What were we thinking?

What were we thinking adopting two three year olds in 7 months?
Twice the hugs, twice the kisses and twice the love.

The past seven months have been a huge adjustment for us. Just when we thought Gemma's medical condition ( Beta Thalassemia Major) was under control we were thrown a curve ball. Gemma receives blood transfusions every 3 weeks. Last month her Hematologist wanted to try and push her to every 4 weeks for transfusion . This made her hemoglobin level dropped too low and now she is playing catch up to get back to a safe level. Last week she received extra blood at her transfusion . We are hoping this did the trick or she will have to start receiving transfusions every 2 weeks. Receiving transfusions every 2 weeks for the rest of your life is not a good thing. With each transfusion comes the extra iron and it is stored up in the heart and liver eventually causing these organs to fail. Gemmas liver biopsy revealed her ferritin levels at 3211(normal levels are 10-300). Luckily her heart is just enlarged and does not show signs of iron . She takes a daily chelation medicine to remove the iron from her liver but so far it has not helped. The only cure for this disease is a bone marrow transplant but unfortunately this is not an option for Gemma because the donor has to be a blood relative.
We are hoping her transfusion schedule will improve .I know it is hard on her to receive so many needles ,but she never complains and she tries to be brave.

Teresa's health continues to be a day to day encounter. She has good days where you would never guess she was so ill and then she has bad days where she is blue and lays on the couch most of the day. So far the good days out number the bad days and she continues to find happiness in each new day with new experiences to love.

Our road of life continues to take many turns with each new day but we are learning how to go with the flow ,accepting GODS will and appreciating every new day.