A Very Rough Week

It has been a rough week. As you know if you have been reading this blog, Anna-Lena has not been happy. She has confided that to other people who, instead of telling a teenager

• that she needs to listen to her parents,
• that parents know what is best for their child,
• or yes every child gets angry at their parent and they will work things out if they talk about it.
• Or come and talk to us about their concerns,

At least two people people called the YFU office and told them Anna was unhappy and who knows what else, one Person, Who Shall Remain Nameless, filled out an application to have Anna live with them. Anna wanted to go stay with PWSRN, and was told, by YFU that would not be possible.

Anna doesn’t see that PWSRN has done anything wrong, even though we tried to tell her it is like calling the government and asking them to take a child away from their parents.

It was beginning to effect her health. she was having stomach pains, and one afternoon the school called, Charlie took her to the emergency room because they were so bad.

Anna met some kids from Holt and asked if she could transfer to Holt. Charlie told her it probably was not possible, for several reasons, not the least of which was that there is not bus that runs from here to Holt, a 30 mile trip one way, She really really wanted to find out so he told her he would check with the school and YFU (both said no by the way). She even had some check to see what busses ran from here to Holt.

We were asked to take her to a counselor last Sunday- the only one available was in Fenton, we drove there and back in the middle of the blizzard and saw several cars and a Semi truck in the ditch. It should have been a trip of a little over an hour and it took 3 hours

The counselor asked what we would all like from this “experience: What Anna said what she wanted was for me to spend more time with her, do more things with her, and that Charlie not be so strict, let her go to see who ever she wanted when ever she wanted. She thought it was too controlling to want to know where she was who she was with, how she was getting there and back and what time she would be home.

The counselor recommended that we all compromise, now that things were out in the open, what Anna expected what we expected. etc. That we try it for another 3-4 weeks and see what happens.

So for two days things seemed to be a little better. Then on Tuesday evening we got a phone call from one individual who told Charlie he was acting like he did not trust their family and that the way he treated Anna was disturbing and inappropriate

Before anyone else went to YFU with these accusations, Charlie called the District Rep and them and told them about it.
The D.R. Call Anna and talked to her, talked to Charlie and me.

Any way after several phone calls, and Anna telling us that the D.R told her something different that what was being told to us, We were told she would be moved, she could stay through Christmas until they found another family.
So she went to school yesterday, told them she was going to have to move, at least one teacher called YFU. Said she couldn’t take her but recommended someone else, All without talking to us again.
We had a huge emotional mess in the evening, talking to the D.R. Anna sobbing.
The D.R. Finally told us that every time she talked to Anna, PWSRN came up and Anna asked why she could stay with her again

She was sick, Friday evening, I heard her vomiting, she said she had an upset stomach.

She was telling us she didn’t want to leave she would miss her friends (the ones that she was so unhappy with last week) When I asked her if she wanted to stay in our home she refused to even answer.
She stayed at a friends home last night, the mother, another host mother, called the D.R, 3 times, again without talking to us.

In the end, Anna was moved Saturday afternoon, we are not sure what will happen, if she will be moved and stay on program, or go home to Germany. but she will not be coming back to Peters Road or to Springport. This has been very rough on us, especially for Charlie.

In the middle of all of this, I had a Doctor’s appointment, just a semi-annual Blood Pressure check, , He told me I looked awful. I told him I was really tired, and Charlie couldn’t sleep because I snore so loudly. He sent me to the sleep clinic for a consultation. They think I may have sleep apnea, and I have to go in the end of January so they can watch me sleep. Apparently, this is fairly easy to correct and can really make a difference in the way someone feels, when they get a good nights sleep.