We headed back to Chicago for a few days for some medical tests and a follow-up visit with Dr. Superina. When we are there for surgeries we don't get to have much fun, so we decided to throw in some fun while there this time. We've been to Chicago many times, and seem most of the touristy things, so this time we went back to a few of our favorites.
We stayed downtown in the historical Warwick Allerton Hotel. It opened in 1924. It is officially a historical landmark in Chicago. As cool as that sounds, the rooms were small, and it seemed a little dated. However, I think it's supposed to be that way, lol. I could see this hotel out of Macy's ICU room during our last stay. I stared for hours at the sign on the back of the hotel that said "Tip Top Tap". I wondered and wondered about what it was like inside, and how much fun all of the guests were having. Were they heading out to a show, were they drinking cocktails and having appetizers. I pray for the the mother in that ICU room today, who sits and stares.
On Monday we had some tests at the hospital and spent most of the morning there. Afterward, we headed to The Navy Pier for some fun! We spent the afternoon exploring the pier, and making fun memories. We headed out to dinner at Macy's favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory, and then ended our night watching The Blue Man Group. Jeremy and I have seen them before, but the girls hadn't, and they absolutely loved the show!
On Tuesday, we headed to the Willis Tower. It's 103 stories tall! We enjoyed going out on the Sky Deck to get a crazy view of the city. I think I was the most scared. Macy, who is normally extremely scared of heights, did great! She was ready to get off of the Sky Deck after the pics, but otherwise did great. McKenna had no fear! We explored more of the city, and headed to one of our favorite parks, Millennium Park. Seeing The Bean never gets old!
We ended our trip with a visit to Dr. Superina and his team. Macy's tests showed that her shunt is open!!! Yay! Labs were pretty good overall. We got back in October for our 6 month check-up. At that time she will have an MR to get a better look, as well as more labs. We will also have a scheduled IR appointment for the next day. IR stands for Interventional Radiology. This is the team that performs Macy's venograms. Macy's Rex Shunt has great overall blood flow, however it is a little narrow at the top. Think of it like an arch. It was placed in that way due to her abnormally shaped liver. It is a little narrow at the very top of the arch. It has been like this since placed, so it's not like anything has gone wrong. In order to get the best out of her shunt, it would be best to have this area a little bit bigger. There are two ways for this to happen. 1. It grows a little wider on its own over time. 2. The IR team goes in through her neck, like a venogram, to balloon and stretch it a little bit.
So when we return in October, if the MR shows that the area hasn't gotten wider on it's own, they will go in the next day to make it a little bigger. If the MR shows that the shunt has gotten wider, we will go home. So for now, she continues on her Coumadin to keep her blood thin, which has been the plan from the beginning (for 6 months total). The goal is to keep that shunt open and flowing! They were very pleased with her! They said she looks great!!!
I hate the thought that she might need another procedure, however if it's to fine tune her shunt and make it overall better, then we understand if it needs to be done. We are so happy that we had a good visit! Please continue to pray for an open and flowing shunt. Please pray for the narrow area to grow wide enough on its own. Please pray for Macy's safety as she continues on Coumadin. Thanks for checking in on us!
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