Ashleigh is back in ICU at Children’s Mercy

Ashleigh has been home for a few weeks now and has been improving by leaps and bounds. She’s been walking on her own and going to physical/occupational therapy each day.

Last week she developed a staph infection (which is not unusual for her because she has MRSA in her lungs permanently because of the CF). She had a fever and had trouble breathing and became so weak she had to go back to the wheel chair to get around (and even then with a parent pushing her). Mom and Dad took her back to the hospital and got her to ICU just as her blood pressure plummeted. The doctors got her situation under control by putting her back on a ventilator (just in case) and giving her Fentanyl, among other medications.

Some of you may think this sounds awfully familiar. You are correct! This exact scenario has happened twice already. Turns out it is caused by too much anti-rejection drugs in her system. Right before she left the hospital to go home she showed a few signs of liver rejection, so just to be safe the doctors put her back on a low dose. Apparently it wasn’t low enough. It will now take 3 weeks to get it out of her system. In the meantime the doctors will reevaluate the anti-rejection drug doses and try again after the three weeks.