The Best of Intentions

I really want to write on this blog more frequently.  There is a lot to say about living in a foreign country.  I want to write about pregnancy, parenting, food, food and food.  Oh, and of course I want to write about the Japanese culture, the sights we see, and day to day life. 

I have the desire, the intentions, and am just lacking the consistency.  I need to make this a priority by designating some time for it. 

Pregnant in Japan: denial and the test

That ain't no etch-a-sketch.  This is one doodle that can't be undid, homeskillet. 

--from the movie Juno

"That smell is going to make me sick, " I nonchalantly commented to my running partner as we jogged our route around the island.  Inquisitively she looked at me and asked, "Are you pregnant?"  I let out a nice laugh thinking about my  just turned 12 month old little boy.  How could I be pregnant when I still have a baby?  It was just those disgusting odors from the surrounding plants that were getting to me.  That's all. 

Within a couple of days, extreme hip pain led to a running hiatus.  I remarked numerous times that the last time my hip hurt so badly was during pregnancy.  Friends responded with more inquisitive looks, while I responded with nervous laughter. 

That nagging feeling of the possibility started to chisel through my denial and I finally headed off to what we expats call  "Wal-greens" to pick up a pregnancy test.   Finding the test was relatively simple.  It was not a brand I recognized, but the packaging offered enough clues as to what it was.  My only concern was that I was buying an ovulation kit rather than a pregnancy test.  I came home, took the test, and sat it on the bathroom counter.  I eventually wandered back into the bathroom to take a look. 

What stared back at me may as well have been in Japanese given my response.  There were 2 very, very faint lines.   The lines were so faint in fact, I convinced myself the test was defective and shoved it into a drawer.  I mentioned the faint lines to a few friends via email, and I think I mentioned it in passing to my husband, but seriously my head was in the clouds.  I acted like that pee stick shoved in the drawer was a leprechaun, myth not to be taking as reality.  

At the urging of my screaming hip, I planned a trip to the orthopedist.  In preparation, I set out to determine whether or not I was really pregnant. Actually, I should say I set out to determine I was not pregnant, because OF COURSE I was not pregnant.   I headed back to Wal-greens. I felt like a teenager terrified of running into one of my many neighbors.  I felt silly pushing a baby and sheepishly purchasing a pregnant test (actually 2 boxes with 2 tests in each).  I am not sure why I was so self-conscious.  

I repeated the bathroom drill.  This time the two lines were not so faint.  All four tests taken.  All four tests positive.  Or were they?   I convinced myself that perhaps what I thought was the sign for positive was really, in Japan, the sign for negative.  You know, kind of like how they drive on a different side of the road.  All of those tests were quickly deposited in the drawer with the first test. 

The next day I went back to the store, picked up a test, and decided to check with the pharmacist on the directions.  With some nice charades,  I was instructed as to what was the sign for pregnant and the sign for not pregnant.  My different side of the road theory was blown.  Back at home I took the final two tests with both coming back very quickly as positive. So quickly, in fact, it was as if they were YELLING at me to get a clue. 

At some point, soon after the half dozen or so tests, I shared the news with the hubby, friends, and family.  Let the having a baby in a foreign country games begin!   

More to come on finding a doctor, the first few visits, weight management (as my midwife so sweetly termed it).  I am now thrilled that in 16 weeks we will be adding to our family.  The denial is long gone and the joy abundant. 

good morning

hi there. 

not so normal

As if moving to Japan is not exciting enough, our family has thrown in a little health drama.  I believe that all will be well and life will resume to the usual abnormality rather than the extraordinary abnormality.  

My husband developed pneumonia and after a series of doctor's visits and tests, the consulting doctor in the United States decided to send him to an international hospital in Korea.  It is difficult to know whether or not this is normal in Japan or if this is specific to our situation and expat status.  

Of course navigating any medical system is interesting to say the least, so you can imagine that navigating a foreign system is fraught with challenges.  Of course, the normal language barriers come into play complicating otherwise easy tasks.  This occurs mostly with support staff, nurses, and pharmacies as the doctors we consulted have a decent command of the English language. A very frustrating element we encountered is that time seems to function quite differently in Japan.  I do not know how to explain this or even if it will be an accurate description, but it is my description.   Things are s-l-o-w.  I hear many people talk about the slowness in a variety of areas, but in our situation the slowness relates to getting tests completed and test results processed.  

On an up note the cost of all that was done in Japan was incredibly reasonable.  We have health insurance but had to pay for all services up front and wait for reimbursement.  A series of tests and consultation with a specialist cost only approximately 350 American dollars.   In the states it would have been thousands.  

Psychologically the health problems are adding stress to an already stressful situation.  Moving to another country, making a home, going through the culture shock is taxing in itself.  The addition of this complication is weighing heavy.  Hopefully a resolution is around the corner. 

Sorry it has been a while since I posted but such is life. I assume from time to time this blog will get neglected.  

full of beans

I went to the local Babies R' Us for some fun stuff for the baby boy.  I was eager to find a tunnel for him to crawl through and Babies R' Us did not let me down.  I found a cute little red one with some cartoon characters on it that I did not recognize.  

After I got it back to the apartment a friend looked at it and told me that the character was famous in Japan.  She also said he was a character who has a head full of bean paste.  Wa wa what? 

I looked it up and found that it is Anpanman.  You can check him out here.  I thought it was pretty weird but then started thinking about Sponge Bob Square Pants. I mean, how well does that translate?  

last night's sunset

fer-e-ner

Next time you go to the grocery store and are at the dairy section check out all the different milk. There is skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk, whole milk, buttermilk, that coffee mate creamer stuff, half and half, rice milk, soy milk, whipping cream...it is all there.  It is quite easy to take for granted that you know what it all is. 

My biggest grocery store dilemma so far is the milk aisle.  Imagine all of the above listed milks with Japanese labels, like here.  I have the most difficult time figuring out how to buy skim milk. I had a little tutorial today with a friend. She showed me that on the back you can read these percentage points that say, for example, 1.5% may be listed on the back and that is the closest to skim I have gotten. 

In addition, some of the milk here will say 70% or some other number indicating it is milk and something else.  Something else being ??? soy milk I guess.  Don't know.  

So, next time you are at the store appreciate your ability to speak the language. And next time you see a fer-e-ner realize how exhausting just buying milk is