Medical Hold!

I kind of feel like I conned my way to the front of the line with my medical assistant, but it was definitely inadvertent.

I started trying to call my medical assistant last Thursday to find out if she could quickly tell me if my "out of range" lab results needed to be re-done since I am leaving next Friday and may or may not have insurance after I move.  I went to voicemail, but it was an indistinct voicemail with no name.  Suspicious.  Rather than leave a message, I tried calling again on Friday only to get the same scenario.  When I came around to Monday and I again got the voicemail, I decided to just try e-mailing instead.  This is how I found out my screening nurse no longer worked for Peace Corps: 

    " Thanks for your message.  I no longer work for the Peace Corps.  Please email all inquiries to Pre-serviceunit@peacecorps.gov.  For immediate assistance, please call 1-800-424-8580, option 2, ext. 1500. "

Gah!  Annoyance hit my face, so I just called the number above, only instead of using the extension, I just asked the operator for OMS and then asked the OMS operator who my new person was.  She transferred me to her and I explained my situation.  This is when she said "I just got your file and you have about 100 before yours."  I explained that I was moving out of state and would really like my insurance to cover it.  After all, all I wanted to know was if labs had to be redone.  She looked through my file telling me my out of ranges weren't worrisome, but I would need my gyno and I to sign a release (there goes another $25, I am sure...) and that my TB test raised a little flag as I had a bigger induration than most people (though, still on the negative side.)

I had the forms sent to me to fill out yesterday via e-mail (after I scanned in a signed waiver allowing her to do so) and my doctor thankfully squeezed me in next week (she was booked up!).  The forms that have to get filled out for the TB thing is pretty much just a risk factor sheet (all of which being things I have a "no" answer for), so it should be pretty quick and painless and hopefully there will be no chest x-ray involved.

That brings me to this morning at 2:21 AM when, as I was hanging out with my friends after being kicked out of my condo communities hot tub, I noticed the little envelope on my phone telling me I had mail.  Lo and behold: Update to my toolkit :)

I am going to consider myself someone who get medical right the first time.  I may have gotten the letter telling me my kit was incomplete, but that's not exactly my fault if the forms needed are follow-up forms given after a quick review.  Go me!

PS-
I am pretty positive I don't have TB, however my recent asthma flare ups due to weather change is causing me to question that slightly.  Damn coincidences.

Dear Peace Corps OMS-

I know you just received my medical kit on Thursday, but if you could start taking a look at my health and such, that would be great.  I am placing a bit of weight on your decision to either medically clear me or not, because medical clearance equals a nifty move to Florida at the end of the month.  Besides, I know that you have cleared others for my timeframe, so I am hoping you make this a bit of a priority as I have also seen some invites go out for said timeframe as well.  In short, please do not prolong this (or my slight impatient anxiety) for too long.

Love,
Kim

PS
I will give you cookie. 

FedEx is taking my medical to Washington!

Hip-hip hooray!

And I totally paid the $20 to two-day that shit.  The sooner the better.

My First PC Event.

I received an e-mail last week that my recruiter would be in town and doing multiple info sessions.  I went to the only one I was free for- the 6:30 session at Green Valley Library.  I hadn't met my recruiter until tonight, but her southern accent and voice made her incredibly recognizable.  I, being the overly punctual being that I am, arrived at the session a half hour early but, thankfully, I was not the first person there.  I introduced myself to Elene the recruiter and informed her that she nominated and that I was on the brink of submitting my medical kit.  Upon learning these two tidbits of information, she asked that I talk about the nominee/applicant side of the process, to which I agreed. 

During my mini-speech, I let the room know about the PC Journals and PC Wiki sites since I know that PC isn't supposed to tell people about the sites.  I let them know how incredibly helpful reading the journals are to the process and learning about being a volunteer.  It was nice to see everyone bust out their new PC pens and jot down the sites I mentioned.

I don't feel that I learned much new information regarding PC, but I did learn that there is a RPCV group in town (which quite surprised me).  Plus, I got a little book full of stories and anecdotes from volunteers which I am excited to read.

And now for something completely different:
Titers came back today! I am picking that shit up tomorrow and getting my medical mailed before work!!  I have my excited face on.

Oh scanning..

Let me just say that scanning 27 pages of medical history is a great way to cause a backache if there is no desk involved.  That being said, I should have my varicella titers next week then get boostered up on Monday and this bitch will be complete!! You know it's intense if I use multiple exclamation points.  I anticipate the final page count will be at 30.

And now a mini vent: Charging me $31 to have paperwork filled out and lab work copied for my file is a bullshit way to make money off a patient.  I mean, really?!

