Monday, March 3, 2008

DAVE SLAGLE UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!
DAVE RECEIVED A LIVER TRASPLANT THIS MORNING!
Sam got a call at 1:00 this morning stating that they had received a liver match for Dave! They started the surgery at 3:30 this morning and it was over by 11:30 AM. He's doing AWESOME...the surgery went better than expected, and he's well on the path to recovery. The next 48 hours are critical of course, but the signs the doctors have seen so far have been very promising! So we need our friends and family to keep praying and keep Dave in your thoughts.

Our entire family has the knock-down-drag-out FLU bug that has us all confined to the bed or bathroom (UGH) but I had to get this up because I know many of you have been kind and caring enough to ask us how he's doing even though you don't know him. Sam truly appreciates your concern and support for his friend, as this has been a very difficult six weeks for him - especially this past week when he got a call that Dave had taken a pretty bad turn for the worse and they were told it was especially critical that he get the transplant within in the next two weeks, which was a very scary prospect because it's not like you can just depend on when a liver will be coming your way. I know that the Slagle's have to feel sad for "hoping" and "wishing" for a liver because that meant someone had to pass away - but that person didn't pass away because of them...but because they did, Dave gets the chance to live on and that person actually gets to live on in some way too. Hopefully the family mebers get some relief that their son/husband/brother/father lives on through Dave.

It is truly amazing what medical technology can do these days....Sam told me that Dave's liver was out in one hour and the "new" liver was transplanted (I keep wanting to say INSTALLED - you know like a dishwasher!!) in another hour. It then took them about six hours to connect all the blood vessels. That's it. 8 hours and new liver installed and fully operational. (Good thing hospitals don't hire former Sears employees because it took them at LEAST an hour to hook up my refrigerator. LOL, just kidding!)

Anyway, I hope anyone who hasn't considered organ donation has read some of these posts and has reconsidered becoming a donor. You don't really think about it until it hits close to home - but what an amazing feeling that you DO continue to live once you pass on... in someone Else's body - giving them a life they couldn't have otherwise. Incredible.


Our hearts go out to Dave's family - especially his wife Karen who has been his backbone and strength through this whole thing ... she's done a wonderful job keeping it together for them and dealing with everything from their home life, their business and the crazy bureaucracy of insurance company BS. I'm sure Dave has no idea at this point what an amazing trooper Karen's been!!

Karen - Dave - I don't know you yet but I'm pulling for you 100% and I know Sam positively can't wait to see you guys. I have a feeling that you're going to be an important part of our lives moving forward and this whole losing touch thing ...we'll - us girls will make sure that doesn't happen again!!! :)

Please, friends and family please continue to keep these folks in your prayers! They need it now as much as ever!

Love,

Rachel xoxo

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