The good, the bad and the ugly

Quick update:

I got a call from Peace Corps a little over a week ago, I had gotten accepted into a program. It was the last day to send out invitations for June and I was supposed to be getting mine in the mail later on that week. I was pretty excited. I just had to finish getting my teeth done and take the necessary measures to prepare myself to leave the country.

15 minutes later: another phone call from Peace Corps. This time they told me that the phone call I received earlier was a little misleading. I had been accepted, but I was deferred because of a medical condition. From the previous phone call, I figured that I only had to get some wisdom teeth pulled and some cavities filled. Well, lo and behold, there was a lot more that had to be done than a little bit of dental work. They told me instead of getting an invitation in the mail at the end of the week I would be getting paper work that listed the things I had to have checked off by the doctor. Their major concern was my knee situation...I have old man knees and they need the problem to be resolved in two months.

At the end of the week I got 2 letters in the mail, both stating the medical situations that I had to take care of in 2 months time. I got started on my teeth, setting up appointments and figuring out how much insurance would cover. Can I say expensive? I also have to see an orthopedist and a few other specialists, that gets expensive. However, if there is some real issue with any of these conditions, then the possibilities of me getting into Peace Corps becomes really slim. Plus I'll have pre-existing conditions that will not be covered by my next insurance company.

All of this happened about a week ago, I've been trying to figure out how much I can afford to get done and if I can get it done in 2 months. The first round of doctor visit, mostly routine exams, took nearly 2 months to get appointments and complete. Well just as I thought there was a chance to get everything done I got another phone call saying that I needed to have a mental health evaluation done with 3 screenings to see how I manage stress. I can not afford to get all of this done and 2 months just does not seem like enough time.

Although this is something I would love to do because I really want to travel, it's just not starting to look up. And somehow I am okay with all of this. I like the direction my life is taking and this makes a few life decisions a little bit easier. "It's a sign" (lol) Anyways, this will probably be my last post about Peace Corps, I do not plan to continue with the rest of the process. Farewell good readers...my life is taking a different path. Change is the only constant and in this case I think the change is good.

Moving like molasses in the winter

Just to keep my readers busy, I'm writing this post. There isn't much to say because not much has been happening. I've only been waiting for doctor appointments and figuring out what I really want to do about my teeth. However, I didn't want you guys thinking that things have changed. I'm still on for Peace Corps. It's just a reeeaaallllly sllllllow waiting period right now.

the best day ever...EVER!!!!

Today has definitely been a day of great adventures and strange occurrences. I have good news and bad news. I'll share the bad news first, although it is bad, it is slightly humorous and will leave a good taste in your mouth to receive the good news.

Bad news: A kid in my class got a bead stuck in his nose! He was obviously embarrassed about it because it took him awhile to actually tell me what was wrong. He whimpered a little while he was on his cot, then got up and sat at a table not answering my question about what was wrong. He then proceeded to cry and tell me that his nose hurt. I didn't know what he meant so I took a look and a small clear bead was stuck in his nostril. I had to take him outside and get him to blow it out. After a few minutes, we were able to retrieve the small object. His nose will probably be sore for awhile today.

Good news: 1) I do not have tuberculosis. Thank you VA hospital for telling me that. 2.) I got paid. Twice. 3.) I got to share all my exciting news with my therapist who helped me through a really hard time this past year. That was a blast! 4.) The weather was beautiful. Spring is almost here.

Now for a quick update, I've got three appointments at the VA during my spring break. I'm still trying to find a dentist (wisdom teeth extraction, crown, fillings) that will do inexpensive work for people who don't have insurance (or even free for Peace Corps peeps). If anybody knows of a dentist or a clinic let me know, please and thank you. I'm so glad that this process has been moving so quickly...I'm excited to get through this month of medical stuff and start waiting for my official invitation.

I was abducted today

If I did drugs, today would've been a day that I thought I had experienced an alien abduction. For about an hour and a half today, I sat under two little hot lamps, with things clipped around my neck and my mouth pried open. Two people with weird facial accessories peered down on me through weird colored spectacles speaking some foreign language that included a long series of numbers. I couldn't talk or move and strange sounds were coming from other rooms. At the beginning of this long process I had stood awkwardly (feet forward, back straight and tilted backwards, hanging on by just a bite clamp) and watched and listened to this huge machine squeeze my face and rotate around my head. It produced a black and white photo of an alien version of me.

But I don't do drugs! so this was just a routine exam and x-ray at the dentist. And it only cost my 'free'! There was so much going on in my mouth today but nothing was actually done. They just looked and examined every square millimeter of the surface of my teeth. I have 11 cavities and I need three wisdom teeth removed. Ugh, and this all has to be done asap. Where's really good insurance when you need it?! I'm calling around trying to find dental clinics or schools that will take care of this for free or cheap. If anybody knows of anybody who offers dental work for cheap or free let me know! Or if you know someone who would like to make a great donation on behalf of a future Peace Corps volunteer then let me know!

Tomorrow, I have another series of medical tests and blood work and things like that. This ball is really rolling fast for me. I've heard that this whole Peace Corps process for many people takes a really long time, but it's only been a few months for me. I don't think that I have any reason to be medically disqualified or deferred so I'm hoping that after this I'll only have to wait just a few more months. I'll be keeping you guys posted about everything.

More Mail...

