11/5/2014 6pm update on Mary Ellen Labrecque: Mel is holding on and fighting. She has had her feeding tube placed through her abdomen, into her stomach. They are using this to ensure proper nutrition when she is unable to, and to give her medications. She is having a permanent tunneled under the skin dialysis catheter/shunt placed. This will be better for her immune system because it has less chance for infection. This is more permanent and because she is still dependent on dialysis to clear the toxins in her body, this could potentially be permanent. That is still an unknown. They have been using plasmaphoresis to filter the antiphospholipid antibodies out of her blood. She is also receiving platelets to help boost her platelet count, which remains too low. Her white blood count, which helps you fight infection, is too low, because of all the immunosuppressant medication. It is such a balancing act to keep her from rejection, but not making it so that she is susceptible to infection. Her brain MRI showed small areas of ischemia or lack of blood flow, from the catastrophic APLS. It is unsure how much of this causes her mental status change. Yesterday she spoke on the phone with Jeanine Labrecque and was spot on, wanted Jeanine to know about her dialysis catheter and was more like herself. So, there is great hope here. Mary Ellen stated she had less pain and very much wants to continue to fight this and gain her old life back. Mel has so much faith and hope and she wants us all to have the same. Please continue to pray for Mary Ellen to heal, fight infection, fight rejection, maintain stable APLS, produce her own platelets, regain her own kidney function and for her medical team to have the knowledge and wisdom to continue to fight for her survival and recovery.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 22:54:04 +0000
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