A medical update for Ramya and Madi

Earlier this week, I took Ramya in to see a general surgeon about the MACE surgery she had done in India.  Dr. Zuniga, our urologist, wanted to see if Dr. Bae (the general surgeon) could get it working, or if he even thought we needed to.  Dr. Bae reviewed her files and the MACE site and said he believes that the MACE isn't really usable. Normally the MACE would go in at the very beginning of the colon so that you could flush the entire length of colon.  Ramya's was put in at the very end of the colon, though, which doesn't really help her much.  If we decide to try and do surgery on her bowels to help her empty them, she will need a cecostomy tube.  He reviewed some of her past x-rays and said that, while she is not distended or impacted, she does have a lot of stool throughout her entire colon.  If that is her "normal", then he thinks she will likely need the cecostomy.  My goal this month is to clean her out and try to keep her cleaned out so that we can see if we think it is necessary for her to have a cecostomy tube inserted or not.  If she does, we would wait until we do her bladder surgery and do it all at once.  I'm trying not to be bummed about all of these wasted surgeries from India, but it is so hard.  Her MACE isn't usable, her mitrofanoff isn't usable, and they did a bladder neck tightening that isn't helping at all.  I hate that I couldn't be there advocating for her, but I am so thankful that I am now!!

Madi went in to Dr. Zuniga, our urologist, today.  He said her vesicostomy is working well, but it is swollen more than he thinks it should be, so we have an appointment in two weeks to go back and have it checked out again.  Other than the swelling, he is pleased with how it is all working.  Yeah! 

I have been thinking about Madi's kidneys lately and am just so thankful that her right kidney is big and strong and is taking over for her left kidney.  God is so so good and I am SO thankful for His protection of my beautiful girl!