What a Day

Way to go team! Are we ever blessed to have so many great people in our lives. Even though we have known the day was coming that we would have to rush off to Pittsburgh, we never could have imagined this.
We got the surprising news Saturday morning from Dr. Guillot that we needed to think about getting to PA sooner then later and that a commercial flight was not going to be an option. WOW! I mean we had just packed up thinking we were probably going home not even 24 hrs. Earlier.
We passed some time Saturday by visiting with Billy & Marsha-it was great to see them and catch up. Sunday, Colleen and Sydney were up with a couple of new things to do and then Billy &Marsha came again with some surprises and goodies of their own. :). Then a big surprise visit from Jessy! Mom came up to sit with Mikaela so we could all go out to lunch and then I could head home for a quick bit and pack for our unknown tip to Pittsburgh. After lunch at the WindJammer, Luke and Gram went to the hospital to hang with Mikaela. They had a super sibling time (according to mom) playing games, having ice cream sundaes, making friendship bracelets and even venturing to the cafeteria for some goodies. We enjoyed some nice family time when we got back to the hospital. I said goodbye to Luke and told him it didn't look
like we would be heading out Monday so, I would see him at his game-last one of the season already.
Well, I woke up this with morning with a headache and feeling,for the first time, like wow how are we going to fill another day. I guess I shouldn't have asked because within a short while, our wonderful nurse case manager,Sue, came in to let me know that we had a dr who was willing to admit Mikaela at CHP and there was a possible plane in Albany that could come up and fly us. We still needed CHP to have a bed and for our insurance to confirm coverage.
Time for a quick shower and some phone calls...call to Mikey (who happened to be working in the field-of all days), to Colleen M to find Luke and bring him to the hospital, a call to Lori to arrange a flt for Mikey, a call to the housing coordinator in Pittsburgh and a few others to get everything in order. In the meantime Sue comes in with news...we have a bed in PA and the flight company has agreed to take us.
WOW-I have butterflies like crazy. Still waiting to hear from the INS.co. I am going around trying to pack a sm bag for the flight-mom's been up for awhile and is helping get stuff organized to take home (ya sure do collect a bunch of stuff during a3week stay), Luke and Colleen are there. We get word sometime during all this that the INS co will cover and we are good to go. Colleen goes to our house to let Gram know what's happening. Mikey gets to the hospital, Colleen calls and Gram would like to come to the hospital so Colleen drives her up. Mikey and Luke grab us some lunch then need to go so Luke can get ready for fb game and Mikey needs to pack for his flight! Gram finally gets to talk with Mikaela a bit and I think she actually LAUGHS for the first time all day-leave it to Gram!
About 4:00,Karen &Nancy stop in to say goodbye. Transport is due within 30-45 mins! Around 4:45,Karen, Nancy and I head to get Mikaela a drink. When we are about 10 steps down the hall I see a stretcher and 5-6 guys in blue come through the doorway and I know it's time. I head back in the room and tell Mikaela they are here for us she still is just saying she wants to go home.
Our crew, Jeff (respiratory) and Paul (RN) explain how it will all work and once Mikaela is on their stretcher-off we go, with everyone following behind and all of the awesome staff saying goodbye and good luck and they will miss her and be thinking about her. We get in the ambulance and notice Paul hasn't quit made it...I guess Gram decided she wasn't going to wait around the empty hospital room so she followed along to, without her wheelchair. Let me tell ya we were moving right along too. Somewhere along the way, Paul stopped and picked up a wheelchair and gave Gram a ride the rest of the way to the ambulance dock! Bless her heart! Love her. Away we go leaving behind a bunch of teary eyed loved ones. It was a very smooth trip- right to the plane, nice, comfortable ride, off the plane right in the ambulance to the building for a potty break, then about 25 mins to the hospital and up to our room. Super bunch of folks from beginning to end. Mikaela tolerated the trip very well and settled in nicely to her room. A couple of drs came in and let us know that the plan is to make a plan. So, the liver folks are going to met with the renal team and then they are going to talk with
us sometime tomorrow.