Mola (one month to go!)

Right now, I am sitting at a Starbucks during my teaching break, sipping on a hot cider and listening to elevator music. Gonna miss this.

As the title foretold, we've got about one month until I officially ship out. On either March 18th or morning of the 19th, 120 people are flying from all around the country to DC for STAGING!!! We will be receiving/organizing our plane tickets 2 weeks prior to that date.

IE>>

March 1-10th, receive plane ticket!
March 18-19th, fly to DC!
March 19th, Staging and heading to Casablanca!

Once in Casablanca, we are finagling over to Rabat for our two month language and cultural intensive program until we are sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers!

So exciting.

Despite all the ridiculousness I have witnessed while subbing over the past five months, I'm going to miss these kids. At times they can be insufferable, stubborn, and just plain rude. Yet, they've taught me more about what kind of teacher--and person-- I want to be than sitting in a classroom could ever do.

Plus, I've pretty much mastered the various glares.

"You did NOT just do that"
"Pick that up"
"Detention!"
"Say please, please" (also=manners??)
"You get a Bling Buck!" (Bling Bucks are what the scholars use to purchase additional school supplies. They are dealt out as rewards for exceptional behavior)

....

Last week, I went to a Batizado (t=pronounced "ch") with my Capoeira group. A Batizado is a ceremony that can be translated as "baptism". Around the world, Batizado's occur at different times. Depending on the cord level, you may not be an active participant until your teacher says you are ready.

The more inexperienced capoerista fights against a mestre (master) or someone with a much higher cord level. It is like baptism by fire. At a lower level, one fights until they are tripped--last time, the guy I played against tripped me, picked me up over his shoulder, and carried me over to get my next cord level. The tripping signifies the humility-- and humiliation-- necessary to join a higher rank. Not only do you get a cord, but also have a greater responsibility to pass on the knowledge and teachings that were given to you.

"With great power (of knowledge) comes great responsibility (to pass it on)"

This time around, I didn't get as much time on the floor. However, I did get a nickname!

Part of (most) Batizado ceremonies is receiving a nickname by your peers. Historically, it was illegal to practice Capoeira, and the punishment for being found practicing the sport was vicious. To maintain secrecy, the capoeiristas gave each other nicknames-- usually from a particular trait or characteristic of the person--to protect one another from persecution. This tradition is continued today, usually during the Batizado ceremony.

... and I finally got a nickname!

Mola. It means "spring".

:)

Report from the "Wisdom Teeth" trenches

I am writing up this blog entry 24 hours post wisdom teeth-extraction surgery. Since I had a lot of fear and anxiety and most of all questions, I'm going to take a few minutes to report on my experience.

If you continue to read down to the bottom, there are PHOTOGRAPHIC REWARDS!

In regards to the Peace Corps:

It has been approximately a year since I turned in my dental part of my Peace Corps application, and last month they sent me a follow-up. With the leave date getting closer, I have decided to finish fixing my teeth before I get my next dental X-ray.

Most people get their 3rd molars (wisdom teeth) taken out because they are impacted--the bone has started to grow over those teeth that are last to grow. It can be dangerous, and lead to infection. My teeth were not entirely impacted, but the gum had grown over a lot of my top molars, and some of the bone had started to grow up around my lower teeth.

Although there was not any immediate danger, at some point in the next few years they could easily become infected. Since I will be living in Morocco and I would rather not have the surgery there, my mom and oral surgeon agreed that it was a necessary evil.

On to the actual surgical consult:

At the consultation meeting, my oral surgeon gave me 3 prescriptions: 1 for a medical mouthwash, to begin 2 days leading up the surgery. 1 for the pain (generic Vicodin); and 1 bottle of a kind of steroids to prevent swelling, to be taken every morning and evening for 3 days.

The oral surgeon gave me two options-- to have local anesthesia and be awake for the surgery (hellllls no!) or to have an IV put in my arm with a mix of 5 different medicines. My mother did not want me to go under; I wanted to be out of it completely. We came to a compromise, and she was able to come in with me as long as I could get the IV. I won.

You are not allowed to eat for 6 hours previously, and drink water for 2 hours up to the surgery. I made my appointment for 8 AM on Friday (yesterday), and my mom drove me as my Designated Driver.

At the office:

Once at the office, we waited and waited for the nurses to call me in. I am usually good at making people laugh at stupid jokes (very stupid jokes), but these ladies had no sense of humor. Should have brought them coffee, instead of jokes.

