Life-Study

Finally! Getting this blog started has been on my to-do list for a month, but between work, adoption paper work and life, it has been hard to find the time when I am mentally alert to do it. I have never had a blog before so I don't really know how it will go, but I am excited about keeping everyone updated on the adoption progress and to share my experiences along the way.

My writing, these days, is almost exclusively in the format of medical notes. It is all short-hand and without regard for grammar rules nor appropriate punctuation. It also severely lacks creativity and it usually looks something like this:
"46 yo M with PMHx of CAD, HTN, DMII admitted from ED after HSMVC and sustained T11 burst fracture. Underwent T10-T12 PSIF..."
Anyway, what I am saying is that I will do my best not make my blog sound like a medical record, but I am not promising anything.

If there is anything true about adopting is that there really are mounds of paperwork. Mounds. I know at some point the paperwork will fizzle out and then all I will be left with is waiting, so when I get home from work and look at those mounds of paper I try to be grateful that at least for now I have something to do. It at least makes me feel like progress is being made and that things are getting done. But really, I am sick of paperwork.

Most of the paperwork right now is for my home study. I find that name very misleading, by the way, it should be called life-study. The actual approving of the physical home seems to be a very small part in the whole process--I have to get criminal background checks in every state I've lived in since the age of 18, give my employment history and financial statements, have medical evaluation, etc. The part taking the longest for me to complete is the autobiography: it is an 18 page document with question after question about your childhood and life as a whole. One question I recently found interesting to reflect on was "At what age did you consider yourself an adult? Did your parent's agree with you?" I claimed I was in college when it happened and was a gradual process as I became more mature in different areas of my life.

On Friday I am meeting for the first time with the social worker who is conducting my life-study. We will have a total of 3 meetings, so I am excited and nervous about getting this first one done. I feel very much like I am preparing for a job interview: I have my notes and research ready as well as some well selected sophisticated questions to ask. If there are any of you who have gone through this process already and have any tips or recommendations, I am ready to listen.

I will let you know how the first meeting goes. I hope you all have a wonderful week. If you are interested in learning more about the DRC a young student submitted this video which is pretty short but has a lot of information. Here is another one that is 25 min so if you have more time, I would recommend it too.