First day in the hospital

Tuesday was hospital day!  We boarded the bus shortly before 8:00 a.m. to make our trek to the hospital.  Unfortunately, we found ourselves on the wrong bus, so we took the scenic tour.  An hour later, we finally made it.

 

 

We were greeted by the kind Dr. Carner, with whom we have been corresponding by e-mail. The doctors here office on the same ward where their patients are located.  Dr. Carner is just around the corner from the ENT ward where Anna will stay.   Dr. Colletti's office is also just down the hall.

The head nurse, Marisella, came and greeted us and showed us to the hospital room where we will spend the next three weeks.  They had a crib set for Anna and a hospital bed set up for me.  I didn't think Anna would fit in the crib or want to be in the crib, but she climbed right in, and its long enough to fit her. 

Hospital check-in in Italy is very unlike the U.S.  Nobody asked me to sign a consent to treatment form.  I didn't have to fill out a HIPAA privacy form.  They didn't ask my religious preference or whether we wanted a DNR.  Nobody even asked me about how I planned to pay.  Anna was not given any kind of identification bracelet.  They did hang an identification chart on the end of her bed.  Her medical chart is in a 3-ring binder, and they just hand it to us to carry wherever we go.

For Day 1, they did many things.  Anna reported to the lab (just across the hall) for bloodwork and a urinalysis.  The general pediatrician came by and performed his examination.  He said Anna was "perfecto" and added "now, it's my job to keep her that way."  Indeed.

Anna had her first hospital meal - a boiled chicken breast, bread, a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce and zucchini.  She was not terribly thrilled and did not eat much.

 

After lunch, Anna reported for an echocardiogram.  Here's another way things are different here. In the U.S., a nurse will come and tell you that you are having a test.  Then you wait and wait.  Then eventually a transporter comes and takes you to where the test will take place.  You wait some more.  Then someone takes you back to your room.  Here, the nurse came and told us we were going for a test.  She walked us to the area, where we waited for approximately 12 seconds before someone else came and got us, did the test, and handed us back our record book.  We walked ourselves back to our room.  We never really know what is happening more than a few moments before it happens.  Once they tell us we will have something, it seems to happen pretty fast.

 

Anna was going a little stir-crazy in the afternoon, so I took her down to the lobby for an ice cream.  That was a big hit.  Now she keeps asking to go to the lobby.

 

For dinner, Anna was served two complete kiwi fruits (she enjoyed the cutting and peeling process), some kind of meat patty and steamed greens.  She ate the kiwi and the greens, but would not touch the meat.  I tried to translate was the meat was, but my translator told me "victim."  I guess it was a victim of something.  I'm still not sure what it was.

 

It has been a little challenging so far because there is no place to make yourself a quick cup of soup or coffee.  There is a cafe downstairs where you can buy espressos, cappacinos, or things like that, but no place to access a microwave or a hot water dispenser.  I'm eating many crackers.

 

Getting Anna ready for bed was an adventure.  Our room has a bathroom, but it only has a sink, toilet and bidet - no place to shower or bathe.  There is a shower down the hall for the whole hallway.  I took Anna in and gave her a quick shower, but the place was not so very clean.  I was really wishing I had packed shower shoes for Anna.  Also, they don't provide towels or rags, so I will need to make sure I bring some to the hospital for Anna for the coming days.  Just another difference.

 

 Anna was fine, though, and once she had on her feety pajamas, she padded down the hall and happily climbed into bed. Our first night in the hospital we peaceful. Anna and I both slept well. Since she hasn't had surgery yet, there wasn't anyone coming in to check vitals or give medication. We were told the reason for spending the week before surgery in the hospital was to make sure Anna stayed healthy and to reduce the infection and complication risk. Even though the hospital is not as asceptic as ours in the U.S., they seem to know what they are doing, so I am just trying to take it all in stride.

 

Our roomates are a sweet family from Los Angeles.  The parents are originally from Taiwan and came to the United States to work on their Ph.Ds.  Their baby boy is 17 months old and has CHARGE syndrome.  He is deaf, has vision issues, swallowing issues, and low muscle tone.  We have enjoyed talking about China and Taiwan. 

 

This family does not yet understand why I would want to adopt children at all, much less children with medical issues.  "Don't you want children of your own?," they asked.  How do you explain what can't be explained?  When you are a believer, and God puts it in your heart to do something, not doing it would be wrong.  I don't want to be wrong with God, so I just try to do as He leads.  He led my family to Amelia, and then to Anna and Lucy. I didn't go looking for a deaf child, or a child with a heart defect, or a healthy child.  I didn't go looking for a Chinese child or a Taiwanese child.  These are the children He put in my path and in my heart.  They ARE my own because they are the children He has given me.  I am SO glad that He chose this path for me.  It's not what I would have chosen for myself -- it's a good thing He is the Father, and when it comes to the Father, He truly does know best.

