Ilya had his first doctor appointment today and he did MUCH better than mommy & daddy. We got a bit, shall we say impatient, durin gour wait. Our appointment was at 3pm but we got there at 2:45 to fill out new patient paperwork. There was only 1 patient waiting in the lobby when we walked in, so foolishly I thought we'd be in & out in no time.
Now that I think about it, I thought the same thing at MOE when we were waiting for Ilya's referral info. That day we were waiting with one other couple as well, and yet our wait was over 3 hrs. Hmmm...there seems to be a pattern here...
Anyway, I digress. After our papers were filled out & turned in 6, yes 6, parents showed up with kiddos and all were taken back before us. We decided to ask what the deal was, and the receptionist told us they were just waiting for a room to open up and we'd be called back. WRONG! A room opened, another mom & her adorable daughter were called back. This was our first time at this office and so far we weren't impressed. At this point we'd had enough so we packed up our stuff to leave, cancel our appointment and ask for both our co-pay and the copy of our adoption decree back. (SIDE NOTE: just curious if anyone other adoptive parents have been asked to bring their adoption decree to their ped office? We thought this was an odd request but complied.)
Just as we were about to confront the receptionist again and request everything I mentioned above, some poor nurse opened the door and called us back. I say "poor nurse" because it was pretty obvious we weren't happy campers at this point.
Anyway, the visit went well for the most part. Ilya had some pretty significant wax build up in both ears but other than that the dr. thought he looked great. The best news is that Little Man has gained 2.5 lbs since we picked up him on May 27! The last time the orphanage weighed him was on May 19 and he was 18 pounds. Today he weighed in at a hefty 20.5 lbs! Yahoo!
Doc also gave us a referral to a physical/occupational therapist and a speech therapist just to get a baseline on Ilya's development so far. He also gave us the papers we need to take to the lab for his bloodwork. I'm slightly annoyed that they couldn't do the bloodwork in the office because that means I have to drag Ilya out again to another scary medical building to have this done. But I'm grateful that the Ped office has enough experience with children adopted internationally to already be familiar with the types of labs we need to do to make sure Ilya's healthy (giardia, etc.). They have an adoptive lab profile sheet which I think is fabulous!
So, that was Ilya's day. He had a blast ripping up the paper on the exam table. Who knew the fun hidden in a roll of paper??!!
Prayers for our Children
10 comments:
Dr. office waits are no fun. If you are like us -- this will not be the last! We got lucky with our peditrician. He was the doctor on call when Tori was born and he is fantastic -- I wouldn't trade him.
We were asked to bring ALL the documentation that we had on Nicolas including the adoption decree and birth certificate. They need it to prove he is a dependent for insurance purposes. Hope the meeting with the other specialists goes a little smoother!
Sorry you had to wait so long. That is so hard with a little one. I know you're glad the 1st visit is over. It's wonderful that Ilya has gained since he's been home! Eli gained 2.5 lbs the 1st 6 weeks, and since then, has been eating a little less and has leveled off. We did not have to bring any adoption documents. I gave them a copy of his translated medical records for his file, and that was it.
I used to be a pharmaceutical rep an spent my workday waiting in doctor's offices- no fun! But at least I was getting paid for my time, lol.
On the bloodwork- it may be an advantage that you go to a lad to get that done. They have to take a bunch of blood for this initial visit- I think it was a couple of vials. Those technicians do nothing but stick people all day, and they are good at their jobs, much more proficient than technicians in a doctor's office, from my experience. And I think it is a good thing that this experience is not associated with your pediatrician's office-unforutnaely this is not a chld's favorite thign to have done. Have a lollipop handy for when they are done.
Both of our kids had their immunizations started again from the beginning, so they had to get five shots. Our son was great- he didn't cry until it was done. Our daughter howled like a banshee and the nurse wanted to stop after the third one. " Keep going!" was my reply- I wasn't starting that process over on the next visit!
But it sounds like your doctor is on the ball with the referrals for OT and speech evaluations. Are you able to get those services through your county?
Thanks for the updates!
Karyn, I am glad to hear that the first appt. went well and that Ilya had a good weight gain. It sounds like Ilya is progressing at a healthy rate. I know those doctor office's sometimes aren't the most considerate. I hope your next experience there is much better.
How frustrating to wait. I know Kaden does not do well with waiting in Dr's offices. He must know something is up. Also congrats on Ilya gaining 2.5 lbs. That is awesome. I'm so glad he is doing so well.
Sounds like our experience with the waiting room at our ped's office. At least it sounds like they processed you pretty quickly once you were called to a room. Any chance you could post a copy of the adoptive lab profile sheet? That would be helpful to know if everything gets covered.
What a visit! I hope next time goes better! That is great that Ilya is gaining weight so quickly. It sounds like he is a very healthy little boy!
That is so great that Ilya's first dr. visit went well!
That dr. office sounds a bit inconsiderate - I would maybe shop around for another, unless the dr's are great, and that is the most important thing.
It sounds like your experiences was not the best with the office staff. Do you think the doctor did a good exam? Did the doctor listen to your concerns? Did he or she take their time when you asked questions? If not then I would change and not look back.
I am glad that you got the referrals for the other specialist just for a baseline evaluation. I think that is very important.
Joy
The time to go is first thing in the morning or right after their lunch break. I normally go in the morning with no wait and went in the mid afternoon last time and we had to wait for awhile.
That's great that they have so much experience with adoption. That's probably why they wanted the decree.
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