Sarah's Ultrasound & MRI Appointment

 Sarah had her kidney and bladder ultra sound and MRI scan on the month of September, 11th for the former and 25th for the later.

Kidney and Bladder Ultra Sound

In layman terms, I was told this was to check if Sarah's kidney and bladder was normal but in the form, it stated that the doctor was looking for abnormalities associated with Charger syndrome. Again, I regretted looking it up, not only adds to the worries but also my heart sank for the children who truly suffered under it.

This appointment was easy breezy for us. Mostly because it was just an ultrasound and Sarah had this done before when she was a baby to check her hips (she was a breeched baby). I knew the entire process was non-stressful and basically knew what to expect. 

As usual, I had prepped Sarah thoroughly what was going to happen so she wasn't nervous at all. Our appointment was in the morning and for some reason, it took a little longer than expected and we were lead to another ultrasound room instead of our designated room.

Sarah was cautious at first when we entered the room. A TV with We Bare Bears helped distracted her as the nurse/technician put globs of gel to start with the scan. she did Sarah's belly and then we had to flip her to her sides for her kidney. Before we knew it, we were done and headed straight home. It is always nerve-wrecking when you can't know the results immediately but there's nothing I can really do anything about it.

MRI Scan

The appointment that gave me anxiety was the MRI scan. MRI scan for my 3 year old daughter where she has to go under general anesthesia. I know there are younger children with tougher appointments but this is OUR journey ya? At that moment, I was just being a worrisome mother encountering something different. For her MRI, the doctor are looking for sign of Moyamoya Syndrome which I had lightly covered on previous post.

Just like any patient who has to go under general anesthesia, Sarah had to fast before her MRI which was at 9:30am. That was first obstacle to overcome because this little girl loves to eat and drink. One of her favorite words to say upon waking up is "I want to go to the living room. I want to eat something". I had already gave her a heads up that she can't eat and drink until after the MRI but still expected her to ask for water and snacks. Surprisingly, this wonderful girl didn't even requested for any, not even once.

Upon arriving to the Imaging Centre,  we were prepped rather swiftly. Although it was swift to me, it wasn't to Sarah so she was getting little impatient. Snacks always help tide this down but I can't rely on that.  

It took a little convincing for her to agree to wear the hospital gown. She kept saying "Let's go (somewhere else), Mama" so I told her, we can go after she wears the hospital gown and have her MRI. She said, okay. Sometimes. I forget she is 3 years old when she listens so well. 

I was also prepped and informed what was going to happen since it was the first time for the both of us. I knew the general idea but not the details so it really helped. I was told that Sarah was to sit on my lap as I hug her with her arms across her body. They will place the breathing mask on her to put her to sleep. I was told that I should expect some writhing which was normal. Once she was down, they will proceed with the MRI and update me when they are done.

'Bila macam gini', Mama nervous.

After a while, we went into what I assume a prep room or something. Good girl Sarah was again cautious but followed instructions, always making sure I was near and holding on to her. I let her look around the room and with the help from the doctor, she also introduced the things in the room. When it was time to put on the gas mask, Sarah was all ready to breathe in and out as we had practiced before hand. It was funny to see the doctor trying to make a conversation with her (I assume making her talk would encourage her to naturally breathe in and out the gas more) but she was all set and busy concentrating on breathing by herself as I see her chest goes up and down deeply.

Yes, she did writhed. It was almost scary although it was normal. Within minutes, she went down and saw the nurses carried her up on the hospital bed. I wanted to kiss her and as if the doctor read my mind, she asked me if I wanted to. The kiss was mostly for me. I kissed her and whispered "See you later, baby" Why do I sound so dramatic? It was just an MRI. But that's what happened. 

About 1 hour later, I heard a familiar cry. It was Sarah, crying and saying her famous words, "I want Mama!!!". I peeked around the corner to see the nurse carrying her. Once Sarah saw me, she reached out for me, bawling her eyes out. She uttered again "I want Mama" and after I told her I was here, she said "I want Bebe snacks"  'Anak aku pun.... Nasib dia cari aku dulu sebelum makanan.'

It was the most cranky I ever seen her. Her cranky episodes usually does not last very long but this time, due to understandable reasons, she was almost unconsolably crying out loud, even with one of her favorite snacks in hand. 

She was unhappy she still had her IV drip in her right hand, obviously still disoriented from the anesthesia and cranky from hunger. Sarah is generally a good girl. She is only cranky when too sleepy or hungry. After the nurse, took our her IV, I had to console her even more. Oh by the way, I was so grateful that they had those old school panel screens which the nurse used to block us for privacy. I can't stand people staring for whatever reason!

ANYWAYS, it took a while but eventually, managed to calm the little girl, made her say Thank you to the nurses and went to the changing room. She walked out with her snack in hand feeling much better. 

I was grateful Jhon had took the day off from work to be with us although he couldn't enter the hospital. Like I mentioned before in a previous post, he rather waited for us nearby rather than far away from home. 

Again, we didn't get to know the results until the next doctor's appointment along with her ultrasound results. My gut feeling says she is okay but life is all about expect the unexpected so we shall see how it goes until then.