My Mission Papers...ARE FINALLY IN!!!And I'm just ecstatic!
After all the impediments and frustration, they are done and submitted in.
Hooray!
Okay people, get ready to hear some exciting news in maybe, a month or so?! Hopefully! Will keep you guys updated.
Meanwhile, I'm dying from being so busy. Finals, packing, farewell dinners, more packing, more farewell dinners... And I need to squeeze in time to watch "Goong" one more time too before I head home... URGH! But it's worth it... just
4 more days!
Labels: Missionary Preparation
I was in for a rude shock at church todayI went to my meeting with the Stake clerk this morning before church and I had a rude shock. He told me that everything about my misson papers was fine.
Except for one tiny little detail.
The doctor had not ordered a TB test for me. I took one in 2005 before I came to BYU. Therefore, during my medical check-up in May, the nurse only ordered a chest x-ray for me, in which the medical report came back clean.
However, apparently the doctor was suppose to have ordered
another TB test because it had to be done within the last 6 months. Therefore, the Stake clerk could not put in the millimeter induration. And that was the only detail stopping my entire application from being processed- one digit/ figure/ number stating my induration, and one that I did not have because the nurse had not ordered it. I don't blame anyone, but I know that the problem had certainly not been mine because I had no idea whether I neded one or not- I just followed instructions.
I held my head up after he told me the bad news, put my bag down in the chapel, went to the bathroom, l0cked myself in a cubicle and started bawling.
To have come 95% of the way and discover that there was yet again another hitch. I had never felt so disappointed in my life. It was the disappointment and frustration that just got to me. My interview with my bishop had gone smoothly, and all that stood in the way was my interview with my Stake President, which was suppose to be this Tuesday. Now, I couldn't have the interview because the computer refused to approve it without that darn figure.
I cried throughout the opening exercise and partaking of the sacrament. It was horrible. And I don't cry in public. After partaking of the sacrament, I went to the bathroom, cried a bit more, wiped my tears and pulled myself together.
And then REDEMPTION came!After sacrament, I went to see the Stake clerk again, and he told me to go home and get the record of my 2005 TB test, which I did. I ran (well, I was in a skirt so more like, walked quickly) home to get it. We ended up "cheating" the system in a legal way (?). According to my record, my 2005 induration was 15mm. He typed it in and the stupid computer read it as too large and that I was too sick. WHAT?!
So he promptly typed in "14mm" and then at the bottom where you could write notes, he wrote that the actual results was 15mm but the chest x-ray had shown that I was clean and not sick at all.
And they were in!
YEAH!
So now, I only have my Stake President's Interview this Tuesday and they'll be IN!!! HOORAY!!!
Labels: Missionary Preparation
An Ode to My 3 Wondrous Wisdom Teethby the magnificent
Keshia LaiYou grew but didn't give me pain
But I'm sorry, the mission was beckoning me
Reluctant and terrified, I set up an appointment
At the cheap(per) place
Wisdom Teeth Only.
Dr Bluth, such a nice old kind man
A specialist in wisdom teeth dentistry
I liked him a lot and trusted his words,
"We should only take out those three.
The last one's too near to the nerve
Too risky to pull it, leave it alone!"
I was so amused that he was trying so hard
To convince me to leave it alone
Heck yes- what luck!- I would not touch it!
Saves me money, and there's less pain.Still, sadly consenting, my heart breaking
I sang, my tears (not really) falling like rain,
"Goodbye my 3 Wondrous Wisdom Teeth
Leave your 1 lonely sister behind
I'll take care of her, I promise I'll try
Under my care she'll be fine."My vein at my elbow was too small
So they gave me the IV at the hand.
I almost fainted when they did that
But it really wasn't too bad.
Interlude: This ode shall cease rhyming
And convert to a modern-day one
Where the lines don't need to rhyme
(Rhyming consumes too many brain cells and too much time!)
The dentist inclined the chair far back
Then asked me if I felt light headed
And tasted some metal in my mouth
I answered "yes" and closed my eyes
And promptly fell into blissful sleep
Blissful Sleep, O Blissful Sleep!
The dentists promptly went to work
Thank goodness for my blissful sleep! "Goodbye my 3 Wondrous Wisdom Teeth
Leave your 1 lonely sister behind
I'll take care of her, I promise I'll try
Under my care she'll be fine."
