Just a Wee Update

Okay - I am sending in what SHOULD be the last of my medical paperwork on Wednesday. For those of you keeping track, here's the breakdown
Applied September 07
Interviewed October 07
Received Medical packet November 07
Sent in completed Medical packet January 08
Received dental clearance February 08
....
will hopefully! be medically cleared by the end of this month.

I've also been in touch with an organization here in Capitaland called Equinox, for victims of domestic violence and their children. It looks like I'll probably be working in the after school program with kids, making snacks, crafts, homework helping, etc. That's going to be fun.

In any case that's the news for now, such as it is. I'll continue updating whenever anything new happens.

1st Contact from PC Placement Office!

Well this isn't really anything huge, but for any readers who are following me along in the process, I thought I'd include it.
I was just contacted by a Student Aide from the PC Placement Office. She encouraged me to send her any updates to my resume or volunteer experience in order to make my application more competitive.
So I wrote back to her and expanded on my resume a bit.
Main point here? Things are moving along, and one or two people in DC are at this very moment deciding my fate.

comments

Hey all - sorry but I had to disable anonymous comments, so you'll need to register in order to comment from now on.  I don't like not knowing who is reading / commenting on my blog!  So I fully expect you all (MOM!) to register because I need the comments/support.  

Thank Ye

Dentally Cleared!

Now I just need legal and medical clearance, then I'll be invited. That is all.

PC, you tease, you...

I had a heart-in-my-throat moment the other day. I came home from work, bent down to scoop up the mail that is always scattered across the muddy, frozen floor (No, I'm not in a third world country yet, this is Downtown Albany), and saw the now familiar peace corps envelope, with "URGENT" stamped all over it. It was fat, and as I learned while applying for colleges, fat = accepted, small = rejected. I thought, "how can this be?! How can they have reviewed all my materials already, much less placed me?"
I walked up the steps, fearing words like "Departing May 1st." I questioned when ten days would expire, and with them my deadline for accepting my invitation. So, I took a deep breath... and...
I sent the wrong dental x-rays. Yeah, that's how I felt too. Damn it! I wish they had emailed me, telling me to expect my entire dental package back in the mail so that I didn't almost give myself a heart attack.
In any case Dr. Geisler's crew was kind enough not only to squeeze me in for an "emergency" appointment yesterday morning, but to give me even more free X-Rays. I owe them something; just not sure what to send. Peace Corps has the films now, and I'm tentatively assuming that, since I didn't get any of my vision or medical materials back, they must have everything they need to make an assessment. Now I can sit back and wait for six weeks or so, I've heard. Anyways sorry for the melodrama... I was bored :)

Inch by Inch

PC has finally received my medical kit. They updated my toolkit yesterday morning, which is a relief. Now I just need to keep my fingers crossed that I filled everything out correctly and they're satisfied with my health. A friend, Nadine, said she thinks the PC asks for SO much medical information as a way to disqualify people, but I hope that's not true. But holy crap did they want a lot of information.

Scared

Oh me oh my. I have all my medical materials gathered, save for evidence of my G6PD Titer (I don't know what it is either). Actually it's a test given to you to determine if you can take anti malarials - which I don't plan on taking anyways. I'd rather deal with Malaria than with the god awful dreams I suffered with Larium. Ever hacked your family into bits or starred in your own personal horror flick? You will, if you take Larium!
Anyways that aside. The title of this post is "scared," with good reason. Once I photocopy all these materials and mail them to OMS, I will be in the final stage: placement. After sending them in, unless OMS needs further clarification on something, my next contact from PC will be my invitation. Once I receive the invitation, which will include my destination country, program assignment, departure date, and passport/visa materials, I have 10 days to make up my mind. I'm ready. I'm ready? My heart is racing and my mouth just dried up, simply thinking about it.

I am terrified.