Quick update

Benjamin is in recovery right now. I sat with him for about 20 minutes and now Sean is back there with him. He is still sleeping from the anesthesia. They probably will move him to a regular room fairly soon.

Dr. Cortez came out at about 5:15 to let us know how everything went. He was able to do the urethral repair after examining Benjamin with a scope. The procedure took longer than originally planned due to Benjamin's UTI. He spent almost an hour and a half irrigating Benjamin's bladder and replacing the catheter that was previously in place. It is likely that Benjamin's UTI is from the same bug as before. The bacteria probably colonized the catheter and caused this second infection. All in all, the doctor seemed pleased with the procedure. One positive note is that Benjamin's bladder holds a little more fluid than before. It now holds approximately 75 cc versus 50 cc previously. At some point, we will ask Dr. Cortez how much an average 2 year bladder should hold. Benjamin's probably still falls far short, but it did increase its capacity.

We're not sure how long Benjamin will be here. Dr. Cortez said if his temperature stays down, he should get out in a few days. If Benjamin continues to battle a fever, then we will be here longer for more IV antibiotics. These pesky UTIs really throw a wrench in things. This is the third time out of 5 surgical stays that he has had an infection. The only 2 when he didn't have an infection were when he was born and when he got his feeding tube. Ultimately, this is where he needs to be though to get over them more quickly. If last night was any indication, UTIs are not to be messed with. 103 degree fever and vomiting is not fun! He was miserable.

Hopefully, he'll get some rest tonight despite frequent nurse checks, IV meds, etc. He's doing great.

Love,
Julie