In My Shoes: Happy Birthday

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Fiona. I wanted you to know how very proud I am of you. You have had to go through a lot and you still live life with a smile on your face. I find your strength and love of life so amazing.

When God gave you to us we had no idea what road we would be traveling and how much we would learn. But no matter how hard it got sometimes, you would smile and melt our hearts all over again. The doctors would give us limited hope and you would just smile and prove them wrong. You fought to do everything you could. You were fiesty, charming and a complete delight.

As you grew you began to develop your talents more and it is amazing to see your designs and creativity. (You didn't get that from me) You see the world in a different way, an exciting way. You have to so much to give.

As you get sicker, I know you get very frustrated. There are dreams to be reached, hopes for a full and productive life. These will come in time. How do I know that? You never give up. You always keep fighting. You always prove the doctors wrong. You have a lot of people who love you standing right beside you.

So I hope you have a very Happy Birthday because you are so special. You deserve a day to be free of worry and a day to know there are a lot of people who really love you. Our world would not be the same without you. So blow out your candles with care (there are a lot more now) and dream for everything you want.

Love
MOM

1 comment:

Laurie Johansen said...: Hey Fiona,

Happy Birthday!!! Okay it;'s late I know but I still wish you a happy birthday now and forever!

Laurie, Ashley's Mom from C.L.A.S.S.; March 19, 2008 at 8:17 PM

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Biliary Atresia

Biliary atresia is a condition in which the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine are not normal. These ducts can be injured, blocked, or missing. When the ducts that carry bile out of the liver are closed, bile backs up and damages liver tissue. In time the liver can develop scarring or cirrhosis. The gallbladder may also be abnormal or missing. The cause of Biliary Atresia is unknown. It occurs in one infant in every 15,000 live births. It is a serious disease which requires immediate surgical and medical treatment.

Arteriovenous Malformations AVMS

I have been diagnosed with AVMS in my lungs do to my liver disease. These have caused me to have 2 lung bleeds which were very scary. I still have more AVMS and they are causing me breathing problems. Below is an explanation of what the AVMs are and a picture of what is happening in my lungs.

Arteries and veins are part of the human cardiovascular system. Normally, the arteries in the vascular system carry oxygen-rich blood at a relatively high pressure. Structurally, arteries divide and sub-divide repeatedly, eventually forming a sponge-like capillary bed. Blood moves through the capillaries, giving up oxygen and taking up waste products from the surrounding cells. Capillaries successively join together, one upon the other, to form the veins that carry blood away at a relatively low pressure. The heart acts to pump blood from the low pressure veins to the high pressure arteries.
If the capillary bed is thought of as a sponge, then an AVM is the rough equivalent of jamming a tangle of flexible soda straws from artery to vein through that sponge. On arteriogram films AVM formation often resemble a tangle of spaghetti noodles. This tangle of blood vessels forms a relatively direct connection between high pressure arteries and low pressure veins.
The result is a collection of blood vessels with abnormal connections and no capillaries. This collection, often called a nidus, can be extremely fragile and prone to bleeding.