What would happen if...

What would happen if I decided not to give Ashley any of her medications? Would she get sicker, would she stay the same?

What would happen if I threw caution to the wind and let Ashley do a round off back hand spring off the balance beam? If I let Ashley ride a horse, what would happen?

What would happen if we didn't take Ashley to the liver clinic four times a year? What would happen if just one time Ashley didn't see any doctors for an entire year?

What would happen if Ashley didn't have labs drawn "to many times to count" each year? Would Ashley forget what it's like to be a pin cushion?

What would happen if I believed what the doctors say about Ashley, about biliary atresia? Would Ashley be doing as well as she is if I fully believed in medicine?

What would happen if 11 years ago I did not want to know the sex of my baby? Would they have been able to save her? Would the choledochal cyst been found and would biliary atresia been diagnosed on time?

What would have happened if Ashley had been born in the 60's instead of the 1990's? Would there have been hope?

What would have happened if we did not have doctors familiar with biliary atresia treating Ashley?

What would have happened if we did not have the Internet to learn about biliary atresia, liver disease, liver transplant?

What would happen if I just said forget it, I want our life to be normal, I want Ashley to be normal?

What would happen if I felt alone?

What would happen if I didn't have faith? Faith in doctors, faith in God, faith in my responsibility as a mom, and faith in Ashley.

Last night as I was attempting to fall asleep this is what I was thinking. We aren't overwhelmed with Ashley's disease or having to take care of her but sometimes I just wonder what if. Ashley does ask me at least once a week why she can't be normal, do things that normal preteens do. She has begged me to stop being overprotective. So I went to bed thinking, "what would happen if."

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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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