to more Questions

In great Ashley fashion, she did very well with her trip to the hospital and recovered well from the procedure. Right now, Ashley is off with her Grammie getting spoiled by shopping. With no one in the house but me and the pets, I am off to my own devices which usually means I have to much time to think, to research, to worry, to vent, to hope and to pray. Today Ashley had a broncioscope to find out why she has been coughing for six months. After getting up at 4:30 am and at the hospital at 6 am, the scope began at approximately 7:30 am. The procedure itself took less than 30 minutes. The outcome of the procedure left me with more questions than answers. We do know why Ashley is coughing, Ashley has a vocal cord dysfunction, enlarged adnenoids and tonsils. Finding out why Ashley is coughing is good news, however, we also learned that Ashley may have other issues involving her lungs. There was 60mL of fluid in her lungs. Some samples of her lungs were sent for a cell count, bacterial cu

All About Ashley - Dance, Liver, Life.

Ashley has been busy this year with dance. She is simply amazing and has grown so much as a dancer this year. I am very proud of her. Each year as Ashley continues to dance, it has become increasingly hard to pay for her love of dance. However, some how by the grace of God we are able to continue to support her talent and love. I mean really how can you possibly say no to this. and this... and of course this.... and this too.... Amazing isn't she? Remarkably or miraculously dance seems to be what is keeping Ashley so healthy. Her doctors are in firm belief that her dance is providing her with healing powers that they just don't have. Ashley's liver disease is stable after 13 years of fighting this beast called biliary atresia. Note: I said stable not cured. Her liver function appears to be normal...for now. The only issue we are dealing with is Ashley's platelet count is continuing to drop. At present time, her platelet count is

Love For Ashley

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