GOD IS GOOD!!

Tonya posted a new update on Katie, who is waiting on a heart transplant....The prayers are working-please keep her in your thoughts and prayers!

What an AWESOME day!!!!!
Katie had her weekly cardiologist appt. today with Dr. Parsons. We were cautiously optimistic about the fluid issue with Katie. For the last week we have been getting less and less fluid each time we tried to drain her. We've not been getting much of anything (I'm talking like 2mL) off the left and less than 100 off the right with it going down each time we drew it off. Today we got 18mL and that was really pulling until she started crying saying it was hurting her back. So we went to her card. (we were supposed to be there at 9am, but they called us 5 min. before we were about to leave to tell us that Dr. Parsons was stuck in traffic on Signal Mtn.-a tree had fallen across the road). They rescheduled us for noon. We all wore our Princess Katie shirts, which are now known as our lucky shirts! We wore them not only for Katie, but because today was Go Red Day for Women and starts CHD Awareness Week. All the secretaries and nurses loved them! They all want bracelets too! We headed off to x-ray first and I just had a good feeling about it. When we got back there (of course they ALL know Katie and her fluid issues), they asked if we were having any problems or was it just a check-up. I told her that we were hopeful for less fluid because we weren't getting much when we tried to pull it off. As we were waiting in the waiting room for them to tell us the x-ray was good, the lady that did it stuck her head out to tell us we could go back up and she mouthed to me that they looked good and gave me a big smile....by now, I am really getting excited! We go back up and head back to our room when we saw Dr. Parsons in the hall. Shane told him that he wanted him to look at the x-rays as soon as possible, because we were barely getting anything. He said that could be good or bad (the tubes could be clogged). So off he went right then to look at them. He came back smiling and said, "They are spectacular!!!!" I am on cloud nine! We go to look at the x-ray and I am in shock. I don't think I have seen x-rays THAT clear since probably before her surgery last June!!! I am talking no haze, nothing!!! It completely threw Dr. P. for a loop. He didn't know what to do! We could see his brain working overtime trying to figure this out! We go back to the room and he listens to hear and he told Katie, "I can actually hear you breathing now!" Her O2 was 83 and her blood pressure was a little low. At first it was 70something over I think 45. Then he took it again and it was 80 something over I think 48. I can't remember because I am still giddy over the x-ray! He decided to take her off the Coreg since that is a blood pressure med. She's on like 3 med. for bp. He felt that med. would be the least likely to cause any prob. by coming off it. By the way, she weighs 32 lbs. now. He took a quick echo and all looked good! He kept going back and forth on what to do next. He was like us, not wanting to do anything that would cause it to come back. So for now, we are still going to try to pull off any fluid, but if there is any resistance don't keep trying. We will see him again Wed. If everything still looks good, we will go back for an x-ray on Mon. and see him at the end of the week. Then we may try not draining anything for a few days and then go for an x-ray. If it is still gone, we will be setting up an appt. with Atlanta to have the tubes REMOVED!!! Now, the tubes will probably require a little surgery since they have been in there so long. It is quite unusual for them to be in there long-term and they are pretty sure they will have to close the hole from the inside out. We did have one of the nurses change the tagaderm around the right one, because it was starting to get gooey which Katie was not happy about. Dr. P. even ventured in to try to help. He really doesn't like to do things that hurt her. After we were done he gave her several kisses on the head and then when we were getting ready to go, he bent down and held his arms open and Katie gave him a big hug! I could tell he was really happy about the fluid being completely gone! He even took her back to his office to get a sucker! Dr. Parsons said whatever you have been doing for the last two weeks, keep doing it. I said, "Praying!" He said, "Well, keep doing it!" He said that the fenestration and the revatio (Viagra) was probably what cleared it up, and it may have had something to do with it, but I know without a doubt that God laid His Hand on Katie and dried it up. That's the prayer I have prayed SOOOO many times (along with many other people). The last stop was for labs which was also not on Katie's list of fun things to do. Afterwards we had to head to McD's for her usual chicken nuggets. We are still trying to process this wonderful miracle. God is so great!!! I know that He heard all those prayers coming up and is healing her body. It's in His time not our time! I think Katie needed to go through this to touch so many people's lives and bring more people to Him. She is truly a special gift from God. I just want everyone to know as far as any funds that we are receiving for Katie, they are being put into HER fund to be used only for her (meds, etc.). I often feel guilty about receiving so much, because I know others need it as well. I also don't want people to think, well we gave her this money, and now she doesn't have to have a transplant. Katie's future is still uncertain and chances are that at some point she will have to have that transplant. If it is this year or 20 years from now...that money will be there for her. We thank everyone that has given for Katie whether it is money or most importantly in prayers. We are so grateful. We love you all! Please continue to keep Katie in your prayers and that God keeps that fluid gone. Those prayers are powerful and Katie is LIVING proof of that! :o)