Check ups

I have spent the last two afternoons at two different hospitals getting check ups- one for me and one for Bennett. The exciting news from Bennett's one month check up is that he weighs 10 lbs 1 ounce at one month! After Austin was so slow to put on weight gain, I have been nervous about Bennett's weight gain, wondering if my milk was enough etc. So I was very glad to hear he has gained 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) in a month - the doctor usually would like to see them gain at least a little over one pound. I can relax more now when he has a bad feeding or two.

My visit to the hospital (here all doctor visits are done at the hospital, so when you say you went to the hospital it usually means for a doctor visit, not being admitted) was to check my pacemaker. While Bennett went to the western-style international hospital for his check up, I went to a local Chinese hospital to get my pacemaker checked. It is always an experience visiting a Chinese hospital. Mostly, you wait in a lot of lines. And I had to take Bennett with me, because we also had to get Bennett's visa by today so Chris took Austin and took care of that.

So first you wait in a line on the first floor to register. Then I proceeded up to the third floor to the pacemaker room, but was told I needed to go to patient room #5 to check in. When I found that room, there were about 20 other elderly Chinese people (plus someone to accompany them) waiting. Sigh. Finally the guy checking people in noticed me and told me I had not registered correctly ( I had registered for a "regular" visit but needed to specifically register for pacemaker check). So he sent me downstairs with a little piece of paper to re-register. After doing that I headed back upstairs, waited a little while and was finally told I could go get my pacemaker checked.

I went to that room, gave them my name and information and waited again behind several gray-haired patients. Meanwhile, everyone is amazed that I had brought my (one-month, I mean almost one-month old) child with me. Fortunately, Bennett again slept the entire time. Finally it is my turn. I had been wondering what I would do with Bennett (I had brought him in the sling), but that proved to be easy. A girl ( I never figured out if she worked there or was waiting for someone) immediately offered to hold him. I go lay down on the table and wait for them to check me. While I am waiting the pacemaker technician ( and about everyone else in the room) are over looking at Bennett. So here I am laying on the table and the technician pulls out his cell phone and asks if he can take a picture of Bennett with it. Well, why not? I have already waited this long. It was comical really. Finally he comes over and checks me- everything looked fine. They estimate I have another 18 months on this battery.

Then I had to go back to the check in room with the results so the doctor could look at them and make any recommendations- which was - come back in 6 months. Finally, three hours later I was free to go. The upside of Chinese hospitals? The entire thing cost about $6. Yes, six U.S. dollars ( no Blue Cross used here, that is the full price). While it was time consuming and not efficient, it is still decent care (they use the same machine as MCV in Richmond) at a very affordable price. Also, the doctor had textbooks on his shelf written by Dr. Ken Ellenbogen- my cardiologist in Richmond.

So, that has been the past two days. Hopefully no more hospitals for awhile.