They let us in, led us to the back room which had a gorgeous view of the mountains. The office was located on the 5th floor, and with the layout of the Rockies right out that window, I almost didn't want to go to sleep. Almost. I have attempted to donate blood at least 12 times, and probably donated 8, but I still have not gotten used to having a needle poke my arm. The staff was nice about my whining, and soon I was off to la-la land.

I woke up, and I was a little bit confused. My mom told me that I had woken up very quickly from the surgery, and it hadn't taken more than 25 minutes. I saw the mountains over my shoulder, and I pointed frantically at the most astounding view you'll ever find post-surgical procedure. They told me I could talk if I wanted, but it felt like my mouth was frozen, and I tried to sign with them instead. The nurse became very frustrated with me, and indignantly said something along the lines of "I don't know Sign" at least 3 times.

It also may have been hard to remember an instruction in my head for the first ten minutes...

Post-surgery breakdown:

About 15/20 minutes after the surgery (not exactly sure how long, I was out of it), the nurse helped me swing my legs over the side and into a wheelchair. Went down the elevator, and got in the car with my mom. Completely groggy and out of it, but my feet were working well enough on their own when I got home to walk--carefully--on the ice that's outside of my house.

I had prepared/called a corner of our sofa as mine for the day as I had been forewarned the first 24 hours I would be completely incapacitated. About 30 minutes after I got home, my mom took the gauze out of my mouth (45 minutes absorption minimum) and there was no bleeding for the rest of the day.

I slept until around noon, and I woke up to find my face still numbed up and feeling swollen, and in a level of pain around a 6 on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the high end. I think I was more shocked than in pain, but my mom gave me an ibuprofen. I hate to say it, but I have to be honest here... I am a PAIN IN THE BUTT when I am in any kind of pain. Especially when I can't control it by stretching that area of my body.

My mother made me an omelet and put it on the table when I told her I wasn't hungry at all. After about 30 minutes, my dog discovered the omelet and ate half. I guess she (Layla) had an appetite, at least. She also made me fresh squeezed orange juice with a straw. DON'T USE A STRAW for the first few days or anything with a sucking faculty, such as a water-bottle. It has the potential to tear out the stitches. I tried sipping the orange juice from the glass, but the pulp kept getting caught in the back of my mouth.

I took my first Vicodin at 1:30 PM, and started alternating ice packs on both my cheeks for approximately 10 minutes on, 20 minutes off.

The back of my throat started bothering me around 2 or 3 PM.

I watched Indiana Jones, some country movie, and had a bite of homemade applesauce my mom made me. Around 5:30, my mouth started to bother me again, so I took pill number 2. (The instruction says every 4-6 hours as needed)

Around 9 PM, my mom made an amazing dinner with homemade pasta and homemade sauce, tofu, salmon, salad, and cinnamon braided bread. I was able to stomach 2 pieces of pasta, and sauntered back to the sofa, complaining about my head. At this point, the numbness of my face was down to right around my mouth, no longer stretching all the way up to my ears and down to my chin.

My oral surgeon called around this time to check in on me. I asked him my questions, and he was emphatic about the necessity to drink tons of water. I finally emptied the single water-bottle that had been sitting in front of me all day, at his urging.

In order to take my steroid pill, I need to have some food in my tummy, so I finished off the applesauce, took my pill and went to bed.

24 Hours Later:

Now, 24 hours later when I should be starting to get the swollen chipmunk cheeks, there is no sign of swelling or pain. Maybe a level of 2, but only because I can feel the sides of my mouth.

I am using a syringe filled with warm water to spray the areas in the back of my mouth 3-4 times a day. It's the best way to clean out the food that gets caught back there as you are able to eat more solid food. (Like the omelet I made myself this morning that my dog did NOT get at!)

I am incredibly thankful for my oral surgeon and all the medications he gave me, as I have been called in to watch small children for the next few days, when the internet has told me I should still be out of it.

My advice:

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Don't expect to move except from the sofa/bed you are on to the bathroom.

There are probably a lot of other reflections I could give, but for now, after the first 24 hours, I feel 90% improvement. If you were directed to this page because of worries about your surgery, GOOD LUCK.




Here is the advice from the site I followed in conjunction with what my oral surgeon told me:

In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. Take painkillers as prescribed by your dentist or oral surgeon. The following tips will help speed your recovery.

