Week 3
Lots of paperwork, lots of medical stuff this week.
We belong to an HMO, and to most people HMO is just one letter short of being a four letter word. Our experience with Kaiser Permante has been very positive. Our doctor wanted to spend some extra time with the kids, so he rescheduled us to a time when he is normally off work. Our HMO has translators available, so they had a Russian speaking person on the speakerphone when the kids were in the examination room for their checkup.
The doctor read through all the ominous sounding Soviet medical terms on the translated medical history we got from the orphanage, and told us that it meant the kids were small and had small heads. I have just been through an ordeal buying bicycle helmets for them and was very aware of the fact that they had small heads. Jack found a helmet that fit perfectly, but we were unwilling to buy a 14 year old boy a helmet that had little duckies on it.
Anyway, he said both kids are healthy, happy, well adjusted and smart. Who could ask for more than that? They took blood for a workup and referred us to Children's Hospital Endocrinology clinic for testing to see if the undersize/underweight issues are nutrition or hormone related. We're not overly concerned, but would like to able maximize their potential for growth. We've kept lots of good nutritious food in the house and encourage them to eat often. They've gained about 3-4 lbs. since coming home. I can put that much weight on with one good steak dinner, but for them that's between 5-8% of total body weight, so it's a much bigger (and more positive) thing.
The dental outlook was pretty good as well. A few cavities and lots o' wearin' o' the tartar. In spite of many assurances to the contrary, the kids kept waiting for the dentist to take out pliers and pull all their teeth. I'm sure they are still wondering how he managed to resist. If they had a contest to find the "Nicest man in the World", Dr. Johnson would be a stong candidate, so he really wrecked their concept of how a dentist is supposed to behave.
The best thing about medical treatment was the spontaneous giving of stickers. Actually , they love the fact that they get "presents" everywhere they go (doctor, dentist, McDonalds, the bank). We could be cynical and say that it's just good marketing, but I'd rather see it throught their eyes and enjoy it as a unexpected gift.
Everyone has bikes now, and I'm working on teaching Julia how to ride. Jack had a bike before he went to the orphanage, so he's an old pro. Julia never had the opportunity to learn, so we're starting her in the same place I taught Brooke and Paige how to ride--the soccer field at the nearest elementary school. When they crash, grass is a lot more forgiving than pavement. It's harder to ride on, but the cushy landing is worth it. Watching a new rider wobble off down the sidewalk is a very tough moment in parenting.
We belong to an HMO, and to most people HMO is just one letter short of being a four letter word. Our experience with Kaiser Permante has been very positive. Our doctor wanted to spend some extra time with the kids, so he rescheduled us to a time when he is normally off work. Our HMO has translators available, so they had a Russian speaking person on the speakerphone when the kids were in the examination room for their checkup.
The doctor read through all the ominous sounding Soviet medical terms on the translated medical history we got from the orphanage, and told us that it meant the kids were small and had small heads. I have just been through an ordeal buying bicycle helmets for them and was very aware of the fact that they had small heads. Jack found a helmet that fit perfectly, but we were unwilling to buy a 14 year old boy a helmet that had little duckies on it.
Anyway, he said both kids are healthy, happy, well adjusted and smart. Who could ask for more than that? They took blood for a workup and referred us to Children's Hospital Endocrinology clinic for testing to see if the undersize/underweight issues are nutrition or hormone related. We're not overly concerned, but would like to able maximize their potential for growth. We've kept lots of good nutritious food in the house and encourage them to eat often. They've gained about 3-4 lbs. since coming home. I can put that much weight on with one good steak dinner, but for them that's between 5-8% of total body weight, so it's a much bigger (and more positive) thing.
The dental outlook was pretty good as well. A few cavities and lots o' wearin' o' the tartar. In spite of many assurances to the contrary, the kids kept waiting for the dentist to take out pliers and pull all their teeth. I'm sure they are still wondering how he managed to resist. If they had a contest to find the "Nicest man in the World", Dr. Johnson would be a stong candidate, so he really wrecked their concept of how a dentist is supposed to behave.
The best thing about medical treatment was the spontaneous giving of stickers. Actually , they love the fact that they get "presents" everywhere they go (doctor, dentist, McDonalds, the bank). We could be cynical and say that it's just good marketing, but I'd rather see it throught their eyes and enjoy it as a unexpected gift.
Everyone has bikes now, and I'm working on teaching Julia how to ride. Jack had a bike before he went to the orphanage, so he's an old pro. Julia never had the opportunity to learn, so we're starting her in the same place I taught Brooke and Paige how to ride--the soccer field at the nearest elementary school. When they crash, grass is a lot more forgiving than pavement. It's harder to ride on, but the cushy landing is worth it. Watching a new rider wobble off down the sidewalk is a very tough moment in parenting.
posted by The Petersons at 8:14 AM
1 Comments:
Glad things seem to be going better than expected--post some pictures please :) Barbie-POC
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