4 days/3 nights at the all-inclusive NAMC resort and spa

Well, we've returned home from our 3 night stay at the North Austin Medical Center. Great place. Friendly staff (mostly). Food was only so-so. In the end, I probably wouldn't recommend it unless you're actually in need of medical services. In that case, sure, I'd probably go with four stars.

A couple more procedures happened since yesterday's post. Becky had a paracentesis and they tested the drained fluid for infection yesterday. Today, she had another upper GI procedure where they went in and banded two of her enlarged veins as a preventative measure to avoid internal bleeding.

What have we learned since yesterday?

• I'm not 100% sure, but nobody said there was an infection in Becky's ascites fluid, so I think that's a plus.

• The hemoglobin counts are an indicator of possible anemia and are probably going to be a constant battle until the transplant. Since the liver's not doing its job, Becky just doesn't have the right mix of stuff in her blood. This is one of the complications we'll have to manage. Hello, Texas Oncology? Can you call us back so we can come up with a plan?

• Apparently the procedure to band the veins in her esophagus will also be a regular thing. Or at least she'll need to be checked for this, probably on a monthly basis.

In summary, Becky had a blood transfusion (where we confirmed her blood type is O+), a paracentesis (which means we don't plan to go in this Thursday), two upper GI procedures (one detected an esophageal infection, the other for the banding), some IV antibiotics and albumin, and a couple prescriptions to finish up at home.

On the transplant evalutation front, we do now have a dedicated Case Manager at the insurance company and can begin conversations with UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. I've included more information related to transplants and donors on a separate page - Transplant Links and Information