Minimally invasive surgery helps Rhode Island boy get back to being a kid

For Jonathan Reed, summer fun goes way beyond wave riding along New England beaches. During a recent weeklong family vacation to Universal Studios in Florida, the Rhode Island fourth-grader visited wave pools at a water park, rode gravity-defying roller coasters and sprinted from one fun-filled attraction to the next. This dream vacation may not have been as magical if Jonathan had to continually battle ongoing stomach pain. For nearly a year and a half, the young lacrosse goalie and avid soccer player battled sporadic and excruciating abdominal pain. These attacks were sharp, swift and appeared to be sparked when on vacation or after playing sports. “The pain was in his lower left side, and it would come out of the blue,” recalls Jonathan’s mom Karen. “It was pretty severe and would knock him down.” Being an active nine-year-old, the last thing Jonathan wanted to do was take a break from the things he enjoyed most. “On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain was sometimes a 9,” Jonathan recalls. “I would have to sit out from soccer or hold back when hanging with friends.” Difficult diagnosis Jonathan’s pediatrician initially believed the pain was caused by a gastrointestinal issue. “It was hard for the doctor to diagnose Jonathan because we were never actually with the doctor when the pain happened,” adds Karen. As the months passed, Jonathan’s attacks intensified in frequency and severity. By winter 2015, he was experiencing weekly attacks. “T...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: All posts Our patients’ stories Tests & treatment kidney minimally invasive surgery Ureteropelvic Junction (UPJ) Obstruction Source Type: news