A Long Road for a Little Girl...

On June 7th, Sienna had her ureters re-implanted into her bladder.  She was such a doll before the surgery.  And for not having anything to eat or milk to drink for 15 hours (because she had to fast before surgery) she was in such good spirits.  She looked darling in her tiny hospital scrubs.  Surgeons were about an hour behind, so we went for a walk outside on the patio overlooking Salt Lake City.  Little did we know - we would be seeing this view for two more weeks during some extended hospital stays.

*Sienna BEFORE her surgery*

Dr. Cartwright spoke to us before the surgery.  He was great.  The anesthesiologist had us sign lots of paperwork, and they were ready to wheel our baby away.  I was sad.  Clearly, she was in the best hands in a six-state region...but thinking of the pain she was about to experience, made me crumble.  We kissed her on the forehead, as the anesthesiologist took her away.  I started to cry once the operating doors clamped shut.  Now it was just time to wait.  After an hour and 1/2 in surgery, the OR Nurse called us from the Operating Room.  Sienna's vitals were good.  The next hour and 1/2 went by so slowly. 

After what seemed to be such a long wait, Dr. Cartwright came to speak to us.  Both ureters were re-implanted!  The left one (which is really two because it's duplicated) re-implanted smoothly.  The right one posed some difficulties for doctors.  They had a hard time getting it situated.  It took longer than they expected.  And that partly explains her extremely painful recovery. 

Only one parent can go to be with infants/toddlers in Surgery Recovery.  I had told Jody - it was going to be me.  But when they came to get one of us...Jody got up and went with the nurse.  I didn't want to say, "Hey...I thought I was going!!"  in front of the entire waiting room {mini tantrum}....so he went...and I waited some more.  I wanted to see her so badly.  When they finally told me I could go see her....I ran down the hall.  The Post-Op nurses told Jody she wouldn't let the blond nurse hold her...only the brunette.  Sounds like she wanted me as much as I wanted to be with her.

It took Sienna awhile to come out of the anesthesia.  Once she did, she had a difficult night.  She threw up repeatedly and wouldn't drink anything.  The nurses were so helpful in changing sheets, washing her favorite blanket and cleaning us both up.  Sienna just wanted to be held.  So we exchanged the crib for a bed, and I slept by her. 

She made progress, but two days later when we were discharged - she still had a low-grade fever and she wouldn't drink on her own.  I was nervous leaving, because she still seemed so sick.  Doctors say little ones tend to bounce back more quickly once they go home...Sienna didn't. 

We came home on a Saturday - by Tuesday, I was so worried.  I knew something was terribly wrong.   I took her to American Fork Hospital where they drew blood and took a chest X-Ray.  Within 15 minutes, Primary Children's had the lab results.  They called me and told me to bring Sienna to the Emergency Room immediately or they would send an ambulance.  I hopped in the car right away and drove, with my mind racing.  What was wrong with her?  What could they see in her tests?  They were waiting for us once we arrived at the ER - but they didn't have any definite answers.  Doctors did a number of tests.  Her blood work was completely abnormal, and she was running at temp above 104 with Motrin.  When technicians did an ultrasound on Sienna's tummy - they got their answer.

The technician gasped.  (Never a good sign.)  There were dark spots all throughout her lower abdomen. 

"What are those?"  I asked.
"That's floating urine," he replied.
"Where is her bladder?!"  I asked. 

It was hardly recognizable in the ultrasound.  It had ruptured, and was flat as a pancake. 

He pointed out the deflated organ.  Doctors had made a very large incision in her bladder during the surgery - days after, her bladder sprouted a leak - causing urine to seep out and eventually absorb into her bowels.  As you can imagine - that makes a person VERY sick.  Her tummy was very swollen, which is fairly normal after surgery...but a large amount of liquid was pouring out of her stomach where the stent came out.  Jody and I had asked the doctors about that.  They weren't too concerned at the time.  Now we know it was another indication that her bladder had ripped.   In addition to the tear, a respiratory culture showed Sienna also had  Para-Influenza-3 and Rhinovirius.  She was back in the hospital from June 12th to June 18th. 

