Medical Madness

For anyone who is interested, and for those who already know, the medical/dental paperwork for the Peace Corps is insane!  Mounds of papers to be filled out, signed (absolutely no N/A's!!!) and faxed/mailed to Washington, DC to be viewed by God knows how many people. Being a woman over 50 has it's disadvantages here....for instance, the requirements are a lot more stringent.  A mammogram is needed...a colonoscopy is needed....on and on.  And EVERYONE and their mother's father's uncle's brother's niece are looking at your medical stats.  Nice.  I mean, really. Big PC problem: I had cancer 9 years ago...(I am a SURVIVOR!) and the paperwork that came for THAT is stunning.  Makes me wish I wasn't so honest....

The dental part could be more of a problem for me.  I have always taken excellent care of my teeth, but let's be honest here...when your body ages, so do your teeth.  Gums recede, fillings fall out, root canals fail etc. I may be force to have 4 crowns put in...either that, or pull the teeth! I certainly don't want to run around without teeth! Unfortunatley, I can't afford the crowns from my regualr dentists...
The running around for all the doctors visits has been stressful.  I had to see 2 doctors (Primary care and Oncology) and 2 dentists! (Primary and Periodontal) Expensive as well.  I don't have any insurance but luckily there is a wonderful little health center with an awesome medical staff helping me out. It's not free, but it is well within my budget.

Along with all the exhausting tests and exams are the inoculations.  I had to get 3 booster shots...one for Polio, one for Chicken Pox, and a nasty little number called a Tdap...this is for Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Whooping Cough).Well, it's been 17 days and I am still in screaming pain from that little honey.  Turns out, the Doc had to report this to the "Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System"...a vaccine reaction isn't pretty, and needs to be reported by law. They assured me the pain would eventually go away...

I am now on Prednizone....a steroid which has helped the pain a lot.  It's enabled me to move my arm and shoulders without screaming...which means I can sleep tonight and start my daily routine of swimming again. Also, I expect the steroids will also blow my head up to the size of a pumpkin....aah...ain't life grand?

More on this tedium later. Night all.