Daniel's Medical Update (Long)

I need to start off with a very big thank you. So many of you have been praying for Daniel and also for Troy and I. I can't even begin to express the gratitude I have for those prayers. To my friends, my family, my co-workers, my fellow bloggers (who I also consider my friends) thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers.

THEY ARE WORKING!! While we are not completely out of the woods, we are getting there. Read on...

Yesterday Daniel had his follow up tests at the hospital. This particular test was one we had not done before and I was a little worried. I shouldn't have been. Daniel was a trooper. My mom accompanied me yesterday because Troy was unable to come. My mom has been such a help to me, I can't thank her enough either. She's so organized and helpful. She brings special toys for Daniel in her purse, she brings drinks and snacks in her bag for Daniel and for me, because she knows I won't eat in the morning. She reminds me when it time to eat because I get frazzled when I'm there, she asks the doctors all the questions, I can’t wrap the words around, when I'm trying to watch Daniel and at the same time listen to all the medical terms and she entertains Daniel in the small waiting rooms so I can relax. What would I do without her?

The first lady we ran in to in the waiting room had a three year old daughter, a nine month old son and was very pregnant. We chattered and finally my mom commented on her son's bright red hair and how adorable it was. She looked a little sheepish and then admitted that he was a foster child that they were hoping to adopt in the next few months. I immediately told her how wonderful it was and then told her I had to admit a little secret of my own. I told her about Daniel's adoption and we had such a nice time chatting about adoption in general.

Once they called us back my mom went to a special waiting room and I went in to the room where the test would be done with Daniel. Once I had him undressed he looked at me and said "Mommy, I need to pee". So I wrapped in a towel and took him down the hall to the potty and he peed!! We went back to the room and we were getting ready to start and he says "Mommy, I need to go poopy." I wrapped him again and he went! I was starting to think he wanted out of the tests but I was so thrilled because yesterday was the first time he really told me he needed to go on his own!!

Once we settled in they had to insert a cathedar (no fun) and then connect a bunch of tubes and also put a bunch of sensors (sticky ones) on all the muscles of the bladder around his pelvic area. Once that was done, the table lifted up slowly and dropped him on to what looks like a regular potty but has a measuring cup in the bottom. Once we got him settled on the potty and I was all wrapped up in a lead gown, I got to squat next to him and hold one hand. He stayed pretty still, especially for his age and did great. He cried a little when they started filling his bladder because it's a cold sensation and suddenly he looked at me and said again "Mommy, I need to pee". The doctor said that was good but to try to hold it so I told Daniel "to try to stop it" and he said so sweet "Okay Mommy, I stop it". Finally the doctor said he could go ahead and pee and I was so proud of my baby. He looked at me and I said "you can go pee pee now" and he peed to beat the band. I was so proud! All I could say was "M&M, M&M, a whole bag of M&Ms!!" Even the doctor was laughing at me!!

Then we were done. The tubes came out. The doctor said he would take the results right over to the urologist and the nurse walked us out. Suddenly she stopped when we reached my mom and she said, "I just have to give you a hug". So I hugged her and thanked her for her help and she said "I just wanted to tell you that my husband was adopted and his parents are wonderful. I think what you've done by bringing Daniel home is so special." I thanked her again and was so happy to have so much support on this day, first with the lady in the waiting room, and now the nurse.

Once we were able to talk to the doctor, the results were way better than I expected because I spent so much time researching the worst so I could be prepared not to fall apart at the office.

The results are:

1. The reflux is gone. G-O-N-E! I bounced in my chair. This means his kidney which had been so swollen for long, can finally start to heal!!

2. His bladder looks no worse and even looks a "shade" (the doctor's words) BETTER!! It is starting to shrink!!

3. His bladder is not as strong as they like to see...YET. Apparently he is still not emptying all the way. Most people empty to only 5 cc's left and he emptied to about 25 cc's or a little shy of 1 ounce.

4. At this point he may just GROW RIGHT OUT OF IT!! Or in other words GROW RIGHT INTO HIS BLADDER!!

There is still a small possibility it is neurological. Last time we went, the doctor explained that occasionally and actually rarely they will see a child with no neurological problems except the one small misfire leading to the bladder that causes this similar situation. In Daniel's case, he has no other neurological problems, so they don't expect to find anything, but they do want to do an MRI of his spine. Basically they are looking for corded nerves in the spine that could cause a weaker bladder. If they find that, it can be fixed at a young age. But if we don't check, it can become worse or unfixable when he's older. So of course, we are going to do the MRI. That's next and we are waiting for that appointment date to come in the mail. Also they want to do another sonogram to measure the left kidney to see how it is doing since it can heal now.

That being said the doctor looked at Daniel's spine thoroughly on the outside and said he saw nothing abnormal and really felt like they wouldn't find anything at all with the MRI but felt that we needed to rule it out also, which I agree.

So now we wait for the appointment for the MRI and sonogram. We'll be praying for continued healing of the kidney, the bladder and for the nerves to be just fine.

I am so excited. I know there is a possibility we aren't done yet, but I know God is healing Daniel and I know He is listening to all our and your prayers. Thank you so much!!

Oh – we got the MMR shot yesterday afternoon. Last shot until kindergarten age, what a relief for me – they are finally over!! Yesterday was a great day in my book!!!