Feeling disheartened

There is there a lot of confusing and concerning information coming out of Honduras right now and it's rather discouraging.  Newspapers have been talking about the workers in the adoption department have been suspended, thus ordering adoptions to be stopped.  Then, we hear that this is not the case.  We hear that there are "irregularities" within the adoption department, but no one seems to know exactly what that means.  Now there is something mentioning that lawyers are under the microscope.  No dossiers are being signed off and place on the waitlist, no referrals being made.....I honestly don't see how Honduras is "open" to adoptions right now.  They are still accepting dossiers, but then what?  Nothing.  What's the point of them accepting dossiers if they aren't going to approve them?  The program is not moving. 

I am frustrated right now with my agency.  I have asked and asked for updates, but get nothing. They are being silent during this, and that makes us feel like we aren't important, or that they don't care.  I'm sure they do, but it gives us that impression.  I have told them that ANYTHING would be acceptable, whether it's good, bad or even if there is no news.  I really think the lines of communication should be open, especially during this time.  I have been in contact with others using my agency and they feel the same.   Our package that contains Evan's medical results and Dave's supervisor letter were delivered to Gladney, and I am wondering what the status of it is.  I really feel like I should have been updated.  I don't know, maybe I'm expecting too much.

I know this is not a positive entry, but it is what it is right now.

He did his part

Evan and I met with the pediatrician on Tuesday to discuss the tests IHNFA wants.  They requested blood, urine and stool tests.  He asked if we had anything in writing asking for specific tests.  I kind of laughed and told him what IHNFA told our agency when the pressed for more information.  They said, "We are not doctors.  They need to call their doctors and ask."  Can you believe that???  They want all this stuff but have absolutely no idea what they want.  Can you sense my frustration?  Anyway, I digress.  Our pediatrician was a bit shocked about that reply, as was everyone else.  For the bloodwork, we decided to do a basic workup, plus HIV and hepatitis, as well as a TB test.  Our agency says that none of that is required, but then the form the doctor has to sign says that Evan is free from communicable diseases, and those are three big ones.  I don't want to take any chances in having to go back for more blood tests!  For the urine part, he ordered a basic urinalysis test and for the stool part he ordered a culture and a parasite check.  Pleasant, huh?  Thankfully, two of the three tests don't bother him at all...he has no idea!  Our pediatrician is awesome, and spent about an hour with us going over everything, asking questions and making sure we were covering all our bases and then some.  I have to take him to the doctor's office on Monday morning to get his TB test read, and then wait for the results of everything.

Evan had a rough morning...thanks to IHNFA.  He had an appointment at the lab for the bloodwork that is requested by someone who has no idea what they are wanting!!  I stayed in the waiting room while Dave took Evan back for the blood draw.  I could hear him screaming and I wanted to cry because my son was hurting...for NO REASON at all.  I wanted to cry out of anger that I had (and still have) for IHNFA.  I did tear up, and the thoughts that were running through my mind at that moment about IHNFA weren't exactly what you'd call nice.  My son has forgotten all about it and was laughing and dancing his way out of the lab.  He was a real trooper! He also had his TB test done there, I have to take him to the doctor's office on Monday morning to get that test read, and then wait for the results of everything else.  Putting a baby through of all this for no medical reason is cruel.  He got a big cup of juice once it was over and that made him happy! :-)

It will probably take about a week to get all the results back, and then we have to send them off to be apostilled, sent to Gladney and then off to Honduras for translation, authentication and then to IHNFA.  Dave's reference will get that letter to us soon so I'll just send that with Evan's medical results.

First IHNFA request

Exactly one week after our dossier was submitted to IHNFA, we received an email from Beth because IHNFA has made their first request for more information.  They want a letter from Dave's supervisor at work.  I'm guessing that they are looking for work ethic, etc...sort of like a letter of recommendation.  I need to clarify with Beth exactly what IHNFA wants before we get that letter.  We submitted a letter with our dossier from Human Resources of the hospital Dave works at which includes his employment status, salary, benefits, etc, but I guess they want more personalized information now as well.

I was very surprised to hear something so soon.  I was expecting our dossier to be reviewed and then have requests made at the end of the review period (approximately 60 days).  I'm actually glad we received this request.  Because of it, we know that our dossier is in the process of being reviewed and not just sitting on a desk somewhere at IHNFA, which is great to know due to the turmoil at that office right now.

Good news, bad news

We received some great news today...our dossier was submitted on Friday, October 28th to IHNFA!  Now we wait approximately 60 days at which point we should hear that we have either been approved, or a request for additional information will be made.  We hope it's the former, but we are prepared for the latter.

We had a conference call with our agency this morning.  The bad news we received today is that all children living in adoptive parent's homes need to have bloodwork, urinalysis and fecal tests.  The interim Secretary General decided she wants these to confirm that the children are healthy and have no communicable diseases, and I get that, but Evan has already had his physical and documentation from his pediatrician.  So now, that is not enough??  No dossier will be approved and put on the waitlist until this is done.  I really think it's unfair that I have to subject my one year old son to the blood test.  Frankly though, I'm not the least bit surprised.  I have heard of at least one other agency requesting these tests, but whether is was an agency-specific thing, I don't know. I noticed on the U.S. Embassy website for Honduran adoptions that these three tests were required and I mentioned this to Beth a few months ago.  She said that while in Honduras, she specifically asked about tests for children, and they told her it was not required.  So, I'm not sure why the website from the U.S. Embassy on Honduras states one thing, and our agency was told the opposite.  The lack of information, and the inconsistency of information coming from IHNFA is par for the course at this point.

To further confuse and cause additional frustration on this issue, IHNFA was extremely vague on what blood tests should be done.  Now, if they want to require something, then they should really know what they want instead of making people guess.  Gladney told us to talk to our pediatricians and ask them to do the least invasive tests possible.  To me that doesn't make sense...once the needle is in my son's vein, you can't get any more invasive than that, so whatever they want to test for is fine.  One blood test is not going to be more invasive than another.

So, once these tests are completed, signed and notarized, we will send the paperwork to Gladney and they will take care of the apostille for us.  This process will probably take a month before it's with our dossier.  At least the review of our dossier will continue at IHNFA while we complete these medical tests.

I am thankful though that my son isn't a teenager and have to tell him he needs to collect his poo!  I feel for parents that have to break that news to their older children!