Documenting the steps I'm taking in applying for the Peace Corps and hopefully be invited to the Peace Corps! The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Medical Hold!




YAY!
No, this doesn't mean I'm cleared, and while "HOLD" in bright red, bold letters seems indescribably scary, it really means that they have just started to actively review my file. It may mean they've opened it, it may mean they'll clear me tomorrow, they may have just simply moved it from the left side of the desk to the right side! But it means my medical file has advanced. Sometimes during this hold, they request you to send something else in--and I'm praying they don't; sometimes they just clear you the next day! That's what we are hoping for, the later. Anyway, I'm just glad it had progressed! WOOHOO!

UPDATE: Immediately after writing this, I received a visit from FedEx baring an envelope from the PC. It said:
Dear Ms. Walker
Thank you for submitting your medical information. During the review of your medical kit, we find the submitted information to be incomplete. To continue your medical review process, please provide the requested documentation below.
1. The results of your CBC revealed an abnormal finding. You must have a repeat CBC and submit report. If abnormalities persist, your physician must evaluate your condition and submit documentation that includes a diagnosis, etiology, and treatment plan.
In order to keep your file active, we need the above documentation. Fax all the information together to the Office of Medical Services. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Tracy
Office of Medical Services

So...while I naturally didn't want this, its an easy quick fix. I went to the doctor's office and asked for my nurse practitioner...she's apparently out of town for 3 weeks...whaaaaaaa? So I ask for the doctor, and they asked me to come in tomorrow at 2:30 so he could actually talk to me. That's good I guess, tho I rather would've gotten it out of the way today, but I understand. I showed the nurse at the front desk, and while she was confused about the whole process, she was especially confused about why they didn't accept the letter from Dr. Hambidge that said "This is a clarification of the lab values of Jenna Walker. Her Complete Blood Count is within normal limits and as expected for an individual whom is receiving dialproex." I already knew before hand my Depakote ER could make my levels slightly abnormal. I looked at the test results I have copies of, and literally, one is too high by .1, another is too low by 1. Wow.
I called my screening assistant, Lisa, to ask about this, only to find out that she's out of town for a week (is everyone?). There was a number to forward me onto the nurses office, so I did that and they forward me onto my screeening nurse, Tracy. They told me ahead of time that Tracy is out for the day, but I left a message and hopefully she calls me back. I asked about if this was really necessary since, as my doctor stated, even tho the CBC levels are abnormal for a normal person, the fact that I'm taking dialproex makes them normal. I said that I had an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, and if I didn't hear back from her about it, I would go ahead and get it done since I understand. Nearly hung up without leaving my number! Woops! Good thing I caught that! So that's the update for now.

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1 Comments:

Blogger Sasha said...

hey thanks! I'm stoked about Peru... I've been looking at the programs and they look so much more structured... I feel like I'm going to really be able to affect change and that is very exciting!
And good luck with the medical clearance - sounds like a huge pain in the butt.

June 18, 2008 at 11:26 AM

 

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