How are you preparing yourselves for potential physical- and mental-health issues your children face or may face once they come home?
Both children are patients of record with the Center for Adoptive Medicine in Seattle. They will both have full assessments when we get home. Given the medical info we came home with, we have an understanding of the full range (least disruptive to most disruptive) of possible medical concerns. For mental health issues, they are losing everything that is familiar – another loss on top of their previous losses of their first or birth mothers, losses that I highly doubt they were every able to grieve. We expect that as soon as they get settled in they start to feel these sorrows and we will help them walk through it. Additionally, as orphanage life is highly regimented, and as there is security in knowing what comes next – especially at a time of such change – we will keep the orphanage schedule and meal patterns for quite awhile.
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2 comments:
Suz:
A cool book I just finished was "Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self" by David Brodzinsky, et al. It goes thru every age stage of an adopted person's life in terms of how the adoption effects/touches on various aspects of their life. The book is very informative (maybe a little dry at times) but true to its desire to explore all types of adoptive people in all stages of their life. I found it life affirming and a true proponent for adoption (unlike the "Twenty Things Adoptees Wished Their Parents Knew", which seemed to focus solely on the disgruntled/disenfranchized children of adoption. I'd be glad to send it to you to read....
Cathy
It sounds like you will do great with your new children. You guys are giving them just what they need already (a good plan)!
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