After talking things over with your bishop and stake president, you’ll want to schedule your doctor visits. The Church needs to make sure you’ve been given a clean bill of health before sending you out in the field.
Your dentist – you’ll need to make an appointment to see your dentist. Your teeth might feel fine right now, but you may have some cavities just waiting to happen. Your dentist can tell you which teeth are starting to decay and take care of them now. It’s much better to do it this way than to get clear out into the field and having to see a dentist wherever you are, and if you’re serving in a rural or Third World area, that really would be bad.
Your General Practitioner – you’ll need to have your blood pressure and other vitals taken, as well as having an over-all physical. If you’ve suffered from any major illnesses in the recent past, you’ll need to make sure that you are no longer having symptoms or signs of that illness. Your doctor can help you with tips on how to make the most of your mission, from the possibility of hearing aids and walkers to changing medications if yours aren’t quite right. If you do change medications, though, make sure there’s enough time before you leave on your mission to make sure they’re working well for you.
If you do discover that you have a medical problem that might keep you from serving, don’t give up. Many conditions can be cleared up quickly with the right care. If you are diagnosed with an illness during your doctor visit, ask about treatment options and be sure to clarify if this is or is not a condition that would keep you from serving.
The Pharmacy – If you’re on a prescription medication, you’ll need to have your doctor write you a prescription that you can take with you, or arrange for a family member to fill that prescription and mail it to you. If you go that route, you’ll want to take extra medication along with you until you see how long it takes for packages to arrive. My mom is serving in England right now and discovered that the pharmacy there doesn’t carry her medication, so she asked me to send her some. I prepared the package and got it in the mail, but it took a couple of weeks to arrive. Thankfully, hers was not a life-preserving medication but rather a thyroid supplement, otherwise, she would have been in a world of hurt. But now that we know this, I can have her prescription filled for three months at a time and mail it every two months, so she shouldn’t have to wait. Note: you’ll want to talk to your doctor about putting this information in the prescription. Some pharmacies won’t fill a prescription until you’re just about out.
Going through all these doctor visits is a little bit of a pain, but so well worth it. You’ll head out on your mission knowing that you’re in your best possible shape, and any conditions that might not have been noticed before will be treated. I encourage you to set up your appointments as soon as you have the green light from your bishop so you’ll be ready to go as soon as the Church decides to send you.
Related Blogs:
The Need for Senior Missionaries
How Will You Know if You Should Serve?