Living with Pediatric Urology Issues

I am too going through the same thing most of us mothers are. My story begins in July 04. My son was merely 8 days old when he developed 104 fever. I rushed him to our local hospitals’ ER, got admitted. They ran a series of labs on him and could not figure out what his problem was. First, they thought it was meningitis and wanted to do a spinal tap. I flat out objected- they couldn’t even get a simple IV running on him much less be successfull sticking a needle in his little spine. Next thing I knew, his pediatrician comes in and tells me we have to get flown to San Antonio, Texas to Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. IT WAS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE !!

Once there, I accepted their pediatric team to proceed with the spinal tap as recommended in Laredo, Texas. Luckily, meningitis was ruled out. They continued a series of exams including a VCUG. Finally, they were able to diagnose him with reflux grade IV on his left kidney. We were there for 2 long weeks. Over the course of his visits to children’s hospital, his reflux had gone down to grade II on his left kidney - which was good- we were going somewhere with this. I started noticing he too started to wet his bed at nights and he was past 3 yrs old and fully potty trained. His doctor kept telling me he could out-grow it once he turned 5. I waited for him turning 5 and we still have that problem - even at school. My husband also tried the “no-drinks rule” after 8:00pm- DIDN’T WORK!

Every six months we have to take the trip to his nephrologist- routine urine cultures, VCUG’S, renal scans, ultrasounds- THE WORKS!! I thank GOD- he has been one of the lucky ones to not getting any UTI’s. His last VCUG showed his reflux had now reached back to grade IV on his left and worst of all he now had a grade II on his right. His doctor recommended we go see a pediatric urologist - and we did.

My worry and fear came true - He needs to be surgically intervened. I am really afraid. My mother tells me not to worry that everything is going to be ok. Please guide me, to my knowledge, the doctor is to surgically fix his ureters. Has anyone’s child been through this horrible thing?