Fighting the bacteria!

On Monday morning I got the result of the urine culture confirming the presence of a bacteria that attacked my princess again :-( and a gut bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis.

I was worried because the antibiogram did not indicate that the bacteria was sensitive to cephalexin, the antibiotic she was taking since Saturday. But Dr. Luiza told me to make a new exam to see if the infection was decreasing, as she found the antibiogram was strange, suggesting very strong antibiotics for children.

On Monday afternoon we repeated the same test and the result indicated that the infection is regressing, the antibiotic is fighting this evil bacteria!

She remains taking cephalexin for 10 days, thankfully her belly is much better with the new diet, I hope these days of treatment are not sufficient to sensitize her stomach - she always takes the medicine after eating.

Thank God she remains well, without pain, calm and happy!

Thanks for all the prayers!

Many smiles to cheer us up!

Our little girl has been very happy, distributing smiles for us and is very quiet. Praise God!

Looking at that smile, we realize how much was worth all the sacrifices, all the fighting, all the prayers; Every tear shed becomes so small when I see my princess smiling happy!

New suspects, and more antibiotics

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.

  

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:1-6

Our little princess is suspected of a new urinary tract infection: (

Leukocyturia increasing in two urine tests this week. Wednesday there were 64 000 leukocytes and Friday 256 000, plus positive nitrite, which are strong evidence of infection. But there was no growth of bacteria in the 1st test to make sure there is an infection and to know what the most appropriate antibiotics to treat it. 

We started with cephalexin today and await the result of urine culture. Fortunately she is very quiet, eating and sleeping well - does not seem to be in pain. But therein lies the danger, because she had other asymptomatic infections that eventually evolved to sepsis. That's all we do not want. Dr. Luiza is guiding us.

 

I ask for prayers, please, so that she evolves well and we need not go to the hospital. May God bring to light all the things we need to know and protect her from all evil. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Cutting the hair

Our little girl is growing, every day greater and more beautiful! Last week finally we cut the tips of her hair (they were a bit dry). She has to use conditioner after shampooing to untangle them. The only time she had cut her hair was before surgery, at 4 months. This time she did not like, Dad held her and I cut the tips with a single snip - and she kept trying to turn back, annoyed. She got beautiful, her hair got another trim after cutting! lol

Now the canine teeth are growing, she is getting a beautiful smile full of teeth! But some teeth take many months to grow and is a very painful process. :-(

Last week we went to the pediatrician, it was very good. She is already with the incredible mark of 12 quilos (32,15 pounds) and 75 cm (29,53 in)! Dr. Luiza gave us a treatment with herbal remedies to improve immunity, one to stimulate the muscles of the bladder and also a homeopathic treatment for prevention of urinary infections. We reached the same conclusion that the infection may have been caused by constipation, as all tests came normal, not indicating neurogenic bladder. But she has a very sensitive bladder and we will continue making weekly urine tests and treatment with a nutritionist to the intestine.

I also went to the doctor because, as I already mentioned before, I'm so tired and getting nervous and worried over little things. When Victoria gets kinda annoyed, I get to be sick with her, nervously. I realized I was living very worried and I was not even able to enjoy the good moments with our baby.He told me that I am suffering from stress, which is very understandable for all that we lived in the last months plus all the concerns and emotions since Vitoria's pregnancy. I'm doing a treatment and I hope to get 100% in order to enjoy each moment of life and be fine to continue taking care of my little princess with all my energy. As she so often needed a little help from doctors and some medications, I am now also in need of help. We are in this fight together!

Please pray for us!

26 months recovering from flu and fears

 To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. Psalms 22:5; 24

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 1 João 4:16-17

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:16-19

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother's breast.

From birth I was cast on you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
 Salmos 22:9-10

This week on Monday our litle girl started to complain a lot ... I do not know how many teeth are growing, because while new teeth begin to emerge, the old are still finishing dawn. She was salivating so much, and the pacifier was sucked furiously.

Her nose was a little runny, and at night she began to get very, very nervous - she seemed to be in great pain. We were very concerned because the only time she had been so agitated was when she had a serious infection at the beginning of the year. I was very nervous and anxious, so about 3:30 am we went to the hospital.

In other times we would have waited a little more, but now we never know when something can be more serious or not. Once there she was in fever, at 38 º C. I was more anxious still, because even with serious infections she rarely has a fever. They did blood and urine tests as well as chest X-ray.

We spent the night in a box in the emergency room of Hospital Sabara and she was gradually calming - she was still busy but took the pacifier and dozed a little. Until collect the tests, the result is ready, and the doctor come talk to us, it was about 9 am. The doctor said the tests were good and she also looked ok, so she did not have to be hospitalized. She recommended Alivium for teeth and inhalation and saline into the nose. She asked me to give her liquid to see if she could drink, and then we came home - until we get out of there, and with traffic, we get home almost 1 pm!

It was a dificult night, very tiring! Grandma Cida was with me, and we were taking turns on because there was only one chair to sit on Vitoria's side. Never felt so sleepy!

