this week was that apointment, and to say i was nervous would be an understatement. they gave her Versed, which is a sedative that also happens to inhibit memory, so she shouldn't have a lot of memory of the procedure. i was super nervous because i had an allergic reaction to this medication as a teenager, where my throat closed off and i needed epinephrine to keep me alive. thankfully, she did ok on the drug.
my little baby was so drugged up it was hard not to giggle at her (hey she won't remember, right?), so after having a little bit of conversation with her, they did the procedure. she did great. took it all in stride. it had nothing to do with the DVD player that was playing frosty the snowman, btw. ok, maybe it did.. but that's not what is important.
ava's daddy was a HUGE help and i am so blessed to be sharing the responsibility of parenting with him. it's funny that she listens to well to his demands. i must not be as stern as i would like to think i am. ha!
the radiologist made it pretty evident right away that there was something not 'normal.' her right ureter is allowing the urine to travel backwards, up into the kidney.
honestly, i did not expect this. at all. ava has been the poster-child for a healthy kid. this was the first bladder infection/kidney infection she has ever had (as far as i know), and this test was supposed to come back normal.
the radiologist said that a lot of kids who have this issue grow out of it. the ones that don't, end up having surgery to correct it. he also said that the typical route of care is to put her on an antibiotic for another 6-12 months and do the procedure again to see if it has changed. and then go from there, perhaps waiting another 6-12 months and hoping it corrects itself.
we have to go see a urologist to decide what will happen next. i am really worried. i never expected this. i really thought we were done with it after the last round of antibiotics. i am worried about the effects of being on an antibiotic for 6-12 months, minimum. hell, i don't even like to give tylenol- so the thought of an antibiotic for that long of a duration is just startling.
i will update as we know what is going to happen, but for now she could really use your positive thoughts and prayers.
So I stumbled upon your blog and then upon this post. My daughter was born with hydronephrosis of the right kidney. Basically, her ureter is abnormally small at one point causing urine to back up in the kidney, though she doesn't have reflux like your Ava does. As a Mom I just wanted to let you know that Ava will be fine and I know what you're going through. We go to our Urologist after the new year and I'm thinking at this point they'll have to fix it but, I could be way off. The tests are scary, doctors appointments are nerve shattering but our girls will be just fine! Don't let the wait get to you either, I know easier said than done but waiting to see if the problem corrects itself is much better than rushing them into an O.R. with the chance of them never having anymore complications from the underlying problem.
ReplyDeleteSo, you are not alone out there! I admire your strength and courage in taking care of two little ones solo and it seems that you are doing a wonderful job! Take care and have a Very Merry Christmas!!