Hello from Edmonton! It hasn't been that long since I posted, but already, a lot has happened. Mainly, that we are now in Edmonton! We're so thankful for the support we've received over the last week. You've blown us away with your prayers, messages and love. It's been truly humbling to see our community expand and come together around us. We love you all and cherish each and every show of support we receive.
Friday was a crazy day. Even though the transplant coordinator told us it was very unlikely that we would be flown out on Friday, there was a lot to do to get ready. And what better way to start off the morning than by finding that our car had been broken into and our window smashed? The day became consumed with figuring out how to deal with the car, figuring out what Edmonton will mean for my work and packing, cleaning and finding a place for Claudia. By the time 3:00 rolled around, I was exhausted. I picked up my car from the shop (it's so nice to have a brother who works at a dealership/repair shop), and was on my way home fantasizing about the nice, long nap I was going to take when I got the call from Daniel.
Everything kicked into high gear pretty quickly, and after dropping my car off at my parents', packing in 15 minutes and packing up Claudia's stuff, we were at the hospital by 5:00pm. At 6:30, we left the hospital in an ambulance, Daniel all bundled up in a stretcher, and by 7:45, we were packed into a tiny little plane and on our way to Edmonton. My dad and Daniel's mom flew out on Saturday to help support us over the next week.
So now it's Monday. A full week after receiving the news we never wanted to get, six days after hearing there was hope again and three days after arriving in Edmonton. We've already seen a lot of doctors and are trying to figure out what tests they need and when they'll happen. But, they're hoping to have a decision by the end of the week and we have gotten some information from all of our meetings. There hasn't been any talk at all about Daniel not getting a transplant. They're mainly trying to decide if he needs a lung transplant or a liver-lung transplant. It sounds like there was some kind of miscommunication between the liver team here and the one in Winnipeg about Daniel's condition, leading them to think it was worse than it might be. If they add Daniel to the list, they seem ok with us going back and waiting in Winnipeg until we get the call. And finally, based on Daniel's blood type, height and weight, they think it's very unlikely that he'll wait for a lung transplant for longer than two-three months.
We're still letting everything sink in. These last few days have been so different from what we've gone through over the last few months. I'm starting to see a future with Daniel again, after the transplant and for years to come. That in and of itself is already a huge shift. Let's hope the next few days keep moving in the same direction.
We'll keep you updated as the week progresses.
Laura
