Day 1 of Transplant evaluation
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The Schmidt Family
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The Schmidt Family
A little glimpse into our life right now. 🤍
We already all knew transplant isn’t for the weak, but since so many of you have been asking what a transplant evaluation actually looks like, I thought I’d take you along with us for the next few days and give you a little more insight into what this process really looks like.
Today was Day 1 of 3.
And honestly… it was the shortest of the three. 😳
We started with 20 tubes of blood being drawn from Hudson. Twenty. 🩸
He then had to have an IV placed so they could do a cardiac CT scan with contrast. Then came a psychology appointment, followed by meeting with the transplant pharmacist.
And that was just Day 1.
By the time we were finished, we were all completely exhausted.
And because apparently the day wasn’t quite eventful enough, we got to the hotel tonight only to find out that because we didn’t check in last night like we had originally planned, our reservation had been cancelled… even though we had already been charged for the room. 🙃
Cue a whole mess at the front desk after an already incredibly long day.
Eventually, we got it figured out, but it was just one more thing added to an already exhausting day.
And this is exactly why I want to share more of what transplant evaluation actually looks like.
Because when you hear the words “transplant evaluation,” it sounds like one appointment.
It’s not.
Over these three days, Hudson will go through ultrasounds, CT scans, labs, echos, X-rays, EKGs, psychology, neuropsychology, infectious disease, occupational therapy, nutrition, social work, pharmacy, child life, cardiac surgery and more.
It is essentially three full days of moving from one appointment to the next, answering questions, having tests, meeting different members of the transplant team and trying to absorb an overwhelming amount of information.
And while all of that is happening, you’re watching your child go through it.
You’re tired.
They’re tired.
You’re trying to stay positive for them while also processing everything yourself.
You’re listening to doctors talk about their heart, their future, and things no parent ever imagined they would have to think about.
Then you wake up the next morning and do it all over again.
This is the part of transplant that I don’t think people really understand until they live it.
The transplant itself is obviously the big thing everyone thinks about, but the road to getting there is a journey of its own.
And this is also where so many of you have become part of our story.
The hotel rooms.
The parking.
The gas.
The meals we grab between appointments.
The little expenses that add up when your child’s medical care becomes your everyday life.
Your support has helped carry some of those things for us, and I want you to know exactly what you are helping with.
Not just a hospital bill.
Not just a procedure.
You’re helping a family get through the days in between.
The long hospital days.
The hotel nights.
The meals eaten in the car.
The parking garages.
The countless appointments.
The exhaustion.
The uncertainty.
The little things that nobody really thinks about until they’re living it.
Thank you for loving our family, praying for us, and continuing to walk through this journey with us again. 🤍
We know this road is going to be hard, but knowing we have so many people standing beside us makes it a little less scary.
Thank you for showing up for Hudson, for our family, and for believing with us that God is still writing his story. ❤️🩹
So I’m going to share more over the next few days—not because I expect anyone to understand all of this, but because I think it’s important for people to see what this journey actually looks like.
This is our life right now.
It’s complicated.
It’s exhausting.
It’s overwhelming.
It’s scary.
But it’s also filled with incredible people, answered prayers, unexpected blessings and constant reminders that God has not left us for a second.
So… Day 1 of 3 is officially in the books. ❤️🩹
Tomorrow we get up, take a deep breath, and do it all again.
And I’ll take y’all along with us. 🤍
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