Merry Christmas from the Lewis Fam! We hope that you enjoyed your Christmas and held your loved ones extra close this year.
We had a wonderful Christmas as a family celebrating in the hospital. Brandon & Aimee came up from St. George and spent the weekend. Ash, Kimball & I visited Saturday & Sunday for as long as we could with a 3 year old! :) And Kyle was there each day too!
Gramma & Grandpa gave Kimball some scrubs and all of the doctor tools necessary to take care of Gramma Anita. We convinced Kimball to get into his scrubs and he looked JUST like a little nurse or doctor. He would check Gramma's ears, her throat, cut her with his pretend knife :) and chart everything!
Anita is doing really well. Her doctors have given her instructions to get as much rest as possible so that is what she has been doing.
The current plan is for her to go home on Friday and we are all anxious & excited to get her home. She is allowed to have visitors but please let us know if you are planning on coming. There are times when she is in testing or with the physical therapy team and she would hate to miss you. Please remember to not visit if you are ill. The overall goal is to keep her HEALTHY and out of the hospital once she is home.
Thanks for following this journey with us and for all of your positive comments and thoughts! We definitely appreciate it.
Love
Whitney
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Friday, December 23, 2016
Updates & Visitors
Merry Christmas Eve, Eve! :)
Anita has been doing so well that she has been moved from ICU (YAY!) back to the 10th floor early this morning. The nursing staff has set some good goals for Anita to hit today which include sitting up in a chair as much as possible and to walk. Physical Therapy will also begin working with her to start building some of her muscle back and getting her balance back to where it needs to be.
From this point forward, all drain tubes will be removed along with as many IV tubes as possible. We are considering this an amazing Christmas miracle.
Our family has felt so loved these past few challenging weeks and we do not know how to repay you all for your kindness.
As a family we would like to request that we not receive any visitors over the next few days. We would like to enjoy this time as a family with Brandon & Aimee visiting from Park City and allow Anita the ability to rest as much as possible.
We strongly feel that she has done so well thus far because of the love & support & visits of family & friends. If you would like to visit please reach out to Kyle, Ashley or I via Facebook messages or text tand we can help coordinate a time to visit Anita. Please hold off visiting the hospital until the middle of next week.She will be doing some physical therapy and could be away from her room when you visit. When you visit please only plan on staying 30-40 minutes only... as anything longer than that timeframe tends to make Anita feel tired.
We are hopeful to have her home within a week to 10 days and welcome visitors at home when she returns. I know she would love to see everyone when she returns home to give you a hug & a "thank you" herself.
She expresses her love and appreciation for everyone every time I talk with her. She cannot believe the amount of support & positivity she is receiving from all of her friends and family. She is a very well loved woman and we are so thankful to still have her here. We are so very thankful to this donor family.
The Lewis Family hopes you enjoy a very Merry Christmas and check here for more awesome Anita updates in the coming days!
Love,
Whit
Anita has been doing so well that she has been moved from ICU (YAY!) back to the 10th floor early this morning. The nursing staff has set some good goals for Anita to hit today which include sitting up in a chair as much as possible and to walk. Physical Therapy will also begin working with her to start building some of her muscle back and getting her balance back to where it needs to be.
From this point forward, all drain tubes will be removed along with as many IV tubes as possible. We are considering this an amazing Christmas miracle.
Our family has felt so loved these past few challenging weeks and we do not know how to repay you all for your kindness.
As a family we would like to request that we not receive any visitors over the next few days. We would like to enjoy this time as a family with Brandon & Aimee visiting from Park City and allow Anita the ability to rest as much as possible.
We strongly feel that she has done so well thus far because of the love & support & visits of family & friends. If you would like to visit please reach out to Kyle, Ashley or I via Facebook messages or text tand we can help coordinate a time to visit Anita. Please hold off visiting the hospital until the middle of next week.She will be doing some physical therapy and could be away from her room when you visit. When you visit please only plan on staying 30-40 minutes only... as anything longer than that timeframe tends to make Anita feel tired.
