I know, I know....first how in the world do you pronounce that and second, what in the world is it? Let me give you the technical definition from a kidney website that I found:
"Urine normally flows in one direction—down from the kidneys, through tubes called ureters, to the bladder. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureters."
That definition does fail to mention that it not only backs up to your ureters but also back into your kidney.
So at this point, although I am sure you are thankful for this wonderful tidbit of health information that I have shared today, you are probably wondering why in the world I care enough to blog about it. Well, I get the pleasure of dealing with it after being diagnosed with it on Monday.
I will start at the very beginning. Shortly after getting married, I had a bladder infection. Not that big of a deal except that I don't get symptoms of a bladder infection until it has gone to my kidneys. To put a kidney infection into perspective, I would rather birth a baby with no pain medicine than have a kidney infection. With a kidney infection, it gets worse by the SECOND (not even exaggerating!) and it hurts no matter what I do, even breathing. You can never get to the doctor fast enough when it gets worse by the second.
Anyway, I digress. I also got several bladder infections and kidney infections when I was pregnant with Paige. They even put me on a medicine that I had to take every night to prevent infection. Ever since then, I have gotten these infections with increasing frequency.
A few months ago, I had two kidney infections in one month, followed by another one the next month. Thankfully, I have seen my doctor long enough that when I call her and tell her that I am in pain, she handles it immediately. Well, after enough of these, her and I sat down to have a chat about my issues. She had me go for a CT scan of my kidneys to see if I was having kidney stones. After the CT scan, she personally called (never a good sign when they don't pass it off to the nurse to make the call) to tell me that she was sending me to a urologist because although I didn't have evidence of kidney stones, I did have a cyst on my right kidney and inflammation on my left. She said that it wasn't a major deal but that she did want a urologist on board with my care.
I was a little nervous seeing the urologist but figured he would sign off on the medicine that my regular doctor had me on. I figured it would be in and out. I didn't even have Joseph go with me because everything was going to be fine. FAMOUS LAST WORDS!! After discussing all of my symptoms with the doctor, he said that he wanted me to be evaluated for reflux. I asked how we did that. He told me that I would have to have a catheter and they would put contrast into my bladder to see if it was backing up.
The tears started to well up in my eyes. Ridiculous to those who haven't had a scarring catheter experience. Perfectly normal for someone who has had a nurse rip out your catheter without deflating the balloon and you haven't been able to pee for three days.
He said that after that procedure (called a voiding cystourethrogram - more commonly referred to as VCUG) he would put a camera up in there during our next office visit. I told him that he was out of his mind if he thought that a camera was going in me without me either having an epidural or being completely knocked out. I told him it was going to be a cold day in you know where before he would even get me to have the VCUG. He told me that if reflux causes permanent kidney damage and so I really needed to have this done. I ALMOST opted for risking the permanent kidney damage.
We came to a compromise that if I was good about getting the catheter procedure done, that he would knock me out for the camera part. So six weeks later (I did reschedule it once but not because of my fear but rather because they forgot to clear it with Tricare. If any of you have Tricare, you know why this is a big deal and a show stopper) was this last Monday and I went in for my VCUG. I made Joseph go with me and told him that he better hold my hand, rub my head, whisper in my ear over and over that it was okay, and generally be emotionally supportive. Okay, emotionally drag me through this. If any of you know Joseph well, you know that emotional is not his preferred place to be. In fact, I usually have to drag him tooth and nail to get him to get emotional or even deal with my emotions. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband more than anything. I just wish he wasn't always so emotionally tough.
Once again, I digress. I also called for some Valium at the last minute to help me get through this VCUG. Thankfully, the doctor gave it to me which made the procedure much nicer. Anyway, to shorten this already long saga of a post, the upshot is that I have major reflux. The radiologist said that it was bad and that I needed surgery........soon. I have reflux on both sides. I have a lot of questions right now but I don't see the urologist until the 14th. I have tried to be pretty light about the whole situation in this post however it is pretty serious and I don't know how much kidney damage I have already sustained.
