Bet you can't say Alpha Thalassemia Minor 3 times fast

Contrary to popular belief, I have in fact been chugging along at working through all the medical paperwork again. And all the effort has been well worth it, let me tell you.

What I've learned:
- Don't put off the medical process, because pretty much all texts expire after a year, and there are even more forms to fill out about what's happened to you the past year. (Where's the box to check labeled "I had a horrible doctor who put me on crazy iron pills that made me sick, and I just really loved my job and my friends and wasn't quite ready to leave"?)
- Mail and email with Peace Corps are actually easier than phone, especially when they have your dad's work phone number listed as your contact number
- I should only give blood out of my hand. Learned this one the hard way
- Abnormal blood results can scare you to death at first; seriously, if your doctor tells you something looks funny, DON'T GOOGLE IT, because it's probably nothing and you'll just worry yourself silly for a solid week.
- Hematologists are cool, but they like to talk alot.
- I have a genetic blood disorder called Alpha Thalassemia Minor (thanks, dad). Basically my red blood cells are smaller than usual, so I have more of them. But, there are no symptoms and it shouldn't have any affect on me volunteering! Interesting facts: it masks itself to look kinda like (get this)..anemia!; it gives me a slight natural immunity to malaria (hey peace corps, look!); and it's mostly found in Eastern Africa (ahem, anything you'd like to tell me mom and dad?)

So what does this all mean? It means one thing folks: medical clearance!

SIKE!

I got a phone call from my peace corps nurse telling me she cleared me, but she noticed after she'd clicked "Qualify" that one of my old tests from 2008 had expired. Luckily my doc could fit me in next Wednesday, so once those come back, I'm all set. No, seriously, this time I mean it...

Let's try this one more time

As you might know (you, of course, being my friends and family who have no knowledge that this blog exists currently), ever since I ran into a wall called "medical clearance" last fall I decided to hold off on peace corps. Well, here I am, almost a year wiser, and changing my mind once again. So I rummaged into one of the boxes I had yet to unpack since our move in May (purposely left packed because of what it contained) and found "it". "It" being the medical paperwork and tests I have to complete before having any chance of doing "the hardest job I'll ever love". So here we go again...

Come on, it's just anemia

So, I feel like I've been dealing with all the peace corps medical paperwork for like 6 months...oh wait, I have. I keep reminding myself that at the end of this lies what will hopefully be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Now if only I wasn't anemic. Must be my punishment for growing up in the dairy cow capital of the world and yet rarely enjoying the taste of red meat. Hopefully only a few more blood test and a few more forms is all that is in the way of me and my formal invitation. I just hope that all the rumors I've been hearing about budget cuts at Peace Corps and delaying of people's departures aren't too true and that I won't be too affected. Then again, I have a pretty sweet thing going here, professionally and personally. Waiting a few more months definitely wouldn't be the end of the world.

Going in for another blood test tomorrow. I'll keep you all updated. =) Peace out, cub scout.

Note to self: Don't let that nurse touch your arm again

I do not like doctors. Let me repeat, really do not like doctors. You'd think having a mother as a nurse would make me immune to "white coat fear". Negative. I wasn't exactly excited when they told me I had to give 10 vials of blood for my lab tests. I was less excited when the nurse just HAD to stab my other arm. I was even less excited when I almost passed out walking up the steps afterwards. And I was least excited as the day went on and my left elbow became progressively more and more black and blue and the size of a baseball. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard "Ew, what happened to your arm" for the next month...

Next week I'll get the last of my lab results back. Then hopefully it won't be too much longer till I can finally give people a country name rather than "Africa" when they ask where I'm going (again, if I had a dollar for everytime someone informed me that Africa is a big place...)

Update soon!

To: Any Staderic

Who knew that obtaining old medical records was so difficult? I figured since I've been in DC for over 5 years now it's about time I get my medical records from Wooster and find a doctor here. Good timing too considering I have at least 10 pages of paperwork to complete for PC, along with countless lab tests. Ick. I was shocked when the Wooster clinic said all it took was one little piece of paper and I'd have my records in my hands within 5 to 7 business days. Yeah, I should have known better. A mysterious envelope from Georgia ended up on my desk today addressed to "Any Staderic". I guess that's the closest thing to "Amy Studenic" they could do (and a shout out to our receptionist for deciphering the odd name). However, upon further examination I discovered that the records they had sent weren't even close to what I had requested, but were from a couple of random visits I had early on in college. Boop. But honestly, had I actually convinced myself it would be that easy? Hmm, I wonder if this is just a taste of the confusion to come.

Any Staderic...signing off.

Are you a vegetarian?

Last words I expected, but the best words I heard all week: "Well, let's get you nominated."

So the interview consisted of: turning my fingers bright pink from the fingerprint ink; 40 minutes of paperwork; being asked at least 3 times if I was a vegetarian; having a philosophical debate about how odd the answer "not currently" is to the question "are you romantically involved with anyone"; once again detailing my volunteer, professional and leadership experience from every year of my life; explaining how I would deal with loneliness, boredom, frustration, anxiousness, stress, awkwardness and pretty much any other emotion you can feel as a human; and grinning like an idiot when I said I wouldn't mind living in a mud hut without electricity or running water for 2 years.

But at the end of it all came the magic word: nomination.

So as of now I've been nominated to work in Community Development with a focus in HIV/AIDS, in Africa, departing January 2009. For those of you who have been with me during this whole process you know that I couldn't ask for a better nomination. Of course, a lot could happen between now and January; who knows, by then I might be doing sanitation and hygiene work in Latin America. But everyone keep your fingers crossed that not much will change.

Next step: medical clearance....I know I'm very much looking forward to all of the vials of blood they'll be taking. Eeek!

Charlotte's subtle sign.

On Saturday, I came home to a surprise. Charlotte, my roommate's dog, had decided she was bored and thought it was a great idea to tear up my book "So You Wanna Join the Peace Corps." She only destroyed the table of contents and appendix, so I figured I could salvage the rest of the book. I was wrong. Lucy called tonight saying "I owe you a new Peace Corps book." She'd gone to town on it. From pre-application jitters to what you do when you've returned, it was torn into puzzle size pieces on the living room floor.

Of course everyone is in agreement when they say, "See, she doesn't want you to go either." I can't help but agree.

My interview is on Wednesday; I wonder if this would be a great anecdote to tell my recruiter....