Urinary Tract Infection

Lillian at 7 months

Charlie at 6 months

Katie at 6 months

Just wanted to post pics of my babies at around the same age in their lives.  What do you think?  do they favor each other or what???

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Well, the doctor called and confirmed that Lillian does have a Urinary Track Infection.  So, she's on antibiotics until after she has her ultrasound and xrays done to confirm if she does or does not have a VUR.  I'm hoping that she does not, but my children seem to out do each other one way or another!  So, I'm betting that she does.  She has the xrays and ultrasound on October 24 and then will meet with the Urologist on November 17.  

Katie on the other hand has her xrays and ultrasound on November 13 and will see the urologist the same time as Lillian.  Hopefully, the results say she's good to go! 

Speaking of Katie, she received two reading awards today at school!  She is so smart that girl! Katie has a passion for reading, but lacks that passion for math.  She's good, but she only does enough to get by.  Any ideas on how to spark a love of math would be greatly appreciative. 

Vesicoureteral Reflux or VUR

Yesterday, I briefly mentioned that the girls went to see a Urologist.  Both Katie and Charlie had Vesicoureteral Reflux  until they both had corrective outpatient surgery in May and June 2006.  They both had a grade III VUR, I being the lowest and a V being the highest grade.  Because Katie suffered from more than one Urinary Tract Infection that lead to Kidney Infections, she suffers from kidney damage in both kidneys.  It is not a life threatening disease, but something that might cause high blood pressure.  When we knew for sure that Charlie also had a grade III, we opted for him to have the surgery so he wouldn't sustain any kidney damage either.  

Apparently, having a VUR is hereditary and either Bobby and/or I were carriers and gave it to them.  So, now we have Lillian and she will be examined also to see if she has this condition.  Katie still has a grade I, which the doctor hopes it resolved on its own.  The problem is the only way to check it is through Ultrasound and a VCUG (voiding cystourethrogram).  The VCUG is not very comfortable.  They insert a cathetar to fill your bladder with a dye and you must void the dye while they take x-rays of the dye voiding the bladder.  They are looking for the "reflux" part, and to see how far the dye will travel up the urethra and into the kidneys.  For little kids, this can be very intimidating and scary.  Although, Katie has had four procedures done, she still hates the thought of doing it again.  On the upside, if all goes well, she won't have to ever do it again!   I'm just happy that Lillian is young enough, that she won't remember.  Lillian's procedure will be towards the end of May and Katie will have hers during the 2nd week of November.  Both girls will go back on November 17 to see the doc again.  Wish us LUCK!  Hoping that neither of the girls will have to worry about surgery!