My next contact with consciousness
Was such a whirl, I can't be sure
That two nurses helped poor me
Into a wheelchair and wheeled me to the car
I don't know how (maybe I'm super :p)
I managed a "thanks" and climbed into the car
Of dear Havalah and Brigg
Who had generously sent me there and back
We stopped by Shopko to buy my prescription
And wow! I was alive enough to pay for it myself
Although I gave the cashier 14 dollars
When it was only ten-forty ($10.40, not $14.00- got it?)
Groggy, on drugs (in the wrong way
I didn't get high in any way
If anything, I was at an all time low
And feeling downright miserable)
To make matters worse,
My gum was sore from biting on the disgusting
Blood-soaked, stinky-smelling gauze
(Yes it stunk so bad I smelt it in my mouth!)
And the pain- Oh the sly conniving pain!
I'm quite convinced my painkillers were really placebos
Since their claim to make me less pained and drowsy were false
Sadly, Ibuprofen worked better I discovered
"Goodbye my 3 Wondrous Wisdom Teeth
Leave your 1 lonely sister behind
I'll take care of her, I promise
Under my care she'll be fine."
Sleeping my entire weekend away
I dragged myself to Eric's farewell party
And even watched a 3 hour long movie
That wasn't even worth the pain I endured
Since the above events I've discovered
That Super Woman I AM NOT!
I almost vomitted from eating ice-cream
And almost collapsed from pushing my body too much
But Super Chipmunck- ah! That's me!
The horror I felt just looking at me!
I looked so bad I'm going to skip this part
Because the nightmare is just too hard to recall!
I survived on, not eating, but drinking and slurping
Jell-O and soup and porridge and mash potatoes
If there's one lesson I've learnt from this whole thing
Is that you can slurp anything, even potatoes.
It's been a week since this traumatic experience
I still can't completely open my mouth
There's 2 bruises on the side of my face
But oh how the swelling and pain has decreased!
So was it worth it, the cost and the pain?
YES! Because Dr Bluth signed my mission paper
Very soon one day I will WIDELY open my mouth
And chomp down that hamburger I crave!
"Goodbye my 3 Wondrous Wisdom Teeth
Leave your 1 lonely sister behind
I'll take care of her, I promise I'll try
Under my care she'll be fine."
Here ends my *cough cough* magnificent ode
About my experience getting out
My 3 Wondrous Wisdom Teeth
Although I think the best line of all
That has relation to my experience
Was something I said to Nancy
Who thought it a most hilarious and random line
Though why I can't tell
"I don't want to get pregnant!"Labels: Missionary Preparation
Why is it...That when I have all my teeth intact, I only want to eat Singaporean food
But the minute I pluck out my 3 Wondrous Wisdom teeth and can't open my mouth, I crave
A PAULA DEEN BUTTER BURGER PATTY???!!!That has got to be one of the most annoying things of your body.
I blame it on Bobby Chan (yes, that poor innocent guy got implicated), because I remember him saying this very distinctly. This was when dear Rae had just gotten her 3 wisdom teeth out, and we had gone to pick her up on Sunday for the potluck at
onni and
oppa's. I had just voiced my concern that I would puff up like her
(which I did) and not be able to eat
(that too...) and Bobby said
"Oh don't worry. When I went to pluck out my wisdom teeth, I ate a hamburger the very next day."WAH LAU EH!!! I bet that's why I crave a burger like no other now, and I'm even more irritated that my body is not recovering as fast as his did. It's the 5th day since I got them out and I still can't open my mouth completely. Sigh... I'm too ambitious.
Actually, I have to say that I have been blessed with quite a tough body because so far, I have not thrown up once, and while I can't open my mouth completely, as of yesterday, I could eat solid food once again (
HALLELUJAH!) albeit chopped into teeny itsy pieces.
My medication is doing weird things to my body but I'm slowly and finally getting off my pain killers. There is still this tiny constant irritating pain on my lower jaws but I think it's because of dry sockets. I just have to be patient and let it wear off
(hmm.. my anti-biotics are taking a while to kick in...).
And be patient that one day in the very near future
(hopefully VERY near future before I'm driven crazy) I will be able to eat my hamburger.
