12/31 - On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

...more dialysis and a surgery date to replace the bone flap.

The discussion of Sam's condition during rounds seemed to take a long time this morning, but it could just be my lack of sleep from last night. Regardless, the news is pretty much the same.  I spoke to several of the doctors to review different aspects of where Sam is now.  

• His kidneys continue to improve, but he's still having trouble maintaining numbers with just he Lasix.  After today's hemodialysis session, (which is underway and will be done around 1:12) it looks like we're going back to CVVH (intermittent), and to keep the machine from clotting, they will be using Heparin. It's a different anticoagulant that they didn't want to use initially due to risk of a brain bleed. Everyone, including neuro is on board with using it now.  I am a bit nervous about using it because of some personal stories I have heard, but I have to fully trust these people who have helped Sam get to this point.  They will also have to be very careful about dosage in the near future, because...
• Monday is bone flap surgery day!  We can still see swelling, but the explanation we got makes a quicker replacement date clearer.  According to the CT Scans, the vascular blood vessels in his brain are increasing in size.  They want to slow down/stop this process (if I understood correctly) and from the neurologist's experience, replacing the bone flap sooner has been very successful in that. So our next question was how they were going to get the remaining swelling down to make that puzzle piece fit. They will insert a drain in his spine to pull fluid off.  Additionally, any permanently damaged areas of brain that are infarcted will be removed.  This all makes sense and all sounds really scary, and in reality is terrifying to me. However, as I mentioned before, I have to fully entrust the process to this very skilled medical staff.  As today progresses, they will be contacting Plano to work on transporting the bone flap here.  Although Uber is rising in popularity, they do have a medical transport team for just such a need.  I'm just wondering if it's going to show up in a little Coleman cooler, or if they have something fancier than that.  They still use that method for other organs, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.
• At last check, everything else seems to be on the mend, even if it's a slow process.  The only new thing is a rash that comes and goes, and everyone is keeping an eye on that as to what is causing it.  No one seems to be panicking about it at this point, so I won't either.  

While it was good to have Sarah here last night, I did not sleep well as I mentioned before.  It took forever to get to sleep, and then we had to vacate at around four when they took X-rays.  I snagged another couple of hours of shuteye, but got up a little after the shift change. (It's pretty quiet overnight, but it's almost like a cocktail party when things get rolling in the morning.) The waiting room was out of coffee, so I trudged to the cafeteria.  If I make it until midnight, I'll be surprised.  We're still not sure who's going to be where and when today, but I'm sure that plan will divulge itself when it's time.  

I hope that you are able to celebrate in some way tonight, and that after you've greeted the new year, you might raise your glasses to Sam. This kid's in the fight of his life, and he hasn't given up. Neither have we. Ever since the accident, I've had weird fragments of memories fleeting in and out of my own mind. They're not all memories of Sam either, but connect seamlessly--in my slightly (?) addled brain at least--with what's going on now. In those sporadic moments when I remember that it's New Year's Eve, and that tomorrow ushers in 2016, this clip keeps popping into my mind:

May your New Year be filled with health, hope and love, and may it be even better than last year.  Thank you for your continued prayers for Sam and everyone mentioned previously in the blog.  I'd like to add my very good friend, LeAnn to the list. She was my "mae" in Costa Rica three years ago, and I love her to pieces. This morning she found out that her mom is very ill. Please pray for comfort for her and her family, healing for her mom, and that LeAnn is able to have a quick and safe trip home to be with her mom during this time. 

These pictures are from our New Year's Eve celebration in 2011.  It has been our tradition for several years to have group Wii time.  (I am still the "Thriller" dance champion, FYI.)  I also make churros and chocolate.  Happy New Year.