My sister had a baby almost six months ago, her second but our first girl--Georgia. Finally, we would get to meet her and love on her.
My brother and his lady would also come in to visit with her, and we would all bed down and chill at our place, small but cozy, with lots of good food and warm love.
Then Jackson got sick.
Well, technically, Jackson has been "sick" his whole life. When he was still in my belly, he was diagnosed with kidney reflux. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), to be exact. We knew as soon as he was born that we would have to discharge from labor and delivery at the hospital and go straight over to the pediatric hospital. I remember pushing exhaustively through 3 hours of active labor, and Dr. Morgan saying to me, "If this baby doesn't soon come, we're going to have to do a C-section." I knew I was not about to be separated from my son recovering from surgery while he was undergoing his own treatment across town at Children's. No, sir.
Seven minutes later, Jackson Luke Corbett was born.
My legs were swollen three times their normal size for almost two weeks, but we did it. That's just who we are.
Now, kidney reflux for Jackson has been almost completely a non-issue. He takes a daily antibiotic and has an occasional UTI, and by occasional, I mean to say that he has had maybe 5 episodes his entire life, but this past year we've been making up for lost time.
So what is kidney reflux?
VUR allows bacteria, which may be present in the urine in the bladder, to reach the kidneys. This can lead to kidney infection, scarring, and damage" (http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/vesicoureteral-reflux-vur-topic-overview).
It is now Tuesday and we've been here for 4 days. Fortunately, my loving husband was able and willing to stay with Jackson so that I could tend to our guests and make the best of our re-worked weekend. Rob and Katie drove back home yesterday and Sarah was due to fly out today. Weather, however, in ATL is sketchy and a dear friend at the airport was able to rebook her on a flight tomorrow to avoid her having to bunk down in an airport with a six-month-old after multiple cancelled flights. This was very good news (Thanks, Abbye!).
Some things I know for sure.
Hard times don't care if you have out of town company. When it is least convenient, most intrusive, life will creep in on you and remind you that you really aren't as in control as you think you are. How we respond in these moments is the true stuff of life, what we are really made of. Thanks to Prozac and Jesus, I am made of pretty tough stuff.
Friends often feel like family. We are so far away from family, but it never feels like we are alone. We are literally and figuratively surrounded by loved ones who reach close when we feel need and lack in our lives, which is rare. We didn't know a single soul when we first came here 8 years ago, so clearly we have worked to build a network around us. We have found the most precious people in our midst who love us so freely. Such a gift.
Jackson is dearly and deeply loved. I mean, truly. He is a charming little boy with a warm personality and an excellent sense of humor, but he is also living in a place where people love so deeply and freely. We are overwhelmed at times with the love that radiates over, through, and around us. Our friends and loved ones pray for him, ask about him, and delight in him. It make my heart so happy.
Shreveport-Bossier has magnificent health care. When we first moved here, I had a terrible malady--I believed that nothing here could ever be as good as what we had in Virginia Beach. I was wrong. Before we left Virginia, Jackson's pediatric urologist gave us a referral for one here in Louisiana--Dr. Mata. Never before have I felt more allied with a health care provider than I do with Dr. Mata. He is a true partner with us in Jackson's health care, and he makes sure we understand exactly what's going on in his body and with his treatment. We are grateful that he is Jackson's doctor and cannot imagine working with anyone else for Jackson's health and well-being.
We have everything we need because we have all of you. From a kind word, to a Starbucks, to a much-needed essential oil we'd left at home--our friends have come to the rescue. We are grateful for your love and support.
Today we received word that Jackson's fever is acquiescing. If he remains fever free tonight and tomorrow morning, then we can take him home to finish his recovery there. He will likely start school next week, but he will be able to be home with us. They will perform a special test in the morning, a VCUG, or "a voiding cystourethrogram, a minimally invasive test that uses a special x-ray technology called fluoroscopy to visualize your child's urinary tract and bladder" (http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/treatments/voiding-cystourethrogram) to determine whether the infection treatment has been effective. We expect to be discharged by early afternoon, if all goes well.
Long term, we will look into more aggressive treatments of the VUR condition, even as we are grateful that he has not been hospitalized more than just this once, rare for patients with Grade 5 (the worst) VUR.
So how was YOUR weekend? :-)
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