One more thing:
I still like Jell-O and chocolate pudding But I am NOT touching those for a very very very long time. Labels: Missionary Preparation
To pull here or not to pull here...That is the question.
:(:(:(:(:(
Wow, I got some really big reactions from people regarding my dental work!
Rae: Thanks for the advice. Yeah, I heard about "Wisdom Teeth Only" from another friend of mine, and I actually have an appointment with them next Thursday.
BUT
1) Where the heck am I suppose to get someone to drive me there AND wait the one and a half hour for me too? Tim volunteered to do it, but I think he has class and I don't want to ask him to do such a huge favor for me...
pai seh lah... I'm thinking of asking Havalah but I'm waiting for her to come back from her honeymoon.
2) My parents are STRONGLY for me doing my dental work in Singapore because, well, it's going to hurt A TON
(and I mean A TON TON TON TON) and my parents are just worried that I would have no one to take care of me. Aren't they sweet? :) My parents really think I should just wait and do it in Singapore, and I'm starting to see their point.
3) I'm scheduled for the "operation" on the 24th, which is next Thursday AND Memorial Day weekend, and
erm,
I don't want to spend my Memorial Day weekend in bed recuperating. If I can, I want to GET OUT OF PROVO (HECK OUT OF UTAH!) and do something... anyone any ideas?! Ok, back to the point. I'm really tempted to either delay or cancel my dental appointment so that I can go play.
4) It's so much cheaper to do it in Singapore, because of my dad's Medisave. Or mine
(although I don't think mine can even cover for one tooth).
So that's my dilemma now. I told my mom that I would think and pray about it.
Pull here?
Not pull here?
Pull here?
Not pull here?
Driving me crazy!
Labels: Missionary Preparation
I DID IT!!!I know how to ride a bike!!! Nancy and Ruth brought me to a church parking lot
(hmm.. sounds like I'm learning to drive!) and I hopped on, started paddling and
ta da! It helped that Nancy had tried teaching me 2 other times as well, so it all added up and helped me today.
I can't describe the feeling-
it just felt GREAT!
Well, other than the time I was going downhill and I forgot the thing called "brakes", so I crashed into the curb and fell over. I could either laugh or cry, so I picked laugh. Not much of choice huh?! Anyway, I didn't repeat that (thank goodness!) but I did recieve a small cut on my knee and a few bruises. My "bike-learning" scars. Ha ha!
I still have issues riding in a perfect straight line, but at least I can ride it for a decent distance. I also have huge confidence issues
(riding on the road next to cars is NERVE-RACKING) that I need to overcome. And more practice, practice, practice.
Man, it feels so good to tick that off my list of "Things to do for my mission". Nancy- you are THE BEST bicycle teacher. Thank you!
Labels: Missionary Preparation
BIG SET BACKYou know I always wondered why the process of filling up my mission papers was so easy compared to others.
My parents are paying for it.
My medical is done
(and wasn't dragged out as long as I expected!).
I got all my shots done
(and my arm muscles are still hurting a bit even though it's been 2 days!).The insurance information is being filled up now and going to be sent over soon.
I thought the hardest thing I would need to do is learn how to bike (in case I go on a biking mission). And yes, I admit to everyone now- I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BIKE YET because my family couldn't afford one growing up. But I do have a bike
(because someone really special and sweet bought one for me!) and I am DETERMINED to learn how to ride it before I go home.
Well, I was wrong. My biggest impediment is not the bike.
It's my DENTAL.I did a dental evaluation yesterday, and I have to have my 4 wisdom teeth taken out and 2 teeth filled in. I called 2 dental places and the average price quoted
WITH BYU Insurance is
US$850!!!
Hello???!!! I don't even have enough money to go on a mission and you want me to cough out another $1000 for dental?
Siao ah!
So right now, I might have to go home and do my dental because my dad can use his Medisave to help subsidise these operations. Plus, the doctors in Singapore might not even require me to get my Wisdom teeth plucked out
(because, frankly, many Mormon dentists pluck them out to earn more $).
It's so frustrating. I know how Clarissa
onni feels now. I won't cry, but I'm feeling depressed and very frustrated. I was so excited to turn in my mission papers, and
I wanted to get everything done here because it's easier and way faster (I still recommend doing all the health stuff here at the Student Health Center).
But if it's so much cheaper to do it back home, I'm going to be patient and wait till I go home.
