Braces, Teeth and Tears

Well Friday was a L.O.N.G. day.  We started out driving to Des Moines to find out if Maria needs new braces.  Yes, she does...AFO and KAFO (not cheap at all).  But she does really need them and soon.  Her current braces are at least 2 1/2-3 years old.  Manuela told me this on Saturday morning when we were on Skype.  She was so sweet about it saying that they wanted to apologize that they didn't send her with newer braces.  After getting her legs cast we ran to the shoe store to find some shoes for her.  One shoe has to be built up so that it makes her right leg longer.  This will cost about $50 per shoes to do...not that big of a deal.  Then had to drop the shoes back off at the office so that they could be done in time for school.  Will be calling Shriner's tomorrow to see if there is anyway they can consult on the braces and save me some out of pocket expenses....if not we will get these done right before school starts

Took us a while to get out of Des Moines and find a place to eat.  Then we headed to the CDD (Center for Disabilities and Development) in Iowa City to see a pediatric dentist.  The CDD is great it is completely for kids who have any kind of disability or developmental issues.  They were really great.  The staff know how to work with kids who have different needs.  Now, Maria had been talking about the dentist all week, so I didn't think going was going to be an issue.  After all the poking and prodding she has been through....um think again.  Got her to the room where the dentist and his assistant could count her teeth....once she was lying back she started crying, wouldn't open her mouth, was so very upset!  Finally they kind of got her teeth counted, they even pulled up google translate to let her know what they wanted her to do (which did help some).  Got her to brush her teeth and she did let him check to see how clean she brushed them.  He was able to do a little scraping/cleaning on the teeth and paint the teeth vitamins on the teeth.  She was fine when we left until about half way home and she looked at me and said "dentist?"  I told her we had been to the dentist and that she was crying there so the dentist didn't do much.  This made her start to cry again....why, because she knows she has teeth that need to be pulled and she wanted them pulled.  So, here is the issue.  Maria has several baby teeth that are loose and need to come out...the other teeth are already in.  Because of her reaction the dentist is recommending that she be given a sedative and that they do the work all at one time.  I know that they need to come out and we are working on them together.  She has said she wants me to pull them out verse the dentist (which I think is great, she trusts me more than some stranger).  We have gotten about 2 full teeth and 2 partial teeth out...basically the centers of the teeth are hallow and they are breaking (which can't feel good).  She still has a lot of fear about it hurting. We did talk to my Bulgarian friend about it and she was able to help Maria know that the teeth will be taken care of and it will only hurt a little.  Manuela was able to explain things a little better to me.  She said that Maria has had so much pain with her surgeries over the years that she has a very high fear of being in pain.  Which makes total sense.  So, we are trying to deal with it together and help ease her fears.

The other morning I opened an email from the head of a NGO in Bulgaria who has been helping me figure out Maria's best friend Z's waiting child number.  Well....I knew she had  found his number and we had been discussing how to find Z a family.  Well...the email said that one of her partner agencies in the USA has a family who is interested in adopting a boy that almost fits Z 100%!  Seriously, I just started crying, tears of joy!  She asked if the family can contact me since I have met Z.  I said YES, of course.  I want to see this boy with a family!  Now here is the funny thing....my friend who went on trip 1 with me and got to meet Maria and Z....she and her husband are using the same US agency as this family!  What are the chances?!?  So, hopefully Z will soon have a family fighting for him to come home.  I also hope that Maria and Z will be able to meet again one day and renew their friendship.