One Less Pill

My daughter had multiple bladder infections last year.   There was confusion with the first one because it didn’t present as a UTI and when we found out, after she’d had it for far too long, we were able to clear it with an antibiotic.

She got a second one though, and then a third.   There was a bit of time between the third and the fourth one (if I’m remembering correctly) and I think after that there was possibly a fifth one.   We took her to a pediatric urologist at that point who suggested two routes: heavy hitting antibiotics to knock whatever it was out for good or low dose antibiotics for six months.

We picked the first option because it was less medication.   That’s when we found out, or rather I found out it the medication was only available in pill form.   It turned out to be not a big deal though, with my daughter easily swallowing the pill on the first night.   Ten days later she was done but the infection came back.   Wait, now that I’m thinking about it this last time must have been the fifth infection.

By now we knew what to look for.   My daughter didn’t want to tell us she had an infection because it meant more medication.   Children are short-sighted through lack of experience.   So on our return visit we took the longer route of low-dose antibiotics that quickly were processed by the body and sat in the bladder, waiting to be eliminated.

The cause of the recurrence was, her doctor told us, because the lining of her bladder had been compromised by the repeated infection.  This was allowing the bacteria to hide behind the lining and lie in wait for the antibiotic to pass.   Once the coast was clear, these sentient microbes sneak back out and set up shop again.  

Okay, perhaps the sentient part is a fabrication, but what bacteria lack in intelligence, they accomplish through numbers.   Enough survived to reinfect her and the only way to stop it was to keep her bladder a inhospitable environment lone enough for the wall lining to heal.

Today it has been six months and my daughter stops the antibiotic.   She is happy to have one less pill.    We’re all hopeful it’s been long enough and her bladder will remain infection-free.

The Big Boy Update:  My son is having screen time reworked starting next week.   I had a long conversation with Aunt A and she told me what they’re doing at their house.   It sounds like just what we need here.   We’re going to be talking to my son over the next week to get his input (and buy in) and then we’ll roll it out.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Two days go my daughter fell off or out of the swing (we’re not sure exactly what happened) and her teeth cut into her lower lip.   Not badly, but enough to bleed and scare her and hurt.   We told her to not eat acidic foods for a few days because they might sting.   She couldn’t keep off the pasta though and had it for breakfast the next morning.   She has some little white dots on her lip now where the tissues are healing, but it hasn’t stopped her from eating or drinking anything that I’ve noticed.