 

Blessings from Italy,

Amy

 

Things are different in Italy....

Today was a mostly frustrating day in Italy!  I now understand my expatriate friends who live in other countries who describe the daily difficulties in getting along in a country different from your own.  It's not better or worse, it's just different!

 

We started off by trying to catch the bus to the hospital. The lady who rented our apartment to us told us where to go to catch the bus, but we really didn't understand about buying a ticket. We finally figured out to ask the little old man at the magazine stand - and voila!- he had tickets to sell. We purchased three bus tickets and headed to Ospedale Policlinico Borgo Roma, where Anna will spend the next few weeks.

 

The hospital is very large and appears to have many specialties.  Luckily for us, most of the names of the specialties are hinged on the Latin roots, which are the same as the English names.  We could easily pick out the place to go for ENT.  We tried to send Anna's MRI and CT scans via mail, but they apparently never arrived, so today, we hand-carried them to the hospital, where they will be reviewed by Dr. Colletti's colleague, Dr. Carner, who I believe is also in the ENT department, and then also by the neuroradiologist and pediatric neurosurgeon.

The hospital looked old-timey to me.  My dad said 1930s.  I don't know how he knows that since he wasn't around in the 1930s, but I don't know, either.  Just oldish.  Still, I could see medical students at work, a medical library, a cafeteria, a gift shop -- not so very different from the USA.

 

 

 

 

Once were done at the hospital, we went back to our apartment for lunch.  We really wanted to find a bank to exchange money, but things are different in Italy.  Banks are open from around 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and then they close and re-open from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. or so.  Maybe a career as a banker it Italy will appeal to some of you?  For most banks, you have to possess a customer access card to even enter the building.  How smart is that?  I think we could cut down on many bank robberies if that were the U.S. way!  Just an observation.

 

Since most things are closed until 3 p.m., we had to wait to see our apartment lessor to pay her.  It started to rain, so we ducked into a teeny cafe.  I ordered a caffe, and Papa ordered tea.  Anna ordered juice, and was very unhappy when it was pesca (peach) juice.  She ended up drinking Papa's tea.  This very elderly man stopped and was trying to tease Anna by meowing at her.  I had to explain that she could not hear him.  He looked at her sweetly and then at me and nodded.  What a gentle soul!  Old Italians love Anna!  She's the geriatric-Italian whisperer, I guess.

 

Our next adventure was to attempt to acquire bus passes.  Mind you, between Papa and me, there are advanced degrees at work here.  Still, we were unsuccessful.  We did manage to make it to the transportation authority (no small feat, people), and I even managed to have a meaningful conversation with the sweet guy who really, really wanted to help me.  However, to get a bus pass, you have to provide a photo.  The only place to get a photo taken is the train station.  Yes, the train station that we were at a few days ago and left by taxi to get to our apartment.  The train station which is too far away to walk.  The train station that you could get to easily, if only you had a bus pass.  It reminds me of one of my kids' favorite books, If You Give a Moose a Muffin.

 

In short, we wanted to accomplish three things today: drop the medical records, change money, and get a bus pass.  After leaving the apartment at 9 a.m. and returning at 5, we accomplished only one of these tasks.  I would throw in some witty Italian phrase here, but I don't know Italian.
I have, however, been very thankful for all my years of Spanish.  When my mother said, "what on earth will you do in life with a degree in Spanish," I assured her that it would come in handy somewhere down the road.  That road led to Italy, and it has, indeed, come in handy.  Not as handy as a bus pass or an open bank would be, but there you have it.

Tomorrow, Anna checks into the hospital.  Pray for us!  Anna is not used to being confined in a small space (her precious teacher asked us, "what on earth will she do all those days?"), and pray for us as we get used to the medical ways in another country.  It is sure to be different!  Pray that we can be a blessing to the other families whose children are also undergoing ABI.  Pray for the financial details to work out.  It's a stretch for us to even be here, so just pray things will work out.   Most of all, we plead with you to pray for protection for Anna and for healing.  Our heart's desire is that this surgery will be more successful than anyone thinks possible and that Anna will shock the socks off everyone.  Yes, I am praying for more than I would dare to ever ask, hope, or imagine.  Would you join me?

Amy

Buon Giorno from Fair Verona

We are in Verona!

