Being a mom is such a great gift. There is so much crazy love that I possess for my children and I just want to know, without a doubt, they are okay...to protect them always, to keep them healthy and safe. However, being a parent, there is so much out of our control when it comes to our children and it drives.me.crazy. Today was Brady's gastro appointment, last visit three months ago. I had been anxious to see where Brady's weight was and get the doctor's thoughts on both his weight and labs that the pulmonologist had run. Brady had gained a half a pound, which was better than holding steady. We talked in length about his weight and how the doctor still feels we just have got to find a way to keep pumping as many extra calories into Brady as possible and he will eventually catch up. But after reviewing his labs something did stand out to him. One of Brady's levels was abnormally low in his kidney function tests. Something the pulmonologist had dismissed completely. But it didn't sit right with Dr. R. It wasn't so low that he was rushing to do emergency testing or anything but enough to raise a small red flag. And he noticed it had come back abnormal on a previous blood panel he had done as well. He sat there thinking silently for awhile and then went to consult a fellow doctor in his group to get his opinion. *An aside... One thing I love about this doctor is his devotion to Brady's case when we are in his office and him not dismissing concerns and results* When he returned, he asked if Brady would pee in a cup. I knew that would sooo not happen. A urinalysis would help give a better idea if there is something going on with his kidneys. He didn't want to put Brady through doing a catheter and after discussing options it was decided he would send a note to his pediatrician and when we go in for his two year check up the week after next, when we first get there they will put a bag on him (hmmmm) and hope he pees while we are there, collect the urine and send away for analysis. And he sent a note to the pulmonologist, when we go back in a few weeks to repeat his blood work to make sure we look at these #'s again. As Dr. R. reassured me before we left his office, he does not think this is the issue causing Brady's lack of weight gain, but wants to make sure all of his i's are dotted and t's are crossed. I left feeling optimistic because his delivery was so not alarming. He tried to make me feel that this was a very small possibility and I felt reassured that Brady is OKAY. Just more milkshakes and chocolate cake, weeee!
And then google happened. Why do I do this to myself??? Seriously, why? I found this...
How do the kidneys affect a child's growth?
In addition to removing wastes and extra fluid from the blood, the kidneys perform several functions important for a child's growth, including
- helping regulate the amounts and interactions of nutrients from food, including minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D
- maintaining the proper acid-base balance in the blood
- producing the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which promotes red blood cell production
- playing a possible role in the metabolism of growth hormone, also called somatotropin
Calcium and vitamin D are essential for normal bone growth. The kidneys turn vitamin D into an active hormone called calcitriol that helps bones absorb the right amount of calcium from blood. The kidneys also eliminate excess phosphorus. If the kidneys are impaired, bones do not get enough calcium either because the kidneys fail to turn vitamin D into calcitriol or because they let too much phosphorus build up in the blood. The excess phosphorus draws calcium into the blood and blocks calcium from getting to the bones.
Me again... That kind of would explain completely Brady's lack of weight gain and low vitamin d levels. Worry, worry, worry. I hate it. I hate the not knowing and not being in control. I suck at this part of parenting. I fail this part miserably. I guess that's why Brad is such a good partner for me. I'll try to let his positivity rub off on me over the next few weeks while I do that thing I also suck at...waiting.
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