MRI Results

Good Morning!

We received my MRI results, and while perhaps we got our answer as to the cause of the problem, the news is still discouraging.

According to the MRI report, they were unable to visualize any kidney tissue in the baby...known as renal agenesis. This is a fluke occurence that happens shortly after conception...as the baby's urinary system forms, for some reason, the kidneys do not. Obviously, without kidneys, the body cannot make urine like it needs to, and given that amniotic fluid is made up almost entirely of fetal urine, these babies don't have fluid around them.

While we are grateful for an answer, we are also a bit frustrated, because we were told multiple times by our Perinatologist that the baby does, in fact, have kidneys. I called the Perinatologist's office yesterday and spoke with a nurse who told me that, in all likelihood, the MRI is correct. Given that I have hardly any fluid around the baby, visualizing structures like the kidneys on the ultrasound is extremely difficult. She stated that, more than likely, while the Dr. thought she was seeing kidneys, she might have, in fact, been seeing adrenal glands or some other structures that looked similar to kidneys, but were not.

This brings about a variety of emotions for us, as you might imagine. Had we known, from the beginning, that our little man didn't have kidneys, we might have moved down a different path. Yet here we are, six weeks later, just finding out that the information we were first given was incorrect. It is very aggravating...one of many times we have been told one thing when perhaps the truth is something different.

However, we also know that there is a reason that we didn't learn this information until now. God clearly has His reasons for not disclosing this to us until this point in our journey. We are becoming more and more aware, all the time, that He is in charge and our job is simply to follow and try to trust.

The other piece of news we received as a result of this MRI is that while our baby most likely has renal agenesis, this is not a genetically-linked condition. Therefore, if and when Connor and Kylee have their own children, it isn't something they will be at an "increased risk" for. I don't know if it's more comforting or more petrifying to know that this whole condition is just a fluke.

We thank you for your continued prayers and support. I have another Doctor's appointment on Monday and am hoping to set an induction date at that time. I think it will really help us to know what day we're going into the hospital...maybe allowing us to prepare, in more ways than one, to meet our son.