Unravelling...

Yesterday, Thom was on his way to Milwaukee to sell the truck, when he got a notice from the Peace Corps medical team that he did not have medical clearance to leave for Mongolia on Friday.  We were 72 hours from leaving and this was unexpected.  His surgeon cleared him to travel and to lift luggage last Friday and so that appendectomy was not the problem.  His appendectomy, however; trigger the medical team to review his medical records.  Although he was cleared in April on the heart murmur, something else in the echocardiogram raised a red flag.  On Tuesday, they said he needed to see a cardiologist and they wanted to make sure that there was no problem with his heart.

This was totally unexpected and we have the house packed up and our luggage ready to go.  We have said our goodbyes and now we are not going.  The earliest Thom can get into a cardiologist is June 22nd and this is not early enough for us to go.

So where does that leave us.  We have talked with our country desk officer and he said once Thom clears, we should be assigned to a new country leaving late summer or early fall.  In the meantime, we have rented our house and are selling one of our cars.  We are going to set up homebase at Thom's mom in Tallmadge, Ohio.  We will be back in Madison from time to time, but for right now we are in  limbo.

So, for now this is the final chapter on Mongolia and my next blog will be to a new country on a new date.