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Minimal Change Disease, what the heck?

by Heather Craven (Subscribe to Heather Craven's posts)
Sep 18th 2006 4:30PM

2Comments

Filed under: Tweens, Health & Safety: Babies, Nutrition: Health

I have posted a few times about an ongoing health issue with my nine year-old daughter, Cassidy. Last spring she became quite ill, stopped eating, lost five pounds and was so lethargic that she could barely get through the days. At first her teachers and I worried that she had an eating disorder. After a visit to the doctor she was diagnosed with a bladder infection. However, when the lab was unable to find bacteria in her urine the bladder infection diagnosis was discarded. What the lab did find was blood and protein. Menstruation was not an issue so the search for the blood and protein sources began. After several blood draws, an abdominal ultrasound, a CT scan and a surgical bladder scope the doctors found no cancer, no cysts, nothing. She was then diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease. What the heck is that you might ask yourself, as I certainly did ask the urologist.

Minimal Change Disease, or MCD, gets it name from the fact that under a microscope the kidneys of a patient with MCD look nearly the same as the kidneys of a patient who does not have the disease. MCD is a common kidney problem in children, sometimes needing to be treated with steroids. In my daughter's case the doctor is hoping she will simply outgrow this. Her prognosis looks good. She has gained back the five pounds she lost last spring, a very good thing when you weigh only 52 pounds to begin. She is again playing soccer and has the energy to be sassy to her mother.

After going through so many tests a diagnosis with such a vague name is something of a let down, but to know that my daughter's health is not in jeopardy more than makes up for the wishy washy name.

Tags: anorexia, blood draws, BloodDraws, bulemia, Ct scans, CtScans, eating disorders, EatingDisorders, hemateria, kidney disorders, KidneyDisorders, kidneys disease, KidneysDisease, nephrotic diseases, NephroticDiseases, proteneria, ultrasounds

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