We are hopeful to have her home within a week to 10 days and welcome visitors at home when she returns. I know she would love to see everyone when she returns home to give you a hug & a "thank you" herself.
She expresses her love and appreciation for everyone every time I talk with her. She cannot believe the amount of support & positivity she is receiving from all of her friends and family. She is a very well loved woman and we are so thankful to still have her here. We are so very thankful to this donor family.
The Lewis Family hopes you enjoy a very Merry Christmas and check here for more awesome Anita updates in the coming days!
Love,
Whit
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Anita's New Liver!
Good morning everyone!
Sorry that I have neglected the blog a little bit. We have some very exciting news to share. Yesterday, Anita received a new liver!
The beginning of the week consisted of a lot of family visits, walking the 10th floor so much she was up to 3 miles a day and waiting patiently for a new liver.
On Wednesday, December 21st Anita was wheeled into surgery with a liver waiting for her.
We received updates throughout the surgery. At 5:45PM on Wednesday the old liver had been removed and the new liver had just arrived. The surgeons were going in with the new liver at that point. At 8:50PM that same night the surgeons had successfully placed the liver and were attaching it to her body to make sure the liver was functioning as it should. Anita did so well during surgery.
Anita is currently in the ICU recovering from the surgery. The surgery went very well. Her surgeons met with Kyle & Ash last night with GREAT enthusiasm about the quality of the liver and how well the surgery went.
The liver is from a younger donor and our surgeon highly recommended writing a letter asking to meet with the donor family at some point, if possible. This situation really made an impact on Anita's head surgeon.
We are thinking of & praying for this donor family as they lost a loved one and they gave the opportunity for Anita to continue living and make her healthy once again. Please pray for this donor family as they go through this process of losing a loved one. We are so, very appreciative of this family and hope they can feel of our love and prayers for them.
I will continue to post through this weekend with updates on her recovery! The Lewis family is excited for a healthy & happy 2017!! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!! Thank you so much for your concern and prayers. We appreciate your support more than you know!
Love,
Kyle, Anita
Ash, Whit & Kimball
Brandon & Aimee
Sorry that I have neglected the blog a little bit. We have some very exciting news to share. Yesterday, Anita received a new liver!
The beginning of the week consisted of a lot of family visits, walking the 10th floor so much she was up to 3 miles a day and waiting patiently for a new liver.
On Wednesday, December 21st Anita was wheeled into surgery with a liver waiting for her.
We received updates throughout the surgery. At 5:45PM on Wednesday the old liver had been removed and the new liver had just arrived. The surgeons were going in with the new liver at that point. At 8:50PM that same night the surgeons had successfully placed the liver and were attaching it to her body to make sure the liver was functioning as it should. Anita did so well during surgery.
Anita is currently in the ICU recovering from the surgery. The surgery went very well. Her surgeons met with Kyle & Ash last night with GREAT enthusiasm about the quality of the liver and how well the surgery went.
The liver is from a younger donor and our surgeon highly recommended writing a letter asking to meet with the donor family at some point, if possible. This situation really made an impact on Anita's head surgeon.
We are thinking of & praying for this donor family as they lost a loved one and they gave the opportunity for Anita to continue living and make her healthy once again. Please pray for this donor family as they go through this process of losing a loved one. We are so, very appreciative of this family and hope they can feel of our love and prayers for them.
I will continue to post through this weekend with updates on her recovery! The Lewis family is excited for a healthy & happy 2017!! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!! Thank you so much for your concern and prayers. We appreciate your support more than you know!
Love,
Kyle, Anita
Ash, Whit & Kimball
Brandon & Aimee
Monday, December 19, 2016
Weekend Update!
Anita is doing exceptionally well. The doctors want her health to stay at its current level so that she can be ready to have this next liver transplant as soon as it becomes available.
