Saturday, April 19th

Dallas had a slight elevation in her temperature last night — 99.1 — which gave us a moment of concern, especially since the surgical team had reminded us to watch closely for any signs of fever. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to stick, and with her regular Tylenol every six hours, it likely helped keep the temp in check while also offering her a bit of comfort.

The surgical team came by during their morning rounds and gave a positive update: her central line site still looks good, clean, and healthy.

We noticed Dallas seemed a bit puffier in her face today. We mentioned it to the docs, who said it could be some fluid retention — not uncommon as her body adjusts to the IV and medications, especially the ongoing taper of steroids. We kept monitoring throughout the day, and it looked like the swelling may have gone down just slightly — and, importantly, didn’t get any worse.

One of the biggest highlights of the day came in the form of small, but what might have been meaningful responses. When asked, “is your belly hungry?” she appeared to give a subtle shake of her head — no. And when we asked, “does your body hurt?” or “does your neck hurt?” she blinked — yes. These tiny moments of potential communication feel monumental. Without her being able to speak right now, these little interactions could help so much to know how she’s doing and give her a voice.

Later, Dallas also moved her tongue and lips in response to “stick out your tongue” — a sweet moment for PopPop and Mumsie, who made the trip up to visit her today.

In the afternoon, we were able to get her back out into the hallway in her chair, which always seems to lift her spirits a bit. We even made it over to the elevator corridor, where she could catch some sunlight through the big glass windows. After so many days in a hospital room, that touch of natural light felt like a small kind of magic — a little reset for all of us in the moment.

Otherwise, the day was quiet, and we’re using the weekend to rest up and enjoy a little Easter before her PLEX (plasma exchange) therapy begins on Monday.

To everyone who has reached out, sent cards, care packages, messages, prayers, or just kept us in your thoughts — thank you! We haven’t been able to reply to everyone individually yet, but please know we feel your love and support deeply, and it means the world to our family!

“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.” — Emory Austin

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