Clearances, Pt 1: Off to the Doctor

I made appointments with our physicians almost immediately following the OA, and filled out the requisite DS-1843 and DS-1622 forms.  It had been emphasized to me that the physician should make certain that all the tests were ordered and that everything was filled out correctly.

Since my physician used to work at a government hospital, I did not think this would be much of an issue.  During my physical, I went over each section with him and he ordered all the necessary tests.  I was to return a few days later to pick up the lab results, x-rays, EKG printout, etc.  When I went back, everything was there, but he had neglected to fill out the form in it's entirety, and I had to have his nurse track him down to fill in the few remaining spaces.  I'm glad I did.

This process was painfully repeated for every family member, reminding them not to overlook this test or that test and double checking to make sure it was filled out correctly.  Even so, some things slipped through the cracks, and Medical requested that our oldest child go back in to give more blood to take care of a few tests that had not been ordered!

We finally received our clearances, but not without quite a bit of sweat.

LESSON LEARNED: If you are not having your examinations done at State, do not assume that your personal care physician will automatically do it correctly.  Familiarize yourself with the form and the required tests (for each family member) BEFORE your appointment, and verify that each test was ordered and completed and the results and observations entered correctly on the form!