-Bite gently on the gauze pad periodically, and change pads as they become soaked with blood. Call your dentist or oral surgeon if you still have bleeding 24 hours after your surgery.
-While your mouth is numb, be careful not to bite the inside of your cheek or lip, or your tongue.
-Do not lie flat. This may prolong bleeding. Prop up your head with pillows.
-Try using an ice pack on the outside of your cheek for the first 24 hours. You can use moist heat-such as a washcloth soaked in warm water and wrung out-for the following 2 or 3 days.
-Relax after surgery. Physical activity may increase bleeding.
-Eat soft foods, such as gelatin, pudding, or a thin soup. Gradually add solid foods to your diet as healing progresses.
-Do not use a straw for the first few days. Sucking on a straw can loosen the blood clot and delay healing.
-After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times a day to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
-Do not smoke for at least 24 hours after your surgery. The sucking motion can loosen the clot and delay healing. In addition, smoking decreases the blood supply and can bring germs and contaminants to the surgery area.
-Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue or touching it with your fingers.
-Continue to brush your teeth and tongue carefully.

Your dentist will remove the stitches after a few days, if needed.

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/wisdom-tooth-extraction

*******************************************
Conclusion and reflection, 48 hours later:

I am very pleased that I made the decision to go ahead and get my wisdom teeth removed in the U.S. When the oral surgeon had originally looked at my teeth, he warned me there was a chance that the positioning of the 3rd molars could become an infection over the next two years. Despite the fact that I believe I will LOVE my station in Morocco, I was not altogether prepared to have surgery abroad. 48 hours later, because of the steroids, I do not have the typical puffy cheeks and I was able to be up and moving around within 24 hours.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or I'm obviously missing something important (I was on drugs, after all) please feel free to let me know. :)



My lovely, non-puffy face before the surgery. My mom took this picture of me outside of the office.
The amazing view from the office where the surgery took place. Last thing I saw before they knocked me out, and it was well worth it.
My puffy cheeks afterwards! How cute.

Getting Braces (4 months to go)

I got braces this morning. Bottom braces, to be specific. My mom thought that I should get my teeth fixed before I leave for Morocco. There's nothing wrong with them specifically, but they're kind of off-kilter--not in line entirely.

Will I be able to get them off in 6 months--in time to leave for Morocco with nice, straight teeth?

That's the plan. My orthodontist has presented the plan as a 3-6 month timeline; hopefully, it will all work out in the end.

Why did this happen???? (Why would I subject myself to braces yet again?)

Two years ago, I made my mom a deal that if she, a dentist of 20+ years (not going to say how many +'s) would finally go get her teeth fixed, I would spend more than 2 months in one location and get my teeth altered as well. (I originally had braces that modified my mouth significantly, but I lost the shape-retainers back in college...)

Today, I received bottom braces. And a retainer. If you think it's weird to see me now with the braces, you should have seen me before when I was younger, and had the large gap teeth going on. That was before my first set of braces. They needed a lot of work to get done. Overbite with headgear was the fix-it.

Onto the present: It's actually very comfortable for day 1; however, a minor situation came up when I bought a bagel earlier. When I took my first bite, I thought I took a brace off. Either that, or I had moved a brace. I am hoping they are in line. They are still poking me in the Perio's, so that's a good sign. I don't have an appointment for 8 weeks now, so cross your fingers and hope that I do not screw anything up!

No wire poking out the back. Nice.

Colors! I got bright pink, bright green, and bright blue in a continuous pattern.

Pictured below.



Why is this relevant to the Peace Corps? I've begun to realize that this is quite an important question to ask... The Peace Corps sent me a letter this week stating that, since my last dental review was over a year ago, I've got to get another one done. You know, yearly check-ups. Haven't done THAT in 5, 6 years.. Anyway, it reminded my mom, she reminded me, and I'm going to get a cavity filled and my wisdom teeth pulled. There go my smarts..

About the title:

In Arabic (traditionally), each person has two names. The first name--ie, Sameera. And the second name, which shows the possession by a family. For instance, Al-Bassar. It technically could mean 'son of Bassar'. The "Al-" in this example indicates "son of".

On that same line of thought, one of my (favorite) professors used to call me "Bint Bob". In this case, "Bint" means "daughter", and my father's name is Bob. I am, proudly, the daughter of Bob..

Congrats from Morocco

Dear Invitee,

Congratulations on your invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco! This email is to confirm receipt of your resume and Aspiration Statement.

