Medical experience WA.

[Ischnura 285]

Thought I'd share my medical experience with you all. Apologies if it's in the wrong section.

We've been trying to fit this in around my husbands mega busy work schedule, it's been up the wall all year, but at last it's all done. At first I went to the doctors office in Ephrata, WA - there seems to be few and far between civil surgeons out this way so only one in most places 'near' us, that's an hour between places at the least - which is an hour away and the office is a little blue building opposite one of the many churches with giant crosses on the top. That was the direction we received when we called saying we were lost. Anyhoo, this place is creepy looking and they keep stacks upon stacks of medical files out in the open so we left ne'er to return again.

We had tried Ephrata because they could fit me in either the same day or a few days later which seemed great. The reason I mention this is that the clinic here in Moses Lake only performs immigration physicals on registered patients and the receptionist (she hung up on me initially, I think I may have been talking too fast) said it would take at least 3 weeks to complete.

So I bit the bullet and registered with Moses Lake Health Center. Initially I had to schedule a visit to establish care with the Doctor. This isn't a civil surgeon, they're all on the premises and there are 3 here in Moses Lake, WA. At this visit his nurse came in and explained the whole physical procedure.

The next appointment was a few days later with the nurse (Both last week) which began the actual immigration physical. I paid up front, as required, the $352 fee and waited about 30 minutes to be seen. In the appointment the nurse took my passport and military ID and copied them, returned and filled out the I-693 paperwork on their computer. Since I didn't have any vaccine records with me we proceeded with the 'fun' part of turning me in to a pin cushion. I had an MMR, varicella, influenza and PPD test done. If you get them all done at this appointment it's all included in that one price paid at the beginning of the appointment. If you wait then you have to pay for them separately. After this I went downstairs and had blood drawn for the syphilis screening. Then I was done.

On Sunday I had my PPD results read at the Samaritan hospital across from the Health Center and took the results over to the nurse on Monday who informed me that they needed a number result on the form not just 'positive' or 'negative' so back I went and back again. It's on a hill by the by and I had my Son in his stroller so certainly got some exercise in haha. Once satisfied with the zero reading I was allowed to book in to see the civil surgeon. They only perform one immigration physical per day and though I was warned it could be another week before I was seen I was given an appointment for today, two days later!! I feel lucky.

The actual appointment is fairly simple and quick. I went in and waited 10 mins to be called back. They weighed me, took my BP, pulse and temp as always then the Doctor came in. She checked my ears, throat, breathing and abdomen, we chatter about our kiddies and how we both like it here - she's Canadian. The Doctor left and another nurse came back in with paperwork. I checked all my details were correct, signed and once she'd photocopied everything I took my copy, the sealed envelope and tadaaa, all done. I was there maybe 30 minutes, including wait time. All of the staff in the Health Center are very nice and it was, in all, a pretty relaxed experience.

Now we just need to get half a dozen passport photos to go with the tree of paperwork and we're good to go!

[TBoneTX 45,288]

*** Thread is moved from the "AOS from WS&T Visas" main forum to the Case Progress subforum. ***