Comments on: ACL injury two months before departure http://www.thirdgoal.com/jnelson/2008/03/28/acl-injury-two-months-before-departure/ Peace Corps Stories and Photos Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sara http://www.thirdgoal.com/jnelson/2008/03/28/acl-injury-two-months-before-departure/#comment-12001 Sara Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:46:55 +0000 http://www.thirdgoal.com/jnelson/2008/03/28/acl-injury-two-months-before-departure/#comment-12001 <p>I also have an invitation for June 08 (Ghana), and had an injury requiring surgery last month. I had my surgery on Feb 1st, so I know that gives me almost 2 months on you... but here's what happened with me anyway: I had torn ligaments (2) in the thumb on my left hand, and it required surgery to repair. I had very vague word from OMS & my PO for a few weeks after my first doctor visit; the only response I had for a while was a medical hold on my toolkit. I decided to go ahead with the surgery without knowing for sure where that would leave me with PC. Ultimately I got a call from OMS saying to fax all documentation I had from my doctor -- this week I finally got a letter saying that in order to remove the hold I need to fax letters from my doc & phys therapist saying the surgery was successful and recovery will be complete by June, etc. Once I do that I should be good to go.</p> <p>Now I know all that doesn't exactly apply to your situation - ACL vs. thumb is a big difference! - but that's what happened to me. OMS <em>will</em> be vague, if what happened to me was the norm. If you have a good rapport with your PO you might try him/her for their opinion, but it's only an opinion. Logically, even if they keep you in suspense for a while, you should still have an answer by May ("only" a month or so away, ha). My only advice is to be obsessive about doctors' documentation, fax it all to OMS whether or not they ask for it, leave emails and voice messages like a crazy person, and send them a note summarizing everything you know (when you will be rehab'd, etc). Good luck.</p> I also have an invitation for June 08 (Ghana), and had an injury requiring surgery last month. I had my surgery on Feb 1st, so I know that gives me almost 2 months on you… but here’s what happened with me anyway: I had torn ligaments (2) in the thumb on my left hand, and it required surgery to repair. I had very vague word from OMS & my PO for a few weeks after my first doctor visit; the only response I had for a while was a medical hold on my toolkit. I decided to go ahead with the surgery without knowing for sure where that would leave me with PC. Ultimately I got a call from OMS saying to fax all documentation I had from my doctor — this week I finally got a letter saying that in order to remove the hold I need to fax letters from my doc & phys therapist saying the surgery was successful and recovery will be complete by June, etc. Once I do that I should be good to go.

Now I know all that doesn’t exactly apply to your situation - ACL vs. thumb is a big difference! - but that’s what happened to me. OMS will be vague, if what happened to me was the norm. If you have a good rapport with your PO you might try him/her for their opinion, but it’s only an opinion. Logically, even if they keep you in suspense for a while, you should still have an answer by May (”only” a month or so away, ha). My only advice is to be obsessive about doctors’ documentation, fax it all to OMS whether or not they ask for it, leave emails and voice messages like a crazy person, and send them a note summarizing everything you know (when you will be rehab’d, etc). Good luck.

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