I guess this is my mission trial.
Labels: Missionary Preparation
I am ALMOST done with all my medical stuff for my missionHOORAY!
I went in today for my doctor's check-up and he was one of the nicest doctors I have ever met.
Anyway, after the chest x-ray, blood sample and humiliating urine sample taking, results showed that I was healthy other than a slight problem of being anaemic.
(My mom is slightly anaemic and I think I inherited it from her. If I was even 0.1 less, I would be in the low-and-dangerous-zone. Phew!)
And then he did a complete check-up of my body and he told me I was in good shape.
Then he filled up the form and I was done!
WOO
HOO!
Right now, the only things left for my medical part are my 2 remaining shots- the
tetanus and Hep A injections. I dread those but I've set up the appintment already for Monday.
Sigh...
Things are getting exciting!
Labels: Missionary Preparation
I have never felt more humiliated in my life!
I know everyone sooner or later has to go through it, but man! It was horrible.
Heads up to Rae and Ash, you guys need to read this because this will prepare you.
I went to the Health Center yesterday morning to get a TB test that was suppose to take 10 mins. However, the nurse found out that I had already taken the tests, so all I needed to do was take a chest X-ray and have a blood and urine sample.
Uh, hello?! I went in thinking I could be out in 10 mins, and suddenly I had to spend about an hour there taking all these tests. If you couldn't tell, I was totally caught by surprise and I was unprepared for all the tests that had to be done. Such as
the urine sample. Gee, how easy right, just urinate into a cup?
N-O-NO! I mean, yes, just urinate into a cup, but it's so... so...
gross to aim into the cup, there are instructions you need to follow about,
erm, wiping your private part first, and I wasn't expecting to do this at all. So, being brought up this way, I had gone to the loo before I left home and I arrived at the health clinic with quite an empty bladder. I had no idea what to do! The instructions said that you should let your urine "flow" for awhile so as to get rid of surface bacteria, but I didn't even have enough urine
lah-
wah liao eh! And doing it just made me feel really disgusting and humiliated. URGH!
Moral of the story: Before ANY medical check-up, don't go to the bathroom. You never know what sample they might impulsively need... Labels: Missionary Preparation
My Finals are OVER!!!Oh yeah oh yeah! Woo Hoo Woo Hoo! It feels so good!
If I had to sum up my classes this semester in one line, it's one heck of a long line but it'll go something like this-
I didn't particularly enjoy attending all my classes nor did I enjoy all the lectures of my professors, but darn did I LOVE and enjoy whatever information I learnt.There. That pretty much sums it up. Some of my professors... hmmm... I had issues with, but overall, they were quite good. And the content of the courses- so GOOD! I learnt A TON.
For example, for my basic music conducting class, it was scary and also way harder than I expected. But now I know the basic professional way of conducting
(cool huh?!) and I can't wait to go back home and show my family what I learnt! And I also feel much more confident that if I'm called to be ward music choir director or something, I know what to do... or
pretend to know what to do. Ha ha!
Well, I'm just going to relax for now and take things slowly, before Spring starts again.
And just a quick update about my mission preparations-
I've scheduled a medical examination for next week! YIPEE! Hmm... wonder why I'm so excited about seeing a doctor. Ha ha! I took a break from working on my papers because, well, I'm in no hurry. Things are picking up again.
Labels: Missionary Preparation
Great great great news!!!I'VE STARTED TO FILL OUT FORMS FOR MY MISSION PAPERS TODAY!!!Yeah! I'm so darn excited! I talked with my bishop today and he gave me instructions on going online to register, etc. And he was so nice- he told me that he would go onto the "Bishops" database
(or whatever you call it) and call Bishop Li and ask for "permission" so that I can submit in my papers. Serious. Bishop Taylor asked me what the time difference was. Hiyoh, Bishop Li sure say 'yes' one
(knowing him...).
When I was talking with the Bishop, I kept smiling and smiling
and smiling because I was so excited. Of course, I'm also going to face some real opposition from Satan. :(
But that's not going to faze me.
I'm excited and determined. Just a warning to all other future missionaries- there are A TON of forms to fill out.
Now, I just need to find people who can give me RIDES
(darn the horrible US public transportation system) so that I can get medical and dental checkups. Sigh...
Labels: Missionary Preparation
