Medical Day -- Hague Style

Today was our medical exam and it was rough. We went into the medical place and it was full of people. This place is only for people traveling out of China and needing to get Visas. Cleanliness and routines we are used to in the states, such as alcohol wipes and fresh instruments are not thought about here.

A woman took us back to a room for adoptive parents and we were the only ones in there, thank goodness. We went to the 3 stations, height/weight, ENT, and the physical. We were worried about her heart (her special need issue), but they said it sounded fine. We will take Dr. Childers' word for it when we get back home. All went well, no crying etc. then our guide let us wait in that room and we were by ourselves. But then what I worried about happened. With the new Hague rules, children have to be fully vaccinated before leaving China. With Mia, we were able to wait until we came home and then consult with her pediatrician to decide what to do when.

Ella had to have 4 shots and they were individual shots... no combinations. Our guide took Ella and me into that mad house that we had avoided so far and it was crazy. So basically our guide pushed our way through so it wouldn't take quite so long and behind the curtain. The nurse sat us down and gave her the 4 shots and she screamed, of course. It lasted about 30 minutes and then it was over. She was back to the spunky little girl we have all become to adore. Glad that's over with.

While we were in the middle of the injection trauma, we found Elvin, our guide from last year. It was not a good time to catch up but at least we were able to see him and he knows we are here.

We went to an awesome Italian Place on the Island and I even had ice in my drink (I sure do miss ice cubes). Tomorrow we apply for Ella's visa and then we might get to go shopping some. Tomorrow night we have a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. We did not do that last time, it looks fun.