The Denial

"Was it the Chronic Benign Neutropenia??" I asked Greg frantically after he left the overseas screening office.

Turns out, yes. Yes it was the Chronic Benign Neutropenia. Greg was able to see the notes the overseas screeners made, the concerns were about needing emergency services, urgent care, or inpatient care, which they weren't able to support. They also mentioned we were required to enroll in the EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program). They said,'reapply in six months'.

Six months? Like...be in limbo for six months? Homeless with four kids for six months? We obviously can't stay in this house. Store everything we have for six months? What about EVERYTHING WE SENT ALREADY in our express shipment?? Do I have to redo all the overseas screening by myself in six months? Move my family overseas by myself?

We were able to talk to the screener more and she told us, "six months OR if there is a change in her condition". A CHANGE IN HER CONDITION!!!! Like.....her brand new shiny blood counts that releases her from needing ANY urgent care?! YES!! YES we have a change in her condition!!

I was on the phone faster than Greg could say "wait, we should focus on moving out of the house first".

Over the next few days, I worked closely with the head of the pediatric hematology department who has been working her case for the past year. He wrote a very strong letter addressing every single concern they had about needing any urgent or inpatient care, and how she should be treated exactly the same as any other two year old. He addressed her newest blood count explaining that her body was normalizing.

Meanwhile, we worked hard to get out of the house. The movers came to put our furniture into our PODS, and unfortunately they just weren't big enough.

We ordered one more PODS and sent it straight to our friends house. Greg could easily get the rest of the stuff to their house and the third PODS.

The next few days we cleaned the house a bit more, slowly moved out the food stuff, gave it to friends, got ready to move to my moms for a now undetermined amount of time. The day before she and Kevin came to help bring some stuff down and save some food, Greg and I went to the mortgage broker and I signed the closing papers. At least we wouldn't have to worry about selling a house after this mess of a PCS.

We decided that the three little ones and I would move down with mom while Greg and CC finished clearing out the house, and CC could finish up her homeschool community and go to her final class party.Greg was even nice enough to take her to an arcade with her friend.

As closing day approached, greg and CC were able to get the house completely emptied, and I started focusing more on the appeal. I wanted a letter from her pediatrician saying she wasn't eligible for EFMP. Discussing it with Greg, we decided it wouldn't be enough. We wanted to make her appeal completely, solidly, UNDENIABLE.

The thing about EFMP is...it's a sort of self licking ice cream cone. It takes EVERYONE who applies into the program and holds on to them and it's nearly impossible to get out, in order to sort of justify existing. When enrolled, it's impossible to go hardly anywhere, including to my beloved Iwakuni. We knew though....If we could get a letter of denial from EFMP, we would have a completely airtight appeal.

So we began filling out the EFMP application, knowing that if they decided to take her, we would lose the appeal before it even began. We knew it was a HUGE risk, but if she won, it would be worth it. As I worked with her pediatrician, to get the EFMP application done, I knew in the back of my mind we had to have a back up plan. The housing market is crazy right now, and it was never our intention to invade moms house for months. It was just supposed to be a visit for a few weeks before moving. I knew I needed to have two fully developed plans for either outcome.

Closing day finally came, and we were so relieved everything went so smoothly through the whole process of selling our house. It seemed to be the ONE easy thing the entire year. That evening, I got a call from Greg. He was driving, so he had to be really short because the phone was breaking up. He said, "Ken just called. The house didn't close. I'll talk to you later."

Happy Sewing!!

-Shelley