Watching the Sunset with Daddy

Halfway through that hospital stay - Sienna hadn't eaten for 10 days!  I set up a meeting with a nutritionist.  We discussed a feeding tube.  I wanted her to have enough energy so her body could get better.  Urologists made the final decision on that one...and they said no.  I was frustrated, and I felt helpless.  By this time, Sienna had lost her hunger cues.  She survived on saline/potassium/sugar water through an IV for more than a week. 

We constantly ordered food for Sienna and offered it to her.  The hospital stay became more about the little successes.  The first time she didn't push the plate away...my heart was pounding.  "Come on Sienna - you can do this!"  She ate one green bean and three tiny carrot wedges.  I was ecstatic.  I ran out into the hospital hall doing high kicks and kung-fu moves.  I was so excited to tell the nurses they had something positive to chart. 

The days became long.   It was the same four hospital walls, and so much waiting.  Waiting for that 15 minutes in a 24 hour day when the doctor made the rounds to Sienna's room.  I didn't want to leave the room ever - in case you missed the visit.  I slept over with Sienna - all but one night.  Jody was there a lot too.  He missed days of work.

The bladder is a very strong muscle, and it holds the ability to repair itself.  After days of having a catheter, doctors felt encouraged that the leak was no longer a problem.  She was making progress again.  Sienna came home weak, but showing signs of improvement.  She had the catheter at home, and Gracie loved to carry around the urine bag for her little sis.  What a pal!  Sienna had the catheter in for 11 days.

By the 2nd hospital stay, Sienna's veins started collapsing.  Her IV would not last more than 2 days.  She had to keep getting poked.  My heart was breaking for her, because she didn't understand why she needed the IV or why she felt so miserable.  She had multiple IV's in her ankle, wrist and arm.     It took her days to regain her balance.  Even once she was at home recovering, she couldn't stand or walk by herself.  

(Now, when I catch her dumping cereal on the kitchen floor or emptying my makeup drawer...I smile a little bigger.  I am so happy she is feeling better after everything she experienced!) 

Tomorrow is the Day.

  

Sienna's surgery is scheduled for 11:15 a.m up at Primary Children's.  Doctors tell me it's a 2 1/2 hour surgery.  I am scared to see her disappear behind those Operating Room doors.  I know we can't be with her when the anesthesiologist is doing his/her job, but I just wish I could hold her as she falls asleep.  

I know that when I see her in recovery - she will be hurting, but whole.  This surgery can fix her kidney reflux and prevent any more kidney dilation.  I will be staying with Sienna over night for the next few days at Primary's.   We LOVE you Sienna!! 

Pride TV Banquet

The Class of 2012 graduated!  And I made it through my first year of teaching.  The first two terms, I was more sick than I have been in a long time.  It took my body some time to get used to being around all those germs you come in contact with at a high school.  By the half-way mark, things were starting to fall into place.  The students in Pride TV worked hard and accomplished great things this year.  I worked with a number of the students (pictured above) as they shot, wrote and edited their pieces for the State High School Film Festival.  Both Entries Lehi Submitted, Placed!!  The students took 1st and 3rd Place at the Film Festival in "News Story".


I am still practicing (over the summer) with another team of students, as they prepare to represent Utah on a National Level in Kansas City at the end of this month.  These four students won State at Skills USA back in March.  They compete in News Broadcasting Production.

We had a fun End-of-the-Year Banquet to remember and honor the students.  Jody came with me, and it was fun for him to see what it's like for me to be Miss Brittany.  I have referred to myself as Mrs. Tait since Day 1.  However, many of the students started calling me Miss Brittany, and it just stuck.  (That is comical to me, because it sounds like I should be teaching pre-school...and many days that's the grade level I felt like I was teaching!)  My Co-Teacher and I awarded the students BAM stars at the Banquet.   These Stars hang in our classroom and show their accomplishments.

