I wanted to take a moment and update everyone who has been praying for Brea. She had an MRI and an MRA today. It was scheduled for 10:00 but they didn't get her back until 11:30. She had not had anything to eat after midnight so she was a very upset little girl and it made for a very upset mommy too. She cried and begged for a bottle for well over an hour but I couldn't give her one simply because she was being sedated. She was only gone for about an hour and we spent the rest of the day in recovery. She had a hard time waking from the sedation. Her respitory rate was high because she was so heavily sedated that she was breathing fast and shallow which concerned me but her oxygen level and blood pressure were stable so the doctor wasn't concerned. I've learned that you have to be an advocate for your child and I'm sure it makes the nurses and doctors crazy but everytime her respitory rate went above 50 I had them in there checking her out. I bet they are ready to hunt down the nurses who taught me to read all those monitors and take her respitory rate manually. Oh well, that is why they get paid the big bucks!
We do not have the results as of yet. We expect to hear from the neurologist in the morning. On a positive note...Brea's paralysis in her face comes and goes and is less frequent today than yesterday. The neurologist that talked with us last night seemed encouraged by the fact that it comes and goes. She said that made her think that it was not so much the brain but instead might be nerves losing blood flow due to spikes in her BP. I have a sense of peace about this. It is hard to explain but I just know that God is holding her in the palm of His hands and as much as I love her, I know that He loves her even more. That is not to say that I am not worried...I would be fibbing if I said I wasn't.
We did come home today! The doctors (and mommy and daddy) feel that Brea is safer at home (and much happier) than in a hospital environment simply because her immune system is so weak from her anti-rejection drugs. At home I can control hand washing and who comes in and out of the house but in a hospital I am always on watch trying to make sure that everyone who enters the room has washed their hands and isn't coughing or sneezing and spreading germs. I guess you could say that I've become the germ police but it is in Brea's best interest. It is so nice to be this close to a major medical facility. The drive to Duke seems like a cake walk after driving to Little Rock all those times. I just laughed when the doctor asked if I would mind driving back to Durham in the morning if they need to see Brea again!
On our way out of the hospital today Brea dropped her little Barney doll. By the time we realized it was gone we were a good ways from the hospital and poor Barney could have been in the underground tunnel, the parking garage, the elevator or somewhere in the hospital. We made a brief attempt to locate him but Brea was so groggy that I quickly decided that we needed to just distract her and head for home. Needless to say, Barney is missed so I'll be out in search of a new one when things calm down. I just hope they still make them...the one she lost belonged to Brooke who is almost 11! We do have a "reserve" Barney but he is rather large and belonged to my nephew who is now 19 so there is no telling how many dust mites and cooties are living in that one. I've decided that I'm going to send him through the washer in the morning and attempt to remove 19 years of germs. He might need to go through the wash more than once! Hopefully he will survive and will pacify her until a new one can be found. If anyone has recently seen a Barney doll in a store, please email me with the store name.
Thank you for your prayers for our sweet girl and our family. She is such a trooper and I am so proud of her for being so brave through all these tests. Keep praying! God hears our prayers and answers them...if you've ever had any doubt about that just look into the eyes of our little Chinese princess and your doubt will vanish forever!
She cried and begged for a bottle for well over an hour but I couldn't give her one simply because she was being sedated. She was only gone for about an hour and we spent the rest of the day in recovery. She had a hard time waking from the sedation. Her respitory rate was high because she was so heavily sedated that she was breathing fast and shallow which concerned me but her oxygen level and blood pressure were stable so the doctor wasn't concerned. I've learned that you have to be an advocate for your child and I'm sure it makes the nurses and doctors crazy but everytime her respitory rate went above 50 I had them in there checking her out. I bet they are ready to hunt down the nurses who taught me to read all those monitors and take her respitory rate manually. Oh well, that is why they get paid the big bucks! 
I've decided that I'm going to send him through the washer in the morning and attempt to remove 19 years of germs. He might need to go through the wash more than once! Hopefully he will survive and will pacify her until a new one can be found. If anyone has recently seen a Barney doll in a store, please email me with the store name.