I don't know exactly why, but I have had an emotional day.  After yesterday's good news, you would think I would be all confidence.  Today, though, I really had to remind myself that all of this is worth it for Anna to hear.  Part of me just wanted to run away today - to say "Anna is just fine; let's just go home."  I have to continually remind myself that fear runs.  Fear retreats.  And fear is NOT from God.  What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.  It's one of the first scriptures I ever learned, and today I am clinging to it.















While we were waiting for the train, a lady who might have been on the ark with Noah came up to us.  She looked at Anna and looked at me.  I understood the word "bambino."  As I am very used to the question, I didn't need to know Italian to get the gist of it -- yes, she's my bambino; yes, she's adopted.  Then the lady tried to talk to Anna, and I explained in English with some Spanish thrown in for good measure, that Anna is in Italy to have surgery to help her hear.  The lady's eyes filled with tears and she smiled and she hugged Anna and put her hands on Anna's head.  I don't know what she said next, but it felt like a word of blessing to me.  Maybe that lady was there today not just to bless Anna, but to encourage my heart.

The train ride was an easy hour and a half from Milan to Verona.  After my train fiascos in Taiwan and China (too much luggage, too little time!), I was concerned that I would repeat that in Italy.  It was absolutely no problem.  We have a lot of luggage, and you always have to have a hand on Anna because she can't hear a train approaching or cars coming, but my dad and I make a pretty good team.  We got right on the train, all luggage in tow, with no problem and got off the same way.  We easily found a taxi to our apartment and settled in our home away from home for the next several weeks.

Since we will be in Verona so long, it was much more economical and practical for us to let an apartment.  Our apartment is just what you would find in the States - a little dated, maybe, but clean and functional.  It has a bathroom with a tub/shower combo and a kitchen with a refrigerator, oven/stovetop, and microwave. We even have a small washing machine.  I thought there was a dryer, too, but apparently, they meant a hair dryer.  No problemo.  I don't think that's Italian.

While I was unpacking at the apartment, it all hit me -- 6 weeks away, Amelia and Lucy at home, Anna in the hospital.  Today it seemed more than my mother-heart could bear.  And yet, we see the perfect example in Jesus.  He tells us that He will leave the 99 to go after the one lamb who needs Him.  Right now, I am having to leave my two precious girls in the care of the grandma and family and friends and church who love them so that I can tend to my one precious girl who needs me now.  It will be okay.  I trust the one who makes ALL things - even hard things - beautiful in their times.

We ventured out into Verona today in search of a supermarket so we could get a few necessities.  Someone should have told me not to come to Verona on Valentine's weekend.  The place is packed!  Apparently there is some kind of love fest in Verona to celebrate Valentine's.  The lady who rented me the apartment said they had the Romeo & Juliet half-marathon today as well as the national chocolate exhibition.  I did not run the marathon or eat chocolate.

There is one street that we went down that is filled with fancy boutiques.  I saw a coat on sale in a store window - marked down to 5400 Euros - that's around $7,000.  I saw Prada, Gucci, Louis Vitton - all of it.  This is the real stuff, not the stuff you see at the kiosk in the mall.  There are shoe and purse shops on every corner, with wonderful shoes and bags.  I have a couple of friends who will remain nameless on this blog - but you know who you are! - who would have some serious fun in Italy.

As we searched for the supermarket, we came across the Verona colliseum, which we understand is one of the best examples, outside Rome, of the style/architecture of the period.  We walked through several piazzas.  I mistakenly booked our apartment near the wrong hospital (I didn't know there were two hospitals in Verona), so we are in the old downtown part of the city, instead of the more modern outskirts, where our hospital is.  I had already signed the contract, though, and the price was right, so we think once we figure out the bus schedule it will be okay.  That's our plan for tomorrow.

We did find the supermarket, and delightfully, they had my staple: microwave popcorn.  Somehow, I left mine at home.  Hallelujah.  A little gift from above.  The little gifts count.  At the grocery store, another lady - this one who predated Noah's ark - came up and grabbed Anna's face and said "bellissimo!"  She was dressed in all black and even had a little black veil on her head.  She wasn't a nun, though.  She looked like someone in an old movie who was in mourning.  She wanted Anna to talk to her, and when I explained that Anna could not hear her, she bent over even further than she was already bent by age, rubbed Anna's head tenderly.  Again, I don't know what she was thinking or praying in her heart, but it felt like a blessing. 

We ended our day with our first Italian meal in Italy.  Anna LOVED the food.  She ate her pasta (potato gnocchi with cheese sauce - she picked it out from a photo...I think she thought it was potato soup!) and mine (penne with pesto) with a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other.  The waitress was so kind to Anna, and even asked us to please bring her back after her surgery.  We will have to do that, but for now, we have groceries and a kitchen, so we'll be cooking at home.

