Well, I stink at blogging on time. The date of this post says 12/02/12, but today is really 03/04/13.
What?
It's just like our kids' life books or scrapbooks. Sometimes, the emotion is so great, you don't have words, so you do nothing. That's what I did for a couple of months. I wrote in my mind, but not on paper or on screen. I've decided to catch up. I'll be back dating posts from December 2 through March to let you know what has transpired. I'm writing for us and I'm writing for those who may wonder if this path is for them. I found an amazing blog when we were first seriously considering foster care, and read the last two year's worth of posts in two days. It made all the difference in the world to me. Maybe I can be here for someone as well.
Here we go ...
Friday, November 30, 2012 – Sunday, December 2, 2012
I was so tired. I had been praying that God would bring us a baby – in some way. Having just fallen asleep, much later than planned, my phone rang. Every time my phone rings, I RAN. Seriously RAN, to the phone. The kids stopped everything and gathered around. I didn’t take a shower without the phone sitting within reach. It was seriously messed up.
This time, it was actually one of the sweetest home supervisors from our agency. To make it short, she wanted us to take a short term placement. S was a 3month old baby, currently in the hospital. A friend of her foster family had fallen while holding her and she was injured. DHS had to investigate before allowing the foster family to take her home. They estimated 1-2 weeks.
Well, it wasn’t a baby for us long term, but I got exactly what I had asked for, didn’t I? Perhaps my prayers should be more specific? I was to work at the hospital the next day, and would then pick her up and bring her home.
As soon as I got to the hospital, I checked in. (One of my patients was in the next room, so they would see me go by anyway. Thought I’d check in first – and off the clock, just to be clear. Don’t want to be seen as robbing my employer). I spent time in the baby’s room with her caseworker, the home supervisor, and agency representative. They said I may not be taking her after all.
[Instant focus on maintaining facial expression.]
I was sad, but tried not to show it. After all, it’s not about me, is it? While seeing my patients, the home supervisor texted me as the plan changed twice more. I was taking her, but it would be called respite, then I wasn’t taking her again, but they would ask the foster family if respite was needed. Next thing I knew, they wanted me to spend the night at the foster family’s house to care for the baby at night and let the foster mom and dad sleep. That was weird for me. Really weird. Just sayin’. Thankfully, I didn’t have to give an answer to that before they changed their minds again. She would be discharged to the original foster family, but they would bring her to us that night for a night of respite, required by the powers that be.
Placement lessons learned from experience #1: Anything and everything can and will change! Prepare your children – and your own heart - with words like “maybe”, and “possibly” when referring to a placement who has yet to step foot in your home.
We had a very fun evening with this sweet one, but she was achy, and we aren’t allowed to give anything for pain without written orders of dose, time, etc. I texted the foster mom and she said the hospital discharge papers said you could give the dose on the box – great we had an order. Wait, she’s too young. The box says ask a physician. The system is frustrating.
Placement lessons learned from experience #2: Ask for specific, written med orders before leaving the hospital every time!.
The next morning, DHS received the physician’s info and decided this was completely an accident and the foster family was at no fault at all. The foster mom RACED over to retrieve her beloved little one, and we were once again four …
What?
It's just like our kids' life books or scrapbooks. Sometimes, the emotion is so great, you don't have words, so you do nothing. That's what I did for a couple of months. I wrote in my mind, but not on paper or on screen. I've decided to catch up. I'll be back dating posts from December 2 through March to let you know what has transpired. I'm writing for us and I'm writing for those who may wonder if this path is for them. I found an amazing blog when we were first seriously considering foster care, and read the last two year's worth of posts in two days. It made all the difference in the world to me. Maybe I can be here for someone as well.
Here we go ...
Friday, November 30, 2012 – Sunday, December 2, 2012
I was so tired. I had been praying that God would bring us a baby – in some way. Having just fallen asleep, much later than planned, my phone rang. Every time my phone rings, I RAN. Seriously RAN, to the phone. The kids stopped everything and gathered around. I didn’t take a shower without the phone sitting within reach. It was seriously messed up.
This time, it was actually one of the sweetest home supervisors from our agency. To make it short, she wanted us to take a short term placement. S was a 3month old baby, currently in the hospital. A friend of her foster family had fallen while holding her and she was injured. DHS had to investigate before allowing the foster family to take her home. They estimated 1-2 weeks.
Well, it wasn’t a baby for us long term, but I got exactly what I had asked for, didn’t I? Perhaps my prayers should be more specific? I was to work at the hospital the next day, and would then pick her up and bring her home.
As soon as I got to the hospital, I checked in. (One of my patients was in the next room, so they would see me go by anyway. Thought I’d check in first – and off the clock, just to be clear. Don’t want to be seen as robbing my employer). I spent time in the baby’s room with her caseworker, the home supervisor, and agency representative. They said I may not be taking her after all.
[Instant focus on maintaining facial expression.]
I was sad, but tried not to show it. After all, it’s not about me, is it? While seeing my patients, the home supervisor texted me as the plan changed twice more. I was taking her, but it would be called respite, then I wasn’t taking her again, but they would ask the foster family if respite was needed. Next thing I knew, they wanted me to spend the night at the foster family’s house to care for the baby at night and let the foster mom and dad sleep. That was weird for me. Really weird. Just sayin’. Thankfully, I didn’t have to give an answer to that before they changed their minds again. She would be discharged to the original foster family, but they would bring her to us that night for a night of respite, required by the powers that be.
Placement lessons learned from experience #1: Anything and everything can and will change! Prepare your children – and your own heart - with words like “maybe”, and “possibly” when referring to a placement who has yet to step foot in your home.
We had a very fun evening with this sweet one, but she was achy, and we aren’t allowed to give anything for pain without written orders of dose, time, etc. I texted the foster mom and she said the hospital discharge papers said you could give the dose on the box – great we had an order. Wait, she’s too young. The box says ask a physician. The system is frustrating.
Placement lessons learned from experience #2: Ask for specific, written med orders before leaving the hospital every time!.
The next morning, DHS received the physician’s info and decided this was completely an accident and the foster family was at no fault at all. The foster mom RACED over to retrieve her beloved little one, and we were once again four …
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