The bad news? Everything else! For starters, I think due to the two seperate (unsuccessful) blood-drawing attempts at the lab, Yosef is TERRIFIED of the doctor, nurses, etc. He REFUSED to be weighed, so they fully took us out into the hall, weighed ME holding him (yeah that's right, I got weighed at the pediatrician's office!), then weighed me not holding him, and did the math. Between when the medical assistant left and when the doctor came in I was somehow able to get him calmed down, but once the doctor entered the room he started screaming again at the top of his lungs, clinging to and climbing up my shirt, etc.
I could barely hear myself think but somehow managed to request an order for more stool samples (to verify whether they still have giardia or not, which I am inclined to think they do, even after one round on the flagyl), point out the fungus on Bin's cheek (got a prescription for some sort of cream), and ask what on earth to do about Yos' bloodwork (wait two months until he's older, presumably when his veins are easier to get. I'm not comfortable waiting that long so I think I'll call back about that.)
Due to Yosef's screaming, I completely forgot to ask about what the doctor thinks about circumcision (they don't typically circumcise boys in Ethiopia, I've heard horror stories on both sides of that debate, so I wanted the doc's opinion), and to question him further on the bloodwork, and on Yosef's scalp fungus (doc says he'll have to go on orals for that, but there's a risk of liver damage or something. Basically I wanted more information.)
I feel like this is just not working. I feel like the doctor is not attentive enough or proactive enough with the boys, and I feel totally clueless not being a doctor/nurse myself. I think I either need to do a lot of online research and go in there prepared to run the show, or find a different doctor on our plan (the joys of an HMO...)
So that was the doctor's. Anna stayed with Grandma and napped and watched a Baby Einstein video. Lucky kid!
And even though it doesn't go with this post, I thought I'd share a picture of the kids on a lazy Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, nice and cozy in Mom and Dad's bed!
9 comments:
Brianna,
You are doing such a great job with your children and are such an encouragement to me for what I may be going through (when our adoption is complete, someday).
Mary (owlhaven) might be a good resource for you to "vent" your medical issues / concerns since she is an experienced adoptive mom as well as an RN.
God bless!
Shana
Unfortunately, I hear from a lot of mom's that they end up having to do a ton of research online themselves, and "self educate". Just keep up all the hard work...this will all be over and taken care of eventually! :0)
Brianna,
I can only imagine how hard that visit was.
Trust your instincts. If you feel your Dr. is not being attentive than it is time to find another Dr. who will give your boys the care they deserve and the answers you need to make informed decisions.
When our boys came home the two things we were most concerned about was their bloodwork and their TB tests. I would press to get your little ones bloodwork done.
The Giardia may not be gone. Both of our boys had it and thankfully we only needed one dose. I had read that children with Giardia become lactose intolerant and kept them off dairy and that really seemed to help. Have you been to Dr. Aronson's site (orphandoctor.com)? I printed info off there to give our Pediatrician.
Our 3 yo had the Scalp Fungus. He had a horrible case of it. The lymph nodes all over his head were HUGE (one was the size of an egg) and he was in serious pain. We gave him the orals and he cleared up really well. How are your little ones' liver enzymes to start with? If they are good you may want to consider going ahead with it.
The circumcision is up to you and your dh. We have opted not to have it done unless a problem results (which is rare)
(((Hugs)) to you.
Renee
Brianna, None of our boys are circ'ed-- (don't tell them I told ya! They'd be so embarrased I was talking about their privates.)
The lab also had a terrible time and weren't able to draw blood on my 1 yr old. We are trying to decide whether or not to do BOTH the TB meds and the scalp fungus meds at the same time... hard choice. At the moment it is a moot point since she is still vomiting...
Hugs,
Mary
I wish I had advice for you. I am sure I will be emailing you in 3 months asking for YOUR advice! :) But I can pray for you! And I will.
What a horrible experience. I have really enjoyed my female pediatricains. I don't know, maybe it is the mother's touch. Mike and I will be praying for you guys about all of these tough decisions.
Brianna, is this doctor an international adoption medicine specialist? Have you seen one of those? Maybe you would feel comfortable taking this boys to/back to an IA doctor until some of this stuff is cleared up.
Btw, our Efram is not circed and we have had no problems with that. When I was pregnant with Ramona, we talked about whether to circ if we had a boy. We decided against it, and a main reason was because we talked to my old boyfriend and several other male friends of mine who live in various European countries. They said that guys over there are not circumcised and that the incidence of things like penile cancer and phimosis that are so often used here as reasons TO circ are just not really the big problems they are made out to be. My old boyfriend put it nicely: "Keep youself clean and you'll be fine." When we met with a pediatrician pre-Ramona's-birth I mentioned all this to her and she said that she never recommends routine circumcision.
Best wishes,
Enat
Thanks everyone for all your encouragement and input! Keep the input coming if you have any. :)
(Mary, you crack me up. Your secret is safe with me. :) )
Hi Brianna,
well we also did have a hard time at the blood drawing proceidure. Paul was crying and sweating ant wetting his diapers - ist seemed all his "gates" justt opened up - I was wet with his sweat all through. Never the less we didin´t let go until we were sucessful - poor baby!!! We found out that he has Hepatitis A - so his Liver enzymes are very high - never the less Hep A never gets chronically so he will be fine! Paul also had a fungus on his head - I thought it was one but the doc said it looks like milk scorf (do you call it that way in English??? I mean the usual dandruff like thing babys have on their head). Well after 2 weeks I got the "milk scorf" on my face,.... needless to say that I was right with my fungus idea - so we both started washing our hair with a medical schampoo every other day and putting cream on the fungus - great fun if your kid has LOTS of curly hair. Well after two weeks it was all over - so hang in there!
Bärbel
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