Final medical prep & packing!
I suggest you skip the first part of this post if reading about feminine medical stuff or ‘birds and bees’ related topics makes you uncomfortable.
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The day before yesterday I went to our GP for the last medical appointment on my list: to get a new IUD. I was counting on a quick, routine procedure but instead it turned out to be a two part painful ordeal including a last minute referral to the gynaecologist yesterday. I was being an absolute wimp, despite having experienced two natural home births with (relative) ease. But both ladies there were super lovely and tried their best to put me at ease, asking questions about our trip in an attempt to distract me, while also being genuinely interested. Silver lining: the new IUD will last 10 years, instead of 5.
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When at the GP we also briefly talked about antibiotics to take with us. She was very helpful and despite being hesitant at first to prescribe some, she explained that was mostly due to the fact that they don’t keep for very long. For kids you’d apparently mostly need Amoxicilline in liquid form, which you can only keep for about a week to 10 days. Not very useful to us.
The GP did end up writing out a prescription for 2 commonly used antibiotics that were advised to us by the Radio Medische Dienst (medical assistance at sea via the coastguard) and migraine medication (Sumatriptan) for me. At the pharmacy they seconded the issue with keeping the antibiotics, but came up with the solution to give the Amoxicilline to us in powder form, massively increasing its shelf life. If we would need it (if the Radio Medische Dienst will advise us to take it for a certain ailment – we’re not planning on self medicating with it, we understand the dangers of mis- or overuse), we could just add water and prepare the right type of antibiotics ourselves. Unfortunately this option wasn’t included in our prescription (but I wrote it down anyway, maybe it could be of use for other future sailors!) and it was too late for us to go back to the GP to arrange for it. We ended up getting the Amoxicilline and Doxycycline in tablet form instead, after explaining that yes, it was an odd combination to see on one prescription but it was to have on hand for our crossings and no, we didn’t plan on taking all three at the same time 🙂
Then on to packing! This morning we went to Ikea to get some last minute items to make the bedrooms ready for the tenants, plus resealable plastic bags and large vacuumbags. With the kids’ help we then sorted all their Playmobil, barbies and several other toys into plastic bags to keep them corralled when we pack their stuff into large duffel bags. Earlier this week I put all of their (already paired down) stuffed animals onto their beds to show how many they still had left. They then paired down even more, putting almost half of their stuffed toys into a trash bag to store away. Today they helped to vacuseal their remaining plushies and packed them.
Rene and I took a bin, a box and a trash bag and collected all remaining items from the entire second floor. Apart from furniture, bedding and some toiletries we still need to use, all upstairs rooms are now empty!
We placed everything in the living room: clothes (partially packed), kids toys (now almost packed), plushies (packed) and several bins of “misc”. Before this day is over, we want to have thrown out what we don’t want to bring and packed the rest. Right now our living room looks like a bomb has gone off….. but it’s all for a good cause.
Our plans for the following days:
Tomorrow we’ll have cleaners over to get the house in perfect shape for the new tenants. Our bags will be moved to the garage until we leave.
One of our cars (that will go to my sister after we leave, the other one to a friend) is currently still in the shop, hopefully we can pick it up tomorrow. We also have to go to the towns hall to unregister.
After that, I plan on taking the girls with me, first to run some more errands, then to my friend’s house for her birthday and my mother for the Saturday and Sunday.
Tonight will be the kids’ final night in the house! On Saturday I’ll drive back up here and take care of some last minute things with Rene, like making the beds and throwing out the old bedding and mattresses if we don’t manage to do that tomorrow. On Sunday afternoon I’ll go back to my mother’s house to spend the night there. On Monday Rene will officially unlist the kids at their school and then we’ll all meet up at my father’s house where we will spend our FINAL NIGHT before we fly out on Tuesday morning!