DGM and Doctor's Appointments

Today, 'E' (from our attorney's office) came by to take us to the DGM (Directorate of Migration) to drop off our passports, including Kade's.  This is so the DGM can start the exit letter process.  We need an exit letter from this government agency in order for Kade to leave DRC.  We were told by our agency that this process would take approximately 10 days (in actuality it ended up taking 15 business days).  
We first make a stop at the US Embassy because we were made aware by our attorney that the medical exam for Kade's visa (to enter the US) is set to expire at the end of July and the US Embassy will likely need us to renew the medical for his visa.
We enter the US Embassy and they have these small rooms you go into where the US official is behind glass.  Kade freaked out!  He thought the small room was a doctor's office, little did he know that we would be visiting the doctor that afternoon.  The US Embassy recommended getting another medical done on Kade so his visa could be updated.  If his medical expired and we left DRC to enter the US, US immigration could deny our entry because of his expired medical on his visa. The US Embassy only works with a few medical offices in DRC for the official medical exam, so we will have to make an appointment for another day to see another doctor for his medical visa.

After the US Embassy, we made our way to the DGM to drop off our passports.  We enter a small room (maybe an 8x8 room) at the DGM filled with about 5 people sitting at desks with paperwork piled  about 6 inches to a foot high on each desk.  One of the women sitting in the office (but not behind a desk, not exactly sure who she was) takes Kade from me and holds him close to her and starts speaking Lingala to him.  It took all that was in me not to grab him right back out of her arms asking her just who did she think she was?  But instead I stood there politely while she cooed at my son.  She started talking to some of the people behind the desks asking them questions about my husband and I.  The people behind the desk starting translating this lady's questions to us:
"She wants to know why you are adopting from here"
"Were there not any kids in the US?"
"How much Lingala do you know?"
"Are you going to bring him back to DRC?"
"Would you sponsor me to come to the US?"
"Why isn't a Congolese family adopting this boy?"
It was SO awkward and her questions were so rude.  'E' from our attorney's office had just walked back in from making photocopies of our passports and heard her questions.  He told this woman in Lingala that "No Congolese people came forward to adopt this little boy and that this family flew across the world to adopt this little boy".  GO 'E'!! At this point I reached out for Kade to come back into my arms, I was done being questioned by this woman who didn't even work in this office.
Another woman who was standing there and heard all of this, grabbed Dean at the back of his elbow and told him, "Listen to me, this boy will go far in life".  Dean told her he agreed and she grabbed his arm even harder making sure he was looking her in her eyes and said "No, I don't think you understand, this boy will go very far in life".  It was so powerful and the conviction in her voice made us realize even more that Kade really was a special little boy and God has major plans for his life.

Finally, after the DGM we went to the doctor's office to have them look into Kade's raspy breathing and horrible cough.  The medical office by Western standards would make you cringe.  Dirt, grime, bugs, blood splattered everywhere.  I wanted to douse the entire place in bleach.  Kade was familiar with the office though, he knew the little elephant toy in the waiting room and immediately went for it.  The little elephant brought him such joy (I just had to tell myself not to focus on the germs and grime that were on the toy!).

Kade was very upset once we were called into the doctor's office, he knew right then that he wanted nothing to do with this place.  Then they had to draw blood to test for malaria and check to see if he had bronchitis. Understandably, he was terrified when they went to draw his blood.  I did my best to consul him.  The nurses there had no bed side manner, they don't sugar coat what they are doing they just took the needle and jabbed it into his hand.  The tests came back that he was positive for malaria and had bronchitis and a lung infection.  They wrote out a prescription for 6 different medications and then they told us that he would need to come in for breathing treatments 2 times that week and would need injections 3 days in a row.  Poor guy!  My heart was breaking for him, he was terrified of the doctors and nurses, I wanted to take his place so he wouldn't have to go through this.  They gave him the first round of injections before we left and left the catheter in his hand in place so they could complete the next 2 days of injections.  Kade was so worn out after his appointment, we went back to the guest house had dinner and called it a night.

Notice Kade's left hand, they left the catheder in place for the next two rounds of injections