This week has been very busy and fun! Last Friday My two sisters and I went to a concert--and got to meet the band! It all started when we saw that one of our favorite singers, Corey Smith, was coming to Charlotte. We immediately got tickets! Then Lauren went searching around the internet to find out who the opening band was. She found it was this becoming band called "Shane Hines and the Trance". We have never heard of them before, so we went on their websites and looked at their pictures. Then Lauren saw that they supported "Donate Life". So Lauren surprised me and Abby by e-mailing their manager and asking if we could meet them! Shane's "people" said yes, that the band would love to meet us, and so would Corey Smith!
So got to meet Corey Smith for a couple of minutes, and then we actually got to hang out with Shane Hines and the bass player (they are the makers of the band) Brian Keating. They were so funny and had us laughing our heads off! We hung out with them for nearly an half an hour until the show started. Since they were the opening band they had to get going but said they would love to see us after the show. Before they left they asked us if they had heard our music (which we had, because we did all that reseach on them!) and asked if we had a favorite song. We all decided our favorite song was a catchy tune named "Way Up". So in the middle of their show they made a shout out to us ("This is to our new friends Lauren, Mandy, and Abby Ward") and sang the song! We were so excited! And after they preformed and the show was over we hung out more and had a great time. That was probably one of my best days so far this summer!
Saturday was also a busy busy day! My gandparents( Oma and Pappy) took me and Abby to the Biltmore Estate! We had so much fun and the house was huge!! All the rooms were beautiful and it was a great experience! After, they surprised me and abby with a fancy lunch at The Grove Park Inn!! It was definitely a great great weekend! Sunday I rested and remembered how much fun I had and how thankful I am for everything.

Thank you!
Mandy

You never really know how much you love your own bed until your forced away from it! That's how Ifelt being in Cincinnati for a week! It all started the 16th when I spiked a fever of 101.3 within four hours. So i went to my doctor and he said the safest thing to do for me was admit me to the hospital downtown. After one night and two days of being there they said it would be best if Cincinnati could see me to figure out why i had a fever, why i was turning jaundice again, and why i was itching like crazy! So Friday morning my mom and i drove up to ohio. They admited us and did a CT scan and ran tests and what not. Over the weekend, while nothing was being done (because nothing really goes on in hospitals over the weekends) they gave us a "day pass", where we can leave the hosptial for a while and shop and just get out, as long as we came back in time for IV antibiotics. Well we did, after hitting our favortie shopping center and eating real food at Max & Ermas. Monday, when things got moving again, they performed a "PTC". I don't exactly know what PTC stands for, BUT it was done because my left and right main bile ducts were stricted and the bile wasn't flowing properly. So they put me to sleep and stick a tube-like needle in my side and stick it through my bile ducts to open them up again. Due to some difficulties, they were unable to do my left bile duct, and plan to do it in August. But as for now, the tube is stuck to my side with tegadarm and will be there for a few months. They keep it in me so its easier for them to keep going in and out of the same spot, rather then doing it again and again over a course of a few months.

But, as for now, i am home and just taking it easy. It hurts to walk and stand up straight, but i'm working on it(it hurts because they went through muscle). Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and i'll be sure to update this blog again sometime soon!
Thanks!
Mandy

Whats new with me? A LOT!

First, i havn't gotten to tell what the diagnosis was for all those cincinnati visits in the beginning of May. Well, after a CT scan, they came to the conclusion that my hepatic artery is clotted off. They said at this point in the game they don't really do anything about it except for a close watch on my labs. Since then i've been fine except for the past week. On Tuesday my throat started hurting, then it progressed to a runny nose, which me and mom thought was a cold. Then Friday I went tothe doctor for labs, and they were really high. And because I was coughing the doctors wanted to do a chest X-ray. Dr. Alexanian saw the start of pneumonia. So I got a shot and am taking antibiotics to fix things out. I'm feeling a little crumby, but with a lot of rest and fluids, i should be back to normal(at least my kind of normal) soon!
Mom thinks one of the causes for pneumonia is the stress and not enough sleep during the past week...it was exam week(self explanitory!).

School ended Thursday, and as far as i know i passed all my exams! I don't know about honor roll again, but we'll see!

Other then that, there is nothing else too new!
God Bless,
Mandy

Hi!
So Mom and I got back from Cincinnati Saturday afternoon, after being discharged for NO rejection! But the doctors are still curious as to why my labs take big jumps. So we are leaving today to go back and have a "special" CT scan, and possibly another test. My labs actually improved and were much better when we checked them Monday.( I think they're just bored and need someone to torture, i.e. ME!) ((I know it's for my own good though..))

We should be returning home Friday.
As for school, I'll have a lot to make up, but Abby and Harrison have been very helpful, bringing home work for me.

Even though all of this is going on, I don't really feel that sick, which is good. It's just very frustrating!

I'll be sure to report back soon!
Mandy

Good afternoon!
So there are quite a few things thats new with me. First, I made honor roll at school! I was very pleased! Also, I was elected the secretary for our school's club " The Juniorettes". It's a community service club, and next year I will be the secretary and my sister Abby will be the Vice President, and our best friend Lauren will be the President! We are all very excited for next year!

Next, I have to return to Cincinnati for a liver biopsy. My labs have slowly been elevating, so the doctors want to make sure I don't have Chronic Rejection. We will be leaving Thursday (5/8) morning. Hopefully we will be able to come home soon, because my oldest brother TJ is going to the prom on saturday, and of course, Sunday is Mother's Day.So, I'm not really looking forward to this trip, and I'm praying it will be a false alarm, so we can come home soon!