Back home, Vitoria would not eat food but accepted a juice. Throughout the day she was getting the flu, on Wednesday she drinked with difficulty. Thursday she was a little better, but with an annoying cough. The cough persists, but she is eating well, despite being very sleepy.

 

I held myself not to go to the ER again because of the flu and cough, I have wondered a thousand things and thinking that she had to take another x-ray and be seen by a doctor again. But I see that she is fine, it's just a flu like she has had on other occasions. We do not need to take her to the hospital all the time, doing and redoing exams. Since late January we already took her two more times to the emergency room for tests because she was a little upset, worried that she was again with urinary tract infection.

Since the last serious admission she had in January I'm feeling very tired physically and emotionally, I realize that little things make me very upset, when normally I would deal with situations more calmly.

 

The way she became ill at other times (October and January), with rapid worsening, and the last time the tests were still masked without accusing infection, and the next day she was going into septic shock - it was very traumatic and difficult. Now every time she starts to complain a little longer I'm worried that it might be starting all over again, and try desperately to be prepared to act quickly and not allow her to feel pain and have to go through treatment as invasive as at other times.

We live with the perspective of losing her since the beginning of pregnancy, and it is not exactly this that scares me most, though, of course, we will never be prepared. But what afflicts me is the perspective of seeing her suffer, and can not help her. Of course, throughout this journey, there is no single step we have taken without the aid of God, and it is only with Him that we will go forward.

We're all pretty tired, and we see that not only her, but we also need to take care of us, go to the doctor, seeking help to accomplish this journey that in recent months has been a little more tiring and stressful.

 

At the same time, our daughter is still so beautiful and beloved here, she inspires cares, and if one hand is tiring, it is also wonderful to take care of her, see her grow, to communicate with us, feel our love and reward in her own unique language, witch we strive to understand and try to translate to those around us. A language that is from beginning to end of love, purity, trust and surrender.

Since the beginning of this journey, we know that we must live one day at a time, and love with all our heart each day as if it were unique.

 

I see my daughter as a precious treasure that God has entrusted to me, and which I must take care with all diligence, with all love, as the more rare and valuable treasure I ever had in my hands. And one day when God call her back, I can tell him, with peace in my heart that I loved her, protected her looked for her life more than by my own life, with all my strength, and trust that then from that moment God will take care of her for me.

I think I now understand better why the apostle Paul said that love is the most important gift and for what we should seek more eagerly. Even when faith falters, when hope is gone, if love still lingers, it is possible to rediscover the faith, to revive hope and move on.

And so we go forward, rebuilding ourselves, recovering from flu and fears, and so we have completed 26 months along with our beloved Vitoria de Cristo, more beautiful, sweeter than ever, more loved, to the glory of God!

No socks, no sleeves!

Heat, heat , much heat! Dry weather and clouds of mosquitoes invading our sleepless nights.
Summer was slow to arrive, so that in January  was a little cold, but the heat finally arrived here in Sao Paulo with full force.




do not wanna wake ...

And since Sunday our beloved Vitoria began to get very angry, until mom realized that she was feeling VERY hot as we do, and how she is a child she doesn't need to be worn all the time even if the clothes are cool.

I also discovered that she LOVES to sleep with the fan on and close to her, and sleep without a sheet! Sometimes I was afraid that she felt cold at night and covered her with a sheet, which in a few minutes she pulled out completely.

And yet some heat rash appeared on her chubby arms. Some days the relative humidity was less than 30% and we have used a humidifier. Vitoria has already made ​​it clear: no stockings or sleeves! And we only drive away the afternoon with the air-conditioning at the most inside the car.







Thank God this week we made a new urine test and fortunately everything is fine! Doing these tests is also being quieter - we found a lab that is just minutes from home, and she has collaborated over the past few weeks, peeing very quickly, in less than half an hour. It seems a small thing but it's exciting for us not having to spend a Saturday morning trying to collect pee. We are becoming experts on the subject.

But we still have problems. Day in, day out, she does not want to eat salty food - is it because of the belly, because of the heat, or is it because of growing teeth? (I don't know!) The teeth keep coming: Last week one of them ripped the gum, this week another is pointing.

She does not like to drink water, which hinders her hydration with all this heat. But she loves a juice or coconut water. The nutritionist has cut her delicious orange juice and indicated cranberry juice daily (that many readers had indicated too, thank you!) as prevention of urinary tract infections.

She also cut grains, milk and nuts, at least until her intestines recover from so much antibiotics - she explained that for seven days of antibiotics are required 7 months of treatment for recovery of the intestinal mucosa - well, let's not do the math!

Vitoria also has slept well, sleeping all night in the crib protected with a mosquito net - the mosquitoes love to bite her soft and smooth skin so we have to be careful.

I am much better!

I can now sleep quiet!

February was a difficult month, we still didn't recover completely from the hospital stay in January - but slowly things are improving, and everything is getting lighter and happier. Just as our little princess, free, light and cool in the midst of so much heat!