When the going gets tough

Lately it has been very difficult to keep up with life.  There have been a string of incidents where the phrases "everything you touch turns to shit" and "everything blows up in your face" can start conveying how stressful it has been.

It all started when Morgan was admitted to hospital with the UTI.  This was on the 17th of August.  Since then, we haven't had a break from negative events.  Two days after being sent home, we ended up taking her back to hospital and were told she had bronchitis.

Then, the moment she started recovering, we had a bike accident and I ended up unable to walk due to a severely sprained foot caused by the bike falling over it when we skidded - and this lasted about a week.  The moment I started hobbling and limping around, my elder sister's dog bit HSS, putting his hand out of action for about a week.

Just when we thought things were finally settling down, this week happened.

As a follow-up to the UTI Morgan had encountered, she had to undergo two medical tests - the first of which was on Tuesday 2nd October 2012.

HSS and I took her to hospital for the micturating cystourethrogram [MCUG].

"The what?" you might ask.

"The MCUG is a technique for watching a person's urethra and urinary bladder while the person urinates (voids). The technique consists of catheterising the person in order to fill the bladder with a radiocontrast agent, typically cystografin. Under fluoroscopy (real time x-rays) the radiologist watches the contrast enter the bladder and looks at the anatomy of the patient. If the contrast moves into the ureters and back into the kidneys, the radiologist makes the diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux, and gives the degree of severity a score. The exam ends when the person voids while the radiologist is watching under fluoroscopy. Consumption of fluid promotes excretion of contrast media after the procedure. It is important to watch the contrast during voiding, because this is when the bladder has the most pressure, and it is most likely this is when reflux will occur.

Vesicoureteral reflux (kidney reflux) is diagnosed with an ultrasound and VCUG. Children who have recurrent urinary tract infections are given this test to determine the risk of subsequent infections causing potentially damaging kidney infections."

- derived from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voiding_cystourethrogram

Just out of hospital - Wednesday 3rd October 2012

On Wednesday, HSS and I took Morgan back to hospital for a check-up with her paediatrician.  Turns out, the results form the previous day's test were out... and therefore bad news was delivered to us.


Morgan has Vesicoureteral reflux on her left side, and since urine is re-entering her left kidney, it is causing her these UTIs.  I lost count of how many times the doctor used the word "unfortunately".


So yeah - we have an appointment with the paediatric surgeon on the 24th of October.




Both HSS and myself were quite shaken by this news, and needed to get away from everyday life for a short while.

We took Morgan to Buskett for the first time ever.

First family outing @ Buskett - 3rd Oct 2012

Being in the midst of nature tends to have a calming effect on me.  I don't know if you have ever sat in the shade of a tree, and after chilling there for a while, you walked away refreshed.  I know I have.  Being away from the daily bustle and rush of modern day life was a welcome break - where no one disturbs you, and you're given a moment to take a deep breath and just... be.


Being there, with HSS and Morgan, felt good.  It was a much needed break.  I enjoyed watching Morgan be amazed at the rustling leaves, at the changing light, and the different smells and natural sounds around us.  


We found a spot hidden from the world, where the ground was covered in grass [not the kind that gets you high, mind you], and where there was quite a bit of shade for us to enjoy. 

This led to Morgan's first True Free-range Potato Experience.  Free-range Potato is what I like to call her exposed bum.  Seeing as this nappy change was carried out in the middle of Buskett, it couldn't get any more Free-range than that, could it?

 Silliness ensued - 03Oct2012

At one point, we got Morgan out of her pushchair and  set her down on the grass, sitting up.  I was seated out of arm's reach from her, and asked her to give me her hands.

She leaned forward, and put her hands in mine - 03Oct2012

This, is what happened next:

She's awesome.

We took a bunch of photos whilst we were there, but these are my favourites:

Little Monster Attack! 03Oct2012

Love - 03Oct2012

:) - 03Oct2012

On Friday 5th October we were meant to take Morgan back to hospital for another test - this time it would have been a Nuclear Medicine DMSA Renal Scan.  A DMSA renal scan is a diagnostic imaging exam that evaluates the function, size, shape and position of the kidneys and detects scarring caused by frequent infections.  Technetium-99m DSMA (dimercapto succinic acid) is a radioisotope that is injected into the patient's veins through an IV prior to the scan. It goes directly to the kidneys.  A special camera, called a gamma camera, is used to take pictures of the kidneys and show how the kidneys are working.