***Update: I am so freaking close to mailing this thing that I am getting quite antsy in my pantsy.  Got the boosters today since I was up early enough.  I lucked out that the travel clinic I went to had an administrater who's husband was PC doctor in South Africa, so they lived there for 3 years.  Why is this lucky?  It meant that I only had to pay $50 rather than the $80 or so it would have cost with the clinic's visit fee.  Upside of the day was that I had no bad reactions to either booster.

We PC Kids are all about the Clearances.

This being said, I sent in my dental stuff last Thursday because, in all honesty, I want SOME kind of clearance. 
Medical on the other hand, still waiting on lab results from the colposcopy.  Tomorrow's to do list is varicella titer testing!  I found myself quite annoyed I need a doctor to order the lab work when I called the lab last Friday, so after I called them I made a call to my doctor and found my way to her answering machiene.  I left a message telling her I need the test done and to find out if she could order them.  Lo and behold her assistant called today letting me know I could pick up the order. Yay!

On another note: I have found myself amused at the snowball effect of my Skype post. Copy Catters! ;-)

Well that was no fun.

Thumbs down to a colposcopy. 
Discomfort is a bitch and I hate cramping.

Fingers crossed for not-bad test results (because in all reality, they will doubtfully be "good" test results as the HPV is there).

The doctor seems apprehensive about clearing me for a 15 month screening, even with not-bad test results.  We will see and hopefully everything will work out and I will be able to leave in March. 

I have a booster shot left for tetanus and, apparently, they don't have a booster for polio (according to the health department) but I did get a shot for it prior to 18, so I am confused on this part of the paperwork.  It would also appear that the doctor writing that I have had chicken pox probably won't do it, so titer testing for immunity it is.

Getting Anxious.

I have officially finished my dental stuff as of today and I have what will hopefully be my final doctor's visit next week for my colposcopy.  I am hoping the results are such that I can get away with being signed off for a full HPV screening in 15 months (which the doctor seemed okay with doing when I told her 6 month paps would get me deferred).  Fingers crossed I can get this packet out by the end of the month.  I also need two booster shots.  Fun stuff.

The closer I get to finsishing, the more anxious I am becoming about getting invited *fingers crossed* and leaving for the fatastic adventure that is the Peace Corps.  Seeing people getting medically cleared and invited for the first quarter of next year, only makes me think "That could be me!"

Consults are pretty bogus.

Instead of a consult, it should be called a "money kidnapping session."  If I call to make an appointment of a colposcopy, I expect to have the procedure done on the day I made the appointment for, not to be charged for a talking session.  Stupid doctor's office! 

At least I know that I will be needing $500 when I go and have it done (eep!).  And I get to have it done a week after my wisdom teeth removal.  Fun week for PC related excitement. 

Edit 9/20: Thank goodness! I received a phone call today letting me know my co-pay for the colposcopy is  only going to be $189.68!  Far better than $500.

Holy Crap that is a BIG bill!

Click for bigger view!

Suffice it to say I am pretty relieved that I have heath insurance, and pretty good health insurance at that.  So far, it looks like I am clear on having to pay for anything except my dental stuff and booster shots, however I am sure I will be paying actual money for my upcoming colposcopy.  Bummerface.

I will say this: my doctor was so awesome about reading though everything the PC sent and making sure it was filled out fully and correctly.  I haven't double checked it yet, but we went over it together and I have a pretty good feeling it is fine and dandy.  I plan on using the checklist after I have all my tests done, shots shot up, and teeth ripped from my jaw :)

Perhaps I will do it over a glass of wine and some celebratory cheesecake.

Oh! How I knew it...

So like I said in my last post, I had a dentist and doctor's appointment today.  Working backwards from the day, here is where I am sitting with each:

Dental:
     I had to go to an actual dentist since the oral surgeon who did my free exam found cavities.  At the time, I was quoted a $304 dollar co-pay to have all of my wisdom teeth removed.  The dentist I saw today had to do 4 additional bitewing x-rays since the ones the oral surgeon gave me weren't organized or mounted.  They do theirs electronically and needed to have copies.  I lucked out that while they did suck and hurt to have done because of the bone growth in my lower mouth, it would have been worse had they been traditional bitewing x-rays. 
    I have a total of 4 teeth in need of fillings and 2 in need of sealants.  The best part of the day is when the dentist offered to do all four of my wisdom teeth for $150 and he also gave me a deal on my fillings and sealants.  So all of my dental will cost me $310.  Not too bad and much better than the $464 it could have been between the two places.  I am having all of the work done in two days.  The right side of my mouth on the 14th (along with my cleaning) and the left side on the 16th.