Enjoy the photos from today, and please continue to keep us all in your prayers.  We have tomorrow to figure out the bus and bank details, and then on Tuesday, Anna is supposed to check into the hospital.  The other parents tell me there is no wi-fi at the hospital, so my updates may be more sporadic, but I will try hard to keep the blog updated daily.

I tried to upload more photos, but I am still having trouble with slow connections.  It took 2 hours just to get two loaded. Sorry, folks, but trust me, there are some cute photos of Anna the Banana-girl in all her Italian glory.

Hugs,
Amy

A big day in Italy!

Oh, friends, what a day we have had in Italy! 

The first and most important item of business today was for us to meet Dr. Vittorio Colletti for the first time.  Dr. Colletti is the world's foremost expert on Auditory Brainstem Implant in children.  I had heard from other parents that he is personable, but he was more than that -- straightforward, not rushed, compassionate, and funny! 

Anna took to him immediately.  He almost instantly said Anna was too smart for his tests -- he was trying to see if she would react to the vibrations of a tuning fork, but Anna anticipated his every move, so he could not see the outcome.  I told him I thought that's how she initially got a diagnosis of "moderate hearing loss" -- she anticipated and reacted so well that the first audiologists thought she had some hearing.  He kept saying, "oh, she will do well....she is so clever!"

He then sat down with me and opened the CT and MRI cds and walked me through Anna's anatomy, showing me specifically where she was completely normal and showing me in other places where she was missing parts.  No doctor had done that yet.  It was so informative and comforting as he showed me where he planned to operate.  He then showed me videos of the surgery -- a normal surgery and one with complications.  He explained that if he opened her up and saw anything whatsoever that caused him concern, he would come talk to me.  He said he would NOT proceed if he saw anything that put Anna's life or longterm health or well-being at risk.

We have always known Anna's age is working against her -- the brain is much more plastic in younger children.  However, Dr. Colletti said he has higher hopes for an older child who is smart, as everyone who meets Anna thinks she is, than for a child who is very young but has cognitive challenges.  He said he would still implant a child with cognitive challenges because they do benefit some, but the greater benefit is in children like Anna who were born with everthing else perfectly fine.

He was very blunt and honest about the horrible things that could happen in brainstem surgery.  I knew all of this from my research, but still, hearing him say it made my heart quiver.  I started to tear up and then he took my face in his hands and he said, "now ask me in how many of my patients any of those things has happened."  So I asked.  He said, "Zero.  None."  He explained that there always could be a first, and he wanted me to be very sure that I understood that this surgery, even though it's the only choice for hearing, is still a choice -- we could walk away and not pursue hearing as an option.  We know that.  We have always known that.  That is part of what has made the decision to pursue an ABI such a difficult one.



Then he said the words that made my heart sing.  "I implanted 10 children last year.  Anna's brain is in better condition than any of them.   She is so smart, I think she will compensate for her age.  Remember, means and medians mean there are some higher and some lower.  I really believe Anna will be a higher."

I left feeling very confident that we are pursuing the right course for Anna and with the right doctor.  We were SO disappointed when we learned Anna could not have her surgery in the United States.  Only later did we really understand that by closing that door, God has directed our path to walk toward the world's most experienced doctor for this procedure.  We also learned that, to some in the know, the device approved in Italy is superior to what will be implanted in the US trial.  In ALL things, we give thanks!  Only now do we really grasp that Anna is getting the best of the best by being forced outside the U.S. to Italy for medical care.

On our way back to the hotel, we wandered on an open-air market.  Oooo, I found it very hard to walk past those beautiful, court-appropriate shoes.  Closed toes, closed heels!  Those can be very hard to find in the U.S. these days....but I kept walking!  We are on an Anna mission, not a shoe mission!















Later in the day, we went to the train station to purchase tickets for our journey to Verona tomorrow. At the platform, a lady stopped me and asked me if my name was Amy.  It turns out this mom, also from the U.S. (New York), is in Italy with her husband and baby, and her baby will also have the ABI done on the same day as Anna.  The baby's name is Diva.    I also know a family from Scotland will be here with their son, Oliver.  When you pray for Anna, please also remember Oliver and Diva and their families. 

Tomorrow, we will take the train to Verona, where we will set up housekeeping in an apartment for the next 6 weeks. From here on out, the going gets tough, but I have all of you standing on the wall for Anna, so I am not afraid (most of the time). 

