Another Evacuation

Disclaimer for anyone reading this blog and thinking about joining the Peace Corps: my experience does not in anyway reflect that of a “typical” volunteer.

Greetings from Pretoria, South Africa.

Those who know me well might remember a small incident a few years ago in Ithaca, New York where I slipped and fell in a gorge. Seven stitches, two fake teeth, a root canal, and several painkillers later, I thought it was over. Turns out I was wrong.

A couple weeks ago I noticed an inflammation above the tooth that had been severely damaged during the accident three years ago. When the PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer) in Rwanda first told me I needed a root canal, I thought I had won the PCV lottery.

As I hope you’ve gathered from reading this blog, medical care in most of Africa is lacking. PCV’s who need specialized medical attention during their service are evacuated to the nearest country where such services are available. For most volunteers in Africa, this means a free trip to South Africa. I remember learning about this during training in Niger, plotting with my fellow trainees about the best possible med-evac situation. Broken bone? Appendicitis? We agreed a root canal would probably be the most ideal.

Eight months later, I boarded the plane from Kigali to Johannesburg prepared for my second evacuation in less than six months. I was confident this one would be better than the last, how could it not?

Med Evac perks: playing with lion cubs

Arriving in Johannesburg was strangely similar to arriving in Casablanca. The cleanliness of the airport’s bathrooms, the wide and well paved roads, the telephone and electricity poles everywhere -- all served as signalers that I had entered a much more developed country. Everything seemed strangely unfamiliar and disorienting.

As the Regional PCMO looked over my file his brow wrinkled, “your case is rather complicated”. I laughed and explained my accident-prone ways that lead me to his office.

A couple minutes later, I was no longer laughing. Due to the complicated nature of my dental history, the chances of me needing a tooth extraction are rather high. Due to the complicated nature of tooth extractions, I cannot remain a Peace Corps Volunteer if this procedure is necessary.

So, this evacuation is turning out to be a lot like the last one. I am in limbo. The dentist here has redone the root canal, and now we’re waiting to see what happens. There is a chance I might have to go home, there is a chance I might not. I am being asked to remain flexible and patient. Things that are rather difficult to do when, for the second time in six months, I am unsure of what continent I’ll be on next week, or whether or not I will still have a job.