In-country Post # 2: Illnesses

The past few days have not been that great.  David is sick with a horrible sinus infection.  His head and face are hurting pretty bad.  He went on the internet yesterday and put "antibiotic" in Google Translate to find the Ukrainian word for it.  This language kills us because they do not use standard letters in their alphabet.  Their alphabet consists of symbols and a few backward English letters.  So, there is no way we can even attempt to get a message across!

Anyway, he wrote (actually drew) out the Ukrainian word for "antibiotic."  Then after last night's visit with the children, we walked to the store to buy a few groceries and to go to the drug store that is in the market area.  He showed the clerk his "artwork" and she gave him a box.  In her broken English, she told him to take one pill each day for the next three days.  The antibiotic that she gave him is equivalent to the Z-pack back home.  The pills are HUGE, though!

I woke up feeling a little bad this morning, but I honestly think it is because I am so exhausted.  Our days and nights are still messed up and we've been here almost a week.  Plus, when we do go to bed, I end up tossing and turning most of the night.  If I do end up drifting to sleep, I have really weird dreams that do not allow for a restful sleep.  I did get my flu shot before I left, so I should be protected on that end.

Our sweet precious baby girl is really sick, though.  When we went for yesterday's afternoon visit, Maclayne was burning up with fever.  The caregivers communicated in broken English and charades that she had a very bad cold.  Understandably, they wouldn't let me take her out of the groupa room.  So, David took the boys outside (it was really sunny yesterday, but pretty chilly) to play and I stayed with Maclayne.  It is so pitiful to see my daughter looking and feeling that way.  I wanted so badly to take her with me when visiting hours were over.  She needed more than an hour's worth of loving from her mother.

While I was with her, the nurse came in and gave her a shot; we assume it was an antibiotic shot.  She also gave Maclayne a dosage of oral medicine to bring her fever down.  The caregiver who took Maclayne from my arms to hold her down while the nurse visited was not the most gentle.  Suffice it to say, my baby was screaming not only because of the shot, but also from the manner in which she was being handled by the caregiver.  It took every ounce of my being not to say anything.  We cannot afford to rock the boat and jeopardize our adoptions. 

I just kept praying for Maclayne and reminding myself that in only six more days, we will get to liberate her and the boys from the orphanage to start their new lives with their family.  I also must remember (constantly) that God has held her from the moment she was born and has blessed her with a strong will to live and a fighting spirit to endure whatever is thrown at her.  She will always be my hero.

This morning's visit was worse than yesterday's, but I honestly cannot say anything about it now.  I'm pretty emotional just writing the paragraphs above.  I will write an update tomorrow to give account of what happened today.  In the meantime, please pray for our beautiful tiny Maclayne Faith. Please ask God to heal her quickly and to endure the few reaming days in the orphanage.

Maclayne the afternoon before she got so sick