False Alarm!

What a week this has been! Last Thursday the girls had their physical. I asked that they be retested for HIV and Hep B just to confirm the negative status. They had tested negative in Ethiopia so I wasn't worried. Jared's test continued to be negative. I had to come back this week for TB test etc. The Dr. brings us into the room and tells me.."well we have some really interesting stuff to discuss". I am thinking "okay....get to it." She tells me the girls are HIV negative but the tests show them positive to HEp B....I said "what? how can that happen?" It is a sexually transmitted or blood born virus. You can get it through scabs and sores too..there was chicken pox and impetigo at the orphanage.. THe girls were negative on 12/6/06....So, she says it could be acute which means they have it now or it could turn chronic which could mean liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver potentially. She says they probably were infected at the orphanage. In either case she says she needs a few days and we will discuss after they do more tests on the samples. This is all not making sense to me...but Mark and I are in love with the kids and decide to research because we will need to know how to parent HEP B kids. We learn that it can only be contracted through blood (but also bloody toothbrushes, nail clippers). We know we are all vaccinated etc but are very nervous about the kids future health. So, the next day the doctor's office says they can't tell us anything yet. I continue to research on day two I find a website where I personally can interpret the test results. I then find another one on at the CDC. According to my interpretation the girls have been infected in the past 6 months but are no longer infected which means they are now immune and do not have the antigen in their system since that part of the test was negative. I see this interpretation on two sites.. but I realize I am not a doctor and wait. The next day the Dr. calls to tell me that she has good news and basically tells me what I already know from a little research on the internet...and that is that the girls do NOT have HEp B and that they are immune just like I am immune from getting shots. I am simultaneously relieved and very annoyed when this doctor who has been in practice for 25 years gives me this news. I am thinking..."why didn't she know this?" and "hasn't she ever seen Hep B markers before?" AND I am wondering why she sat me down to discuss that there was no way that the girls do not have it just two days ago...SO it infuriated me and now Mark and I are bringing them to a Doctor who has experience in international adoption. We have been at this practice for six years. We are thrilled that our girls are healthy. She also told me that she thinks that the nurses mixed up the blood tests for thyroid and the reading for Grace was wrong so she needs to be retested because the child who looks like she has some thyroid issues is actually Ella. AND Jared had his ears looked at today again by the ENT. His infection is clearing up and he does indeed have two punctured ear drums along with 40% hearing loss....this can be fixed either when the infection clears up or with surgery. SO, we have to keep an eye on him...He may also need a hearing aid to get him through the beginning of kindergarten because the surgeries have to be done on two different days six weeks apart....All of this medical info is exhausting but the plus side is knowing that your kids are extremely healthy now (NO doubt) and that even if they were we would have all loved and prayed them through it......Whew>>>!!!!!