What a day! We started this morning going to Theo’s Medical exam to get clearance before our consulate appointment on Monday. His paperwork from his original referral must match his exam. So we loaded the bus Theo’s Chinese passport in hand and headed to the medical appointment. In America when someone tells me we have an “appointment” I just assume I am the only one with that same appointment…..well not in China! We showed up to a lobby filled with American ergo carrying Chinese babies. It was truly incredible. I was a little overwhelmed/ overcome with joy/saddened all at the same time. To think these were all orphans, abandoned and now all have forever families. I pray for the motives of all the families. I pray their desire to give an orphan a home is similar to ours.
On our way to the health appointment with Theo’s passport
Waiting area for the exams
So the medical exam is 3 separate rooms; one for temperature and vitals, one for ENT, and one for “general medical exam”. It is first come first serve so it is hurry-hurry wait-wait kind of mentality. We went to vitals and ENT first with no issues. Then we went into the “general” medical exam, after waiting about 1 hour. The doctor (female) was very friendly. She spoke little to no English. She began asking me basic questions about his condition and his medications. She than asked me to undress him. When I took off his shirt she acted surprised. She pointed to his sternum and drew her finger down, as if to ask where his scar from “open heart surgery” was. My brain went into overdrive. You have to remember we got very minimal paperwork on Theo’s heart condition. We know he has Tetralogy of Fallot and he was in the hospital for 2 months Nov and Dec 2014. Of those 2 months we were told he has “total correction” of his heart defect on a brief 1 page discharge report. We know that he was at a military Cardiac hospital and not the normal children’s hospital. And other than that we have no idea. So when this doctor started pointing and asking me about every detailed scar on my body I used my basic medical background to pull us through. Theo has 5 scars, one neck scar (from his central line), 2 small chest scars (from what I can only assume was laparoscopic heart surgery), 1 side scar (from his chest tube) and one groin scar that appears older than the rest (what I assume was from a cardiac cath when he was first abandoned for diagnosis). I began explaining this to the doctor and she looked at me as if I had 5 heads. She quickly ran out and got another doctor to come look. I explained again pointing to each scar. In my mind I kept thinking she didn’t believe me but then she stated, through an interpreter, that this is the first laparoscopic repair she has ever seen in china on an orphan. God continues to confirm that Theo is defying the odds. It is purely a miracle what we have learned and continue to learn about this little boy. I have no doubt that God has great plans for this little boy and we are so grateful and humbled He has chosen us to be Theo’s parents.
ENT Doctor
Getting ready for full body exam
Dr. Listening to Theo’s heart
Playing on the bus… no car seat…
After a very stressful morning we had some much needed rest time and met up with a dear friend Truman. So many of you might remember me blogging about a chinese woman, Nancy, who I met at church last fall. She is a beautiful young chinese woman who had moved to American with her 15 year old son. Since our meeting last fall Nancy and I have spent a lot of time together. She has taught me about chinese culture and invited us all over to celebrate chinese new years. Her husband Truman lives in China where he runs a software company. And guess where their China residence is… Guangzhou. Where we are right now! Crazy right?! I know just so much craziness in this adoption story. Truman picked John, Theo and I up for dinner tonight and took us to a lovely dinner (north-west China style) with a few of his “colleagues”. We had a wonderful time and we made for some great dinner conversations for everyone else in the resturant.
Truman, Laura and Theo
Laura enjoying some sheep… North-West China style.
Group pictures after dinner with Truman’s Colleagues
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