health news

Garty and Joshua saw their nephrologist Tuesday about their kidney disease. It was wonderful to have Joshua there to go first because Garty saw how everything worked and then didn't scream through the entire appointment! Great progress. The trip to Philly is much less exhausting when I (Becky) don't have a screaming child for the appointment. For the first time, nobody needed bloodwork either, which was a huge help.

Joshua checked out really well, and Dr. Tuchman doesn't want to see him for 6 months! What a blessing. Garty, however, checked out with high blood pressure and will be starting ACE inhibitors today (as long as I get to the pharmacy). We are really discouraged, since we were desperately hoping to keep them both off meds as long as possible. Keeping blood pressure under control is a huge factor in long term kidney health with this disease, but the meds themselves can affect kidney function. Not to mention that all meds tax the liver, and this disease most often causes liver damage as well. Basically, helping in one area can hurt in another. We really do trust Dr. Tuchman, so we're moving ahead. When he saw how upset I was about starting blood pressure meds, he assured me that it's a low dose and promised to check in a year to see if there's any chance of taking him back off. In the meantime, we have to go for bloodwork in 2 weeks to make sure the ACE inhibitors aren't affecting his kidney function. That will be all kinds of fun.

In other drama, Joshua and Patience had the last of their catch up vaccinations today. We took "candy" (fruit leather... It's great to have clueless kids!) for them to eat if they were brave and didn't cry. As Joshua and I sat on the table waiting for the nurse, he was holding the candy, chatting happily, and I thought we might make it. When the time came though, he still fought the nurse and I, wailed his Liberian wail (haven't heard it for a while... didn't miss it either), and even tried to kick her several times. That boy is freakishly strong when he snaps. The only difference from our first visit 9 months ago was that he stopped as soon as it was over instead of wailing for an additional 10 minutes. Patience, on the other hand, took 5 shots in the arm with only a few whimpers and walked out with her candy and lots of praise from Mommy.

Joshua goes to the ENT about the hole in his ear Monday. The doctor was hoping it would close on its own, but Dr. Tuchman showed me the hole Tuesday. It's definitely not closing. Based on what the ENT said last time, it looks like we'll be doing another hearing test and then going for a different test (I don't remember what kind anymore... ultrasound, MRI, EKG... they've all started to sound the same) to see if there is a cyst or anything else causing the perforation. If nothing shows, they'll put a paper patch on the hole. If there's something inside his ear, I don't know what's next.

It makes me laugh sometimes to remember that we requested 2 "healthy" children on our adoption application. It's a good thing they're so cute!