As most of you can imagine, I dont think I will be able to get much sleep tonight! The plan is for the flight crew to leave Houston for Nashville around 7ish and be here at the hospital around 1030-11. From what we have been told the flight is about 2 hours. Basically the same transport as we did from Chattanooga to Nashville. An ambulance will take us from Vanderbilt to airport we will get on a small plane and then fly to Houston and get another ambulance ride from the airport to Texas Children's. Needless to say that is alot of manuvering of equipment and moving for Elizabeth. She is still very up and down when she is being messed with so we are concerned how this is going to go. We hope it will be a smooth transistion from the hospital equipment to the transport equipment and back to hospital equipment when we get there. She will be put on a different ventilator/nitric oxide and IV drips. So it will be alot of work getting her ready to go and then getting her settled once we get there. Matt has booked a flight leaving Nashville tomorrow and should get to Houston around 5 pm, and then he will be able to meet up with us at the hospital.
The family in Houston whose little girl recently had her transplant in September will hopefully be around when we arrive tomorrow. Her Mom and I are planning to try and meet, it will be good to see a child who is doing so well after transplant and get more info on the hospital/drs and transplant in general.
So, my feelings about all of this!! I am so scared of this trip because I know when we leave Tennessee tomorrow our lives will change forever. When we come back home it will either be one of the happiest or saddest days for us. I feel sick thinking about it. I want so badly for this to be our miracle. But I also know for us to get our miracle another family will have to lose theirs. I think that is one of the hardest things about transplant, wanting so badly for us to get listed and get lungs. But knowing that another child will have to die so that she can live. I only hope that when the time comes the donor family knows how speical their child is and what a difference they will make for our precious Elizabeth. My family has now been on both sides of organ donation this year. My brother in law passed away in July and my step-sister and nieces made the decision to donate his organs. Their loss helped 7 people have a chance at a better life! It amazed me the strength donor families have to make a decision during the saddest time in their lives, to help others. I HIGHLY encourage anyone who is not an organ donor, or anyone who has not thought about it to be consider it and let your families know your feelings regarding it.
Not sure if I will post before we leave in the morning or after we arrive in Houston. But please keep Elizabeth in your thoughts/prayers. For tomorrow we ask for a smooth transport and that she remains as stable as possible.
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