Posts by Terry Allen71

Test

holloweagle6 said:Quick question—where do you guys pick up stuff like cranberry juice, parsley, and all that? I used to give her Cranatine, but I eventually quit because I was honestly getting paranoid about all the "chemicals." Plus, trying to force down syrup at bedtime is just a nightmare. Now she’s started asking, "Why do I have to take this when the kids at daycare don't?" It's a lot. And man, back when she was in a smaller group, she’d actually try to play doctor—pulling blood, "treating" people on the floor, even explaining how to "look at the belly button" (which was our way of describing an ultrasound). The teachers were cool with it since they knew what was going on, but now things are different. We’re pretty stressed about her next urine test, too. Last time we had to do bloodwork, she totally bolted, ended up with both hands all scraped up, and we barely managed to get a single vial filled.

We buy our cranberries in bulk at big-box retailers like Walmart or Kroger.

Two years ago, my four-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Grade 3 unilateral VUR following a severe case of urosepsis. It was a rough stretch; she was hospitalized for 14 days while we ran every test imaginable. The medical recommendation was prophylaxis and Deflux. This was actually her second urinary tract infection that required hospital care, both occurring right after family vacations. Once we returned home to Washington, D.C., we dove headfirst into everything regarding reflux—reading every forum and study we could find. We ultimately declined the prophylaxis, fearing its side effects, and passed on Deflux because we felt it wasn't reliable enough. We wanted to understand why these infections kept happening. Instead, we opted for homeopathic treatments. Most importantly, my daughter drinks cranberry juice mixed with a probiotic every single morning; just the juice alone isn't quite enough. For two years, we have stayed disciplined: monthly urine tests and cultures, regular visits to an incredibly patient nephrologist, and sessions for biofeedback exercises. Since then, she has only had two more infections, both of which were managed with antibiotics. Following standard medical protocol, we are now due for a follow-up voiding cystourethrogram or ultrasound to see if the reflux has resolved. Currently, I don't have the $500 to satisfy that curiosity, and I really want to avoid putting her through another catheterization. Last year, she participated in physical education at preschool, which helped strengthen her entire pelvic musculature, and she’ll be continuing that this year. I’m sharing this for any parents who might find themselves walking this same path.