So I guess I'm a follower :P

Hi All,

I have jumped on the bandwagon and have decided to move to Wordpress due to better layouts, more control of personalization, and a better dashboard section.

the address is the same just finished with wordpress.com:

keithinpeacecorps.wordpress.com

See you all over there!

Still stuck in the medical labyrinth...

Based on my last post, most people would expect me to be medically cleared by now, as I did.  Truth is, I'm still somehow in medical review.  After I faxed back my supplemental questionnaire, my medical hold was actually taken off for a about ten days and I didn't really understand why.  I tried reaching out to the DC Medical office, but had forgotten about the constant blizzard they had been living in which forced a lot of DC to shut down for the past recent weeks.  I finally got an answer confirming they had received my extra faxes, but no information on why my hold was taken off or when I could know about the final medical decision.

This morning I received a toolkit update, and in my excited half asleep state (as I actually happened to wake up this morning at 5 am and then my blackberry buzzed and I opened my mail to see the wonderful surprise that I had a toolkit update) thought that I would be seeing the tell tale check mark with the message: A decision has been made regarding your medical review...etc..

But actually, I'm just under medical review again.  So at least I know that someone is looking at my file again which means it must be moving forward hopefully.  Now I will wait anxiously for the rest of the week to see that check mark appear.  I will be so relieved once I make it through medical review - it has taken so much longer than I ever expected.

- Keith

Quick Update: Fixed comments section

Hi All!

I finally was able to fix my comments section, it appears that now you can post comments (I changed it to a pop-out box instead of embedded, since that wasn't showing up).

So all of you other peace corps applicants, friends, or strangers - feel free to leave some love :P

FINALLY! Some answers....

So it has been 13 weeks since my medical kit was received by the Peace Corps Medical office in DC. 13 weeks --- that's roughly 67 business days. 67! I had not heard anything, didn't see an update stating my review had began, was repeatedly told that the process takes 8-12 weeks, even when I reached out at 12 and 13 weeks the same generic message was e-mailed back to me.

Finally I went on a phone call/e-mail rampage. I e-mailed my recruiter in NY, my medical point of contact, my medical nurse (whose name I didn't find out until week 12), a separate nurse who apparently was covering my original nurse while he was on vacation, as well as the pre-serviceunit e-mail address. Finally after e-mailing the pre-service unit with a desperate e-mail, I got a phone call from a nurse in DC who was covering for my original nurse. God bless this alternate nurse. She let me know that my nurse was again out on vacation and that she will start my review when she gets off the phone. GREAT, it's about damn time...oi!

Then two hours later she calls back and says that everything looks fine except I need to get a TB questionnaire filled out by my doctor just to get some final details on my reaction. Then once I fax it back, I should be medically cleared. HALLELUJAH!!!!!

I was so happy to see that I had a toolkit update this morning I almost screamed in joy when I saw it on my blackberry as I rolled out of bed. So my plan is to go home, get the letter, make an appointment for my Doctor on monday, he fills out the last little form, I fax it back, and hopefully by Tuesday I will be medically cleared.

This has been the most frustrating and annoying process I have ever been through. When you first get the med packet they stress several times that they need you to fill everything out ASAP and get it back because that will give you the best chances at receiving your original nomination. Well what about when you do that, and then no one even looks at your file for 13 weeks???? Seriously, I am an overall very healthy guy, it's not like it can take that long to go through my file. Or if you're swamped with people that are scheduled to leave before me at least let me know that you will get around to it soon. Leaving someone in the dark for 9 weeks, then not giving any real answers for the next 4 weeks, was really difficult. I think what made this whole thing a lot more frustrating is being able to read all of the blogs of you other wonderful applicants... I think for my sanity, I shouldn't have been checking everyone's blogs so often. Then I wouldn't have known that others were getting through medical clearance in 5-6 weeks, I wouldn't have known that people with the same departure date were getting through, or that people with the same departure date - who sent their stuff in after me.... - were getting cleared. I would have been anxious, but at least I wouldn't have felt forgotten or shafted. I guess sometimes, ignorance really is bliss...

Anyway....just seeing that little update on my toolkit has washed away all the anger and frustration and I'm super excited all over again!!!!! Really us applicants are just ragdolls that the Peace Corps gets to throw around at their whim, sometimes lifting us up, sometimes letting us fall into the dark. But overall I think they really do care about us and appreciate our desire to help. I can't wait to see a "medical review complete" check on my toolkit (hopefully next week!)

Until then all, I'm going to go pop some bubble wrap or scream into a pillow to get rid of any last waves of the last 13 weeks haha...

A la prochaine!