Below you can click on the link and watch some of the students do their BEST impression of me.  The funny part of the video is parts of it have sound - but NO video picture.  AHHHHH.  A work in progress...that's how our year has been.

https://vimeo.com/42871801
 

I have wanted this year to be about prepping the students for the real world, and encouraging them that they can make a positive difference.  It is so easy to be mediocre - to just blend in and perform at a average or below average level.  But to be remembered for the right reasons - means you have to work hard and elevate your character.  And I'm not talking directly about quiz scores or AP tests - I'm talking about how you treat people.  

The last week of school a certain girl got called a certain offensive word by a certain boy.  I remember how awful that feeling was being called names in high school and how rumors would fly.  But now, it's so much worse.  

Because students don't just bully face to face - they text it, they tweet it, and they fb it.  

And it hurts. 

As this particular student left the classroom, ready to find a bathroom stall to cry in....I followed her into the hallway.  She told me about her frustrations for being made fun of because of her standards.  And I told her the high road isn't an easy one....but it's worth it, and she's worth it.  We talked some more, and I could tell she felt a little better.  Later that week, she gave me a letter.  It is seriously one of the best gifts I have ever received.  I won't share what she wrote, because it's personal.  But it made me feel like a rockstar - like I truly helped someone.  And that is why I love teaching.  Because so much of meaningful teaching - isn't what's written on the whiteboard.  Cheers to the Class of 2012!  

Baby Shower

My dear friend, Melinda is expecting a BABY BOY!  
We are all so happy for her.  Cathy and I threw her this Baby Shower.  

Melinda has wanted to be a mother for years now.  Doctors couldn't figure out why she couldn't get pregnant.  But now a little miracle is just weeks away from joining their family.  We know she will be a great (and super energetic/fun) Mom.  In fact, with Melinda as his mom, Baby Gavin will probably learn to 

Break Dance 

before he speaks his first word!

8 Months Pregnant - and still light as a feather!  

Melinda & Caroline 

Cathy *Brittany * Melinda * Annika * Ashley 

It was fun to catch up with good friends and wish Melinda our best.  

We are tickled Pink...Blue for her!

A New Type of Hurt.

Why is it so much worse when your children hurt? Maybe because you want to bubble wrap them so that pain isn't an option in their lives. Clearly - that's not a solution. But I'm learning that all of the hurt I've felt in my life doesn't even compare to seeing your child struggle. Lucky for little CC - she is in really good hands with the physicians up at Primary Children's Medical Center.

We met with surgeons and pediatric urologists earlier this week. Little Sienna's condition is not going to get better, without the help of surgery. With Grade 5 Kidney Reflux on her left side, surgeons say there is an 85% chance this surgery will be successful and stop the reflux. Sienna is scheduled for surgery at PCMC on June 7th. She remains on antibiotics, and she will continue to take them 6 weeks post surgery too. The antibiotics are preventing her from developing another kidney infection - but her urinary tract is full of bacteria due to her kidney (or vesicoureteral) reflux.  Her bladder is not draining properly.  This is why she has been so sick.

Sienna's system looks similar to this picture. Her left side is distorted and dilated. After taking a closer look at her ultrasound pictures - surgeons think she has a partially duplicated system on the left side. That means she has two ureters connected to her left kidney, and then it appears they channel into one tube - attached to her bladder. So it looks like a "Y" shape. Those ureters are twisted and enlarged because fluids, which should be exiting her body...are being held in the bladder and then going back up - making it all the way to her left kidney. The doctors will be able to tell, during her surgery, if she has suffered any kidney damage. The non-working culprit that's been making her feel miserable is a flap-valve that is located inside of the bladder and attached to the ureters. It's not strong enough - so it's been allowing urine to relux back up into the kidneys. Sienna has Grade 2 reflux on her RIGHT side. Usually, with Grade 2, Doctors would put her on antibiotic therapy until her system could mature. (Usually around the age of 6.) But since they will be fixing the greater problems on her LEFT side - they will do the surgery on the RIGHT ureter as well. Surgeons will make an incision in her lower abdomen, much like a C-section. They will cut into her bladder and correct the flap-valve attachment. She will be at Primary's for 3 to 5 days, and then come home with ureteral stent tubes. Since her little system will be swollen, the tubes will come right from her bladder out of her tummy, above her hip bones. We can attach bags to her legs to collect the urine or double diaper her. She will have the stent tubes for a week or so.  

