my veins are easy to find...

so it wasn't hard to draw four vials of blood for the required tests. I also had a urine test and a "woman's test," which is always super exciting! Ha.

The exciting thing is that I am done with all of my necessary doctor and dentist and therapist appointments! Now I just have to wait for the lab results and then I can mail in all my documents and get an actual official invitation to volunteer.

I have been working a lot lately to try and come up with some extra cash for the doctors appointment, which turned out to be about $340 since I don't have insurance. But this morning I came to the happy realization that past Jessica had left a wonderful gift for present Jessica: a health savings account from my old job! Woah. That was so thoughtful of past Jessica. I'll have to thank her!

Side note:
I went to a nurse practitioner in Phoenix who was incredibly helpful and considerate. She took her time to make sure she was filling out all of the necessary sections in the Peace Corps paperwork and she was pleasant and professional. I have had a lot of doctors and even nurse practitioners in the past who have been quite unpleasant and rushed. If you are looking for some good healthcare in the Phoenix area, you may want to consider her as a primary care provider. Her name is Agnes Oblas and here is her website with contact and other info: http://www.newpathshealth.com/
I would give her two thumbs up!

Peace!

still working on medical clearance...

Nothing really new to report except that it's pretty hard to find an affordable place to get theses physicals done. Urgent care turned out to be a bad idea as most of them won't do some of the necessary tests. Family physicians charge an arm and a leg and I have very short limbs and no insurance!

So I have an appointment with a nurse practitioner on Monday, but I will still need a physician's co-signature on the forms. I dropped off the forms at her office the other day so she knows exactly what I'll need. She will call me with a price estimate, but she says it will be at least 200, probably more.
The Peace Corps will reimburse up to 165, but for the rest I'm on my own.

In the meantime, I've just been working,working out, doing a lot of yoga and writing silly haikus.
Oh and I'm reading like five books right now including:
A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life by Thomas Moore
Ariel by Sylvia Plath
and the Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell's translation)

Here are my current favorites from the Tao:

"Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever."

"In dwelling, live close to the ground."

"He allows things to come and go.
His heart is open as the sky."

"All things have their backs to the female
and stand facing the male.
When male and female combine,
all things achieve harmony."