Alex: Picture

More great news! We're getting all our AlexNews by email from Uncle Ed - luckily he took his trusty Sony F828 with him to the hospital and here's the picture and information:

Alex in Hospital
Originally uploaded by Sculpher.

Dear Folks, Alex continues to improve although he is still in some pain. The pain management people are great. They had him sitting up for awhile, but he didn't like it at this point. His oxygen levels are not where they need to be. He is taking shallow breaths which is not allowing enough O2 into his blood. That's why he is on oxygen at this point. He remembered all who came to visit yesterday: even though he is doped up, he is still sharp! They need to get him up again periodically to get him to breath more deeply. His creatine level has gone down to 1.3. It has never been lower than 1.5 in his whole little life. Just under 1 is considered normal. He has been as high as 5.something. It was 3.2 just before the operation. The new kidney is doing just great!! An interesting story is the other kidney from the donor went to a little 9 year old girl in the next room over from Alex. She is doing well also!

Rebecca is living at the hospital, Lindsay & Nate are with us or at home when Mark gets there. It's a bit scary to see him with all the tubes, but that is normal for transplant patients. Dr. Kwan, Alex's surgeon, is doing dances of delight over how all is going. Keep praying.

Alex will probably have another surgery before he is released to remove his native kidney. It is producing much too much urine. It will be removed laproscopicly. And then there is the operation to remove his dialysis port. That is a very minor one, but still an operation. After that, he will come home!! More to come.
Love to all,
Ed, for the family