Good News Today!

We have just learned great news!  Last night the doctors repeated the blue dye test where they have mom drink a dark blue sterile liquid to see if it comes out in her drains, and today for the first time, it didn't!!! This means that mom's stomach leak is probably healing!!!   Mom is still in her new hospital and has been there for 12 days now.  (It has been almost 6 weeks since she has seen the outside of a hospital.)  She has improved so much since coming to her new hospital.  She just had her third blood transfusion a couple of days ago and the doctors have been trying to regulate her metabolism with different stuff they are giving her through her PICC line (IV).  Also they changed some of her medicines.  Mom has gained so much strength in the past week of being at her new hospital with her new surgeon.  She has been on strict orders to not swallow anything...even tiny sips of water in order to give her stomach and insides time to heal.  Five days ago a second CT Scan was done which showed that mom still had a leak but that it looked to be leaking less than the CT Scan the week before.  Now today, it looks like the healing time has paid off because so far today, the drains have been clear after the blue sterile dye tests.  Because of this, they had mom sip some chicken broth!  If she is able to tolerate liquids and everything goes well, they will probably wean her off TPN!  We are so grateful for these developments.  Mom told me just now on the phone that in the past few days she has felt something physical happening inside of her starting at her sternum and working down.  She has been hoping that it is a sign of healing and today it looks like it is!  Mom is feeling very hopeful now.  The doctor says they are still taking it one day at a time, so we don't know how much longer she will stay in the hospital.  We also don't know if she will go to a rehabilitation center after she is released from the hospital or is she will be allowed to go to my sister Beckys' house and have a home health nurse come there each day.  I'll update as we find out more.  Today is a good day!!!!