These past two weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster. Work has smoothed out.. for as long as that lasts and I have under 50 days till the end of my service with the Ameri Corps.
The Peace Corps saga continues with my doctor that I got when I moved back to Nor Cal turning out to be a fat phobe and a generally all around horrible communicator. Resulting in me bring my mother to my last doctor’s appointment in an effort to clear the air and get her to understand that while I maybe fat.. I am healthy. May sound like an oxymoron.. but its not.
I have good blood pressure, no hint of diabetes, and excellent cholesterol. While I was diagnose with exercise induced asthma sometime in 1999. I have been fine without any treatment for 10 years now. No hospitalizations, no attacks etc.
My doctor continued to act as if I would willingly lie – putting my health in jeopardy in order to go abroad to the Peace Corps.
She also stated in the appointment with my mother that she would write an addendum to the Peace Corps application if I went and got a pulmonary stress test -because she had written in the application I should avoid any “strenuous” activity – in relation to the asthma- but of course she didn’t explain that in what she wrote in the application. So I willingly in good faith went and got the allergy skin prick test and pulmonary stress test at the Kaiser Allergy Clinic thinking she would change what she had written in the application and explain it further in the addendum.
Sadly this isn’t what happened. Alhumdualillah I get the addendum but she then doesn’t do what she said she would do. In addition to that she spitefully says.. and I told the patient to lose weight. WTF.. seriously. Can you say spiteful?
During that appointment with my mother the doctor had stated that she was uncomfortable with the lack of time she has had with me as her patient and she says that she isn’t comfortable signing off on the Peace Corps application because of that. There is nothing I can do about that lady.. its not like we can take up knitting together and hangout 24/7- just so you can feel comfortable about signing off on my Peace Corps paperwork. The reality is that I am your patient.. I can’t change the fact I have only been your patient for 10 months and counting.
There are just something that were things she just needed to accept. Unfortunately she couldn’t and I hate passive aggressive people with a passion. Especially when they can’t just be upfront when it comes to something so important. The real underlying issue for her I truly believe is that she thinks that fat people just aren’t as healthy as skinny people are and that we are not capable as skinny people when it comes to physically challenging tasks.
Lady! I have climbed Mt Musa, gone on a 23 day wilderness trip and hiked 68 miles, rappelled off cliffs and done a triathlon. All while fat.
The Peace Corps also will make sure,”All Volunteers receive comprehensive medical and dental benefits. The benefits start with coverage of vaccinations and anti-malarial prescription, which begin prior to departure. Each post has a Peace Corps Medical Officer to provide primary care. Full medical insurance during service covers 100% of primary care, hospitalization, medical evacuation, all prescriptions including birth control and dental care needs. Volunteers are also covered by workman’s compensation for injuries incurred during their period of service.
Additionally, Volunteers can obtain affordable health insurance for up to 18 months following Volunteers service through an assistance program called CorpsCare. The Peace Corps pays the first month’s premium and you then have the option to purchase a reasonably priced, comprehensive insurance policy to cover you and qualified dependents. More information is available in the returned Volunteers Health Benefits section.”
So if her concern was a lack of quality care.. those concerns were unfounded. So Alhumdualillah my good friend Barb helped me switch my doctor to a different one who feels comfortable with the Peace Corps paperwork and my weight.
American Muslimahs Musings 