Hello PICU--CICU

Today was biopsy number 2. Had a great night last night, pushing 7 hours of no one coming to bug us sleeping. =D Last night they put something in her PICC line and let it sit hoping to get it to work better for blood draws, So far I think it worked.. . NPO, no food before her cath. *thats normal ;)* didn't feel like we starved her this time. since it was over the night where she couldn't eat. Off to the cath lab...

After the cath was over we went down to talk with the doctor who preformed her cath. As we waited Dr. Everitt and the team walked by, hard when you hear them saying oh shoot. Then saw us, whoops. Oddly good to know they think its crappy too and not just something normal.. Dr. E talked to us and reviewed her cath results. She said it looks worst then the last two. Her pressures are high. Was 12 on the last one and now 25. Huge change and now her tricuspis valve is not working right also...

They put in a catheter port on her left upper breast area and then moved us back down stairs to the Picu.

Now they are going to put her on Plasmapheresis. Its a lot like dialysis, using the same equipment. It will pull out her plasma and put in new plasma to hopefully pull out the antibodies that are attacking the heart.

The Plasmapheresis will last for about an hour. Once a day. Maybe every day or every other day depending on how her blood labs look.

I'll call this more then a speed bump, but at least we are able to treat it sooner then letting her body reject the heart. Keep us in your prayers. I know Heavenly Father is watching and comforting her, I can feel the prayers sent for our family and the support is a wonderful feeling.

Working on PEEP

Today they started a few other immunosuppressants. Added a feeding tube for one of the meds :o/  The Nurse said when she gets the breathing tube out she'll take that one out also.

Mariska is hanging in there. Shes not trying to sit up and remove things any more. She was a stinker yesterday.  Told her she can go home when everything comes off. Whoops once we left she started trying to pull things.

They turned up the PEEP (pressure inside the lungs) to try and stop some of the bleeding. Her heart had started sending feelers you can say to the lungs in search of more oxygen for the heart. Had no idea the heart could do something like that.! So they had to cauterize  all the vains to the lungs, Turning up the peep is like holding pressure on a cut helps stop or slow it down. Clear as mud? good.

Now the blood has slowed down and shes not moving and trying to cough as much. Looking to get that removed with one of the 3 chest tubes.

The pumps are drugs are all slowly being removed. Thanks for all the comments here and on facebook. Also thanks for the emails to the hospital.

 The next post will be pictures!

Send a letter, mail a hug

Sorry for not posting for SO long. Something was up with the laptop... user error ;) and then couldnt get blogspot to work at the hospital. I"ll have sam give an update on all of todays events.

A few friends have asked how they can send a letter or post card. You just send it to the hospital and they will get it to her. Heres the address.


Mariska Anderson

100N. Mario Capecchi Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84113

I was talking with the social worker about what to have others do when they want to help, Most of the time I'm just not sure what I need help with. But I thought this would be good for misky to look back on and see all the love and prayers from all of her Fans. =)

Shes doing well, going to try loosing the breathing tube tomorrow instead of today. She has some un needed vains in her lungs .Collaterals. So they cauterised them and now shes having a little bit of bleeding. Shes been trying to sit up! silly thing. So they gave her some more of the gooood stuff to help her stay asleep so she can heal.