back ground

Well for those of you who don't know me, my name is Ashley (Rister) Griffin. I grew up in Harrisburg and graduated from HHS in 2001. In September of that year I meet the love of my life in a parking lot of KFC. His name is Josh Griffin and he was from Eldorado, we dated over 3 years before we got married in August of 2004. We lived in a small house in Eldorado just big enough for ourselves and his daugher Emma when she came to stay with us. Emma lives in Bourbounnais with her mom and we get her every chance we get. She is currently 9 years old(2-17-00). We lived a simple life for awhile, until October 19, 2005. That is when our wonderful twins were born. Alex Cole and Olivia Erin came 12 weeks early due to my kidney's starting to fail. They were both born weighing only 2 pounds 10 ounces and that is our whole lives changed.
Alex was lifeflighted the next day to Riley's Children's Hospital in Indianpolis, In. He needed a special vent to help him breath. It was very touch and go with him for the first few days. One the 3rd day we were told he had a grade 3 brain bleed and would need a vp shunt placed to help drain the fluid. At a week old he had a hole in his small intestines repaired. He was on oxygen and a feeding tube due to his prematurity. But Alex was a fighter from day one and still is to this day.
Olivia was just what they call a normal premie, she was small and needed to be on a vent with a feeding tube. She stayed Evansville where I had them until a doctor at Riley thought it would help Alex if she was up there. Which helped us out because we were driving back and forth between the 2 all while Josh was still trying to work. Josh's mom stayed with me the whole time we were in Indy so I didn't have to be alone.
After many ups and down with both of the babies to say the least at the beginning of January 2006 they let us take Olivia home which at that time was the Ronald McDonald House. Alex came home closer to the end of February.
We brought both of the babies home on oxygen and feeding tubes. Don't get me wrong it was rough, but it was all worth it.
After the babies were home for about 3 months I became sick. I had been put in the hospital to have my gallbladder removed and while in there my kidney's stop working. After a lot of tests, the discovered I have lupus. Lupus is a blood disorder that can effect any organ, mine picked my kidneys. I was put on Cytoxin treatments, it is a form of chemo to help put my lupus in remission. I was also put on dialysis for about 5 to 6 months in which that time we had to live with josh's mom and dad, because I couldn't handle to babies while he was at work. After the 5 months my kidney's started working again and I was taken off of dialysis. I continued to do the chemo treatments for the next three years (up to Feb. of this year). I had stopped the treatments in Feb. and was doing ok for a couple months then in May I started getting sick. I ended up going to the kidney doctor and my lupus had flared up again and my kidney's were starting to shut down again. They put me back on diaylsis where I still am today.
I wanted to start this blog, because I have just started a new journey with starting the trip to get a kidney transplant. This is where I can keep everyone posted.
On a happy note the twins are 4 now and doing wonderful. They both are in school (pre-k) and doing wonderful. The doctors are amazed on Alex's progress, but we always knew he was something special and Olivia is a sassy little missy.
I'll start tomorrow with information from our first couple of trips to chicago with the specialist that are helping me with the transplant.
Please pray for total healing and strength!
thanks for reading,
love ash