I am still waiting to find out where exactly I'm going with the Peace Corps. It is such a long process. I applied over Thanksgiving break and then Interviewed (the hard part) right before Christmas. I was then nominated for the West Africa Program leaving in early September to work in Small Business Development Advising. I then took until mid-April to get all my medical and dental forms filled out which you can imagine was very difficult considering I don't have a family physician or dentist because I've grown up all over the place. Then 8 weeks later they let me know that they need another form filled out. So when I got back from LA last Thursday I found out that I need to get a form about TB filled out by a doctor. That has resulted in a Mantoux/TB skin test, having blood drawn for tests, a chest x-ray and now they say because I've lived in a country that has a high rate of TB (the Philippines) within 5 years and that my skin test was positive (likely due to the BCG) and even though the Xray was fine that I need to be on drugs for the next four months. Now I hope this doesn't delay me leaving for Africa. I should hear back hopefully by next week. The doctor said that these drugs can easily be taken there and I would have been on it for three months before I leave so side effects should have passed. He also said I will be the leastlikely person to get TB out of my entire group because I'll be on the meds. Worse comes to worse I leave late October or Early November but I really hope it doesn't. I won't get back till 2010 then.....
The drugs are supposed to make all liquids yellow so my tears and sweat are going to be yellow. That means with the heat and humidity of Washington D.C. in the summer I am likely just going to be tinged yellow for the next four months because you sweat a lot here (hopefully I won't be crying).
