Taking Action

My recruiter suggested I get a health-care provider to see me and write an opinion regarding my fitness and the unlikelihood that I’ll have a relapse. So I have gotten the names of two people and have called and left messages on their machines, with my name and number. Hopefully one of them will be the ideal person to do this.

This is going to cost money, but if it wins me a new assessment, it’s worth it. Even if it doesn’t, I will at least know I did everything I could.

They also want me to get another EKG, which seems very odd, since I have no history of heart problems. Another expense, involving an expensive office visit and an expensive test that the insurance company will not pay for.

This is ridiculous. I’m a VERY HEALTHY PERSON especially for a 57-year-old. I'm fit and have no movement restrictions, lift weights and do yoga and meditation, commute by bicycle, etc. etc.

But I understand they need all this information. I'm not trying to hide anything. It's just hard to think of everything. When your only connection to your disease is that you take a pill every day along with your calcium tablet and vitamin supplements, it's easy to forget that it's an important piece of information for your file. Still, I can't believe some of the things I inadvertently left out.

Work to Do On This

I’m progressing toward my re-review request. I have seen a specialist and gotten his ringing endorsement of my fitness for service. I now have to write a letter and a list of my current medications (unchanged since the last list). I need one more document: I need to call another specialist and get a few more forms filled out.

Getting Medical Clearance

I got a letter from the Medical Review Board on January 18. They want me to defer my service for 11 months. Yikes! I was really upset until the next day when I was able to talk to my recruiter about the situation. She said though it’s unfortunate it’s not unusual. Apparently it has something to do with the fact that the Peace Corps is struggling to keep up with applicants. (What is it going to be like when people who’ve heeded President Obama’s call to service start getting their applications in?)

Meanwhile, my recruiter wants me to request another review, and so I’ve started working on that. It means another round of gathering documents, begging doctors to take time out of their busy day to answer questions on forms and having them repeat some expensive tests; in one case I have to find a new doctor to write an evaluation. Then I have to write another statement and send it all in to Washington.

I have a good chance, I think. I’ve been honest about my medical history — and you don’t get to your mid-fifties without having something in your history — and she admits that probably bought me a few extra hassles. But it is important to be honest about the medical history, too, and she has seen many deferrals overturned in re-review.

The Peace Corps says it wants older volunteers. It’s important to challenge this decision and so I am going to spend the time, energy and additional money to get the necessary documents and request the review. I have 60 days to file this but I want to do it in 30.

Medical Review Question

Today I received notice through the Peace Corps “My Toolkit” Web page that “A decision has been reached regarding your medical review. Please look for a letter in the mail.”

Is this the usual message? Makes me nervous. They could just change my status to “Cleared” but instead I have to watch for a letter?

Has anyone else had this experience?

Medical File Complete

On December 8, the Medical office sent me a letter requesting more information, so I had to make more appointments and get more forms filled out. I got the last one on Monday and faxed them to Washington on Tuesday.

As of today, the My Toolkit page was updated to say that all my medical forms had been received.

Now all that’s left is to wait for my clearance.

Sent in Medical Forms

This week I finally had my vision correction exam and had the doctor fill out the form. This was the final form I needed, so after the exam I went to the Post Office and mailed the entire packet. Nothing left to do now but wait.

Timeline - Update

My medical kit came while I was out of town. Now I’m in the process of getting little tick-marks into all of the little boxes on the Checklist. I can’t get an eye exam until the end of October. My file won’t be submitted for my invitation until the Medical Reviewer gets everything and has the time to go through it all. So this is the Big Wait time now.