I do know that this is Heavenly Father's will and that he is very aware of the situation and more importantly, is in control of the situation. I know that even though things are really scary for me right now, that if I have faith and lean on Him, He will carry me through this.
Joseph and I have faced a lot of scary medical things in the almost five years that we have been married (in fact I might tie him in surgeries with my current health issue). He has had a major trauma accident which included six surgeries, five days in a coma, and two months in a hospital. I have had two premature babies that included a combined six months of bed rest with two of those months in the hospital. I have had two surgeries (bringing my overall lifetime total to four). We figured it out one time that Joseph and I have had combined inpatient time of over six months in our five years of marriage. Anyway, my point is that through all of this, Heavenly Father has carried us every step. He has never forsaken us and I know that He will take care of us again.
However, I could use all the prayers that I can get at this point. I will keep you posted on how everything plays out!
"Urine normally flows in one direction—down from the kidneys, through tubes called ureters, to the bladder. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureters."
That definition does fail to mention that it not only backs up to your ureters but also back into your kidney.
So at this point, although I am sure you are thankful for this wonderful tidbit of health information that I have shared today, you are probably wondering why in the world I care enough to blog about it. Well, I get the pleasure of dealing with it after being diagnosed with it on Monday.
I will start at the very beginning. Shortly after getting married, I had a bladder infection. Not that big of a deal except that I don't get symptoms of a bladder infection until it has gone to my kidneys. To put a kidney infection into perspective, I would rather birth a baby with no pain medicine than have a kidney infection. With a kidney infection, it gets worse by the SECOND (not even exaggerating!) and it hurts no matter what I do, even breathing. You can never get to the doctor fast enough when it gets worse by the second.
Anyway, I digress. I also got several bladder infections and kidney infections when I was pregnant with Paige. They even put me on a medicine that I had to take every night to prevent infection. Ever since then, I have gotten these infections with increasing frequency.
A few months ago, I had two kidney infections in one month, followed by another one the next month. Thankfully, I have seen my doctor long enough that when I call her and tell her that I am in pain, she handles it immediately. Well, after enough of these, her and I sat down to have a chat about my issues. She had me go for a CT scan of my kidneys to see if I was having kidney stones. After the CT scan, she personally called (never a good sign when they don't pass it off to the nurse to make the call) to tell me that she was sending me to a urologist because although I didn't have evidence of kidney stones, I did have a cyst on my right kidney and inflammation on my left. She said that it wasn't a major deal but that she did want a urologist on board with my care.
I was a little nervous seeing the urologist but figured he would sign off on the medicine that my regular doctor had me on. I figured it would be in and out. I didn't even have Joseph go with me because everything was going to be fine. FAMOUS LAST WORDS!! After discussing all of my symptoms with the doctor, he said that he wanted me to be evaluated for reflux. I asked how we did that. He told me that I would have to have a catheter and they would put contrast into my bladder to see if it was backing up.
The tears started to well up in my eyes. Ridiculous to those who haven't had a scarring catheter experience. Perfectly normal for someone who has had a nurse rip out your catheter without deflating the balloon and you haven't been able to pee for three days.
He said that after that procedure (called a voiding cystourethrogram - more commonly referred to as VCUG) he would put a camera up in there during our next office visit. I told him that he was out of his mind if he thought that a camera was going in me without me either having an epidural or being completely knocked out. I told him it was going to be a cold day in you know where before he would even get me to have the VCUG. He told me that if reflux causes permanent kidney damage and so I really needed to have this done. I ALMOST opted for risking the permanent kidney damage.