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Ghandi...I bought a ring today with this quote engraved around it. This is the first ring that I've worn in a long time but I couldn't pass up the deal or the inspirational quote. I think this might become my mantra for when I'm feeling a little down and out about my journey with Peace Corps. I hope that this will ring (pun intended) true in my life as I serve others for my country. I want to spread a message of love and peace, to break down cultural barriers, to open myself and others up to the ideas of being different yet the same, and to show that we are all one big family. I'm not quite sure how I can be the change in the world, but I hope to be the change in someone's world. I'm not out to conquer or win over the whole world, but if I can influence one life (or two including my own because undoubtedly this will change me too) then I have been the change I wanted to see in the world. It doesn't take much, a smile often times can make someone's day better. A hug! A compliment! Listening ears! These can all change the course of someone's day and possibly their life. And it doesn't take much on our end, just a little less about you and a little more about others. But if you can do more, do more. If you can volunteer 2 yrs of your life or 2 hrs of your week, then take the time to invest in somebody else's life. What will you have lost? What will you have gained?

Moving on to a slightly different tangent...Today in the mail I finally received my 'official' tentative nomination for Peace Corps along with a book called "a life inspired". This is a collection of stories from Peace Corps volunteers throughout the years. A few of the stories I've already read online and am looking forward to reading others. The more I read about it the more excited I am to live my own experience in another culture with a foreign people. The more papers I get in the mail from them the more emotional I get about this journey I am going to embark on. However, the more I hear from Peace Corps the more I hear from Americorps. I mean, come on now, you could've snagged me a long time ago but you dragged butt getting things done and didn't keep me posted about progress. I've received phone call after phone call, email after email, etc in this past week. They all have conflicting messages for me and I just don't know what to say other than: You go Peace Corps for bringing your A-game to the court, you made my decision so much more easy. Thank you.

Now, that's not to say that Americorps is horrible or bad or doesn't do anything for our country. In fact they do such great and wonderful things for our nation. However, my application experience with them was sub-par. If I was not already headed in the direction of Peace Corps, I would gladly accept my position with a team in Iowa serving my country. I choose for now to serve my country in another country.

This post is having a lot to do with what came in the mail today. I had a lot of large sized packages today, from Peace Corps and Americorps. I got a reminder in the mail that I have a dentist appointment on Monday, yay. Then I got my pay stub, another yay. And lastly, but definitely not leastly or less importantly...I got my package from Canada! Now, who on earth gets excited about a package from Canada?! No, it's not Winter Olympics paraphernalia. It's better! I got my DivaCup. This little thing-a-ma-bob is about to change my life forever. Well maybe not my whole life, but it will definitely change that particular female habit of mine forever. :)

All in all, the mail today has been extraordinarily informative, useful, useless and entertaining. I look forward to more mail in the future, especially those envelopes with Peace Corps stamped on the bottom.

Medical Update

I woke up from a chest pain induced coma (or a much needed rest that made the pain go away) to a packet from FedEx laying on my bedroom floor. I was super excited but excitement didn't show as much this time because I was half asleep and groggy. I woke up completely and opened the packet and laying in my lap was a pound worth of paper from Peace Corps. My medical packet has finally arrived!

I immediately began making phone calls to doctors and dentist. I had heard such horror stories of not being able to get appointments quickly or getting charged a lot from dentist for an exam, so I wanted to be on top of this. I'm so on top of this that last week I called my VA hospital to see if they even made appointments for Peace Corps volunteers. And they do, I spoke with a guy that was more excited about me getting my packet than I was! Well I called back but couldn't remember the department he was in, so I was transferred back and forth and put on hold and after only 30minutes I was connected to the man that will help make my dreams possible. He remembered me and was so excited to meet me. The last two PCV he worked with went out to Africa. So next week, I get to walk right into his office and get medical papers filled out. I also found a dentist close by that will do exams and x-rays for free (btw, the sound for X is /ks/ and is most commonly found at the end of words like 'fox', lol, I just had to throw a bit of work into here!). Hopefully I won't need any dental work, like teeth pulled, ugh that's the worse thing ever. EVER! And I'd have to pay for it. Also if I don't have to have anything additional then the review process will go a little quicker and I might get an invitation within a few months.

Side note: I applied to Americorps a long long long time ago and I just now received an email that says I have been accepted to a program. It sucks that it's taken so long to hear from them. But I'm glad the ball has been rolling faster with Peace Corps because that is where I really wanted to be. I definitely learned patience waiting to hear from Americorps.

Under note: I'm gonna have to mention this chest pain to my VA doctor. But for now I'm doing okay.

Waiting

It feels like forever since I found out that I had been nominated to a program with Peace Corps, although it's only been a week. Why does forever seem so long when you're doing nothing?! I got an email today that says I should be expecting my package in the mail on the 22nd. Btw, when I was told that I'd be filling out more paper work I didn't realize that it was gonna be 1/2lbs worth of paper. It's too heavy/important to be sent in normal mail so I've got a tracking number (that I will be watching everyday from here on out) to help me get through this waiting process. Hurry up Fedex and knock on my door already!

I am so excited that I'm willing to fill out that much paper work, get poked and prodded by a bunch of doctors and dentist, and then wait for a few more months. Please stop by often, although there may not be too much to read except about me waiting and having doctors appointments. I hope within a few months things will getting exciting for you to read.

Goodnight everyone