Surgery
Life really can feel like a Monopoly game some days; stop, do not pass GO, pay 185 dollars to the city.
I got a ticket on the way to the hospital yesterday morning for going 62 in a 40. It was the 29th of the month, and though I was 20 miles over the speed limit, I believe he was trying to meet is quota. I was so angry and he was so rude; "Is her condition life-threatening... what time is your appointment... well, you're going to be late... see, that only took a minute, m'am." I wanted to hop out of the car and pull some Jackie Chan moves on his shaved head; break him in half over my knee. But Madalyn was in the car and so instead I just cried. It was one of those days when I was glad there wasn't a fish on my car after all, because I was not exactly an ideal representative that hour.
Madalyn was so cooperative for the VCUG. She was told it was a potty table, the x-ray table. That all the kids looooove to go potty on the potty table. We put on our princess gowns, aka hospital gowns and lead aprons, and the tech put on her Ariel gloves- bright green. We spread her legs and strapped them to the table "like the butterflies on the ceiling," and I found myself very glad to be at Arnold Palmer, a hospital geared towards women and children.
She lay there in her small gown, clinging to her blankie and pony and breathing a bit heavy, not sure of what horrors awaited her. "It's not gonna hurt? No needles? No owies?" And I hate that they promised her it wouldn't hurt because it did. It's no wonder she doesn't believe them anymore.
When they tried to insert the catheter she tensed up and it was unsuccessful- several times this went on and they nicked her and caused a bit of blood during one, and finally, success. "You're all done- you did the hard part, you were so good, so brave!" we cheered.
"All duh-huh-hun?"" she panted, trying to pull herself together. They filled her with dye and we watched the dye flow straight into that right kidney with ease... then into the left as well, though not as much. The right ureter was much larger than the left from the pressure. I had my answer. The Lord had plans different from mine and I know from experience His are better, so I would make peace with this new news.
Then came the second difficulty of this test, when her bladder was full and she whimpered in discomfort.
"She has to pee pee," the doctor said.
"Pee pee! It's okay, you can go right here on the potty table," we cheered.
"I can't! I can't DO IT!" she yelled from her throat at us.
"yes, yes you can, just relax, it's ok..."
"I can't DO IT!"
So then they poured warm water on her. No luck. They turned on the faucet. Still nothing. Finally they got a potty seat and let her sit up on the x-ray table and after a bit of work and whining she did it, trying so hard to deliver. She had to then lie back down while pee-peeing so they could take a picture of that flow.
Then it was over. The hard part. Off to the Specialist's office while Madalyn told every person along the way, chest puffed out with pride, "I went pee pee on the potty table!"
So skipping ahead- Dr. Rich came into the exam room. He said, "well I'll tell you what the x-rays tell me first. She still has very severe reflux in her right kidney. At least a grade four, really more of a five. She also has it in the left which probably didn't show up before because she wasn't holding her urine and potty-trained yet for the pressure to build. Her right kidney is about 2 cm (or inches- I can't remember) smaller than the left. This is the same kidney with the severe reflux. What this tells me is that it needs to be taken care of. Now her kidneys are NOT damaged. This just means that one is doing 60% pf the work and the other about 40%. There may always be this discrepancy in size. But it needs to be taken care of. Because the prophylactic antibiotic has prevented break-through infections for this long, there's no rush. But she needs surgery sooner or later."
So since then, we've decided the sooner the better. The doctor was booked until June but they had a cancellation April 5th, next Thursday. So Thursday she will be having her surgery.
It is a THREE hour surgery where they will attach her ureters further down and into the muscles of her bladder through one 2-3 inch incision below her bikini line. She will spend three days in the hospital and face a 1-2 week recovery after that.
Take a quick peek here to see more about this condition and the surgery. Her ureter and kidney look like the #5 diagram. :(
Please continue to pray for her this week and especially Thursday. Pray for our insurance as Shaun is at a new job and we are covered in a retroactive manner by both our new insurance and Cobra. It could cause some annoyances and hurdles, so please pray that goes smoothly, and mostly for the surgeon, Dr. Rich, the anesthesiologist, and Madalyn's response and recovery.
Thank you all so very much.