Regards,

Morocco Desk

Five months to go

Ironically, my Peace Corps assignment has me leaving the country two weeks before I can take my brother out for a drink. That's right, he'll finally be 21. I am starting to feel a bit of anxiety about leaving this place. I've gotten a steady job, that I love, good friends, and an amazing international community surrounding me. Sometimes I find myself panicking about leaving all of what I've grown here, especially because staying in one place is something new to me. I'm constantly traveling, and I made myself attempt to integrate into my local community yet again... and it worked. The idea of leaving all of what I've become emotionally involved in, and joining into and adapting with a new cultural foundation is a bit terrifying. The concept that I will be entering an arena where I will constantly be questioned about my organization, my motives, my needs, my "vegetarianism", and constantly harassed as a woman shakes my nerves. The language will be quite a challenge; I'll have a leg up on the alphabet, but I find myself "what if"-ing myself around every corner. Should I land in Morocco, dropped from a plane into a community, how would I survive?

I need to keep preparing....

Currently working on my shopping list.

After reading some Peace Corps Morocco blogs (what I do when I'm excited/nervous/bored), I've found out that the group I'm joining in March is the first Youth Development ONLY group for Morocco.

I'm slightly disappointed, because I was hoping I could learn from the previous volunteers on how to best educate my new village-family (here's hoping!) on how to take care of themselves. I don't have enough medical education at this point to feel that should be in my job description...

Last year, this time (6 months to go)

I've been invited for MOROCCO! Woo. Leaving March of 2012, matter of fact.

As I'm sitting in my brother's apartment during Parents' Weekend, I think fondly of this same event a year ago. One year ago, I was on campus listening to a lecture from a Foreign Service/diplomat kind of guy. He'd spent years living and traveling around the world as a representative of the U.S., learning a few parts of many different languages-- his wife was the one with the knack, so to speak. He answered questions about how one route that will definitely get you started in the right directions is joining the Peace Corps. As I listened to the way his life had manifested and developed over the years, I found myself daydreaming of the possibilities.

What could the Peace Corps mean for me?

And then I took that question and threw it out, because no matter where I go or how or when I travel, I will always learn something. I can always benefit from the experience of meeting new people, because that is just who I am. I travel, and I meet people. And my name is Sam. It all fits together...

What it really means for me is that, in all likelihood, I will be the only American the people within my village have ever met-- with the possible exception of previous Peace Corps Volunteers. It's terrifying and exciting and frightening and wonderful all at once. How strong of an influence will this experience have on me? Will I have on them?

Am I going to be just another American traveling through, or will I be able to establish healthy habits and practices and maybe learn how to cook using a Tagine? (http://www.katherinemartinelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tagine.jpg)

I'm not really worried about my safety-- more for my sanity, at staying in one place for so long..

I don't know how I feel about the whole thing at the moment. I know that I would have felt much more comfortable in Jordan because I know the dialect a little and have friends in the area, but--to quote the masterful hokey pokey-- that's what it's all about!!

Onward to Morocco, 6 months countdown.

On a side note: I've stopped reading books and started reading Peace Corps blogs. Yay.

Waiting (6/7 months to go)

Ah, yes. The infamous in-between time. The time when you've been nominated, are frantically scrambling to get any possible information about your medical help together, and almost forget a minor linchpin of the Peace Corps application:

What have you been doing since you've been nominated that should make us vote for you? I mean, invite you..

It is a critical period in the whole process, because prior to the nomination a large segment of the applicant population is finishing up university. What makes you, who has now graduated, a relevant applicant? What have you done that makes you a competitive character? Or, another way--what consideration should we give to you, a highly experienced/well-educated post-college person? What have you done to make you Worthwhile?

For some, it could be a few months. For me, it was almost a year from nomination to invitation. At my primary interview, they asked me what I predicted would go on over the following year. I told them, I probably will be attempting to get a job, move into a new community, volunteer some, and if education (it was either education or business) was the option, I'd go get an English Teaching license.

They said, good. Go do that. So I did, more or less...

At the moment, I'm back home after a year away teaching in an after-school program for children of low-income families.

Now, I'm about to start volunteering at the African Community Center that welcomes in new immigrants and settles them in/explains this INSANE culture; Nannying, that will turn into substitute teaching for middle/high school students in a week; practicing at an Arabic Language meetup group weekly; taking Capoeira twice a week; doing Yoga as often as possible--and maybe, when I have the time, salsa dancing.

Because I have these 6/7 months of free time, I decided to take up a few areas of study that have always interested me but I've never had the opportunity. Those are: American Sign Language (ASL) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Between the two of them, I'm being driven into the ground--but every day is exciting, and I definitely enjoy the study.