Brandon & Aimee were able to make it up through the snow storm Friday night and spent Saturday & Sunday with Anita. Sunday, Anita took 30 laps around the 10th floor! She was cruising!
The doctors are pleased with her vitals although they continue to worry about infections. She currently has 5 tubes (she lost one the other day) and they are concerned about infection with those but so far so good.
The Medical team has her pain under control and the only pain she experienced was when they were installing a new IV. She was poked 6 different times and each time they had to dig for a new vein. The 7th time was the charm!!
:)
Whitney
Brandon & Aimee were able to make it up through the snow storm Friday night and spent Saturday & Sunday with Anita. Sunday, Anita took 30 laps around the 10th floor! She was cruising!
The doctors are pleased with her vitals although they continue to worry about infections. She currently has 5 tubes (she lost one the other day) and they are concerned about infection with those but so far so good.
The Medical team has her pain under control and the only pain she experienced was when they were installing a new IV. She was poked 6 different times and each time they had to dig for a new vein. The 7th time was the charm!!
:)
Whitney
Friday, December 16, 2016
Finally, good news Friday!
Happy Friday!
Thank you for the prayers on Anita's behalf. They have been heard and we are on the right track. Anita received great news today which was so rewarding after having some the news lately. Today we received notification that due to Anita's condition her name has moved to the top of the transplant recipient list. We are hopeful to receive a new liver as soon as possible.
Anita now needs to increase her calorie intake. She has been given permission to have ice cream shakes daily-- although she doesn't feel like one...
Today & tonight she is enjoying playing tractors and being fed ice chips by her most favorite person.. Kimball. He is trying to feed her candy from his Santa Pez dispenser, is telling her lots of stories & keeping her entertained. He even instructs her to relax and watch TV.
We are very appreciate and thankful for the knowledge and experience of the transplant team here at Intermountain Medical Center. Anita is in the best hands and we are so grateful for everything they are doing to take care of her.
Thank you to everyone who has dropped by a gift, sent a card or sent packages with family. The little surprises keep her smiling.
We hope everyone is enjoying this Holiday Season.
Love, Whit
Thank you for the prayers on Anita's behalf. They have been heard and we are on the right track. Anita received great news today which was so rewarding after having some the news lately. Today we received notification that due to Anita's condition her name has moved to the top of the transplant recipient list. We are hopeful to receive a new liver as soon as possible.
Anita now needs to increase her calorie intake. She has been given permission to have ice cream shakes daily-- although she doesn't feel like one...
Today & tonight she is enjoying playing tractors and being fed ice chips by her most favorite person.. Kimball. He is trying to feed her candy from his Santa Pez dispenser, is telling her lots of stories & keeping her entertained. He even instructs her to relax and watch TV.
We are very appreciate and thankful for the knowledge and experience of the transplant team here at Intermountain Medical Center. Anita is in the best hands and we are so grateful for everything they are doing to take care of her.
Thank you to everyone who has dropped by a gift, sent a card or sent packages with family. The little surprises keep her smiling.
We hope everyone is enjoying this Holiday Season.
Love, Whit
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Steps in the right direction
Hello all,
The response to this blog has been fantastic! Thank you to everyone who has commented, texted, called or messaged. Anita is receiving them all and the positive energy is very much appreciated. She is a fighter and we are so proud of her for staying so positive through these hard times.
We still have not received word on if/when she will move up on the transplant list. Libby the liver is still functioning to an extent but is not the long term solution, as I have mentioned before. The new liver needed has to meet a lot of criteria to be a good match for her. For instance it must be the right blood type and size for her body.
Today she had the pleasure of a visit from a close family member. Anita received a foot rub, her toes painted, great conversation & encouragement and even made quite a few laps around the 10th floor!
She was able to increase her daily nutrition today by introducing soft clear fluids. She was removed from a strong pain medication that she had been relying on for the past week to keep her comfortable. She is still on a pain medication but we are happy to see the super strong medication go. She is getting stronger!
