Why Oh Why, Did Emily Get A UTI?

During Emily's hospitalization back in August, we found out that her main source of infection was from a urinary tract infection. I remember being so happy that it wasn't meningitis or something more serious and was thrilled to know that antibiotics would clear up the infection and we would soon have a little healthy baby again. Our doctor had us bring in a urine sample from Emily two weeks after her hospitalization which was easier said than done! Getting urine from an infant? We tried a few urine bags and hoped that somehow we could get enough urine to test but they leaked into the diaper. Great. Luckily, I used some of my McGyver skills and fashioned my own sort of urine bag out of a Ziploc bag and two bandaids. Laugh if you must- but I got the sample and was pretty darn proud of myself! Both the sample brought in two weeks and a month after her infection started- were clean. No sign of infection which was a wonderful thing.

Because a UTI (urinary tract infection) is not common in infants, my doctor wanted to do some more testing to make sure Emily didn't have a physical abnormality. Some young babies get reoccurring UTIs because they weren't formed properly in utero. We needed to see if there was a lasting problem or if this darned UTI was just a one-time fluke which caused a lot of trouble! We scheduled the procedure at the hospital and I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of having to hand her over to doctors for an entire hour. I like to be with my babies, sometimes even to a fault so to know she would be without me and possibly be in pain made me lose some much needed sleep in the days before the procedure.

The procedure Emily was going to have done is called a VCU or a Voiding Cystourethrogram. They start by taking several x-rays of the baby's bladder. Then they restrain the baby and place a catheter through the urethra, a tube that carries urine from the bladder and out of the body, into the bladder. They fill the bladder with a water-soluble contrast material and then take the catheter out. Then they watch the solution via a monitor to see if the liquid stays in the bladder or is able to sneak up through the ureters (tubes which lead urine from the kidneys to the bladder) towards the kidneys. We knew that Emily would be able to get through the procedure but it is not something you want your little three month old baby to go through.

We showed up at the hospital and things went pretty seamlessly. We admitted her into the outpatient radiology department and just waited until we were called back. I was tired and therefore an emotional mess, so I just held onto her and kissed her constantly. Finally, it was our turn and Damien and I walked her back and prepared to say goodbye for a little bit. Then, surprisingly- they said one of us could stay and we opted to have Damien stay and comfort her. Emily was already screaming by this point because they were prepping her for the procedure. She wasn't hurting- she just didn't like it. By the way my heart was hurting just listening to her cry and not being able to help her, we knew that Damien would be the better party to stay and they would come and get me when it was over.

Long story short, they came and got me about 25 minutes later and gave me the fantastic news that Emily was done and that the test had come back negative. Thank you GOD!!!! No surgery or medication needed for this sweet baby! I was so thankful and picked up Emily, who was hysterical by this point, and just held her so tightly. It looks as though that UTI was just a fluke infection. Uhhhh. part of me is so angry that she had to go through everything she did (hospitalization, spinal tap, VCU) but the other part of me is just happy to know that she is healthy and that it is all behind us now. We are so pleased that she is healthy and that we can go about our lives without waiting for the other shoe to drop- at least with the UTI. What a relief and a blessing all given to our beautiful little Emily. I couldn't be prouder of her!