Iothalamate Test & Results

Here is Scarlet undergoing her Iothalamate test in May. Poor thing could only eat jello and drink clear fluids during the whole 8 hour test. This is her IV stand that we had to push around everywhere. It was so nice having help.

Scarlet has learned to blow kisses and this is what it looks like. :)
We got the results of the test back 2 weeks ago Thursday. It was a phone call from the PA at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) which is never good. If it's a routine call it's usually from a nurse. The PA began telling me the results of the test showed that Scarlet was in stage 3 chronic kidney disease.
Wow! I didn't see that coming.
My heart stopped and the tears came streaming in as I tried to listen to what she was saying. I didn't know anything about kidneys so I didn't understand everything she was telling me.
Scarlet's GFR rate showed was 58, this number was fit to an adult scale and normal is anywhere between 90 and 120ml. Scarlet's creatinine levels have always come back good so there was no reason to question her kidneys.
I was watching a show on autism on the PBS station last month and it started talking about medicines affecting development, etc. It got me to thinking about Scarlet and the drugs shes on and how they may be affecting her. I brought it up to the Drs in Seattle at the next visit and asked them if the medicine she is on is damaging her liver, kidneys or brain. The transplant Dr said she would order a special kidney test because it was a simple enough way to see how her kidneys were doing. I thought at the time that maybe I was being pushy or paranoid. But now, I feel like it was inspiration from Heavenly Father. This isn't the first time I feel that He has had a direct hand in her care. I can't even express the gratitude and love I have for our Heavenly Father. I owe everything to Him. I felt so hopeless when I first heard the news, like I was going to really lose my baby this time. I'm so glad that Charles was there when they called, he is such a comfort to me. Scarlet and I have since had a blessing and I feel like the Lord is lifting us up and helping me to feel comfort in knowing that she will be ok. We saw the nephrologist at Children's yesterday and they confirmed what the test said, I was waiting to know more before we told a lot of people, they also did an ultrasound of her kidneys and saw that they were abnormally small and there was some dilation indicating damage. They also saw that she had some bladder reflux but that could have been just because she had a full bladde at the time the ultrasound was taken. So, that is the new news right now. We'll know more next week at her SCCA clinic visit.
I no longer feel hopeless, at this point I feel more like here comes the storm now brace and push through.
I'm going to ask you all to please remember Scarlet in your prayers and fasts when you do. She is headed for a long road to getting better.