Good News!

I just wanted to share with all of you the good things happening around here.

1st: Ryan was able to come home yesterday. He is still not feeling great, but he is receiving IV antibiotics at home and hopefully he will start feeling better soon. The kids and I are so excited to have him back home with us! Wyatt and Lily will not leave him alone, which is both really nice and extremely difficult at the same time.

2nd: Our visit to the University of Michigan was truly an answer to prayers. I don't think words can express how much relief/reassurance this visit gave to us. Ryan and I are both beyond pleased with the doctor, Dr. Ojo. She has worked on CF lung transplants at U of M for more than 10 years and the success rate is MUCH above normal! Of the 35 transplants that have taken place on CF patients, 32 are still living. For the average lung transplant, the percentage of people still alive after 5 years in 50%; with CF transplants, the 50% statistic is at 10 years! Dr. Ojo told us of one patient that she saw this morning who was transplanted 10 years ago and his lung function was 102% today and he now coaches soccer (Ryan's was only 20% today). I told Ryan that I wasn't going to know what to do when he is able to breathe so easily! She gave many positive suggestions for Ryan's current medical care which we are excited to start implementing.

Today's visit does NOT put Ryan on the transplant list, but it does bring us much closer. We will return to see Dr. Ojo again in 9 weeks. By that time Ryan will hopefully have completed his exercise program, seen a GI specialist, and gotten some blood tests out of the way. Ryan will have to have a procedure done to check for pulmonary hypertension in his heart when we go back in 9 weeks as well. There is a strong possibility that Ryan will be ready to be placed on the active transplant list at that time. Currently the average wait on the list is around 18 months, but it is a NEED based list, so time can change that.

I would just like to again thank everyone who has helped us over the past 10 days. Thank you to all of you who have offered up prayers for Ryan and myself and the kids. Thank you to my parents who are always willing to help in numerous ways, but especially with Lily and Wyatt. Thank you to both April and Jessica for watching the kids for me so that I could go see/get Ryan from the hospital. Jessica, thank you also for the use of your computer. Thank you, Kelly, for the really yummy meal. Thank you to Trevor, Terry, Scott, Bert, and Mom and Dad for going to visit Ryan in the hospital. We appreciate you all so much!