Update...

Yesterday I went in for oral surgery. Based on the X-Ray they thought it was cementoma and that it would be easy to remove it. Once they opened me up, the lesion was not well delineated and they just did a biopsy. It is now believed that I have Osteofibroma which is a benign bone tumor that consists of fibrous connective tissue and bone, but I will not know for two weeks if that is what I have. Basically, this was just a really expensive Biopsy.

I am a little swollen but the pain is not too bad because of all the drugs, haha. Because the surgery was in the front of my mouth, I am hoping to be eating solid foods a lot quicker then when I got my wisdom teeth out.

I called the Peace Corps Dentist in Washington DC and he had a meeting with the Medical Office to determine if this is still a Dental issue. Turns out, now it is a medical problem and I can hopefully be Dentally cleared by early next week. Yay! (A positive spin on a negative situation)!

I also just got some forms sent from the Medical Office for some follow up appointments. Luckily, I can fax in all of this information and they can therefore receive it a lot quicker then me mailing it in. Everyone at the Medical Services Office in DC have been so nice and understanding!

I am going to be really glad when this whole ordeal is over and I can get an invitation and find out my departure information. At least I am learning some of the key fundamentals of the Peace Corps like Patience and Flexibility!

Thank you for everyone who has helped get through all of this, I really appreciate the support!

I don't like going to the dentist...

So, yesterday I had my dentist appointment to see if I needed a root canal for one of my teeth. He thought I might so he then referred me to an Endodontist. The Endodontist determined that I do not need a root canal, but I do have an abnormality that surrounds the root of the tooth like a halo that may be something called Cementoma. Tomorrow I am going to an Oral Surgeon (the same one that took out my Wisdom Teeth) to get a third opinion and have some tests done.

After this whole ordeal is done, I really don't want to see another dentist for a long time, haha.

Other then this, I have no news to report about my Peace Corps process.

More Dental Work Needed...

Today I received all of my dental forms back from the Peace Corps. They have determined that I might need more work done on my teeth. They Peace Corps Dentist saw something in my X-Ray that was abnormal and not accounted for by my dentist. I have an appointment for next week and hopefully it will turn out to be nothing. Luckily, I can still receive an invitation without my dental forms being complete. I just cannot leave for training without them.

Also, on the 16th, there is a Peace Corps Event at the San Diego Humane Society. It is the largest gathering of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in San Diego. My best friend Katie will be visiting that weekend and will accompany me. Yay!

Out of 100

As I was perusing the unlimited amount of information about the Peace Corps, I came across some data on Peace Corps Wiki. This is a chart that shows how many people make it to the Close of Service (COS) out of every 100 applicants. The chart shows that out of 100 applications, only 65 even get a nomination. Even scarier that out of those same 100, only 22 finish their entire 2 years.



I also saw that the average length of time from Application to Leaving for Training averages about 335 days.

I sent in all of my medical forms and am still waiting to hear from them. Normally, the medical review takes over 50 days but I need a rush on it if they are still planning on me leaving in July.

Almost There...

After this week I should be done with all of my medical appointments. Once all of the forms are complete, I can send them in and hope I am deemed in good enough health to serve in the PC. I would like to think that I can get my Invitation (that tells me when and where I will go) by the end of April. Fingers crossed!!

New Camera

So, my dad just bought me a new camera for my trip. It is a Canon Powershot SX10 IS and is an advanced digital point and shoot. I decided not to go with a SLR because they are more expensive, too many parts, and more difficult to learn. I am really pleased with the camera thus far and am glad to have a chance to learn to use it by the time I leave.

Wisdom Teeth

I am getting my wisdom teeth extracted tomorrow and I am really not looking forward to that.