Murphily We Roll Along

I would have hoped after the weekend I had that Murphy would leave the building, but not so much.  Although, AFW may have encouraged him to lighten up with her threatened treatment which she documented in yesterday's comments. 

While I am almost 100% certain now that the moisture in my garage is coming from outside (melting snow) rather than inside (leaking shower drain), my "service engine soon" idiot light came on in my 12-year-old car again.  The oil is due to be changed so let's keep our fingers crossed that is all that the little darling needs. 

I acquiesced (went soft) last night before I went to bed and let the dogs inside the house.  They have been in the Florida room all day today and will remain there until it is time for bed tonight.  I'm pretty much over having them anywhere near the inside of the house. 

Today was also gut wrenching for me--maybe that is why Murphy backed off?--where M3 is concerned.  I received new photos of her.  Her head has been shaved.  Again.  Apparently, there is a highly contagious fungal scalp infection making its way through the kids at the center where she is.  It is contagious only when it is oozing.  So, you can understand that hair would make drying out the scalp a problem.  The medication she is being given to treat this infection is hard on one's liver.  They would have conducted a liver panel before giving it to her--however, were she here, there is a newer and less harmful drug she could take.  But, she isn't here and they don't have those meds there.

In addition to the scalp issue, M3 has what sounds to be a respiratory infection.  She has gunk coming out of her nose and eyes, her lungs are rattly, she is running a fever and she is not herself. I contacted the agency today and asked that they make certain she is being given whatever medication (specifically an antibiotic) she can be given.  I cannot believe that they expect us to wait until April 13 to come get her.  And, that's just someone's guess.  It may not even be then.  I'm not sure what my husband will want to do, but I'm seriously considering going over with prescription meds in hand prior to our Embassy date (more than the two days advised by the agency) so that she can have those on board long before we put her on a plane.  Can you imagine flying with a child so sick?  I'm only hoping she doesn't end up with pneumonia or something worse before we can get to her. 

This is killing me.

For all the criticism I have received in my life for not being touchy/feely enough with my kids, there is NO ONE who is a better caregiver for an ill child than me.  I learned from the best.  I cut my teeth on serious things like M1's cellulitis when she was a baby to M2's battles with RSV.  I survived my husband's Kosovo deployment where my children probably spent a total of 14 days (non-consecutive) healthy that entire time.  I literally had to keep the meds in the kitchen so I had to be awake enough to make it there and dosage times for each child on a post-it.  I'd set my alarm to get up to dose them, check their temps, make them take in some liquid.  Yeah.  I don't mess around and I take great pride in being the soft place a sick child can fall.

The fact that my daughter is a world away, lying on a hard bed with one blanket and no pillow wondering where in the HELL this so-called mother of hers is makes me feel like I'm crawling from my skin.  I have been sick and alone as an adult and I never felt so awful.  My husband was deployed and my mother came to take my girls so they would not get whatever it was I had.  I was stuck in my bed, sick as a dog, thirsty, feverish, wishing I could just die and get it over with.  I was thankful my kids wouldn't get sick, but that was about it.  M3 has nothing to be thankful for like that.  She's just alone without a dedicated caregiver.  She has to share her nanny with several other kids, who are also sick.

I also learned that M3 does not know Amharic, the language spoken where she now is.  So, not only is she ill, but she cannot properly communicate with her caregivers.  It.  Is.  Maddening.

And, I'm plugged in enough to know families who passed court AFTER me who have an Embassy date of March 9th.  MARCH NINTH.  I have heard the Embassy date is an "agency specific" thing.  Well, I definitely have a hair trigger on the bitch switch at this point.  I'm not above making phone calls or begging people whom I think may know someone who knows someone to get us over there for a March 30th date. 

She needs us. 

And here we are.

Comments

[Stephanie]

My goodness, my heart is breaking reading that. I can only imagine how helpless you feel, I'm so sorry. I hope you can pull some strings (or some proverbial hair) and try to move things along so that she can finally come home and know what real love and affection are.

Hang in. I'm thinking about you all.

[Wife of a Sailor]

Oh my. My heart is breaking for all of you. I can't imagine the emotions you must be going through. It's too bad you can't just send the antibiotics for her. But in the end, she is going to know how much she was loved the entire time.

She's at the age where she may remember this, but when she's older, she'll learn how you longed to be with her and how much it tore you up... and she'll be thankful for such a wonderful mother.

[airforcewife]

Maddening. And frustrating. And ridiculous.

That poor child - and how you manage to keep anything resembling sanity with your baby sick and out of reach is just a testament to how strong you are.

[aly]

((Hugs)). It must be so hard to keep it together. I have a friend down the street who has a newly adopted 3 year old from Ethiopia. She said that I could pass her information to you if you are interested in the process that happens when you go get the child (and the trip home, and the adjustment period, etc). Just let me know if you are interested!

[Guard Wife]

@ Aly--definitely would love to connect with as many adoptive parents as I can! I liked to soak up as much info as I can so that when something happens I can say, "Oh, no, that's okay. Perfectly expected. It happened to so-and-so." ;)

[Sarah]

Poor little M3...awww...