New Assignment

We haven't mentioned this yet but amidst all of the adoption "stuff" we also received orders for a new assignment. To Osan Air Base, South Korea. Andy has been chosen as the Deputy Group Commander. I am beyond thrilled for him.

I wish it were simple, but before we can go, we have to obtain medical clearances for the whole family. Basically the base there has to agree that they can handle and deal with whatever health issues any of us have.

Once again, having PH sucks. Well, it always sucks, but lately worse than usual. The medical doctor at Osan who approves (or denies) clearance is pretty freaked out by the words Pulmonary Hypertension. I understand why. But one of my biggest pet peeves is doctors who know "just" enough information about PH to be dangerous. They don't realize the difference from even 5 yrs ago when it comes to prognosis and treatments. They all must picture the last PH patient they saw while in medical school or residency. I guarantee that was on some ICU floor where a person with severe PH was waiting to die. Imagine reconciling that with me calling up and saying "hey...can I come to Korea?"

We are working all angles. My PH specialist is involved and advocating for me to go. We are sort of building a case for approval. We want to present it to them and show that I have sustained stability and that I am very low maintenance. I've researched and emailed with Korean PH specialists. And today, we solved a big problem with the delivery of my meds.

Three of them are delivered by a specialty pharmacy every month. They do. not. ship. overseas. Period. No ma'am that just does not happen. This little 2 lbs. box could be the reason we don't get approval. And I wouldn't want approval if I can't get my meds.

I called my doctor and she said she would try and work it from her end. I had run up against a pretty hard "no" at the pharmacy so I didn't really think she could change it.

Meanwhile, we've been emailing back and forth with the doc at Osan. Last night his last email said that he could see we were really trying to work this but his job is to determine whether or not they can support me while I'm there. He feels that with no meds delivery and the limited experience of the on base docs (they're all brand new shiny just off of Grey's Anatomy type of docs) they cannot, and while we are welcome to submit the package for his approval, he didn't anticipate he would change his mind.

This morning, Andy called personnel center to ask the "what if my wife doesn't get approved" question. We anticipated they would turn it into a 1 year assignment, or perhaps cancel altogether. Nope...wrong and wrong again! Instead it is STILL a 2 year assignment...whether we go or not. As in...he could be sent there for 2 years and we could not go with him. Seriously?

Being apart for 2 years is out of the question so then you begin to realize the only way out of it if that happens is for Andy to retire. As his board for Colonel meets this November, and with the state of the economy, retiring is not anywhere in our plans.

So Andy and I are talking this morning. My head was spinning with the news it's a 2 year deal no matter what. So I prayed. I prayed for God to help us. I prayed and asked that if we are supposed to go to Korea, that he move some pieces around...make this happen. I asked that he solve some of these issues. I felt like I was at a wall and confused that God would want us to be apart for 2 yrs just as we got Katelyn home. And I just prayed and asked for help.

I stood up after praying, and my phone range. It was Curascript.

My doctor had spoken with them..and this rep explained that they are all set to ship my meds to Korea. They already have it planned to send me with 3 months worth, and then send to my APO box there every month thereafter.

Medication issue? Not anymore!!! God is truly awesome.

I pray fervently now that the doctor here and the doctor at Osan (both consider the package and approve or deny) will look past the words "pulmonary hypertension" and really consider it. They are both going to need to listen to my specialist and look at my stability and overall situation. I know God is in this. I can't tell you the peace it gives me.

And for the record, Andy and I are both sort of exhausted. We haven't even mentioned Katelyn to any of the medical people. But honestly she's not in DEERS yet and we don't know when she'll join us. Either way, we can't be the first family in the Air Force to add a child (via birth or adoption) to the family during or after we've gotten medical clearance. That's what I keep telling myself anyway... I just keep picturing the doctor there...who's been so nice and working with us and we just hammer him with all this info and really present a package to him to which he cannot say no. And we wear him out and then in a few weeks we say "oh and by the way..we just adopted this little girl and we need to add her name to the orders..and get clearance."

I'm going to have to buy him a drink, take him to lunch...something. Unless he just runs in fear the second he sees me. Ha!