Staying Healthy Is Hard To Do

It is important to come to the Peace Corps expecting to have health problems and anticipating how you might deal with them. Of course, the Corps provides you with all the medical assistance that you might need during your service. Dealing with the physical and emotional stressors of training and service renders all of us immuno-compromised. Here is a list of SOME of the problems that we have faced in Guasu Cora alone during the first 8 weeks of training:

ME PERSONALLY:

·         Foot fungus

·         Heat exhaustion

·         Giardia

·         Common cold & Flu

·         Yeast infection

·         Back strain

·         Strep throat

OTHERS:

• ·         Everything I’ve had
• ·         Headaches
• ·         Roundworm (sevo’i pyta)
• ·         Contact dermatitis
• ·         Other assorted skin rashes
• ·         Vision deterioration 
•             Hearing deterioration
• ·         Sinus infections
• ·         Constant diarrhea due to yet unidentified causes
• ·         Depression

I’m lucky that I came here expecting and prepared to get sick. Others who were less prepared were overwhelmed by their illnesses and some questioned their decision to join the Peace Corps.  I personally have not been distraught over my ailments, but simply took them in stride because I was mentally prepared to deal with it. Despite all my illnesses, I have not found health to be an issue that has greatly detracted from my first 2 months in-country.