I want to go RUNNING...

Another successful clinic visit goes down in the books today. My blood work came back great. Hematocrit - 36, White blood cells - 14, kidneys are functioning well and my prograf is at 16 (they want me in between 12-16). I have been feeling great. My energy level is also increasing, which I like a lot!! I feel like a kid again. I want to go to the park and play on the playground and swing on the swings, go ride my dad's townie (bike) around, go screw around with a soccer ball and freaking RUN!!! I haven't been able to run for a long distance for 5 years now and all I want to do is go for a nice easy jog. Next Monday I have another biopsy and echocardiogram. I also have a clinic visit with my surgeon to clear me to do weights and hopefully RUN!
Every single day is a blessing and I am so very grateful to the donor families and again I am sorry for your loss. Thank you again for your support and I feel all your prayers. You guys are the greatest ever.

Ashley Paige Irvin doing what she does on good ol' Twisters back in the glory days :) Wait a sec, my glory days are still ahead...

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Chalk It Up as a Miracle.........

Some of you may know, but Ashley went through another Heart Transplant yesterday. After her first first new heart started to fail, we re-listed on the her on the transplant list immediately. We knew getting another heart would be a long shot, but we wanted the option to be there if a heart came available. Sure enough 18 hours on the list a second heart came available that was a perfect match for Ashley. Ironically, it took 4.5 months and then 2 hearts in the same week. We, including the doctors, are all chalking it up as a miracle. It was decided not to wait to see if the first heart would handle the load she would need but rather to move forward with the new donor heart. Going through a transplant a second time makes you really feel for the family who lost their daughter, sister, spouse and friend. We are grateful again for the family and the individual who choose to give life. We were in quite a predicament and feel only divine intervention could hav...

Stinking INR

Another day in this lovely hospital because my stinking INR will not get were in needs to be. INR means International Normalized Ratio, its a number that describes your bloods clotting factor. Doctors want my INR to be around 2.0 but I am stuck at 1.5, a normal person should be below 1.0. So the higher the INR the thinner the blood. Because I have an LVAD they are very picky about my INR because they don't want a clot to form in my LVAD. But, if my INR gets too high I bleed, so it's a fine line we are walking until I get my new heart. On a higher note, my mom and I did some crafts.... getting ready for Christmas and my baby boy Wrigley came and visited me, some of you are thinking Wrigley is a terrible child's name but he is actually my French Bulldog :)

A Set-Back

I was hoping by now Ashley would be writing you, telling you how wonderful she is doing, but you get to hear from me again. Ashley had a major set back early Friday morning her new heart was failing her. It started with her getting nauseated and then by a couple of weird readings on the telepromter . She was sent back to the operating room to see what could be done. She has been placed on full bypass and full support so her new heart can rest. There are no signs of rejection and the doctors are in a conundrum, they don't know what happened. Ashley is sedated completely , she will not remember any of this. The hope is her heart will rest and come Monday or Tuesday they will begin to see what kind of load her heart can hold. Ashley needs your prayers and thoughts more now than ever, she is so strong and has the will to overcome anything throwing her way. We all believe in miracles and pray that one is happening for Ashley.

Heart4Ash (Skwig)

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