I am so sorry i havent blogged in such a long time but for now on i am only going to blog once a week or so, there just isnt that much of anything new going on at this time and if there is i will definately tell you all. well this week i have mostly just slept and wached many many movies. My ankles and knees are still a bit swollen from extra fluid but they decreasing everyday. i only have to give two shots a week to myself now!! yeah!! and my levels are all looking much stronger and starting to stabilize. my actual kidneys are also somehow miraculously working at a higher percentage. at first they were 3% working and now they are 9% working! we dont really understand what that means at the moment for my future but anything can happen! yesterday my mom and i went to my dads work where he teaches a class. it was good to get out. this whole experience believe it or not has been quite a blessing in my life. it has really changed my perspective on what does and doesnt matter. it has also really shown who i truly am and what my purpose here is. of course i havent figured it all out but this experience has definately made a huge impact on who i am and who im going to be.

Today my mother and i got dressed and went to kaiser for my labs and a checkup with my regular doctor who had initially sent me to childrens hospital for the heart murmer/rub. i had two shots, one in each arm which were just vaccines like the flu shot. then i had my blood drawn for another lab. after that my mom and i went shopping at park meadows and then had lunch together. i am feeling so much better and i believe i would be going back to school already if i didnt have to get caught up with all my classes. once i get that taken care of my life should be back to normal. hopefully after the kidney transplant it should take only a few weeks of recovery for me. however i may stay in the hospital longer depending on different labs and tests and just making sure i am 100%. i should feel completely normal with the new good functioning kidney. my doctors think that i can continue or start any sports or other activities just like anyone else would. we dont know when i will be getting the kidney i have to wait at least 3 months before we even start testing for donors and other things. it can be anywhere from 6 months from now to a year or more.

well, to catch everyone up, each day has really been much of the same. Thursday night was the first night my parents had to hook me up all alone at our house... it was a bit scary! There were a few complications with my blood pressure machine and then the alarm on the dialysis kept going off in the middle of the night because somethings were wrong. i didnt feel my best that night with a cramp on my right side and air trapped in my shoulder. the next day we went to costa vida for mexican food which tasted so good! Then we went to walmart but my ankles and legs got really tight and swollen. more than ever before! that was the first time i had really acted normal walking around and everything. Friday i had many visitors and cookies and other pies and things brought over. Two of my friends actually got to see me give my second shot to myself. They were my moral support... which i needed. i also watched more musicals and movies that night. on saturday i mostly slept so that later that night i would have the energy to play night games. Night games were way fun but i did take it very easy and we mostly just sat anyways for those of you concerned. i am feeling so much better and i will be getting a tutor sometime this week so that i can go back to school and be caught up. Today, sunday, i mostly just slept and ate dinner then slept more. it was good to just realx!

Today again we went to dialysis and the last day of training!! Yeah! however tomorrow we will go for a half day to get things settled. Today for the first time i gave myself a shot in my thigh!! I was so releaved when it was done. it also wasnt as bad as i expected. i was extremely nervous. my social worker karen came and talked to me, so that i could tell her where i was in the emotional side of things. last night i had quite a breakdown realizing that this is real and it is my life and now a part of what makes me, me. it is sometimes just hard never feeling 100%. it is so tiring and it often makes me feel like i want to just give up. i needed to turn to god for more strength- my scriptures and prayers are the only places i find my real strength. i have been cleaning my room and geting it all dust free. therefore i wont be vulnerable to any disease or infection during dialysis hookup. Today i had a lot more energy than i have had in the past. Some days are just simply easier or harder than others. it helps to always keep a smile on my face no matter what.

sorry i missed another day, i guess im getting lazy. haha! well on monday we had trainig again and i was extremely tired and worn out therefore i slept during most all of the training and dialysis. then i had a wonderful dinner from the knights. after that we had continuous visitors like the wynders and then the howells and the mathays. Then i went straight to bed. i woke up this morning with a hge headache and i was nauscious and dizzy. i threw up then took all my medications. i finally was able to go back to bed but then i had to leave for training. after sleeping in the car to the hospital , i woke up feeling much better with the headache gone. right now i am in dialysis just sitting. my parents went out for their lunch break, but i on the otherhand have to stay here, which is kind of boring therefore i am doing this. but it is just fine im okay with it because it is saving my life! thanks again for all the prayers and good thoughts.