We came to a compromise that if I was good about getting the catheter procedure done, that he would knock me out for the camera part. So six weeks later (I did reschedule it once but not because of my fear but rather because they forgot to clear it with Tricare. If any of you have Tricare, you know why this is a big deal and a show stopper) was this last Monday and I went in for my VCUG. I made Joseph go with me and told him that he better hold my hand, rub my head, whisper in my ear over and over that it was okay, and generally be emotionally supportive. Okay, emotionally drag me through this. If any of you know Joseph well, you know that emotional is not his preferred place to be. In fact, I usually have to drag him tooth and nail to get him to get emotional or even deal with my emotions. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband more than anything. I just wish he wasn't always so emotionally tough.
Once again, I digress. I also called for some Valium at the last minute to help me get through this VCUG. Thankfully, the doctor gave it to me which made the procedure much nicer. Anyway, to shorten this already long saga of a post, the upshot is that I have major reflux. The radiologist said that it was bad and that I needed surgery........soon. I have reflux on both sides. I have a lot of questions right now but I don't see the urologist until the 14th. I have tried to be pretty light about the whole situation in this post however it is pretty serious and I don't know how much kidney damage I have already sustained.
I do know that this is Heavenly Father's will and that he is very aware of the situation and more importantly, is in control of the situation. I know that even though things are really scary for me right now, that if I have faith and lean on Him, He will carry me through this.
Joseph and I have faced a lot of scary medical things in the almost five years that we have been married (in fact I might tie him in surgeries with my current health issue). He has had a major trauma accident which included six surgeries, five days in a coma, and two months in a hospital. I have had two premature babies that included a combined six months of bed rest with two of those months in the hospital. I have had two surgeries (bringing my overall lifetime total to four). We figured it out one time that Joseph and I have had combined inpatient time of over six months in our five years of marriage. Anyway, my point is that through all of this, Heavenly Father has carried us every step. He has never forsaken us and I know that He will take care of us again.
However, I could use all the prayers that I can get at this point. I will keep you posted on how everything plays out!
12 comments:
Woh. That's something incredibly frustrating, to go from doctor to doctor up a chain until they finally tell you you need surgery. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. (For Crohn's.) Anyway, I feel for you and hope everything goes well.
Darn it! I hope everything starts to come together! You have a lot of strength! Hang in there...we will be thinking of you!
I hope everything goes well with your surgery & that it takes care of those infections once and for all!
Glad to see you back on. I was just thinking last night that I hadn't seen anything from you in awhile.
You will definitely be in our prayers. I hope everything goes well and gets taken care of.
We will be praying for you girly! I'm sorry to hear about all that you have gone through.
I'm so sorry that you have to go through this! I hope that they're able to accomplish what they need to with surgery and that all will be well with you and your family.
Wow, what a long word! I am so sorry you had to go through doctors poking in where stuff is meant to go up, that's great they were nice about giving you happy stuff. Having any kind of surgery is scary. My first was letting a doctor slit the tendon in my wrist in half. (last ditch carpal tunnel thing) And now I want him to do it again with the other side! (crazy? yeah.)
Ask for a blessing. The Lord knows what you are going through and is there "holding your hand" too. You have wonderful family to support abnd love you, and a loving Heavenly Father. It sounds like you have good doctors on your side, and that things happened when they should. (although I totally hear you on the tricare thing...)
I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted on how everything goes...
That does not sound like fun at all! Good luck, you'll by in my prayers!
I was glad to see you back on board, but sorry to hear of this awful condition (can't begin to pronounce it). I'll remember you in my prayers. Hope things are looking up for you soon.
you're in our prayers too, hope things improve for you soon.
Ash, sorry to hear the news! I hope all things start to fall into place for you in better way! Hun I really am sorry! I'm glad to see you found my blog and was even more excited to see your beautiful family pictures! I can't believe how much paige has grown. Well I'll be praying for you and once again I'm sorry!
I'm late in catching up here - that sounds awful. Have you had your surgery? or is it still coming? We don't know how blessed we are until we hear what other people are going through. You have made me thankful for diabetes. Take care
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