Day 2 - Medical Examinations

We got up very early this morning for our examinations.  Our translator/coordinator and our driver picked us up.  We felt very calm and peaceful.  Thank you for praying.  We drove for quite a ways until we made it to the state hospital. I think alot of these doctors were also professors, if I understood it correctly.  We went into the director's office (her desk and some small couches and chairs) and sat down.  It was spacious until we had 9 or 10 people in there at once!  It was a really hectic office - doctors coming in and out.  Another couple from Italy (with their translator), adopting a baby, were with us. 

The pulmologist was the first to ask us questions.  Questions like.....have you ever had TB (nope), have you ever had pneumonia (nope), have you ever had a cough/bronchitis........I finally had a question I could say yes too. 

We had to interupt this interview to go get our blood tests redone.  It was very similiar to how it's done back home.  Not a big deal (except frustrating that we had just done this in the back home less than 2 weeks ago).

Then we completed our time with the pulmologist by getting a chest x-ray.  The x-ray tech I had heard some stories about........let's just say she knows how to get things done.....very efficiently.  She took my arms, shoulders and head and placed them just exactly as she wanted it.  I want to say that she shoved me into place but that is not quite accurate. She just placed me EXACTLY where I was supposed to be (even if it felt like my face was getting smashed against the machine) and don't move unless you want to get chewed out.
We passed!

Then we went and got an EKG for the cardiologist.  Oh. MY. WORD.  It was close to medievel.  Todd and I laughed that it looked like something sci fi from the 60' or 70's or like out of an old Frankenstein movie.  They had these clamps that they put on our ankles and wrists and then these big knobby suction cup things that they stuck all over our chests. Hope they got the information they needed!!!
We passed!!

Next stop was the psychologist.  I was nervous about this one.  E, our coordinator, had told us that sometimes he asks tricky questions.  Thankfully, he was very easy on us.  Honestly, he just wanted to understand why we were adopting a child with Ds.  It doesn't make sense to their cultur especially since the parents are told to give up the children at birth.  He just shook his head in amazement really.  It was a great opportunity to share the love we have for this little boy, EVEN with the extra challenges he brings with him. That we want him in our family is hard to understand. 
We passed!!

Now for the neurologist.  This was a young, pretty doctor who for some reason was pretty sure that I (Wendy) had some head trauma that I wasn't telling her about. My arm reflexes weren't sastifactory so she had me do some extra little tests and kept asking me, Are you SURE you haven't had any head injury? Nice.
She passed us anyways!!!!

The last 3 doctors were all together in a tiny room with Todd, myself and the translator.  I believe there was a skin doctor, an oncologist and ????? I am not sure what the 3rd one did!  And because I know my children read this, I won't go into too much more detail than that!!
We passed!!

Then we went back to the director's office and gathered up all the paperwork, found out that our blood tests came back clear, signed it all and WE WERE DONE!! 

We spent the rest of the morning getting these medical papers notarized and delivered to court.  We also went to the Committee to deliver papers and find out info for other familes that are adopting children with Ds. 

Well off to bed!!  It's the middle of the night here!  Tomorrow is the BEST DAY!!  We get to see Joshua!!  Can't wait to see him again!

Lots of love,
Wendy