In fun side news, without realizing it, I booked our hotel in Milan in what must be Milan's version of Chinatown.   Who knew?! We keep seeing Chinese people everywhere we go.  There are Chinese restaurants all around.  Tonight, we found a Taiwanese restaurant for dinner, and Anna ate everything that wasn't nailed down.  She loved the food! I got to share with the owner about my girls.  I love Chinese people.  I love them in China, I love them in the U.S., and now I love them in Italy, too.

I took lots of photos today, but I'm having trouble getting them loaded.  Must be a slow connection tonight!

Ciao from Italy,
Amy

We are in Italy!

Our church family had a special time of prayer for Anna on Wednesday evening.

Aren't we glad that we can carry every last thing - wishes, dreams, joys, hopes, burdens - to the Father in prayer?


Thursday afternoon, we boarded the plane for Italy with peace in our hearts, feeling strengthened and encouraged! Anna was her usual happy, plucky self. She shook hands with the pilots, greeted the guests, and we left people with our blog address in hand because they wanted to know the end of the story.  She became so friendly with each set of pilots, that on our last flight, from Madrid to Milan, she hugged each of them as we boarded and each of them as we left.  One of the pilots said to me, "You are so lucky, she is such a sweet child!"  I don't think he even realized she was deaf.  I wonder if pilots know that sometimes, they carry people to their most important moments in life - births, deaths, weddings, funerals, chance meetings...and in this case, the pilots were carrying Anna onward to her journey toward hearing.  Do they even realize?

 

As for the people who want to know the end of the story, I'm so glad they want to follow along.  As for me, I feel like we already know the end of the story.  God wins, no matter what.  Anna is HIS perfect creation, and her light and joy have already touched more hearts than we can count.

Tomorrow, we meet Dr. Colletti.  Then we head to Verona!

Thank you for continuing to lift us daily, hourly, even moment-by-moment in your prayers!

Amy

PS - my sweet friend Gayly is doing a t-shirt fundraiser for Anna.  If you'd like one of these really cute shirts, order through Gayly's blog.  All proceeds will go toward Anna's surgery fund.  www.quilt-n-mama.blogspot.com  There is nothing in this for Gayly at all - it's just kindness of spirit toward Anna.  Thanks so much, Gayly!

Can you sign Italy?

Just in case you are wondering, the sign for Italy is to make an "I" sign with your pinky finger and to do the sign of the cross on your forehead. Italy usually conjures up images of the Vatican, the Colisseum, vineyards, and pasta. For us, though, Italy means one thing: the chance for Anna to hear. As I mentioned in a previous post, we sent Anna's medical records off for a second opinion. We sent them to House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles, renowned for their expertise in ear conditions. Shortly after we mailed the records, we learned that House had received FDA approval to perform Auditory Brainstem Implants on children (they have been done on adults in the U.S. for years). On Thursday night, January 31, 2013, we received a call from the doctor at House. He said that Anna could not be in their clinical trial because it cut off at age 60 months. Anna was 64 months old. However, the doctor explained that he believed Anna would still be a viable candidate for ABI and said he would forward the information to the doctor/hospital in Italy. The very next day, we heard from the doctor in Italy. They offered to add Anna to their February surgery schedule. Only...the expense! But God is gracious, and through the incredible generosity of His people - some friends and family, some complete strangers- we have the means to make the trip to Italy and for the initial payment on Anna's surgery. In light of the miraculous things taking place, our family decided to say YES. So, on February 14, part of our family will be winging our way to Italy, while the rest of our family stays home. It has always been our hope and prayer that God would move in a supernatural way to heal Anna. An ABI would not have been our first choice - or even our second or third. However, it is Anna's only chance to possibly hear. We believe that only God can give hearing, but we also believe He can choose to work through doctors, science and technology. With hearing comes speech, literacy, and the opportunity to interact more independently in a hearing world. No matter what, Anna will sign. Anna will learn about being Deaf. Anna will thrive. Anna will learn. This choice is simply about giving Anna options and opportunities. As we have learned from the scripture, God choose the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise. We also see in the scripture that God sometimes allows affliction so that His glory would be revealed. We are praying that, through Anna, God will continue to draw people to Himself. We will keep the blog updated as we travel. Please keep us all in your prayers. Amy

Love, Pray, Give...Taiwan Weekend!

As many of you know, Lucy was adopted from Taiwan, where she was in the care of a missionary family who ministers in many ways, including by operating a very active crisis pregnancy center. The Taiwan missionaries were in the USA on furlough, so the families of the children who were adopted through their ministry came together for a weekend of fellowship and celebration with the theme of "Pray, Love, Give." Lucy and I enjoyed meeting the other families and sharing our story. We even got to participate in a cardboard testimony, which was very moving and special. Lucy is a precious gift from the Lord, and we are so thankful for her life!