This was not to be.

On Wednesday night, Morgan got high fever, so first thing in the morning, we went back to the hospital - this time to the A&E Room.  The Paediatrician on duty happened to be one of the doctor's following Morgan's case, so there was no need to explain the whole story.  A urine sample was collected, and 3 hours later I got a phone call to tell me that Morgan has another UTI.  Meaning, the DMSA scan needed to be postponed by another 6-8 weeks to allow the infection to be over and done with.

Fast forward to today - Today was the first day where fever was very low.  Hopefully by tomorrow it'll be gone.

I'm worried about what might happen next.  We were told that if Morgan doesn't undergo the operation,  she will be prone to UTIs all her life, and could end up with Kidney Failure of her left kidney.  I'm anxiously waiting for the Paediatric Surgeon's appointment, to find out exactly what is going to happen.

My greatest fear is seeing Morgan go into the operating theatre, and not seeing her come back out.

I'm thankful I've got HSS by my side to fight this battle with me - he's incredible.  In fact, this, is for him. 

To finish off on a positive note, Morgan's front bottom teeth have broken through.  I haven't managed to take a picture of them as yet, but as soon as I manage to, I'll be sure to post it. Damn, they're sharp!!!

It is all about the penis

To snip or not to snip? That, is the question.  At least, itis for parents who have a son.


Circumcision is sometimes  required for medical reasons - but a lot of young boys are subjected to it as either a religious rite of passage, or as a cosmetic surgery through which parents believe they will be doing their son a favour.

Locally, as far as I am aware at least, this type of surgical procedure isn't as common.  In the US though, it seems to be the norm.  This is my understanding from several discussions held over the years - both in jest and in seriousness - with friends all around the world.  This map seems to confirm the theory:

Religion
In some cultures, males must be circumcised shortly after birth, during childhood, or around puberty as part of a rite of passage.  Religious male circumcision is considered a commandment from God in Judaism. In Islam, though not discussed in the Qur'an, male circumcision is widely practised and most often considered to be a sunnah. It is also customary in some Christian churches in Africa.


^Health
There is strong evidence that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men in populations that are at high risk.  The World Health Organisation [WHO] currently recommends circumcision as part of a comprehensive program for prevention of HIV transmission in areas with high endemic rates of HIV.



Reading about it has made me cringe and mutter 'ouch' a few times in a really whiny tone.  If you wish, you can clicky here to read up - but I don't suggest you do if you're easily impressed.


Earlier this year  there has been some controversy raised in the states about whether Circumcision should be outlawed and classified as genital mutilation - even when it is for Religious reasons - or not.  There are a number of ethical issues related to the topic.  Let's have a look at a few:

• Infant circumcision infringes upon individual autonomy and represents a human rights violation.
• Using circumcision as a way of preventing HIV in high prevalence, low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is controversial, but it has been argued that "it would be unethical to not seriously consider one of the most promising new approaches to HIV-prevention in the 25-year history of the epidemic"
• Some argue that the medical problems that have their risk reduced by circumcision are already rare, can be avoided, and, if they occur, can usually be treated in less invasive ways than circumcision.
• Circumcision may result in psychological harm, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Circumcision may affect the infact-mother bonding and trust-building process negatively.
• It is unclear what effects Circumcision has on one's sex life.  It seems to be common belief that it leads to loss of sensitivity and therefore a reduction in pleasure, joweber it has not been proven to be the case as of yet.

 Cosmetic circumcision


As of the early 1900s, in the US, Circumcision became accepted for non-religious purposes, however why, is still unclear.  In an increasing germ phobic society, the penis became "dirty" by association with its function, and from this premise circumcision was seen as preventative medicine to be practised universally.  Many practitioners at the time thought circumcision was a method of treating and preventing masturbation.  In truth, none of these reasons are valid.  Most parents who decide to snippety-snip their son's foreskin nowadays do it so that the boy can be like his father/other malte family members, if they happen to be cicumcised - or out of being under the wrong impression that being circumcised means the child will be 'cleaner' and less likely to get Urinary Tract Infections [UTI] and other uncomfortable ilnesses.

Ultimately, some males choose to undergo this operation themselves just because they think that being circumcised will make their penis look bigger.



At the end of the day. whatever choice you, as parents, make, it should be an informed decision.  I personally don't think it is fair to impose such a procedure on a child who cannot as yet speak for himself.