Hello from St. Louis. Elise is finally feeling better today. Her fevers finally stopped Monday, but she still wasn't feeling herself until today. She has had a heart echo and upper GI study done over the last few days. The heart echo was compared to her last previous echo in September and showed to be the same which is good in the fact that it isn't worse. She had an upper GI yesterday am to look for reflux which tells the GI doctor if she needs a fundoplication along with her Gtube. Here's a link that tells about fundo's; http://www.medicinenet.com/fundoplication/article.htm and here's a picture explanation of one; http://www.newyorkbariatrics.com/images/nissen_fundoplication.jpg The study showed that she did not have trouble with reflux, so the surgeon doesn't think she will need one, which is fabulous. But, they may not do the surgery while she is in the hospital. They want to make sure her infection is totally gone from her system before putting her through a surgery. So, we will likely go home and have to come back. But, they will likely do her heart cath before she leaves when they replace the broviac. She has been diagnosed with pneumonia that they found on a chest xray yesterday am. They just took a repeat film just now to check the status of that. Her blood cultures have come back saying she has staph that is not MRSA, which is the bacteria you here about on the news that is resistant to certain antibiotics. This too is good news, because they have antibiotics that can get rid of it. But, they started her on this antibiotic today and she had an allergic reaction.....not good. So, we are trying a different one which should hopefully take care of just as well. Her naps and sleeping schedules are all screwed up from the vital signs, to pumps alarming, to the loud neighbors, I can't wait to get her home so she can get some rest. The speech therapists have been seeing her while she is here in the hospital and we have started giving her baby cookies and crackers, and she actually put them in her mouth!!! They want us to let her start playing with food when she is eating instead of toys, no matter how messy. My mom leaves tomorrow am, and Jason will get here Friday eve with the camera, so I'll post Saturday with some pictures. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week. Love you all, Kristin