Have a great night!
Whitney
The response to this blog has been fantastic! Thank you to everyone who has commented, texted, called or messaged. Anita is receiving them all and the positive energy is very much appreciated. She is a fighter and we are so proud of her for staying so positive through these hard times.
We still have not received word on if/when she will move up on the transplant list. Libby the liver is still functioning to an extent but is not the long term solution, as I have mentioned before. The new liver needed has to meet a lot of criteria to be a good match for her. For instance it must be the right blood type and size for her body.
Today she had the pleasure of a visit from a close family member. Anita received a foot rub, her toes painted, great conversation & encouragement and even made quite a few laps around the 10th floor!
She was able to increase her daily nutrition today by introducing soft clear fluids. She was removed from a strong pain medication that she had been relying on for the past week to keep her comfortable. She is still on a pain medication but we are happy to see the super strong medication go. She is getting stronger!
Have a great night!
Whitney
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
7 laps!
Hi Everyone!
We will start the update with the three positive things that happened today:
The Regional Transplant Board consists of doctors from Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona & California. The board is in discussions, based on the letter submitted by Anita's main surgeon, of what level or number Anita will be placed on the Transplant Recipient List. This number/ level will determine how quickly she will receive a new liver. We have not heard yet if she will be moved up the list or not. Our hopes, prayers & wishes is that she receives one as quickly as possible.
That is all for today!
<3, Whit
We will start the update with the three positive things that happened today:
- Anita was able to get up out of bed & made 7 laps around the 10th floor! Her goal is to increase each day by 1 lap. This is such great news!
- She had the pleasure of eating 2 spoonful's of Jello. Her normal liquid intake per day is 1 1/2 cups. So this was a real treat to have something a little more flavorful.
- Her vials looked really good all day long
The Regional Transplant Board consists of doctors from Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona & California. The board is in discussions, based on the letter submitted by Anita's main surgeon, of what level or number Anita will be placed on the Transplant Recipient List. This number/ level will determine how quickly she will receive a new liver. We have not heard yet if she will be moved up the list or not. Our hopes, prayers & wishes is that she receives one as quickly as possible.
That is all for today!
<3, Whit
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Tuesday, December 13th
Hello again!
Thank you all for checking this blog. As a family we decided this would be the best and most efficient way of responding and providing updates for everyone. So far I think this is working!! It also is a great way to journal & document everything Anita goes through.
Today's Update:
Anita had a good nights rest. A "good nights rest" in the hospital is about 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep.. she considers that a miracle! :)
She currently has 6 IV's which administer the medicine along with other tubes including oxygen & a feeding tube. Before entering the hospital last week her appetite wasn't great and she wasn't receiving the nutrients that her body needed. Once she was admitted to the hospital the medical team determined that a feeding tube was necessary.
Her day starts off with a less than hearty breakfast of 1 cup apple juice mixed with water. The rest of her morning is spent having blood draws & other various tests. By mid-morning the doctor & transplant team usually stops by for an update. Today's update from the medical team included that her name is on the liver recipient list (YAY!), however, it is at the very bottom and is the last name. The doctor has written a letter on Anita's behalf to the Transplant Board explaining her condition and history.
She looks very healthy with the exception of her liver & the draining pools. Another positive note from today... she was moved out of the ICU and back up to the 10th floor at IMC. The 10th floor at IMC is the surgery & transplant floor! This is a very good sign! It has been determined that she will stay in the hospital until she receives a new liver.
We wanted to explain the name of this blog a little more... ANITALIVER kind of sounds like "I need a liver"... Clever, huh? Thanks Aimee!
The last thing from tonight is that Anita wants to express her love for all of you. She feels strongly that she cannot endure all of this without your love and prayers.
Until next time... Whit
Thank you all for checking this blog. As a family we decided this would be the best and most efficient way of responding and providing updates for everyone. So far I think this is working!! It also is a great way to journal & document everything Anita goes through.
