Denver, Take Two

We made it to Denver on Thursday night after a very slooooow ride over Wolf Creek Pass. Throughout the whole ride out of town, we seemed to be chased by an incoming winter storm. We thought we were ahead of it until we climbed the pass at 10 mph, following vehicles ill-prepared for mountain travel in the snow. Wheels spun, trucks pulled roadside, and two-wheel-drive cars crept. But once we arrived on the other side, the weather cleared, and it was smooth sailing to Denver.

Yesterday, Zane had his appointment with the pediatric gastroenterologist. She was very thorough, questioning us about each and every aspect related to his feedings and issues associated with his stomach. When we return to town, Zane will have the same tests Justin had for his stomach issues: blood and stool samples to check for celiac and bacteria. If his labs come back normal, he will—unfortunately—have to be anesthetized again and have an endoscopy here in Denver. The doctor did state that Zane’s stomach issues may be resolved after he has his ureteral reimplantation surgery on Monday. Sometimes, children experience GI problems with kidney reflux, which I had not known.

We had planned to go to the zoo this weekend, but the weather has trumped us again. It is cold and rainy with snow in the outlying areas. Not an ideal scenario for visiting animals at the zoo. Instead, we will go to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The only one who has been sleeping well since we’ve been here is Justin. Zane has had some wakeful nights. We are certain it is stomach discomfort, which hopefully will be resolved in time. For so many reasons, I will be happy to return to the Durango area: sleep, recovery, and being in a place where people accept Zane as he is. I cannot BELIEVE how many people blatantly stare at him as if they have never seen a disabled child before. We simply do not get those gawking looks in Durango and Bayfield. Those who stare won't even lift their eyes briefly to see how piercing my own glare is toward them. Come on people! I understand curiosity, but don't be rude, all right?

Surgery is still set for Monday morning.

Kidneys, UTIs, and All That Fun Stuff

Well, it has been awhile since I’ve updated. Things have been mighty busy and crazy. Zane wound up having another UTI. He is doing much better after a ten-day course of antibiotics. In that time, we traveled to Phoenix to help with family matters, as well.

Both boys had well check-ups yesterday, but nothing definitive was decided about Zane and kidney surgery. Given his recent UTI, I expected to hear that surgery was imminent. Instead, I went away uncertain and a bit confused. I left the office with an order for another VCUG. Zane’s urology appointment (this time in Durango) is scheduled for July 18th—a little too long to wait in my mind. So I called the urologist’s office for some direction and clarification. It seems all we do is test our poor guy, but not really resolve the reflux issue. Clearly, the amoxicillin is not working as a prophylactic anymore, so I insisted the pediatrician consider a new antibiotic for Zane while we wait. She’s looking into it. Anyway, the nurse practitioner at the urologist’s office is going to ask the doctor if he will review Zane’s VCUG prior to July 18th to determine whether Zane needs in-patient surgery or not. That way, we can likely have it done before the school year begins. Of course, this may have to be coordinated with the ptosis surgery, as well: a surgery for which we still need a consultation. It really sucks living seven hours from a children’s hospital.

So that’s where we stand. I am going to try to get the boys on a summer schedule I created for them back in May before everything went crazy. They both need structure, academics, and exercise. Our summer motto: no regression! They need to enter school in August at the top of their games!

Sicklies, Please Leave

Zane cannot seem to get well. We abandoned our campsite in Ridgway one day early because Zane awoke with a fever. We had no way to register the actual temperature (as I left the thermometer at home) and no drugs like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to give to him (as I used the last of a bottle on his pain relief the night before). It didn’t help matters that I was up a big part of Saturday night sick to my stomach. Not a fun thing to happen while camping.

When we arrived back in town, we made the requisite stop at Wal-Mart for drugs and Pedialyte, then gauged his temperature at home: 102.9. Of course, these things tend to happen on Friday nights, weekends in general, or on extended holiday weekends when the doctor’s office is closed. We have managed to keep his temperature under control, but he cannot altogether shake it. Of course, this makes me wonder if he has yet another UTI or if he is simply suffering from the same virus-type stuff I did (although, I didn’t have a fever).

So if the temp stays up overnight and into tomorrow, it looks like we’ll be making a trip to the pediatrician’s office for a lovely catheterization and urine culture. Another UTI would only mean one thing: in-patient surgery to fix his kidney reflux issue once and for all. *Sigh*