Living with Pediatric Urology Issues

When my oldest son was 3 years old, he suddenly became sick with a high fever and upset stomach. The fever continued on and off for almost two weeks. Doctors kept telling us he just had a virus and it would resolve itself. As we reached the two week mark, we finally decided to take him to the emergency room where they did a urine analysis. Sure enough, he has a UTI But he was a boy they don’t get them, so I thought. After going through various tests including a VCUG, he was diagnosed with stage 4 reflux on the right side. He was taken in for ureter reimplantation surgery with success. He has never had any other issues with his renal system. Our second son was tested through an ultrasound for the disease and was fine.

A year or so later I gave birth to a daughter. Through and ultrasound she was also diagnosed with stage 5 reflux on both sides. We were in and out of the hospital with kidney and UT infections for her first year. Three days before her first birthday, she had her ureter reimplantation surgery. We are still fighting UTI’s with her after 3 1/2 years. We are currently fighting one and are off to her urologist today to try to see what is going on. We are at a lost as to why the infections are still coming after the surgery. My daughter’s case is unusual from what I am told. While it is a scary diagnosis, it is treatable. Do not be afraid to have a doctor you trust treat your child for this uncomfortable, painful condition. In our case the reflux is a genetic disorder we never knew about since it passed 2 generations. Best of luck to you all. I’ve been/am there and wish you the best!