medical at Woking, Vancouver

[mtlgato 2]

Hi everyone--

I've been kind of MIA lately because, frankly, I'm burnt out on this immigration stuff. It should have been over loooooong ago. I can't believe my baby is now 12 weeks old (almost) and her dad and I still aren't living together

Anyway, I officially passed my medical yesterday. I found other people's reviews on here to be accurate. I'll just add a couple of details relevant especially to those of you with babies.

I was veeery stressed at the last minute, because I'd intended to leave my baby at home while I did the medical. I'm nursing, but I'd saved up lots of breastmilk in the freezer. But suddenly a couple of days before the medical she started refusing bottles! She'd never had a problem with them before! So I had no choice: I HAD to bring her with me to the medical, and I was worried about whether I'd be able comfortably to nurse her there.

Well, I was lucky. She slept the entire time! I didn't need to feed her at all. She was completely asleep from the time we got in the cab (5:40am) to the time we returned home (8:50am). But, if I had had to nurse her I think it would have been fine. The waiting room at Woking is large, with comfortable seats grouped in twos or threes and facing various directions. So a nursing mother wouldn't feel like everyone was facing her. I don't remember anyone else describing the waiting room here on visa journey, so I thought I'd bring this up.

Oh, and you really spend most of your time in the waiting room in question. The actual exam, x-ray, and bloodtest are very efficiently handled and don't take long at all.

The one part of the experience that I would have hated to go through without a family member there to help me was the wait early in the morning outside before the doors opened. We got there at about 5:50 and were third in line. But it's January, and very dark at that time, and it was cold and rainy. We and the other applicants were huddled under an overhang by the parking garage. Eveyrone was friendly, but my husband found the whole situation a bit sketchy and was glad that I and the baby weren't there alone. Woking is right across from St. Paul's Hospital, which does service a fairly rough clientele (at least in the ER...lots of addicts, etc.) [Lots of other kinds of people go to that hospital too; it's an excellent hospital in may respects...I'm just saying that it's not 100% comfortable to be hanging around there in the dark in the rain with a 12 week old baby in a carrier]

Fortunately, the doors opened at 6:15 or so and from then on the experience was comfortable.

And I just want to say again: Thank goodness that's over! What a pain this whole process is. Well, almost there. I have to renew my passport tomorrow, then the Montreal interview is on the 19th. I hope to be in California by February 1.

Edited January 6, 2011 by mtlgato

[Canadiandggal 49]

Hi everyone--

I've been kind of MIA lately because, frankly, I'm burnt out on this immigration stuff. It should have been over loooooong ago. I can't believe my baby is now 12 weeks old (almost) and her dad and I still aren't living together

Anyway, I officially passed my medical yesterday. I found other people's reviews on here to be accurate. I'll just add a couple of details relevant especially to those of you with babies.

I was veeery stressed at the last minute, because I'd intended to leave my baby at home while I did the medical. I'm nursing, but I'd saved up lots of breastmilk in the freezer. But suddenly a couple of days before the medical she started refusing bottles! She'd never had a problem with them before! So I had no choice: I HAD to bring her with me to the medical, and I was worried about whether I'd be able comfortably to nurse her there.

Well, I was lucky. She slept the entire time! I didn't need to feed her at all. She was completely asleep from the time we got in the cab (5:40am) to the time we returned home (8:50am). But, if I had had to nurse her I think it would have been fine. The waiting room at Woking is large, with comfortable seats grouped in twos or threes and facing various directions. So a nursing mother wouldn't feel like everyone was facing her. I don't remember anyone else describing the waiting room here on visa journey, so I thought I'd bring this up.

Oh, and you really spend most of your time in the waiting room in question. The actual exam, x-ray, and bloodtest are very efficiently handled and don't take long at all.

The one part of the experience that I would have hated to go through without a family member there to help me was the wait early in the morning outside before the doors opened. We got there at about 5:50 and were third in line. But it's January, and very dark at that time, and it was cold and rainy. We and the other applicants were huddled under an overhang by the parking garage. Eveyrone was friendly, but my husband found the whole situation a bit sketchy and was glad that I and the baby weren't there alone. Woking is right across from St. Paul's Hospital, which does service a fairly rough clientele (at least in the ER...lots of addicts, etc.) [Lots of other kinds of people go to that hospital too; it's an excellent hospital in may respects...I'm just saying that it's not 100% comfortable to be hanging around there in the dark in the rain with a 12 week old baby in a carrier]

Fortunately, the doors opened at 6:15 or so and from then on the experience was comfortable.

And I just want to say again: Thank goodness that's over! What a pain this whole process is. Well, almost there. I have to renew my passport tomorrow, then the Montreal interview is on the 19th. I hope to be in California by February 1.

Glad to hear it went rather well. It is kind of ridiculous that you are not In Califonia already, you sure deserve to be. I am sure all will go well on the 19th and you will be "home" in no time.

Good luck and keep in touch...

Hope the baby isn't growing "too fast"

[mtlgato 2]

Glad to hear it went rather well. It is kind of ridiculous that you are not In Califonia already, you sure deserve to be. I am sure all will go well on the 19th and you will be "home" in no time.

Good luck and keep in touch...

Hope the baby isn't growing "too fast"

Thank you! The baby is perfect, though they do grow fast. Still, so far every stage has had its own delights. I know I'm going to want another baby, though! They are so great.

It will be nice not to be going through the next pregnancy through all this immigration BS, that's for sure.

I hope you're well. I will stay in touch. I'll at least post about my interview.

C.