The more people I speak to, the more I learn there are many children suffering from some form of Kidney Reflux.  Doctors say it occurs in about 1% of healthy children.  It's something I had never heard of 2 months ago.  But research shows 1/3 of siblings have Kidney Reflux...so we will definitely screen for this in any future Taitor-Tots.  

Enjoying some milk!  Yummy.  

Sienna really loves to play Duck*Duck*Goose.  She randomly walks around tapping her head or a stuffed animal's head to keep the game going!

Thanks to all who have expressed kindness for Sienna.  This surgery has the potential to make her feel whole.  No more yuckiness and bacteria harbored in her system.  She's going to be okay.  I've been crying. A little.  Okay, more than a little.  I realize there are so many others dealing with things much, much worse...but my heart still breaks for my baby. It's overwhelming.  And yet, it's amazing that surgeons are skilled enough to identify and fix this problem.  

When I Grow Up...

Me: "Gracie, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Gracie: "I want to be a Mommy, because then I won't miss my family. And Moms get to do Everything."

Everything is right. It's the one job that encompasses about 30 different careers. From counseling to nursing, culinary arts to detective work...Being a mom means you get to do Everything. And I love that she said get - not have to. Because it is a privilege to raise little ones. She about melted my heart when she said that. What a sweetie.

Earlier in the school year, one of my students said to me,
"Mrs. Tait, you only teach second period every day?  Wow.  So do you just go home and hang out until your husband gets done with work?"

If hanging out means scrubbing toilets, changing diapers, playing Duck Duck Goose, running errands and making dinner...then YES.  That's what I do.  Out of all the jobs I have had - being a mom has been the most difficult.  (Even more difficult than knocking on the door of a family who just got news that their son had been killed in Afghanistan...and asking them to talk about it?!)  That was an extremely hard day as a reporter in Montana, and I ended up sharing a very special bond with that family...but yes, being a mom takes even more courage than that.  Because moms shape the future.  And that can be quite intimidating.  However, with the difficulty of the job - comes the overwhelming reward.

Gracie told me yesterday, "When Heavenly Father looks down from his window in heaven - He sees me and He knows me."

How true that is for all of us.

Here are some other recent Gracie-isms: (During her bedtime prayer)
"Please bless President Monson (Pause) and President Obama." She started routinely praying for our Commander in Chief after she saw me watching the State of the Union Address months ago.

Gracie calls the Golden Arches "Old McDonalds" NEVER just "McDonalds".  She is so friendly.  She is always approaching new people when we are out and about.  Gracie doesn't really have a filter.  I mean, what four-year-old does?  But she is is so outgoing and innocent that I can usually count on being embarrassed during our weekly errands.  Here's an example:

We are eating at the Food Court in the mall.  A woman with extremely short hair, a plaid lumberjack shirt and a slightly deeper voice approaches our table.  She asks us where we got the chicken noodle soup we are enjoying.  I tell her we bought it at the Chick-fil-A.  She thanks us for the information and turns around.

Gracie says SO loudly:  "I really liked that MAN.  HE was nice!"

The lady heard.  I felt like yelling, I can see you are carrying a purse...I know you are a woman.  But I didn't think it would help.

It feels like we have been waiting for such a long time to get into the rotation at Primary Children's Hospital.  Pediatric Urologists are scheduled out months in advance.  However, next week is Sienna's appointment.  We are anxiously awaiting that.  She continues to be a trooper - even though she is dealing with discomfort.

Blossoming...

This was the East Side of our house. Charming, right? More like a ghetto trap beckoning weeds and just asking for little ones to fall into those gaping widow wells.

*Before*

This is the side of the yard NOW.

