Grace’s Check-up

Yesterday afternoon I took Grace to her urologist’s office for a check-up.  At the end of January, she got a really bad urinary tract infection.  We had hoped that the surgical Deflux procedure she got when she was 2 years old would prevent these bad UTIs.  There is always a small chance that the procedure can fail over time, so the urologist ordered a renal sonogram for the beginning of May to check for kidney damage.  Yesterday we met with the doctor to interpret the results and decide if further intervention was necessary.

The good news is that her kidneys are growing normally.  The bad news is that there is significant scarring on her right kidney that wasn’t there before her infection in January.  However, looking at the big picture….one extreme UTI in 2 1/2 years since her procedure is a tremendous improvement from her first two years of routine infections. 

There is a small chance that the Deflux has been absorbed by the body (he couldn’t tell with certainty from the sonogram) and her urinary reflux has returned.  So, the doctor gave us an option.  We could schedule a VCUG next week at the hospital to check and see if the reflux has returned.  If so, she would have another surgical correction.  Or, we could just wait and do another renal sonogram in a year.  If she were to get another UTI during the next year, we would act quickly and schedule a VCUG at that time. 

Long story short, for a variety of reasons, we decided to wait on the VCUG.  We’re praying that God will continue to keep her UTI-free.  We will also be very sensitive to urination problems and/or unidentified fevers.  The doctor reinforced that if we suspect a UTI, we must confirm and get her on an antibiotic ASAP to prevent further damage. 

We are very thankful for the excellent medical care that she has received.  I can’t say enough good things about the pediatric urologists at the local children’s hospital.  Overall, we’ve been pleased with the Deflux procedure.  It was relatively new and somewhat of an unconventional choice when we decided to go that route back in 2007.  But we appreciated that it was minimally invasive and a lot less traumatic than major abdominal surgery.

We’re trusting that we made the right decision.  The urologist validated us by saying that if Grace was his daughter, he would just monitor her over the next year and only act again if necessary. 

We’re so thankful for Grace, urinary problems and all.  While it’s been grievous to see her suffer through the pain and residual effects of her infections over the years, we know that it could be a lot worse than it is.  We give thanks for answered prayers both before and after her birth.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  (Psalm 139:13-14)