Join the Peace Corps

I got my package when I got home after business hours today – first priority tomorrow is calling to accept. I’m going to be an Environmental Volunteer in Morocco, starting in March! YYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just spoke with my Placement Officer for the first time. I called her, and my file was already on her desk! She asked me some hard questions, and apparently I answered well enough – she said that if I pass the final review on my file, she should be sending me an invitation early next week!!! I am beyond excited.

“The office of medical services is please to inform you that you have been medically qualified for service…” with a little nod to previous issues that are no longer relevant but PC is still worried about, ”... in countries where you will have access to [mental health] medications as needed.” So a bit of a caveat, but.. but… I’M MEDICALLY CLEARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now it’s just me and the placement office :)

I was sent a letter last week – it probably arrived on Monday, but I didn’t get back from TN until Friday evening. It said the doctors want a personal statement from me about my functional abilities and pain management techniques for my carpal tunnel syndrome and a knee issue which was more relevant the first time I applied, virtually non-existent now. I’ve written up a two page statement and will fax it in tomorrow. Maybe this will be my last medical hoop?

So after a little more prodding, a very nice lady in the Peace Corps medical department gave me a call and told me that they sent me a letter to Colorado in August – which got lost in the mail. And no one I called since mentioned it. Turns out, all they want from me right now is proof of three vaccinations. That’s it. She gave me her contact info so she can get it to my file and hurry it through – I’m getting the vaccinations tomorrow morning. Medical clearance soon? I don’t want to jinx myself, but I certainly hope so!

My medical files are officially under review! I had planned to call them this week to see if I couldn’t be moved out of the ‘unimportant due to later departure date’ pile, and they got to it before I could bug them! Of course, now I don’t know the appropriate time to call them, but I’m super excited that there’s something going on with my file! Whee!

my initial 60+ page medical screening is in the mail to Peace Corps HQ! Luckily, I think I have everything in there they’d want a follow up on, minus the EKG, so unless my heart murmur is a truly bad thing I think I’ll know whether I’m going to be medically denied after this round.

Within the last week I’ve seen a psych person (can never remember what type), dentist, eye doctor, OB/GYN, orthopedic doctor, and a doctor at the Denver VA who was marvelous. That’s a lot of doctors. Hopefully I should have all my paperwork/lab results back in a week or two so I can send in my initial med kit.

Unfortunately, the doctor at the VA told me I had a heart murmur, which no one has ever told me before. I hope I won’t get paperwork back from the med people telling me I need to see a cardiologist – but I can’t imagine they’ll just let it be. I was trying to avoid second round stuff by seeing the orthopedic doctor preemptively and getting all the appropriate psych stuff together.. but overall I’m still feeling good about the medical app.

I’m just going to hope with all my murmuring heart that my med paperwork goes through without a hitch. And keep studying French. Fluenz lesson 20 for me right now!

on Friday. Hopefully I can get all the appointments together in a timely fashion – I’m hoping to get most things done at a VA hospital over 3 hours away, so I have my fingers crossed I’ll get an appointment when I’m already in the area. I’m super nervous about this medical review. Wish me luck!

I interviewed with my recruiter at a coffee shop this morning. She just nominated me to go to North Africa (read: Morocco) in late Feb/early March 2010!

Now I just need to learn French and get through that pesky medical clearance.

I am far too excited for words. I’ve been grinning like an idiot all day long :)