Friday 3 August 2007

Big Day Out 2 ... !

August 2nd, Joel had another followup appointment at Kids hospital for his VUR (vesicoureteric reflux or kidney reflux) and because when his blood pressure was routinely checked a few times it was in higher range we made an earlier appointment. He has one kidney slightly smaller than the other too with reduced function 40/60.

I park in Parramatta Park because 1) parking is easier and 2) I am a cheap ... 3hrs for $12 NO way ! .30 It takes me a 10 point turn to park in the tight spaces. As well the twin pram is precariously left in the narrow 'carriageway' where cars are whizzing past and always have to leave one while I get the other.

I decided to change their nappies before we walked up to hospital. S had exploded out of his nappy -argh ! I knew I shouldn't have trusted the disposable.The first he had worn in a month or more -but at least I could chuck it in the bin. Next - couldn't find the nappy wipes UH OH !

The value of one clean hankie and a water bottle - PRICELESS !

Two pregnant women walking past to keep an eye on boys while I dashed to the loo to wash my hands and relieve myself -also PRICELESS !

Being a 9am appointment they were only 30 mins late [better than the day they were 1.5 hrs late with two screamers]. Negotiating the columns, bins, rows of chairs , other peoples prams and out stretched legs is always a challenge but we got in the door.

The Dr ordered another DMSA scan -he was due for one anyway.

DMSA stands for dimercaptosuccinic acid, a compound which
concentrates in the kidney after intravenous injection. Before injection, this
compound is radioactively labelled with technetium, which can be detected by a
gamma camera.The dose of radiation is quite small and the short half-life of
technetium means it is out of the child’s system after about 24
hours.


2. What information can a DMSA scan provide?
DMSA scans are most commonly used in the follow-up of children who have had a
UTI because they are able to detect both acute pyelonephritis and renal
scarring. Scars are areas that are not well perfused and thus do not take up the
radioactive isotope and appear as defects on the scan.


So we went to book in and they said we can do it today. Last time we had to wait a month.We waited about 30mins while they prepared the injection ($500 worth I heard the lady tell another parent but medicare paid).Then after J has his IV injection he had to wait over 3.5 hrs before the scan. We went shopping of course. Nothing exciting though.

Parramatta is huge and I hate the car park. I wasn't sure on the car height to go in .I had to ring DH and check. He wasn't sure - so I waited until he checked and rang me back. Of course he rang a back just as I saw another car the same as ours going in to car park. The three hours went quickly and both boys were over it by the time we had to get back in the car, drive to the park and walk back to hospital.

J screamed most of the scan - stripped off , swaddled in blanket and strapped down.It doesn't hurt but it was very hot and claustrophobic. S screamed too because he wanted to be BF and wanted out of the pram -which I was able to do once J was on the pallet and in the tunnel. But quickly because I had to soothe poor J's cries. It was over and we were out in 30 mins.

Now we have another VUR appointment in 2 weeks to see the progress.

I left home st 7.45am and got home at 5.30pm. The last hour was to pickup something I won on eBay ($5.50 toy) .Normally a 15 min trip turned into 45mins ... and 15 mins return.The traffic was so bad . I can't imagine driving in it everyday.

It wasn't too bad but I never got to open (I mean let alone read) my new Harry Potter book again.The babies were charming everyone again all day ... and before we left we went next door to the Children's Medical Research Institute to buy our Genes for Jeans Day . That took a while because the receptionist was handling the phones.