There is a form I need to fill out in preparation for the time I will spend volunteering in Africa.
(note: I know some people specifically object to saying "Africa" rather than naming a given country. They feel it is uniquely disrespectful to overgeneralize in such a way...but in this case, I do not yet know in where specifically I will be working so I will go ahead and just name the continent for lack of more detailed information.)
This is the "Guarantee of Health" form which seems like a funny name for a document to me. I know it means that my health is guaranteed now, but it kind of makes it sound like my health will be guaranteed by the process of filling out this form and for the duration of time that I am there, which I am resigned to realizing is completely false.
In order to complete the Guarantee of Health form one must receive or have proof of having received many innoculations. This means that over the past two weeks, including today at two separate appointments, I have been getting lots of shots and bloodwork. My WHO (World Health Organization) Yellow Card, the passport-sized paperwork proving one's immunization history and a badge of honor to some global travelers, is filling up rapidly. By the time I leave I will be (almost) Guaranteed not to contract the following diseases:
*measles
*mumps
*rubella
*polio
*tetanus
*typhoid
*pneumonia
*Hepatitis, both A and B
*meningitis
*yellow fever
*rabies
...and will be able to prove that I am not a carrier of the following illnesses:
*Hepatitis C
*TB
*HIV
*various other STIs
...and will have dished out a series of co-pays at the pharmacy to protect me from, or if necessary treat, the following conditions:
*malaria
*altitude sickness
*pregnancy
*yeast infections
*sinus infections
*dysentery
Having spent the last twelve years being constantly coughed and sneezed on, I can honestly say if at any point in my adult life my Health is Guaranteed it is right now. That does not change the fact that my left arm is sore, swollen, and bruised. Small price to pay I suppose?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
remember to take it easy now. after a mess of inoculations, it's easy to get sick. common, even.
good reminder, thank you...i had not considered that and was really just waiting for the bruising to fade and swelling to go down.
and thank you for being so gracious about not making a big deal re: my misspelling of 'inoculations.' i know you and i hold ourselves to similar standards of grammar and mechanics and i appreciate your gentle example! i would have been more snarky with you probably :)
Post a Comment