Predictions and Prognosis

I have never been one to buy into the phrase "everything happens for a reason." I mean, good and bad things happen to people. But, when I think about the fact that I am living in Houston, a place I never thought I'd be, and I have a baby who has kidney issues, I have to think there was some guiding hand that helped us end up here. Texas Children's Hospital is ranked #1 for Kidney disorders. We're in good hands. We had our appointment with the Nephrologist today. We loved her. She confirmed that Mitch has Renal Tubular Acidosis, so we'll be working to get his pH sorted out through a medication he takes three times a day. The tough part about today was just the reminder that there are a lot of unknowns with his health. She explained that his right kidney took the brunt of the damage, and his left looks a bit enlarged, still much better than the right. What is hard to know is what the future will be for that left kidney and whether it will continue to have enough function as he grows. There is no solid prognosis that we've been given, because there are many variables and things change. Right now, we're happy that his Creatinine is good and that he's gaining weight. Mitch goes back for a blood draw in a couple of weeks to ensure the dose of Bicitra is good. So the story is the same: Mitch will be followed closely for a long while. I think we've answered our question about whether we'll stay in Houston. We're in the best possible place for this to be happening, and we're lucky to have access to the best doctors around.