Why National Kidney Month is so important to our family…
March is National Kidney Month, which makes it a very special month for our family. As most of you know, our daughter Lizzie has a condition known as kidney reflux. After a very difficult first year, Lizzie had her second major surgery on March 26, 2008… one year ago today. Thanks to a lot of prayer, great doctors and the research of places like the National Kidney Foundation, our daughter’s life has changed dramatically in the last year. This time last year we were desperate. Lizzie had been so sick her first year of life and due to a number of rare complications she was constantly cycling in and out of the hospital. She had already had one failed surgery, and our list of options was getting short. We were always worried about her health, and especially concerned that her kidneys were at risk of permanent damage from infection. After talking to her doctors, it was decided that she needed a more aggressive treatment, and she had her vesicostomy put in one year ago. It was the best medical decision that we could have made. Lizzie hasn’t had an overnight stay in the hospital since being released last March. Her kidneys are functioning well and she has remained infection free for an entire year! We have been so blessed. Lizzie still faces some obstacles in the future (but hey don’t we all?). She will eventually have surgery to take down the vesicostomy, and from there we don’t really know what to expect. What we do know, is that we are lucky to live in a time and place where medical advancements are around every corner, and because of this we have every reason to believe that Lizzie will live a perfectly healthy, happy life. We were extremely lucky to have found Lizzie’s condition early and aggressively treated it. She is growing well, developing well, and torturing big brother as well as the next kid, which is why it is so important to know the early signs of kidney disease, and what you can do to prevent it. I know most people don’t give much thought to their kidneys, but around here it’s a common subject. National Kidney Month is just one more chance for us to celebrate all that Lizzie has overcome. We spend a lot of time sharing Lizzie’s story with other parents and trying to raise awareness for kidney and urinary health. I figured most of you guys needed your awareness’ raised too 🙂 So, I encourage you to take 5 minutes and learn how you can help keep your family healthy and safe from kidney disease. I also encourage parents of young children to know the signs of a urinary tract infection and what steps you should take if your child develops symptoms.
For more information on Kidney Health and National Kidney Month: http://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/kidneymonth/
For more information on Urinary Tract Infections in children: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utichildren/
Lizzie's Journey 
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