Not Out of the Woods Yet

Thank you for all of your continuing thoughts and prayers. They mean so much and really do help.

Following Madeline’s surgeries on Sunday and Tuesday of last week, she had a great day on Wednesday. She was taken off of the ventilator, was sitting up in bed and was conversational. Unfortunately, on Thursday she became listless and confused. Friday she was largely unresponsive and was placed back on the ventilator that night due to her reduced mental state. She was also jaundiced and her body was retaining fluids once again. Multiple tests were performed by various teams, but they were still unable to determine the underlying cause.

Saturday evening Madeline’s picc line was removed and a central line was inserted through her neck. A CT scan indicated a third perforation in Mad’s small intestine. She was brought into the OR for emergency surgery early Sunday afternoon which lasted about 3 hours.  The surgeons excised a large perforation in the small intestine, not in the area of the repairs made earlier in the week.  When Mad got back to ICU later this afternoon her color was much improved, her eyes were open and she was responsive for the first time in 3 days.

Madeline’s daughter-in-law, Megan, had been in contact with two of the priests from her time at Boston College. They visited with Jim, Colleen, and Mike while Mad was in surgery. One was able to stay until Madeline’s surgery was completed and administered the anointing of the sick


Madeline is not out of the woods yet, but her family is very hopeful. The doctors feel that one or a combination of her transplant medications are probably causing the gastrointestinal problems and continue their search for the cause. The hepatology and renal teams are also monitoring closely but hopefully Mad’s liver and kidneys will begin to function normally now that the intestine has been repaired.