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.
