My little boy just got back from the doctor. He has been "leaking" in the daytime, and now has to have an ultrasound of his kidneys and bladder. The doctor was very much about pushing the appointment quickly, and now I am, well, TERRIFIED.
Does anyone know what this might be about? She said something about a blockage. What would block what?
I am so terrible with doctors. I never ask enough questions. I think of them all as I leave.
[ May 07, 2005, 08:30 AM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Maybe they're going to do one of those enema things, or however that is spelt. Otherwise I couldn't tell you. I do have some advice, Hang in there, don't get too worried. (((Elizabeth)))
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
How old is your son? Papa Moose is I believe the resident expert on this (other than the docs) considering what Mooselet has had to go through.
AJ
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Oh and as far as doing it "quickly". If he wasn't leaking before and he is now, and it's an infection, the sooner he gets medicated the better. But they probably want to rule out all the bizzare stuff before they slap him on medicines especially because he's young. Ultrasounds are pretty nifty procedures and quick to do as well.
I remember when they did my gallblader in the ER, they sent it off to a doc via e-mail and he analyzed it and sent it back all from his own home.
AJ
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Not sure what you mean by "leaking" that would cause concern to a doc. How old is your boy?
Yeah, Mooselet had a blockage. His was posterior urethral valves -- basically prevented urine from exiting the bladder as it was supposed to. I suppose blockage between the kidneys and bladder is possible, too, though I think Mooselet's was the more common.
In Mooselet's case, the early problem was that the bladder wasn't emptying all the way, and so the urine that stayed around got infected, and the infection spread back into the kidneys and thus the bloodstream. Also, as the blockage got more complete, pressure in the bladder built up to a point that he was in a lot of pain. He couldn't express this well at four weeks, but it looked like a ridiculously severe startle reflex.
The pressure also caused the ureters (between kidneys and urine) to become expanded, and thus his bladder doesn't get full as quickly (because capacity was increased a lot by the megaureters). He therefore (post-surgery) didn't go to the bathroom as often, and the urine pooled in the bladder and ureters longer, again causing infections.
Lemme do a search and see if any of those Mooselet info threads are still around.
Hang in there, Elizabeth. *hugs*
--Pop
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
I'll bet the reason they want to do it quickly is like AJ said - so they can take any corrective action sooner. They're probably doing the ultrasound to rule out anything more problematic than a uti (like kidney stones or something). Having an ultrasound done of your kidneys isn't awful (even if it is a little painful, since pressing against the kidneys makes them a little tender - more so, I would imagine if there's something wrong) so I don't think he's going to be traumetized. Try not to worry too much. Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
Well, there's this thread and this thread, but the oldest one seems to be gone. Maybe that web archive or whatever it is has it. I could probably re-post it if my computers were speaking with one another. *sigh*
--Pop
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
I don't know, Elizabeth, but I wish you and your son the best.
(x3LIZ)x3
JH
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Liz, I hope they find out what it is quickly, and it's easily treatable.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Thanks, guys. He is eight. Papa Moose, the leakage is like dribbling pee. She called it rapid onset incontinence. He also told her(news to me) that when he pees, it takes a minute to come out, that he has to push it pretty hard. One night a few weeks ago, he went through about six pairs of undies, and he did not even feel the pee coming out. Then it went away, so we forgot about it. Now he is saying it is happening at school, too. I did not notice because it did not come through his pants. Also, there was no infection. He is really afraid it will happen and other kids will notice. He is worried, but not about the ultrasound. he is worried about having to drink two cups of water and not pee for half an hour.
[ May 05, 2005, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
Sounds like she wants to make sure nothing is blocking the urine from getting from the bladder into the urethra. That is often called bladder outlet obstruction. For example, older men get prostate hypertrophy troubles and they can have difficulty starting the stream of urine or they can have dribbling or leakage. I'm sure your son doesn't have prostate hypertrophy at his age, that is just an example of something that causes similar symptoms. I would guess he might need to see a urologist if a simple explanation isn't found.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Yes, she wants us to see a urologist as soon as we can. We have to go to Boston, because HMO Blue does not cover any out this way, or there are none, or something. While this is a two hour drive rather than a twenty minute drive, it is Boston. The weird thing is, he has always had a bedwetting problem. he hasn;t wet the bed in a couple of months, and now this has happened. She did not say it was connected. What would cause the blockage?
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
At his age? I don't know, I don't see children. My guess would be something congenital like an abnormally shaped bladder or urethra, or a constriction (stenosis) where the opening just isn't wide enough to work properly.
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
Elizabeth, I don't have any advice, but I'll keep him in my prayers.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Thank you, Mrs. M!
Theca, thank you as well. There is a family history of problems.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Well, off we go! He is about to drink his 16 onces of water, and not pee for half an hour. This has caused much worry on his part.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
I can understand him... I had to have an ultrasound once (ovarian cysts) and not pee for all this time was hard. The worst being that once they started the ultrasound they said that the water hadn't go far enough and they had to... Well... I can't say what on a familial forum, but the mothers here will probably know. Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
*good thoughts for Elizabeth and son*
Posted by Theca (Member # 1629) on :
Good thing I'm not a mother, cause I don't know! Unless you mean they did the internal ultrasound too.
