Day 2 we woke up and Hong Mei wouldn't eat or drink anything at all. We supposed that she was freaked out when she woke up in a hotel room with strangers so we took some snacks and went to our appointment at the Civil Affairs to complete the official adoption. Here is a photo with the Hui Shui orphanage director, Mrs. Zeng, who came to Guiyang for the occasion.
Our guide then took us on a tour of the local park which was really interesting, but the baby got overheated in the carrier and was cranky when we got to the hotel. She still wouldn't eat or drink anything which was worrying. She was putting her fingers in her mouth and drooling so we thought she was teething.
By afternoon Hong Mei had a fever of 39 C (102 F). Thank goodness we had a good thermometer. There was no house doctor in the hotel so an hour later our terrified guide took us to the hospital. Here's a tip: DON'T GET SICK IN CHINA. The hospital was filthy, and the doctor wrote down the baby's weight and temperature without examining her. When we asked how she knew the baby's weight and temperature, we were told, "through a scientific method." After about 30 seconds of exam, our translator said that the baby had "blebs" in her throat which I didn't even know was a word in English. 2 medicines were prescribed without explanation of their purpose (see photo of medicines and diagnosis). We tried to ask questions, but the next kid in line was already in the examining room, and he was coughing all over our baby. The only good news is that the visit cost only $1.
I did an internet search and figured out that Hong Mei had a virus called Cox-Sackey virus. Our guide kindly brought a medical student friend to see us, and he verified what the doctor said and gave us more tips. The prescribed medicines were herbal Chinese medicines and we were also told not to bathe the baby and to open the windows for "fresh" air (even though the air was brown with smog). The baby should eat congee (rice gruel) and drink a lot.
The virus is caused by fecal-oral contamination or "dirty toys" as the doctor said, and lasts 3- 5 days. Hong Mei actually felt better after about 2 days which was great, but I think it probably slowed down her adjustment to us a bit, particularly to Dino who offered to be the one to force her to take the medicine when she didn't want it.
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