Today's Update:
Anita had a good nights rest. A "good nights rest" in the hospital is about 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep.. she considers that a miracle! :)
She currently has 6 IV's which administer the medicine along with other tubes including oxygen & a feeding tube. Before entering the hospital last week her appetite wasn't great and she wasn't receiving the nutrients that her body needed. Once she was admitted to the hospital the medical team determined that a feeding tube was necessary.
Her day starts off with a less than hearty breakfast of 1 cup apple juice mixed with water. The rest of her morning is spent having blood draws & other various tests. By mid-morning the doctor & transplant team usually stops by for an update. Today's update from the medical team included that her name is on the liver recipient list (YAY!), however, it is at the very bottom and is the last name. The doctor has written a letter on Anita's behalf to the Transplant Board explaining her condition and history.
She looks very healthy with the exception of her liver & the draining pools. Another positive note from today... she was moved out of the ICU and back up to the 10th floor at IMC. The 10th floor at IMC is the surgery & transplant floor! This is a very good sign! It has been determined that she will stay in the hospital until she receives a new liver.
We wanted to explain the name of this blog a little more... ANITALIVER kind of sounds like "I need a liver"... Clever, huh? Thanks Aimee!
The last thing from tonight is that Anita wants to express her love for all of you. She feels strongly that she cannot endure all of this without your love and prayers.
Until next time... Whit
Monday, December 12, 2016
Post #1
Hello Family & Friends,
Whitney here, one of Anita's daughter-in-laws. I am starting this blog to hopefully provide updates to family & friends quickly. Our entire family (Anita, Kyle, Ash, Myself, Kimball, Brandon & Aimee) is so appreciative of your thoughts, prayers, positive energy, texts, calls, fasts and service on our behalf.
Anita is in good spirits and is being taken care of very well at the hospital.
To recap:
September 20th Anita was excited to receive a new liver as her health had declined to a point where she didn't feel like herself. On September 20th, Anita's life changed and she received a new liver that we lovingly named "Libby". Through the generosity and kindness of family & friends through thoughts, prayers and positive vibes, she recovered very well from that surgery.
Then on October 31st the journey took a turn and some bumps in the road to recovery were experienced. Through various blood draws, tests, stays in the hospital we have learned that our point in this journey is completely different than anticipated. On the evening of Friday, December 9th we were informed that Anita is need of yet again, another new liver. Libby, the current occupant in her body is not working and is not going to be the solution we had all hoped & prayed for. Anita is now seeking another donor liver.
Today is Monday, December 12th - she is feeling okay and on a lot of medication. We are awaiting to hear word on the next steps.
Through this blog I will provide news & updates as frequently as possible.
Love, Whitney
Whitney here, one of Anita's daughter-in-laws. I am starting this blog to hopefully provide updates to family & friends quickly. Our entire family (Anita, Kyle, Ash, Myself, Kimball, Brandon & Aimee) is so appreciative of your thoughts, prayers, positive energy, texts, calls, fasts and service on our behalf.
Anita is in good spirits and is being taken care of very well at the hospital.
To recap:
September 20th Anita was excited to receive a new liver as her health had declined to a point where she didn't feel like herself. On September 20th, Anita's life changed and she received a new liver that we lovingly named "Libby". Through the generosity and kindness of family & friends through thoughts, prayers and positive vibes, she recovered very well from that surgery.
Then on October 31st the journey took a turn and some bumps in the road to recovery were experienced. Through various blood draws, tests, stays in the hospital we have learned that our point in this journey is completely different than anticipated. On the evening of Friday, December 9th we were informed that Anita is need of yet again, another new liver. Libby, the current occupant in her body is not working and is not going to be the solution we had all hoped & prayed for. Anita is now seeking another donor liver.
Today is Monday, December 12th - she is feeling okay and on a lot of medication. We are awaiting to hear word on the next steps.
Through this blog I will provide news & updates as frequently as possible.
Love, Whitney
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