(That was about Anna's post)
[ May 06, 2005, 09:11 AM: Message edited by: Theca ]
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
*good vibes*
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
Internal ultrasound. I wouldn't have called that that way, but I guess this is it. Gross.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
We were late(!) but they still took us, and he was fine wiith it. I won;t know anything about it for a few days,m I don;t think.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
You and your son will stay in our thoughts.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I heard from the doctor last night. The kidneys and bladder look normal. We are going to Boston next week to see the pediatric urologist.
I feel much, much better. I was worried there was kidney problems.
Posted by punwit (Member # 6388) on :
Positive thoughts are winging their way to you and your family, Elizabeth.
Posted by Mayfly (Member # 7870) on :
It's hard to figure out details from second-hand removed. That's just the nature of complicated things like this. But sounds like things are working out for him, and that is awesome. Much of the early damage to kidneys and the rest of the urinary tract system is reversible in kids, anyway -- the trick is to diagnose it early.
Just for clarity, posterior urethral valves are a blockage of the inlets to the bladder (the "ureters"), as opposed to the outlet from the bladder (the "urethra"). Hard to tell exactly which is going on in this case. I'll try to detail the functioning and typical abnormalities of the pediatric urinary tract in a bit, later today.
Meanwhile, sounds like good news, Elizabeth. *relieved
--CT
[ May 07, 2005, 01:07 PM: Message edited by: Mayfly ]
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
I'm glad the initial news is good. I hope they find the problem and that it's easily correctable.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Thanks, CT and good to see your name here again.
OK, Dags and guys, which would be more psychologically damaging to my eight year old boy:
A. Wetting his pants in school. (sometimes it drips through), or
B. Wearing a small, slim pad in his undies, which he will one day figure out is used for "Light Days?"
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Yikes. I have no idea. I think you can ignore feminine protection connection, because presumably this problem will be taken care before he knows what that means.
But, it will remind him of a diaper, and this will be embarassing. I think it depends on how often "sometimes" is. It should be easy to have an emergency set of pants and underwear with the teacher without kids finding out. It might be best to count on that to handle a possible accident (the nature of which could be covered up with spilled milk or a water fountain accident). But if it happens enough that it's definitely going to happen, it may be better to give in and use the pad. I'd get other opinions, though.
Dagonee
[ May 07, 2005, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: Dagonee ]
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Liz, you might want to talk to him and let him decide which would be best at this point. He might feel embarressed to talk about it with you, but that way he would feel a little more in control of things himslef, and that is the most embarressing thing about this type of problem...the lack of control.
Rob
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Thanks. We have the extra clothes thing, and I have talked to the nurse, but last year he had an acident in clss, and the kids laughed at him. he was devastated. I told the teacher, and she talked to the class about it. It ended up being a mass confessional of second graders who had wet their pants that year. It was very sweet.
I wish there was something I could sew in to his underwear, sort of like the training pants, that would not look like training pants.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
I can still get training pants ... excuse me, "overnighters:... for my 8 year old. I'm pretty sure it's Huggies that makes them, GoodNights is the brand name I'm thinking of. They are obviously bulkier than regular underpants but in my opinion not so much that they're noticeable under jeans or twill pants. And even though Missy finally seems to have outgrown the nocturnal accidents, I do still keep some on hand, mostly for long road trips where potty breaks may be difficult or for weekends away (where she's not familiar with the room and may not be able to find her way in time).
They might be overkill for your situation, though.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Goody, he couldn't do training pants anymore, for sure, even at night.
As Kwea said, this is all about a lack of control, both punnifically and literally. The pads are very small, and would just block the seepage. So I will give him the option. It is getting warmer, and shorts are baggier. Still, I don't like him walking around in damp undies. I just want them to fix it!!
Poor guy.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Elizabeth, will he even look at them? They're not marketed as "training pants", but something to help older kids who have bladder control issues, and they're made to look as much as possible as real underwear.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
No, he wouldn't, and he does not really need a whole underpant configuration.
He has stopped wetting the bed, but we have not used Pull-ups if any kind for a few years, even when he did. He would cry. I just put a pad under his mattress, and changed the sheets.
I am hoping it won;t be an issue soon, and hoping he will be OK with a little padding so it doesn't leak through.
Does anyone know of any manly menstrual light days pads on the market?
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
These are not very feminine, but they also aren't very small. I'll keep looking.
Maybe something like this? Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Elizabeth, what about just sewing a piece of a cloth diaper or terry cloth into his underwear? Or having him wear two pairs of underwear?
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Ooh, two pairs of undies! That might be all it takes! (uh der. I should've figured that one out myself)
Thanks for looking, Boon.
Maybe it is time for us to invite a manly drip control. I am quite sure my little guy is not the only dripper out there. We could make millions!
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