Meet Isaac …

At 30 weeks into the pregnancy, we learned that there was something very wrong with Isaac’s kidneys. On a late Thursday afternoon, doctors told us that Isaac had severe dilation of his kidneys and bladder, but an exact cause and outcome were less than clear. His left kidney was badly damaged with potential damage being done to his right kidney as well. The very next day at 7:30 a.m., we sat in Dr. Kryger’s office.

That first morning, the doctor carefully guided us through the beginning of our ordeal, taking over an hour with us, drawing pictures, and talking with Stacy, as a mom, at times and as physician colleague, at other times.

Over the next 10 weeks, we watched on ultrasound as Isaac’s kidney further deteriorated. Each week it got worse and worse, and each week we watched a team of medical professionals struggle with what to do. Most everyone struggled, except Dr. Kryger. He was our rock that helped us get through those 10 weeks and the weeks that would follow —and when he left Madison to become the Chair of Pediatric Urology at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, we changed our insurance plan, gave up our own doctors, and followed Dr. Kryger (Like many of his patients did). It takes a very special place like Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to attract such a special doctor.

Isaac was diagnosed with multicystic renal dysplasia and it badly damaged his left kidney and had some effect on his right kidney. We traveled to Milwaukee for Isaac’s appointments and procedures, and at 14 months of age, Isaac’s left kidney was removed. It was a grueling 3 ½ hour surgery, which was twice as long as planned, and while no doubt hard on Isaac, it was very hard on mom and dad to sit there and wait. Regular updates from the operating room — and knowing that Dr. Kryger was there — got us through that wait, and the care he received after was exceptional.

Isaac turned 5 years old and while we had always been told he would need to take medicine for the rest of his life, he was able to stop his last medication. That is an indication his right kidney is doing very well, and we continue to monitor his blood pressure in hopes that he can continue on without needing any medications. He is doing wonderful and there is no doubt that without Dr. Kryger and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin we would not be where we are today.