I’ve never been asked before where my gallbladder is but today I was. There are a number of (and I think silly) medical tests to be done in order to get a work visa in China. Because I am the spouse of someone working in China I had to have the same tests done as Mark. His were done in the states and I have a feeling he should’ve waited. I think the tests here were minor compared to those he had done back home. I couldn’t do mine in WA because I’d had surgery and couldn’t get out. The only inconvenience of having them done here in Beijing is that Miles has pneumonia and I have bronchitis and the drive was 1 1/2 hrs away from our hotel. That was a long drive, plus it snowed and it’s cold and cold on the lungs.
The tests involved blood drawn,eye exam(which wasn’t even as thorough as an elementary school eye test), they checked my ears and my mouth. I had an X-ray done with my coat still on (odd), and also an ultrasound done, oh and an EKG (where the nurse almost yanked my shirt up over my head! The funniest part was the nurse that kept rolling the ultrasound thing over my lower right side. She called in my translator who asked me if I knew where my gallbladder was? I was so confused at first then it dawned on me she couldn’t see my gallbladder. I had it taken out after Kiah was born, 18 yrs ago! Too funny, like I’d lost it between WA and Beijing! It took 19 minutes and then Miles and I got back in the car with the driver (Mr.Wang who is so kind, doesn’t speak English but can read it, so I text him if I need to say something to him) and headed back to the hotel.
When I got back Sofia called from school having a hard time breathing. I guess having lived in a state with pristine air is getting to all of us. The school nurse asked Sofia where we moved from, when she told her Washington, she said “no wonder you are having a hard time breathing here”. We are spoiled in WA. You never know how good you have it until you leave! Oh, I saw the Bird’s nest today! I pointed it out to Miles as we drove by, but he never really watched the olympics with us and could’ve cared less. Even from the freeway it’s very impressive! Hope this finds you all well.
this is soo cute! i love how you are doing a blog! i feel like your not as far! and i totally laughed hhaha love ya guys!
I hope ya all get over the sickness. Your body will eventually adjust to the pollution, mine did in Moscow. WA does spoil us for the rest of the world. When I had my Xray in Germany they just had you follow the yellow line down a hall, topless no less. I felt especially sensitive to my 18 year old daughter. We both had done the whole medical thing in the states but Germany made us do it all over again. Russia could have cared less. HUGS and a SMILE 🙂
hope you feel better in no time
I remember my grandmother & mother telling me about how they’d walk to school and their white school uniform dresses would be gray/black from the pollution that used to exist in Pittsburgh, I an certainly thankful that the skies are no longer black at the noon-time hour like they once were in the ‘burgh
Laughing about texting your driver. Not laughing about the breathing/pneumonia/bronchitis. Yikes. Happy y’all landed safely and are, for the most part, doing well.
Gallbladder? Hmm. Must have been stolen by aliens!
I might see some light at the end of the tunnel!
Oops that was really me, Stacey that said that.