Zac and the VCUG

Zac had his VCUG last July 22nd at Riley's Hospital. I think I will just let Wikipedia explain what VCUG means:

In urology, a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), also micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG), is a technique for watching a person's urethra and urinary bladder while the person urinates (voids). The technique consists of catheterizing the person in order to fill the bladder with a radiopaque liquid (a "contrast" or "contrast 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 on the table while the radiologist is watching under fluoroscopy. Consumption of fluid promotes exertion 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.

Kidney Reflux (vesicoureteral reflux) is diagnosed with an ultrasound and VCUG. Children who have chronic Urinary Tract Infections are given this test to determine the level of damage to the kidney.

Yes, they inserted catheter to Zac which made me almost cry. I held his arms and hubby held his legs because he was trying to fight while they were putting the catheter on. He cried in pain which made me and hubby upset. But we can't do anything because he needs to have this test to check his bladder :(

After waiting for almost an hour for the Urologist. He finally came and talked to me (hubby was outside the hospital getting coffee) in the room. He gave us a good news that Zac's bladder is clear, which means there was no reflux and his bladder is normal. But he wants to see the ultrasound pictures (which I already requested in the hospital today) of his kidneys to see on why his left kidney is enlarged. He said that according to the ultrasound impression of the radiologist. According to the urologist, there "might" be a blockage in the ureter which causes the enlargement of his left kidney. And again, his urologist said that as of now, we don't have to do anything because his hydronephrosis is in moderate condition which there is a possibility that it might resolve by itself when he gets a little bit bigger.

Tomorrow, I have to go to the hospital to sign up a release form for them to forward the ultrasound pics in CD to his urologist.

I am really praying hard that it will resolve by itself and I know that God is with us in this journey.

NOTE: The pic above is Zac wearing laboratory gown. That pic was taken before the VCUG.

5 month old

This post is looongg way over due but I still want to post this so I can have a reference in the future hehe

Zac's Milestone
(5 months old)

PHYSICAL AND MOTOR SKILLS

• Likes to grab anything he can reach.
• When lying on his back, he’ll lift his head and shoulders.
• If you place him on his stomach, he’ll extend his arms and legs and arch his back.
• He likes to explore everything he picks up and mouths it afterward.
• He weigh 16 lbs and his height is 26 inches.
• He likes to grab his toes and play with them and put them in his mouth.
• He develop the habit of releasing the object on purpose due to expression of interest or desire on other nearby objects.
• He can do the "close open" thingy.
• He can walk fast with the use of his walker.
• 
  

SENSORY AND COGNITIVE SKILLS

• Can recognize his own name - there are times that he will look whenever we call him by his name and sometimes he just ignore us (maybe because his attention is focused to something else).
• He pays attention to very small objects.
• He gets attention by babbling.
• He turns towards the source of a sound or voice.
• He can locate the source of the voice.
  

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• He is very attentive and agile to concentrate on the person, who is speaking to him.
• He watches the mouth movements and facial expressions of the person talking to him.
• He loves to play peek-a-boo.
• He cries every time I leave the room or he is alone in the room.
• He likes giving smile to the people he loves and he likes getting close to them by going to them with the use of his walker.
• He spontaneously smiles.
• He mimics sounds and gestures.

Zac and the banana

Zac threw up again today after two hours of eating banana. This is third time it happened to him. The first time was like a month ago. I fed him banana that time and he threw up 6 times in two hours. We got afraid and we thought that he might had food poisoned so we called his doctor and they made an appointment for him right away. His Pediatrician wasn't available that time so he was seen by a different doctor.

He told me not to give him any food (even milk) til 8PM that night except for Pedialyte. Everything went ok that night. We don't really know on whats wrong with him, we thought his tummy was just upset that day. He likes banana and he has been eating banana for a month already and nothing bad happened to him til that day. The next day, I gave him the banana that was left over from yesterday. He threw up again. We were thinking that there is just something wrong with that banana jar that is why his tummy got upset. I got afraid so didn't gave him banana til then.

This afternoon, I took a chance of giving him banana because its been a month now since the last time he had it. He threw up again and it was big time. Now we are thinking that he is NOW allergic to banana. From now on I will NOT going to give him banana anymore.

Right now, Zac is asleep. Resting. He got tired from throwing up several times. I feel so bad. I wish I didn't give him banana :(

Zac and the highchair seat cover

Hubby and I were glad that we bought this Fisher Price Highchair seat cover. We bought this not for Zac's highchair at home but for the highchair in the restaurants. Zac likes to chew and mouth almost everything that he can reach so we decided to buy this seat cover so he can use this whenever we eat in restaurants.

Kids like licking, biting things and we are afraid that Zac would bite the highchair in restaurants. We don't want our baby to get some disease or virus from other babies who sat in highchairs so with the use of this highchair seat cover, at least we are a bit at ease that our son would be safer. We just don't want our baby to get sick :)

This seat cover is really handy too because it has its own bag and it is not heavy at all plus Zac enjoy having it because it has some toys and mirror where he could look at his own reflection hehe.