Jaisal is a rock star too

**WARNING (or spoiler alert depending on what you think) liver pictures at the end of this post ***

I finally have free hands! After much discussion and consternation between the surgical team, the liver team, the pain management team, and the PICU team, everyone finally agreed on a drug that we could give to Jaisal to counteract some of the negative effects of the morphine. I am happy to say that for the first time in nearly 17 hours, Jaisal is kind of sleeping and able to be in the crib without lots of pain and discomfort. We are thrilled!

Everyone who's come in to his room today has been totally impressed by him. He is the first toddler liver transplant patient (at CMH) to come out of the OR without a breathing tube. As the surgeon said, this is an indicator of how well the surgery went. BUT without the breathing tube, we've delved into a whole new world of pain management. It's definitely been a challenge and a learning process for everyone. We hope that in the long run it'll help Jaisal to progress a bit quicker in his overall recovery.

Everyone also has been impressed by the fact that less than 24 hours after surgery Jaisal was out of bed, in our arms, and being propped up. That's pretty much unheard of as well. I love my little over achiever. :)

Jaisal's labs looked good this morning. We're at the point now that we'll start to look for trends to make sure that the new liver is doing it's job.  It also just happened that all 30 of Jaisal's doctors were rounding at the time of Jaisal's ultrasound, so they looked at the results as they were coming through. Blood is flowing through the liver and the portal vein remains patent. We were over the moon at that news.

We've also talked to Scott a few times. He is going to be discharged today! How awesome is that? I don't think we're going to get to see him, since Jaisal is definitely requiring shifts of our attention, but hopefully we'll get to see Scott in the next day or two.

As promised here are a few pictures for you. This one is of Jaisal right after we saw him in the PICU. He looks so amazing - flat stomach, less jaundice, and views of his whole cute face!

This is Jaisal is my arms. I love that there was some therapeutic effect for Jaisal while being held, but there was at least an equal or greater benefit to Kirk and I to get to hold our little man.

Jaisal also got a special visitor in the PICU. Rahm Emmanuel stopped by just to see Jaisal (okay fine, maybe a family donated 40 iPads to the PICU and Rahm was making a promo stop around the ward, but he did spend quite a bit of time with us). Jaisal actually opened his eyes when Rahm (yeah, we're on a first name basis now) stopped by. Kirk was concerned about having an individual who is talking to lots of people be near our newly immune-suppressed son, but Rahm followed protocol and used hand sanitizer before entering our room and only elbow bumping both Kirk and I as a form of greeting (fist bumping is so Obama's thing).

Last but not least, liver pictures. Here is Jaisal's scarred, enlarged nonfunctioning liver.

Here is the segment of Scott's liver before going into Jaisal. Notice the smooth texture and pink color. That is one beautiful liver.

Here are the surgeons putting Scott's liver into Jaisal. The dark spot you see is where they used a laser to cauterize Scott's liver. The liver will eventually just grow healthy tissue around that part both for Jaisal and for Scott. Seriously amazing stuff.

Okay, I am off to the Kohl's House to take a nap and shower. The great GI social worker set us up with a room a block away from the hospital and it has made all the difference in the world. Kirk and I have taken shifts with Jaisal since transplant and we've both been able to run "home" to take 2 hours naps every few hours.