EL's 4th MRI and A Bladder Problem

EL getting ready for her 4th MRI

Our last update on EL was in August, and we had good reports from her doctors at that time. Since then, thankfully nothing has changed except for one thing - there has been a major increase in her going to the bathroom. We have seen her regular Pediatrician twice for this issue, and it has been determined she does not have a bladder infection, and is not in any pain (that we know of). She has also been given a mild laxative to help keep the urinary tract from being blocked. The Pediatrician said, if things do not improve, she would refer us to a Urologist. That may still need to happen but, last week, we took another trip to St. Louis and found out some interesting news related to this problem. It COULD be related to her pituitary tumor.

At last week's visit, we took EL for a follow-up MRI (EL's 4th one so far), followed by  two doctor appointments -  one with the Endocrinologist, and one with the Neuro-Oncologist. Things went well with the MRI. EL has matured a lot over this past year since her last MRI and, although she did not like being there, she cooperated very well. I'm thankful for the prayers of family and friends that I know helped her get through this difficult time. The worst part of it all was when they did the needle stick in her arm to put in the IV. But, she did not need Versed to calm her down beforehand. In the past, Versed has tended to make her REALLY grumpy while she was coming out of sedation, so I'm glad we didn't have to deal with that this time. 

After the MRI, we saw the Endocrinologist. He asked us if anything has changed since we last saw him. We told him the only thing that has changed is how EL seems to be constantly in the bathroom. The Endocrinologist informed us the pituitary gland could be a causative factor in increased urination. We did not know that! Apparently, the pituitary gland makes a hormone known as Vasopressin, which regulates the body's retention of water.  A deficiency in Vasopressin (which can happen with a pituitary tumor) causes frequent urination and thirst. These are symptoms EL has been having. So, the doctor ran a urinalysis while we were there. It was not concentrated enough to get the answers we need, so we are waiting for an order to come in the mail to have a morning collection done. Once we get that done, and get those results, we will know more. If there is no problem with the Vasopressin, then a Urologist may still be in order. I did, however, just recently find out there are two close family members who were diagnosed with a spastic (or overactive) bladder! Hmmmmm. Makes me wonder if that is what is going on with EL. Its hard to know, since she isn't able to communicate as effectively as needed.

The last appointment was with the Neuro-Oncologist. I'm happy to report there were NO CHANGES to the MRI! This is such great news. It means the pituitary tumor has not grown, praise the Lord, and the doctor does not recommend any treatment at this time. We are not sure yet when the next MRI will be. It could be a year from now, or it could be in 6 months. That will be determined once we get the next urinalysis results. I'll let you know how things turn out.