*After*

Jody worked hard to make this look fantastic. Now we have a walking path, with bushes and sturdy window well covers.

Spring is full of COLOR, and I love that. Our backyard is becoming that bright haven that we look forward to during this season.

Poor Baby

We are heading in the right direction. We now have some answers as to why Sienna has been so sick. A recent ultrasound and VCUG test show us she was born with a duplicate ureter.

Nurse: "Well, Mrs. Tait your baby has a double ureter connected to her left kidney."

Me: "I don't know what that means!"

Nurse: "It means you will be spending some time up at Primary Children's with a pediatric urologist."

And so we wait for that visit, which is coming up soon.

Back in October of 2011 (Sienna was 13 months) she ran an outrageously high fever for days, with no other strong symptoms. She was diagnosed with a Urinary Tract Infection, which we later found out was a kidney infection. With the help of anti-biotics, she was healthy once again. And then earlier this spring, she ran another unbreakable high fever - reaching a temp as high as 105. I was so scared. I knew it was another Kidney Infection! Once diagnosed, the anti-biotic made her throw-up any possible liquids I could get in her. She was in the ER overnight, and thanks to modern medicine - we were able to nurse her back to health. 

Doctors, Jody and myself knew there must be an underlying problem. Staff at the Radiology Dept. at Primary's did a VCUG. It's a terrible test for anyone to have done...especially if you're 18-months-old. Nurses gave Sienna a catheter, mermaid-tied her legs together, and then injected fluids up into her bladder. The goal was to have her "go to the bathroom", so we could see if her bladder was draining properly. She was hysterical and very upset. When she finally released the liquids; we saw that she has a severe reflux problem. Much of the liquid went back up her ureters (those are the tubes that connect our bladder and kidneys) and into her kidneys. This is called Kidney Reflux. Reflux is rated on a severity level from 1 being fixable and 5 - Severe. She has Level 2 Reflux on her right side and Level 5 on her left. She also has an extra ureter!

Most people have one attached to their right kidney and one attached to their left kidney. She has two on her left side. Click here to read more about Kidney Reflux

My biggest concerns are that she may experience some kidney damage. Her left kidney has retained so much liquid, over time, that it is much larger than her right. This dilation can lead to kidney disease. My other concern is the ongoing pain she has felt. It breaks my heart to know that since the time she was born she has had kidney reflux, and we didn't know. Medical journals indicate that the expansion of the kidney, due to reflux, causes tummy and back pain. I feel so sad that she has never felt 100%. However, I am so thankful we live close to Primary Children's. Their specialists are fantastic, and I know they will have all the answers in regards to surgery and getting her to feel better.

Upon diagnosing her with kidney reflux, doctors put Sienna on a daily anti-biotic she will take for one year, and maybe much longer.  This will prevent her from getting any more infections.  I am anxious to hear what urologists have to say about surgically removing/blocking off that extra ureter.  Sienna will most likely have a VCUG every year now to make sure the reflux is not getting worse.

Sienna is a sweetheart. And we love her. And I am loving that volume in her hair!

And really. Look at her. Does this look like a girl who is going to let an Extra Ureter get her down?!? No way.  This little one is just as strong as she is sweet.  And as you can see, she thinks it's really funny to run away from me when I'm trying to clean off her face!

Some Bunny Loves You!

Seriously. (And I love that I'm saying that because of the nature of the picture.) But Really! This is one of my favorite pictures ever of the girls!!


Gracie and Sienna had a good time finding the Eggs that the Easter Bunny hid around our house. Good thing we had colored them the night before. Gracie is quite the Easter Egg decorator!


Easter Sunday was lovely. There were some really sweet moments with my Primary Class when we were talking about the Resurrection. I told them how thankful I am for our Savior Jesus Christ. Because, I know, after the Resurrection, my brother Michael will be be able to walk and talk. The sweet 6-year-olds listened. And I know they felt the spirit. After church, we went over to my parent's home for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.



Everyone had a good time!


I sure love these girls.


*Sienna 18 months*