Getting a Little Schooling

Hello friends!!  I may not have been writing lately, but I've still been keeping up with you.  I have quite a few updates to write about, I'm not even sure where to start. 

First of all, I had really thought about dropping my grad school class.  With everything that has been going on with my medical situation and doctor appointments every week, twice a week I was afraid it would be a bit much.  My friend gave me some good advice.  He told me just go to the first night and see how it goes and then decide.  So while I really wasn't even in the mood to go to the first class, I went. 

And I loved it!  I'm definitely keeping the class.  I went right after class and bought my books and I'm already thinking about a topic for my paper.  I'm kind of a dork in that I'm excited about the possibility of going to a Political Science Conference.  Lol...I know I know, silly. 

Everything has been so stressful lately though.  Monday, I had a doctor appointment and left work at 2 to get there.  I sat there for more than two hours before I even saw the doctor.  Sigh..  And it was the first night of my Writing Workshop.  I thought an appointment at 3 would have gotten me out in plenty of time to be at the workshop by 6.  I was so wrong.  I didn't leave the doctor's office until after 6 so I had to miss the first night ;(

Then class was Tuesday night.  I left work at 4:30 to get to my 5:30 class.  And guess what?  I was late.  So I'm parking on the side of the street where I'm not sure if it'll be towed or not and I'm running to class, trying to breathe and hoping I don't feel like passing out.  With my fast heart rate and trouble breathing me and the heat and exertion don't get along very well.   

It's terrible when I start thinking I better not wear dresses just in case I pass out in public somewhere.  I don't want to be showing my undies to the world!  What a mess.

But anyways, I just haaate being late.  I've never had this teacher before and you just never know how they'll react to a late student.  Some have been real asses in the past and I'm just thinking I hope this lady knows everything I just went through to get here. 

It's funny how different school feels this time around from when I started my undergrad right out of high school.  It was all so fun and new then.  Now everything is kind of a big hassle and serious.  School isn't the main or most important thing on my plate now. 

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And news on the medical front is not much to report.  I saw the endocrinologist, the specialist for the thyroid.  The one that made me late on Monday.  She gave me the run through of what my options could be for treatment.  They include just taking medicine for a year, but I have a good possibility of it coming back.  Second, a radioactive iodine treatment.  With this treatment I'd have to take a week off work and stay pretty isolated for the first few days. 

Literally people can't be around me for more than a few minutes at a time because of the radiation.  Even the animals can't be around me or I could kill them.  Sounds kind of depressing right?  And with this treatment it will likely my have the opposite problem, an under active thyroid which I'll have to take medicine for for the rest of my life.  But I guess under active is better than overactive? 

This sounds so stupid and shallow, but I'm afraid to have an under active thyroid if it will make me gain a lot of weight..

My third option is surgery.  I don't think they do surgery very often anymore, but it's an option if people don't want the radioactive iodine treatment.  With the iodine treatment they pretty much make you get on birth control because you can't have babies for at least 6 months after or else my babies could glow in the dark and have unreal deformities.  Crazy stuff. 

I went today for my thyroid scan.  This involved me laying on a table with a camera super close to my neck.  I had to lay still for 5 minutes at a time while the camera was taking pictures and I was told to try not to swallow.  Right.... as soon as they tell me not to swallow of course I feel the need to do it 5 times.  Hope the pictures turned out lol.  I should hear from the specialist tomorrow and hopefully we can decide on a treatment plan.

I just don't want all this medical stuff to get in the way of work and school.  Well maybe I wouldn't mind a week off work with the chance to lay in bed watching endless movies and reading endless books. 

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Finally, a Peace Corps update!  The placement officer ignored my emails for several days, but when I went back to work today I had an email from her.  She explained some more about the business placements and why I wasn't being considered for that anymore.  I still don't really agree and feel I'm most qualified for business, but we're looking at a possible health placement now.  She sent me a health addendum to fill out and send back to her.  But honestly, I'm not even sure what to put on it.  I've been involved with a lot of Health related stuff, classes and organizations, but haven't really done volunteer work in a hospital or anything.  So again, I'm afraid I won't be qualified for it.  But I would be happy to do something health related because I still think about going back to school for med school. 

I just want to know if I'm going or not.  I was starting to accept not going, since I hadn't heard back from the Placement Officer.  I was beginning to plan what I would now.  I don't want to feel let down by the Peace Corps again.  I don't want to be told again that I'm not qualified enough.  Seriously can you not just place me somewhere??  I'll do just about anything. 

But if it's not meant to be now, then it's just not and I'm ready to know that and move on to the next thing. 

This was kind of a boring post, sorry guys!  Lots of details, but not very fun.  Next time I'll come up with something better for you.  Hope you're all doing well and healthy and happy!