As for school, I will take some work with me, but still have to make up tests and quizes when I get home...which is such a pain!

I'll be sure to write again when the biopsy is over and we have the results!
Till then, I thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Mandy

We just go back from a visit in Cincinnati, just a check up. The doctors and nurses were very happy and excited that I was looking so well! One of the nurses wanted to parade me around to show the kids who were waiting for their livers, that they are going to look as good as me too! I don't have to return until October!

We also stopped in Chattanooga, TN, so see me cousin Julia, my Aunt Sarah and my Uncle Jamey. We had a lot of fun! Julia's new favorite game is "chase" and "hide-seek". Now that I have so much more energy, I love playing with her and running around. I don't get tired as I used to! We went to the "quarium"(Aquarium) and saw the butterfly exibit, and "Nemo". I had a lot of fun, especially because me and my sisters friend Lauren and our grandma came with us.

I had a great spring break so far!

Also, my mom, Abby, and I are now joining Curves ( gym for women), to help me build muscle.

School is going well. I am getting used to the loads of homework and studying. But it's not so bad when I think of all the friends I'm seeing/ making. It's good to be back. But that doesn't mean I don't like the weekends!

That is all the news for now!
Mandy

Good afternoon!

It's hard to believe, but I'm back at school! It was a surprise for me too! I didn't think I was going back for a while, but Cincinnati said it was alright for me to go back.So mom surprised me Monday with the news; that I'd be returning Tuesday.
I had a good first day. A lot of people were glad to see me, which was nice. All the teachers are really nice and understanding about how I'll be able to catch up. So I'll be staying after school for a little while and trying to catch up in all my classes.

That's all the exciting news for now!

Mandy

Hello!
Sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated my blog!
I'm feeling great and want to go back to school ( that will probably be the only time in my life I will every say that!), but I'm ready to be around people my age again. We are thinking, because the flu has calmed down, I might start again in a week or two? We just have to get the 'OK' from Cincinnati, then I'll be off to school again!

My labs have been crazy. About a week ago, my labs came back and they weren't so good. But thankfully they came down and we didn't have to go to Cincinnati for a biopsy! Although it was close, and me and mom pretty much convinced ourselves that I was in rejection, we were relieved when the labs came back better.

I'm about done with my course of Physical Therapy, which is sad. I've really grown close to my Phyisical Therapist, so it will be sad to not go there a few times a week. Now what am I supposed to look forward too?! ( You know I'm bored at home, when I LOOK FORWARD to Physical Therapy!)

That's all new from here.
Have a good week!
Mandy

Happy Valentine's Day!

This morning Mom and Dad gave each of the kids a box of chocolates, and pajama pants. Mine are blue with red hearts on them!

This week has been pretty eventfull. Last Sunday was T.J's Eagle Scout Ceromony. It was fun, and we are all very proud of T.J.

Monday was a busy day. Our next door neighbor's dog ( 14 year old, blind/deaf springer spaniel, who can barley walk)escaped from the back yard, Sunday night. We spent ALL day searching for her! We didn't think she could go far because she's blind, but apparently she could. We didn't find her Monday, so I made flyers and put them on all the stop signs in the neighborhood. (Susan had to work, so I offered to help). Tuesday was a good day. Around 4:00, I got a phone call from a few streets away from ours saying they think they found the dog...in the STORM DRAIN! So Abby and I run to the location and call Susan to let her know we found Razor, and thankfully alive! So Abby climbed down the storm drain and lifted Razor(the dog) out. She was shaking( it was cold and rainy) and could barley walk. Our friend Alyssa was driving by, and offered to drive Razor back to her house. So in the end, razor is fine. She was taken to the Vet. and they said nothing is wrong with her! It was a miracle considering it's been raining and around 30 degrees Monday/Tuesday.

I've been having homebound teaching, were a teacher from the school comes to my house and teaches me. It's been good, but I've been given a lot of work! It should keep me busy for a while.

And that's all the adeventures going on here! My labs have been good, so I don't have to go back for two weeks!

Happy Valentines Day!
Mandy

Happy Valentine's Day!

This morning Mom and Dad gave each of the kids a box of chocolates, and pajama pants. Mine are blue with red hearts on them!

This week has been pretty eventfull. Last Sunday was T.J's Eagle Scout Ceromony. It was fun, and we are all very proud of T.J.

Monday was a busy day. Our next door neighbor's dog ( 14 year old, blind/deaf springer spaniel, who can barley walk)escaped from the back yard, Sunday night. We spent ALL day searching for her! We didn't think she could go far because she's blind, but apparently she could. We didn't find her Monday, so I made flyers and put them on all the stop signs in the neighborhood. (Susan had to work, so I offered to help). Tuesday was a good day. Around 4:00, I got a phone call from a few streets away from ours saying they think they found the dog...in the STORM DRAIN! So Abby and I run to the location and call Susan to let her know we found Razor, and thankfully alive! So Abby climbed down the storm drain and lifted Razor(the dog) out. She was shaking( it was cold and rainy) and could barley walk. Our friend Alyssa was driving by, and offered to drive Razor back to her house. So in the end, razor is fine. She was taken to the Vet. and they said nothing is wrong with her! It was a miracle considering it's been raining and around 30 degrees Monday/Tuesday.

I've been having homebound teaching, were a teacher from the school comes to my house and teaches me. It's been good, but I've been given a lot of work! It should keep me busy for a while.

And that's all the adeventures going on here! My labs have been good, so I don't have to go back for two weeks!

Happy Valentines Day!
Mandy