Minor Setback?

Just when we thought we were almost finished with all of the medical screening, paperwork, and applications for various IDs....Friday happens.

First, we were all up and on base by 7:00 to personally hand in our government passport applications. That went well enough, although thanks to missing the bus stop and having to sit with Landon at the school until the bell rang, Emily was late for work.

The next hurdle for Friday was Emily's immunizations. Getting the shot record from our old civilian provider's office in NC was a nightmare....we had been trying since Wednesday with no results. Finally, it came through with 30 minutes until Emily's next patient was scheduled to arrive. Thirty minutes, two frantic drives through traffic, and one pissed-off sailor in the waiting area later, Emily made it to work just ahead of her patient after deferring the one vaccine "recommended but not required."

Then came Emily's medical screening appointment after work. Where she did not do so well on a breathing test.....so now will be scheduling an appointment with a pulmonary specialist. If the issue is asthma, which the PCP believes it is, we have to determine whether the naval hospital in Sigonella has adequate resources for dealing with any possible problems related to asthma. So we are not quite done with all the screening processes yet.

At least Billy and Emily have done a few more lessons on Rosetta Stone, and can now talk about food, eating and drinking, and riding horses....

Getting things done, sort of...

The Navy is definitely not making it easy to get everything together within time limits. But we are getting there.

Yesterday, Emily actually had a short day at work, going in late and getting off early. Perfect time to check off a few more items on the list, or so we thought. Unfortunately, the dental clinic was only offering a one-hour time slot for overseas screening. In the middle of the workday. And the immunization clinic wouldn't administer any shots without a hard copy of the shot record. So, Emily's PPD was the only thing to get done. When we found out the afternoon would be free, everyone rushed around to get on base before 4:00 to hand in visa applications, because we all have to be present and that just does not happen on command with a family of four including two full-time working parents. Of course, the woman we needed to see left for the day 45 minutes earlier than closing time. So we went home and filled out forms in everyone's dental records. At 5:30, Emily realized she could at least go get copies of her and Landon's X-rays from the civilian dentist. Which closed at 6:00.... She made it to the door at 5:59 and got the X-rays.

Today, we were all up at 4:30 to get to Norfolk's dental clinic with hopes of being seen on a walk-in basis and somehow get everyone to school and work on time. It miraculously worked out, with minutes to spare. So now dental screening is done. We also found out today that we all have to come in for a face-to-face screening as well. How that is going to happen, we have absolutely no idea. Tomorrow, we will all get up early again and be on base by 7:15. Hopefully by 8:00 our applications will be in for visas and government passports.

We all cannot wait for the next week to be over, and all of this taken care of! An overseas PCS is a ton of work, even with more than 2 weeks notice to complete everything!