Medicaved - what?

Recently, I took the most unusual trip. I was medivaced, evacuated due to medical reasons, because my daughter broke her arm (for the second time in three months) and unfortunately the medical care she received in Nigeria made the situation worse. So, six hours after we saw her x-rays we were on the KLM flight out of Lagos.

Now, in general I consider myself a “go with it and deal” kind of person. But even for me, this was a crazy trip. And not even the technicalities… my boss, being the amazing guy that he is, took care of the flights, the ride to the airport…everything. And because I decided to fly “home” instead of Paris, France my grandma was even there to pick us up at the airport. So, that stuff was all taken care of.

BUT, the idea that you are flying to a place that is almost 12, 000 miles away because your daughter’s arm is just not right (quote from her Nigerian doctor) is mind blowing. As a parent, you are just trying to do risk management. You are always doing risk management. The kids are having a great time jumping on the bed… how long until you tell them to stop? How long until you MAKE them stop? So, I was glad to be able to do what I thought was right and take her to her US doctor.

We did countless x-rays and even a few voodoo dances (and a prayer or two from my mom in Brazil) and we learned that no, we do not need surgery. Yipee!! Just a new “set” and a new cast and um…THREE WEEKS in the States! I know this does not seem like a big deal to most of you… but people… I have not been in the USA in October for 8 years! I have a full time job! I have students and not to mention the rest of my family back in Lagos! This is nuts! Three weeks in the USA just “hanging out” during the school year! What???

So I did what every girl in this situation does… call for reinforcements! Within 36 hours my sister had flown up from Miami. We had made a plan to help me cope and it involved a lot of time at the Portland Children’s museum, a trip to the AMAZING Beaverton Library (Nai’a could not believe we get to use all these books for FREE!), a fortune worth Crayola art supplies, a Portland city Hiking map, and let’s not lie…a bottle or two of wine. So, here I am in the USA. God Bless America (and On Demand TV).

To be continued….