Author: Tori Ryan

Today was a big day. Almost exactly one month after Julia’s bladder repair surgery, her cast came off! Yay! We are now back to being able to change diapers regularly, take baths, wear bottoms to clothes, cuddle more easily, and see her kick her little legs. Oh how I’ve missed seeing those cute little legs. 

We started off the day seeing our favorite urologist, Dr. Borer. He did the honors of removing Julia’s cast and lifting her out of it. Her little legs started moving as soon as they were free. Next up was an ultrasound of her kidneys and bladder to make sure everything looks good post surgery. We then took her to get an x-ray with dye going through her suprapubic tube to see if it drained from her bladder out the way it should. 

After all of that we went back to see Dr. Borer. He couldn’t hide his excitement. Everything is looking great. Go Julia! Next step was to start clamping her suprapubic (SP) tube. Dr. Borer clamped it and sent us on to our final appointment, orthopedics, and told us to come back in two hours. Orthopedics was quick and easy. The cast was more or less gentle on her sensitive skin and her pelvic bones look good. 

Back at Dr. Borer’s office we checked her SP tube for urine and only drained 4 milliliters. We then checked her diaper and there was urine in it. Yay! Never did I think I would get so excited over a wet diaper. Dr. Borer showed us how to cap Julia’s tube and drain it. We are now checking it every two hours like we did at his office and recording the results, with the exception of over night where we attach the bag back to the SP tube to drain. Over the next few days we will share the data with him and slowly increase the time in between checking the tube until it can be removed. Once that happens, we’re coming HOME! 

For now we are just grateful for good news and counting down the days until our sweet little family can be together again. 

Julia had another Urology follow up appointment yesterday and everything continues to look good. She was weighed without her Spica cast and she is now 6 lbs. 10 oz. Yay for growing! The dressing around her SP tube was also changed (see picture). Dr. Borer was keeping Julia calm, Lauren was changing the dressing, and Rosemary was assisting them both.  Those three people have been our Boston family and I don’t know how we’d get through all of this without them. 

We will have about two more follow up appointments before the next big step. Next Thursday, the 27th her cast will come off (YAY!) and Julia will have her ultrasound and x-ray to check on the progress of her bladder healing. If all looks good we will do a few days of testing her bladder by plugging the SP tube. If her bladder does what it should and urine goes where it should, the tube comes out. And that means we get to come HOME! 

We of course will be coming back to Boston as often as Dr. Borer needs us to for follow ups, but we’ll be home. Our fingers are crossed the first weekend in May will be when Julia gets to finally see South Carolina. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers during our home stretch with this visit. xoxo, Tori

Thursday was a big day for Julia. Her urologist, Dr. Borer, gave her bladder a test to hold urine and also to see if the urine would come out the old fashioned way. He plugged her SP tube so it would stop draining and left it like that while we went to get her Spica cast re-lined. When we arrived back we checked for urine in her diaper which was inconclusive because she had pooped (she is a little poop machine). Dr. Borer then checked to see if her bladder had held urine during that break and it did (see picture)! Yay for pee! 

After the Urology appointment we all took Julia to her pediatrician appointment. We wanted to make sure we were also keeping up with all of the normal newborn check ups. Her doctor was happy to see Julia doing so well and admired Dr. Borer’s work on Julia’s bladder closure surgery. During that time we saw a little trickle of pee come out, hooray! 

Her next urology follow up is on Tuesday and I imagine we will do another test. She will also have an opthomology appointment next week, and audiology before heading home. Prayers that all of her appointments continue to go well and that she continues to heal are appreciated. We cannot wait to bring her home to Charleston!