Going to the doctor

For the past year and some, we have been fighting Josie with some bathroom issues.  She potty trained like a normal child, then a few months later it all went down hill.  Try convincing a pediatrician that your 2 1/2 year old has problems.  He just kept chalking it up to her being young and potty training age.  Well, finally last fall, I went in to the doctor with a list of things that were going wrong.  FINALLY, he listened.  He sent us on to a specialist in the area.  That specialist was great.  Listened to us, did some tests, listened to us, did some more tests and put her on a bladder relaxer medicine.  All was going well, till about March and everything has gone down hill again!  So, at the end of this week, we are on to another specialist.  Who, of course, is going to do more tests, one in which I’m not too thrilled about, but I know it needs to be done.  I’m going to be one nervous mama!  It seems like a simple procedure, but for a 4 year old, it might not be so simple.  They are going to catheter her and run a line up to her kidneys/bladder and see why she’s having problems.  I pray to God it goes smooth and quick and she doesn’t feel a thing!

This is what the last year and some has been like.  Imagine walking into a store/house/business/etc, and having to know exactly where the bathroom is.  Imagine visiting that bathroom maybe 3 or more times in that little amount of time you were going to be there.  Imagine going through roughly 5 or more change of pants a day.  Imagine sending her to preschool in hopes that it doesn’t affect her day.  Imagine trying to play at a park, but having to research that park to see if there is a bathroom.  Imagine having to monitor what she drinks, how much she drinks, when she drinks it.  Imagine watching her sit on the ground with that look of pain on her face as she tries to control that spasm that is rippling through her body.  Imagine having to wait for the spasm to end so that she can get up and walk to the bathroom. 

Is it causing her pain?  We don’t know.  Is there something that they can do about it?  We don’t know.  All I know is, I want my daughter to live a healthy childhood without having to worry about what she drinks and where the bathroom is.  I want to be able to go anywhere, without always having to know if there is a bathroom we can use.  We just hope that this week brings the answers that we have been wanting for a very long time.

As a mom, watching my child go through this, it has brought some rough days and many tears and frustration.  I don’t want anything to be wrong with her, but I really don’t want this to be something “she will grow out of.”   Just please think of us on Friday and give the doctors guidance in finding out what is wrong.  And guide them to a safe, simple procedure that won’t have lasting affects on her.  And bring me the strength to be a strong mama and to reassure her that everything will be okay.