Definitely AddySTRONG

If there was ever any question if Addy was a fighter, she proved to everyone that she was. After her breathing tube was placed, the doctors decided to put and IJ line in as well. This line is similar to her PICC line but it goes into her jugular into her neck. The good part of them doing all this now is that they would have to do it before her transplant anyways, but now it is done. Once all that was done, they began the plasmapheresis. When I walked back into the room (we weren't allowed to stay while they put in the lines) the nurse said "She is a fighter." Even though Addy was sedated, she was still a wiggle worm and moving all over the bed. Of course that isn't what they want. She started grabbing at all of her lines as well, which really isn't good. They tried to restrain her but she was still moving like crazy. Our nurse was literally holding her down for 45 minutes during the plasmapheresis so that the lines weren't disturbed. The exchange takes about 2 hours total. The plasma that was going into her was a yellowish color which means it is healthy, the plasma coming out was a reddish brown. Hopefully hers will start to look better the more times they do it. Addy didn't seem to be in pain or discomfort, she just didn't want to sit still (She gets that from her dad). They eventually gave her a medicine that paralyzed her. She stayed on that medicine throughout the night but the doctors have decided to take her off of it today. She will get another plasma exchange today and they are hoping if they up the dosage of the sedative, Addy will stay still enough. They are also hoping to take her off the ventilator today. She has to be put on that because of when they were putting in all of the lines.

While it was scary when they told us she needed a breathing tube, we knew that was what was best for her and it was going to come sooner or later. This way we can get used to it before her surgery and we aren't completely taken off guard by what she will look like after her transplant.