The schedule doesn't leave much room for error, but I'm the kind of person that has to keep busy. Every so often there's a bit of down time, and that's enough for me.

P.S. 5 DAYS!

And, for a feel good moment:

First entry

The Sam-tastic Voyage

Star Date 4635 (September 15, 2011)

Captain’s Log:

Hooray! I finally got accepted into the Peace Corps! It’s been a very long process; I started my application last summer! However, I even got my dream assignment: English Education/ Youth Development in the Middle East! I will be leaving in March 2012, which is about 6 months away. Although, it’s never too soon to start a blog! Especially when you’ve got a super-clever intro thought up by your super cool, ingenius, and devilishly-handsome friend who in no way has anything to do with writing this blog ;-).

<--That was the First Officer. Who is also a fellow Peace Corps applicant... and borrowed my computer. Hi! I’m Sam. If you know me, you know how FREAKED OUT I am at having received my assignment, finally. If not, you should after you are done with this. Since I’ve had a hard time finding information about how long people have taken in different parts of the application process, here’s my contribution to the data set: So it starts with an application, which is done online.

I started mine on 8/24/2009. Along with the application you also have to send in three personal references. I asked my references to write them in May 2010.

The last recommendation came in July 2010.

On August 10th I got confirmation that my application was received. Then after they review that, they request some more stuff through the mail, like fingerprints, so try not to lose any of your fingers at this point in the process. Then, interview time!

I had mine on October 16th. It went really well and I got what’s called a nomination on October 26th. This means one gets a tentative assignment including program, general geographic location, and departure date. Mine was for English Teaching, Central Asia, March 2011.

Then came my favorite part, the medical review! This is where they send you a giant packet of forms to fill out including medical and dental forms. I would recommend double and triple checking every form and procedure because this part of the process is where most delays occur. Also, DEFINITELY ask somebody with an MD after their name to fill out your forms--or at least, make sure one is in the building and can sign the paperwork for you.

While they received the majority of my medical paperwork by January 13, 2011, this is where I started to become a Problem Child. Most of my paperwork was signed by Nurse Practitioners (NPs) who are, while very capable people, apparently not enough legality for this whole process. I was living on my own at the time and trying to save money as much as possible. The Peace Corps gives a small medical refund, but not enough so I went to the nurses’ office at the local Community College (they don’t like me much. It was a learning experience for both them and me.). 26 pages of medical information later, they had it stamped, faxed and done. Unfortunately, the Peace Corps sent me information back saying I needed an MD to do this, that, and the other thing. Six months later-- July-- done.

After I was medically cleared on August 26th, I moved on to what’s called the placement and competitive review and they asked for an updated resume.

Since it was now past my original departure date, I got a new nomination on September 12th, this time for the Middle East, where I had wanted to go in the first place!

I had a final interview by phone yesterday morning (September 14th) and that afternoon I got an email telling me that I was accepted! I should be getting my invitation by mail in the next 6 days. Countdown starts now! (The invitation states whether I’ll be going to Jordan or Morocco. Yay!) In the final interview, we talked about lots of stuff. -What have you been doing since you were nominated over a year ago? [Next blog entry]

Conversations that occured during the final interview:
-Making sure that I, as the volunteer, understand what exactly I’m getting myself into
2 days off a month that accumulate; 3 days Use Them Or Lose Them days off a month as well!
-How does my family feel about what I’m doing
-Has anything changed in my medical/legal situations?
-Am I free March 2012 to leave?

A friend of mine asked me a few days before the interview, "how does your mom feel about the Peace Corps?" I was shocked to realized, as I was preparing a reply, that I didn't know. I proceeded to ask my mom, of course, and she told me that, not only was she jealous of my potential experience, but she supported me and thought it was something that would be an asset to my life. I mention this all, because if it hadn't been for my lovely, lovely dearest friend, I would not have been able to tell the interviewers Honestly that my family supported me. So, thanks Mindy. And, thanks Mom.





A note:

In Arabic (traditionally), each person has two names. The first name--ie, Sameera (My Arabic teacher gave me that name). And the second name, which shows the possession by a family. For instance, Al-Bassar. It technically could mean 'son of Bassar'. The "Al-" in this example indicates "son of".

On that same line of thought, one of my (favorite) professors used to call me "Bint Bob". In this case, "Bint" means "daughter", and my father's name is Bob. I am, proudly, the daughter of Bob..