Vacation Vaccination!

I move around a lot.

I was born in Chicago, spent my elementary years in Kansas City, roughed it in Fort Knox, got country in Rineyville, froze myself in Sioux Falls and went to college in Williamsburg. Because I move around so much, I've never had a "Family Doctor." This fact has been a hassle my entire life. I have no consolidated source of medical information and my medical history is a spotted quilt of stitched-together necessities that just barely proves helpful.

For this reason, the medical portion of my Peace Corps application was a headache-filled nightmare where it should have been a headache only. During the staging process (now a few short weeks away), I will be receiving  country-specific shots for my trip as well as any other shots that I may have missed before. It is advised that I bring a record of all the shots I have had so as not to risk taking the same ones twice.

Easier said that done...

I have been calling the Peace Corps, leaving messages and e-mailing different offices and people to try and find out what I need to do to get a copy of these records because Peace Corps is the most immediate collection of this information. I have not heard even the slightest bit of information and I'm beginning to worry (though truthfully, I don't think it's going to be too big of an issue). I spent the entire day yesterday waiting to hear from somebody about this information. And I thought that was the worst of my worries...

Yesterday, I received this e-mail after 5pm

    Dear Invitee,

We were just informed that the government of South Africa requires Yellow Fever vaccination for entry into the country or is near a country that does. They require proof that vaccination has taken place at least 10 days prior to entry. Therefore, the Peace Corps will not issue an air ticket for you to fly to your assigned post until you obtain the Yellow Fever vaccination. Because of the time required to process air tickets, you should obtain the vaccine and provide the Peace Corps with proof of vaccination no later than June 24th, 2011.

We apologize for this very late notice, but Peace Corps just received this information.

Immediate steps to take:

1. Respond to this email to SouthAfrica@peacecorps.gov with ‘Received.’
2. Read all documents and determine if you need the Vaccination. The Yellow Fever vaccine is good for 10 years. If you have received the vaccination no more than 7 years prior to your departure you do not need to be revaccinated.

3. Check out the CDC site to identify the closest facility to get your vaccination. Yellow Fever vaccination must be given at a certified Yellow Fever vaccination clinic. A list of these clinics in the United States can be found at the Centers for Disease Control site:
4. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellow-fever-vaccination-clinics-search.aspx .

5. Get the vaccination. Pay for the vaccination. You will need to pay for the vaccination when you receive it upfront, and then the Peace Corps will reimburse you for up to $150 of your actual out of pocket costs incurred in obtaining the Yellow Fever vaccination.

6. Fax a copy of the portion of the form documenting the Yellow Fever vaccination to 202-692-1561. Be certain that your name appears in that section. On your cover sheet for the fax, be certain to include your name, date of birth, and country assignment. If you have any questions, please email pre-servicenurse@peacecorps.gov or call 1-800-424-8580, option 2, extension 4049.
7. Apply for reimbursement. Submit the Cost Share Authorization and a copy of your bill to the address on the form.

8. If you have any questions, please email pre-servicenurse@peacecorps.gov or call 1-800-424-8580, option 2, extension 4049 OR contact your desk officer at pmcelroy@peacecorps.gov or SouthAfrica@peacecorps.gov.

Again, we apologize for this very late notice to you.

Thank you so much for your flexibility and patience on this matter! And please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have further questions.

Now, I'm not going to lie, this got me really steamed. Peace Corps has had my medical records since December and at no point did they think that I might need a Yellow Fever vaccine to go to South Africa. At first, I got a little more angry that I should have because I'm on vacation, I don't have my insurance with me and I have less than a week to get this all straightened out. I panicked!

But then, cooler heads prevailed and I got to work. This is all part of the process and it can be handled as long as one stays rational. As opposed to Kentucky, North Carolina (where I am currently vacationing) is a wonderful medical mecca. I was able to get into a local clinic with only minor difficulties and received the required vaccination and promptly sent it in to HQ.

It's a huge relief to have this off my shoulders now and I can get back to enjoying the time I have left here. It also feels good that Peace Corps threw my a curve ball and I was able to bat it back. So I'm back to being excited and confident again and totally thrilled to get to this job.

Just...give me a break for the last few weeks please!?

Pre-Staging

Just a few short minutes ago, I received my staging email from SATO travel! Honestly, I kind of expected the whole process to be a pain since we have to go through this third-party organization but, thankfully, it wasn't an issue and I was able to make my travel arrangements within about 8 minutes. The lady on the line was easygoing, fast and polite which is refreshing given the kinds of scum-of-the-Earth one finds associated with the airline industry.

Because Peace Corps gets government discounts, the flight only cost $255! That's a good deal! I feel a little better about easing the burden on taxpayers (even just the slightest) since I was thinking it would be closer to $500.

I will be departing from Sioux Falls airport on July 5th at 11 a.m. and I will fly through to Chicago O'Hare. I can't count how many times I've been to that airport. I remember flying through there when I was only 7 years old and alone. It's a wonder really...the things that become a sort of "measuring stick" for your life. O'Hare doesn't change. Going through there only reminds me of the changes taking place and how far I've come since being a chubby kid gawking at the florescent lights on the ceiling of one of the walkways.

But I digress.

From Chicago, I'll be leaving at 3 p.m. to Washington D.C. and landing sometime around 5:45 p.m. Staging starts early the next day and is sure to be a whirlwind of activity and preparation. There, I will share a room with 1-2 other volunteers also going to South Africa who (judging by Facebook) will be very similar in their tastes and personalities so it's guaranteed to be a good time.

Just three more weeks in the States - I absolutely can't believe that even when I think about it. I'm grateful that I will be able to spend the 4th of July with my family and in America. It means a lot and it'll be a fitting end to my time here. Between now and then, I'll be buying clothes, packing, making lists (undoubtedly checking them twice/thrice), saying goodbye to the many good friends who make this all simultaneously worthwhile and yet somewhat painful. I can't wait to go over and make you proud and make myself proud in the process. I can't wait to be a part of something that puts even the slightest bit of goodness back into a world that has given me so much of it. At the same time, I know that I will miss every one of you terribly and that this is a job that will grind away at my ambition and patience. There are many tough times ahead, but nobody ever gained anything without taking a risk and I can't stand to preach the virtues of Humanism and stand idly by when I have been blessed with so much.

Three weeks!