Hydrotherapy

After his evening nap, John ended up awake and listening to Pimmsleur Russian lessons for an hour and a half last night when he couldn’t get back to sleep. The alarm started going off at 7 AM. I kept hitting the snooze until 7:32. Then I recalled my nightmare. I was drowning in some nasty green water with Dennis on my shoulders. Lucky for me that John was awake because he heard me making sounds of distress and woke me with reassurances: in Russian! “Fsyo kharasho.“ It worked, but I had to check with him in the morning to see if that had just been part of the dream. Same breakfast as yesterday.

Sergei picked us up on the street in front of the Billa. At Daniel’s room they asked us to wait a bit because he was sitting on the toilet. Of course that was fine, and answered a question about whether they were working on this. With the doctor’s permission they even brought a potty chair out to show us what he was using. Pretty conventional potty chair with a low back and handles down by the seat. We will ask Sergei to get his toileting schedule. It’s how they do things here. We didn’t stick to it when we got home with Dennis, and it took a year to gain back the progress. We had a good visit. They invited us to observe his hydrotherapy which took place from 10:00 to 10:40. He loves it, and we loved this inside look into his life and treatment. They rubbed his skin briskly first, to increase circulation, I think, then had him in the large bathtub supported mostly by his head/neck. They had him stretch out his arms and legs, did various things to help him relax, had him reach for floating toys, reach for the textured mats on the end and bottom of the tub with his hands and his feet. We were surprised to see him clearly and deliberately move each leg independently - flexing and extending and in a bicycle motion. This must be almost impossible in the braces he wears during the day, which reach from this waist to beyond his toes.

After the ‘bath’ they dried him, wrapped his lower half in a warmed comforter and massaged his upper body. Then they put a shirt on and massaged his lower body. The work on his feet must be uncomfortable. He fussed and started pulling on his face as he does for us when he is frustrated. We will use the same phrase they use now when we stop that behavior. Overall he loved the entire event, especially his beloved Natalya, “Mama”, whom he recognized in the next room by her footsteps. They let us stay in the adjoining play/therapy room while they worked with another child in the tub. It included a ball pit, and a nice thick rug that he army-crawled across for us - but only once! When both boys were done Natalya put them together in a stroller. When we came to the green corridor where she had found us she took him out for us and he was very, very upset when she left. Although it is hard to see him so sad, it is also very encouraging that he has attached so well to one person. Leaving will be very painful for him, but he will be able to attach again. He let me comfort him and that was good, too. Meanwhile Sergei, while waiting for the director to arrive to provide necessary documentation, obtained all recorded measurements of Daniel as we had asked - copying down more than I had even hoped for. After that he took a child and caregiver to the hospital as a favor to the director.

At lunch time we picked up some more water at the Billa, left that and my carry-all bag at our apartment and headed for the Metro. We needed a new charger for our Ukrainian phone (must have left it on the train, but might find it around here some day). You just never know what you will find in the kiosks underground at the Metro. Into a tiny, 3X5’ booth John handed his phone through the small window. He showed them a charger from a different phone, and the gentleman inside not only had what we needed, he also plugged it into the phone and to an outlet to demonstrate that it was working. That’s another thing we like about shopping in Ukraine, they always prove that the appliances are working when you buy them. Less than four dollars later we were all set. They are also eager to accommodate our lack of English.

It was a nostalgic ride back to the Metro station we always used during the previous adoption. We ate at the Ukrainian cafeteria below the department store, then went upstairs to see what had changed. One half of the first floor now had displays of very modern (western?) kitchens: counters, sinks, appliances. The electronics store on the other side was much smaller. Up on the second floor they now had small needlework shop at one end. We bought embroidery floss so I can mend John’s blue sweater. The proprietor was busy knitting some article of clothing. She had a selection of yarns, knitting needles, crochet hooks and cross-stitch kits. A very cute cross-stitch picture of a wooly sheep sitting up and knitting away was on display. The other half of the second floor used to be several clothing stores, including one for children, but this was all one big furniture store. I was a little disappointed until we went back outside to check out the store on the other side of McDonald’s parking lot. The pictures outside made it look like a children’s store, but I couldn’t believe this huge, five-story building was all for children’s supplies - until we got inside. It was like a mega ToysRUs (and priced similarly). We will need a good stroller with a five-point harness for John to bring Daniel home through airports, etc. Most of their strollers were of the luxury type and cost in the vicinity of $300. They did have a couple that looked suitable and collapsible for around $80. For now we’ll keep looking and perhaps find something used at the indoor flea market. We did purchase a simple coloring book, some crayons and a couple of board books for Nick and Dennis as well as Daniel. Then it was back to our apartment for a rest (me), to check work e-mail (John) and call the boys (we wait until 7 AM their time). Nick is battling the same cold Dennis had when we left. He is quite pleased to need cough medicine. They are doing great overall, and enjoying Ben’s break from classes since it meant a trip to Medieval Times on Monday (Dennis now plans to be a knight when he grows up), and a 3-D Imax movie about undersea animals yesterday.

When we went back for our afternoon visit they had us wait while he finished a snack. The caregiver asked us if we feed him when visiting. We had only given him about a third of a chocolate cookie (and some juice). They said he refused his bread rolls, and she laughed and said maybe he was expecting cookies. She asked that we not feed him after 5:30 so he would be hungry for his supper. Of course we heartily agreed. This morning’s paperwork was supposed to be ready when Sergei returned with us at 4 PM but it still needed the director’s signature and seal and (of course) he had to wait for her to return, again. Thankfully the inspector had agreed to wait for him to deliver these papers. She did and said she will have them ready tomorrow. Then they need to go to Kyiv for processing. Hopefully we will be able to get a court date next week.

As far as visiting Daniel, he wouldn’t even attempt to walk for us today, but we put him through the motions a few times. He kept asking for things from my carry-all “dai, dai, dai” until he finally got the plastic Ziploc bag he was looking for. We told him up front if he tried to eat it we would take it away: “Ne kushi, illi paca bag”. Whether he learned his lesson last time and/or understood us this time, it wasn’t a problem today. He likes to put al of the wooden puzzle pieces inside and shake them down. We made him alternate right and left hands. He didn’t like it, but he could and did do it. He also tried out the crayons, but was somewhat more interested in dumping them all out than in coloring or drawing. Based on the way he held the crayons it might have been his first attempt at coloring.

Three other adoptive families, all Russian-speaking, were also visiting their children in the long green corridor this evening. One woman had twin girls who were quite interested in Daniel, bit did listen when the mama called them back to ‘their’ couch. Everyone else left around 6 PM. We kept going until 6:30, but we finished early too because he seemed tired. It feels like long therapy sessions to us. Four-plus hours in a day would tire anyone.

Sergei planned to drive us home, but then had to call back and say he was caught behind 5 - 10 cars stuck on the alley that turns off the road toward the orphanage. He himself had gotten stuck for the very first time ever when he pulled to the side to let someone through in the same area earlier today. It is uncommon to travel with a shovel in the trunk, but he was happy to be unusual today. Back home we weren’t hungry, so supper was cheese and nuts again (and a FiberPlus Antioxidant bar for me). John’s holding out against an evening nap better tonight - even plans to start a load of laundry while I get this posted. By the way, we have a good Internet connection (just have to take turns) so I am able to answer e-mails pretty easily.
P.S. Their affectionate name for him is 'Danetchka', emphasis on the first syllable.