Sorry i didnt post anything yesterday, so here is the update. First i picked up my room, then i got dressed in normal clothes and out of my pajamas for once! It felt nice to finally have a taste of normalcy. Then nicolle, my mom, and i went to vogue nails to get freshened up with pedicures and manicures. It felt great! Then we went to golden for an incredible turkey saltfree dinner at my grandparents house. Then i snuggled in their bed after the long day which may not seem like much but for me i get tired extremely fat and easily! Nicolle and i watched a fabulous musical An American in Paris with my favorite Gene Kelly. And ate strawberries also a favorite. And bytheway i can have all sugars just no salt and very limited chocolate. then we went home for a good sleep. Today we went to church but left early because it seemed like a little too much right now. But it was good to just get started with life again. Thanks for everyones encouraging and positive words and comments. Also for all the dinners and cards and just everything everyone around me is doing. It all is very much appreciated!

As i predicted, today was much of the same as yesterday. Starting out with early morning dialysis and trainig at the hospital. Then an incredible dinner at home and watched a movie with the family. I found out that i will be giving myself a shot three times a week! it really makes me appreciate everyone with any disabilities or diseases. Today it really hit me hard, just figuring out everything. I really have been strengthened through Christ and couldnt have done it without all the prayers and support.

well today has been good. We went back to the hospital early this morning for our home training and my dialysis treatment. it all went very well. then we came home and it was nice to eat dinner and just relax. My parents are pretty drianed, however i am feeling much more energized and somewhat normal.

Now this is for sister Eldridge: my favorite color is green or purple or red or yellow(i really just like all colors) i dont have a favorite fragrance , dessert would be cheescake or anything with strawberries but i cant eat most desserts, to do is swimming, drawing, being outside in the sun, dancing, and many more.

Tommorrow should be much of the same. It is so incredible and such a healing power to sleep in my own bed and walk around in my own house!

Good News! I came home today this evening around 6:00 pm. This morning i was put on the periteneal dialysis home treatment while my parents and i had training in order to perform the home treatment. My parents felt as though they were back in school, hahaha. We had a lot of information thrown at us and much to understand and practise. We will go back to the hospital everyday for the next week or two to be trained. It feels so good to be back home and out of the hospital! I did throw up today during dialysis but everything is just fine. They also took out the cathater in my neck finally... thank heavens! And the iv in my arm. I have been walking more today and i also got to wash my hair in my sink for once! It felt incredible!

Unexpectedly today we found out i still have another night at the hospital. Because of my unstable calcium levels my doctors thought it was best to stay for another night and get my body restored. Unfortunately i still have the annoying cathater in my neck. After finding out the news i went on a walk in my wheelchair with my dance teahcher Ali Jaramillo. The walk was wonderful and it was great to just be outside. Then i had more visitors throughout the day, which were very refreshing. Later on my grandparents came and visited with me. I watched the movie enchanted with my mom. Also i had blood drawn and many medicines to take. Through this experience i have come closer in my faith to God. He has really been my saving grace throughout my life. Everyday i can feel the impact and influence from everyones prayers and thoughts. Thanks again for all the continuous support from everyone.

Today has been a bit tiring after first having dialysis for 4 hours. Then tonight i will be having calcium doses through my I V. I have had many visitors which have really given me strength and energy. I plan on leaving the hospital to go home tommorrow but nothing is for sure. Thank you for the continuous love and prayers, i can really feel them.

Our First Blog

This morning our friend Molly helped us set this up to help communicate to all of you dear friends and family what has been happening with my kidneys.

I plan on using this blog to share my news so we can bring comfort to all of you concerning the process we are currently going through.

Right now, we are praying for my calcium levels to build. We are also hoping that I might be able to go home this Tuesday. The levels in my blood have been very messed up as my kidneys have not been doing their job for some time now. If my blood levels stabilize, I will be having dialysis at home each night. My Mom and Dad and I will be in training for about 2 weeks as we learn more about the home dialysis treatment. I am not sure about my future, but am feeling better already.

Mom -Nanette wants to say something:

Thank you to all of you for your prayers, your fasting, your meals, your offers to help etc.

You have helped lift us through this.

We feel God's hand in all the details of this journey.

We love you and so appreciate everything - truly we are feeling your love and concern.

Karina has benefitted greatly from the visits and the gifts and kindnesses.

This has been one of the scariest experiences our family has gone through. But we mostly just feel grateful she is getting help and that God saved her to still be with us.

I have learned there are two ways to walk in this world; in Faith or in Fear. As we walk in Fear we close our eyes and can't see. When we walk in Faith - we open our eyes with courage and can then see God's Hands in everything.

(We are just kind of sad Karina has to go through this trial to teach all of us more about God and His Love and His Power and His Glory). ~Nanette