Going it alone

I've written much about the places we've been to since arriving in the US but little else about how we are adjusting to our new life. It's been quite challenging being on our own with no help and it is amazing how time flies. During the day, I am busy minding Kieran, cooking and doing some housework while David is at school. Even when he is back, hubby is loaded with assignments and readings, which keeps him very busy. If not, he is helping to do the laundry, vacuuming the floor or keeping an eye on Kieran.

We were sorely tested this week after I developed a tooth/gum ache following the road trip to Monterey and Carmel. The ache would not go away after a few days and I decided to go about seeing a dentist because I was due to do some freelance work for my company, and I was concerned that it was not an indication of something more serious. Well, going to the dentist is not so simple in the US. Without a car (we had decided not to buy one), I had to locate a dentist relatively near me who did not charge an arm or leg for consultation. We had purchased the university medical insurance but it did not cover dental treatment and there was no dentist on campus. When I eventually found one that offered discounts to spouses of Stanford students, I had to walk 40 minutes under the blazing hot sun to get to the dentist. After waiting nervously following an X-ray, the dentist pronounced that she could see no infection, and I was to wait it out a couple more days to see how things go. That was it. She gave me some dental floss and sent me home.

A few days, we discovered that Kieran had developed a bout of skin rashes that appeared to be spreading and after locating a pediatrician online with the help of our insurer, we had to register and make an appointment before we could go down. In the US, it is really troublesome to be without insurance coverage because you can't simply walk into a clinic, take a number and expect to see a doctor the same day. Turns out Kieran had developed eczema likely due to the relocation and drier weather here, and he was given some creams to soothe the itch.

So it was quite a major adjustment so accustomed were we to the efficiency and convenience of living in Singapore. And trying to sooth a crankly toddler while suffering a tooth/gum ache was frankly exhausting. Kieran kept us up late into the night and with little rest, he lost his temper and so did we. With our parents and in laws being so faraway, there was no one to turn to for advice or support, which certainly kept the mood in the house gloomy for most of the week.

After getting the medication for Kieran and having flossed religiously and taken several salt rinses, I am hopeful that my boy and I are on the road to recovery and a better state of mind.