Medical-
    I have been referred to a gyno, just as I thought I would be.  I am positive for HPV and it is the lowest grade (ASC-US).  I am not sure if this was something I had when my last pap (over 5 years ago) came back abnormal, although thinking about it, I am pretty sure it is and my being 17 when I learned it, I didn't think much of it.  I guess the good news is that it hasn't gotten worse.  In additon to that, my HPV DNA test lists me as positive for "High-Risk HPV DNA".  At my gyno appointment on the 6th I will be getting a colposcopy done.  Bummer face.  I am hoping everything turns out okay and that the results from that don't show anything much more serious. 
     Thanks to Kylene's post on the subject, I at least know to ask for a 15 month window for screenings if things are low grade. Her post also made me feel better about the possibility of not being MNQ'd, although it is possible I wind up defferred from my nomination if I have to be re-papped in six months. 
    As for my other lab results, I am pretty normal.  My bad cholestrol was a little high, but not medicine worthy and it was surely so due to my fast-food diet that I have recently re-acquired.  I need to start cooking again, which means my roommmate needs to start helping to keep the kitchen clean! But alas, I digress...  My platlet count was a little high, but she said it will do that with stress, which is most likely the reason.  And I freaked out when I say that my Hep B surface antibody test said positive only to learn that my immunization for it was the cause.

 Damn the word "positive".

Calls from the doctor..

...make me feel fucking crazy.

It just doesn't seem like a good thing when your doctor tells you she will see you in 2 weeks and then calls four days after your pelvic exam and having your blood tests done to see you in the upcoming week instead.

So suffice it to say, I have my worried/anxious face on and I am hoping I can try to get in to see her tomorrow so that I don't have a weekend that causes me to feel nuts.

TB Test

Ever wonder what the hell a TB test looks like? Well here you go:

Far less scary than I thought.  I totally pictured something else prior to going to the doctor.

Went and saw Dr. Acula today

Apparently I was supposed to go and get my bloodwork done before my doctor's appointment today, but that was not made clear to me last time.  Plus when I had blood taken before, they took it at the office.  Lucky for me that my TB test and lady exam were done with by 10, so I had time to get to the lab to have my blood taken before work with time to spare to come home for a bit :)

Tomorrow it looks like I will be heading to the health department.  I need a tetanus shot, polio booster, and the last of my Hep A and B shots.  For the last two I am hoping I don't have to get the whole series over again. 

Fingers crossed that everything will come back fine and dandy and my medical portion will be done and put together at my next appointment in two weeks.

Doctor Visit Part 1!

Not too bad, although I don't feel like much got done.  I am mostly hoping that my exam finds itself classified at preventative care since that is the only thing my insurance entirely covers with no money for me to pay.  Fingers crossed.  The upside is apparently my doctor is an "in-network" provider unlike I thought, so yay.

My visit mostly included sitting and waiting, but what else is new when you go to the doctor?  Sitting in waiting rooms is something I tend to find amusing since it tends to house old people who stare at me due to an abundance of visible tattoos.  It pretty much just makes me giggle to myself knowing that I tend to be considered "abnormal." 

Anywho...

We basically just did the clinical exam and she put in the order for all of my lab tests (the high BMI ones included since it classifies me as a uber-fattie rather than just an overweighty).  I am supposed to go back on August 9th to get the blood taken and have my TB test started in addition to my lady exam.  Should be a fun morning before heading to work feeling used, abused, and mildly violated.

I do need to find my immunization records.  I know exactly what they are in, just not where what they in is located.  So that should be fun and exciting.  Maybe I will find a pirate hat and pretend it's a treasure hunt.  You know, to actually make it seem  fun and exciting.

Now I am just saying...

I am so glad I am not the only crazy, semi-obsessive PC applicant.  I kind of feel like I bore my friends talking about it, haha.

So to fellow applicants who may come across this: thanks for hanging out in the same boat as me :)

In other news-
My first dentist visist in probably eight years or so is next Tuesday at 3.   If the helpfulness and chipper tone of the receptionist is any indication of the dentist, I will be pretty stoked.  I am not going to lie though, I am a bit freaked out at what I feel like is the inevitability of having to get dental work done.  At least the exam and x-rays are free and the office takes my insurance if  when I need work done.

Tomorrow is phone call day.  Let's hope I can get some doctors' visits scheduled sooner rather than later.  I also plan on continuing my search for volunteering in the ESL field.  I am having a difficult time finding much of anything in Las Vegas!  A-Nnoying! 

At least I got in some volunteering today with special needs kids.  They had a great time learning about working in retail and being treated like "normal" people.  It was also nice to see how much the parents appreciated us working with them.  It was "thank you"s all around.

Medical Packet is here!

Guess that means I'll be setting up appointments soon :)
And luckily, there is a USA-ICD dentist in town for free x-rays and an exam.  I do, however, find it funny that out of the six dentists in the state that do them for free, five of them are in Reno.  Silly.  Some other plus sides to this particular dentist is great online reviews and the acceptance of my dental insurance in case I need work done (which I am positive will be the case).  Oh, and it is close to my workplace.