Waiting in limbo again

Checking in to say that it looks like our departure is on hold yet again. This time it's not the embassy or any other paperwork chasing but something completely unanticipated.

Our precious Molly has just been diagnosed with broncheolitis which is certainly something we don't want to fly with. When I took her to the SOS clinic yesterday afternoon (our fourth visit in two weeks) her breathing was so raspy, shallow and wheezy. I was afraid at first that perhaps I was over-reacting and didn't really need to go to the clinic but with the impending flight, I really wanted someone to listen to her lungs.

I'm glad I listened to my intuition.

So from an ear infection, she's also had bronchitis and now broncheolitis. Some of the other kids have been diagnosed with the same and it's so sad. It's like they already haven't been through enough in their short lives. Let's throw on a few respiratory illnesses to make things worse.

I was hoping that by now though she would be well on the mend, not getting worse. She's been on anti-biotics since we picked her up. I suppose if there is a silver lining, we're at least somewhat comforted knowing that she's getting the best possible medical care she can be getting in Vietnam rather than suffering listlessly in the orphanage which has proved to be nothing short of a breeding ground for infectious germs.

The doctor, a very handsome German with a ponytail and a gentle way with children, wants to see us again today to see where she is. As far as our flight home tomorrow, he said it's TBA. And of course we will honor whatever he says. He sent me home with a nebulizer and an assortment of medicines and steroids to put in the nebulizer.

I've never done a nebulizer before and I admit that some of the instructions conveyed by the Vietnamese male nurse got Lost in Translation. Like, does anyone know if it's okay to nebulize the kids when they're sleeping?

So, we're on hold again. One step forward, several steps back. We went to the embassy yesterday before the doctor's and applied for Molly's visa. Barring any unforeseen problems, we should have Molly's visa in hand this evening. And now we wait for the doctor's okay.

We're all going stir crazy. The suite gets smaller and smaller every day and despite that, I think we've all done a great job rallying under the circumstances. The great irony is that our family and one other family have been the only two approved to move forward in the visa application. The other five families haven't heard a peep from the embassy and they're getting really itchy and antsy. My heart goes out to them because the not knowing how long our sentence is, is perhaps the toughest part. And here we nearly have our get out of jail card and probably aren't going anywhere til Mols is on the mend.

Please, please include Molly in your prayers. Send her any healing, reiki energy that you can muster. Or as we Quakers say, please hold her in the light. We know she's going to pull through this and we just want to get her home on American turf as soon as possible. I miss our pediatrician and trying to read medicine instructions in Arabic or French is trying. Amen for the American standard of health. There's nothing like it anywhere else.