So I’ve been sick. Really, really sick. Despite the beautiful spring weather, I’ve been laying in my apartment (with the windows open at least) clutching my stomach, feeling nauseous, napping, reading, making some brilliant origami, and taking oodles of pills.
You’re at least kinda impressed, right!?
Obviously, there hasn’t been much to blog about.
Last Friday night, I went to the emergency room thinking I had appendicitis because that’s where the mind goes when you’re suddenly struck with gripping pain in your lower right abdomen.
My name in Korean characters (al leg sa). Hangul is comically literal at times.
I had scans involving injections of things I had to sign waivers for, I peed in a cup, I had an IV, I was given medicines for pain, and was asked very many times via my translating friend, “Does it hurt when I press here?” and if there was any chance I was pregnant. Nada. I went home around 6 am after a very bizarre night in a Korean ER with a baggy of pills and doctors appointments Tuesday.
On Sunday afternoon I had to call my school manager and take my first sick day ever in nearly two years of employment. All Monday I was wracked with guilt thinking of all the times I’d complained about subbing other teacher’s classes and here I was needing people to cover my classes.
Tuesday morning I met my manager who was going to translate for me through appointments with a GI specialist and a urologist. It was pretty embarrassing to reveal things about my bowel habits in front of the woman who signs my paycheck, but at least the doctor spoke enough English that I only needed a little help. I got pills and told if the abdomen pain persisted, to come back and see him. Sigh.
Next up was the urologist who told me I had a blockage in my left kidney and a UTI, but my stomach issues were unrelated (though the high WBC was). !!!!!!!!!!!
If you know me, you probably know that I am a maniac about drinking water, always have to use the toilet, rarely drink alcohol, and had some pretty serious surgery on my left kidney thanks to a massive infection/birth defect when I was 19. It was scary and traumatic and I get at least mildly freaked out by any form of back pain.
I’m pretty bewildered by what the doctor said. I don’t really know what it means at the moment, but I have a follow up appointment next Tuesday. The doctor had called my manager back into his office to say I needed to see a specialist in the US, but since I wasn’t there for that news (makes me miss HIPPA laws), I couldn’t ask questions. He also gave me a prescription for antibiotics.
Then my manager took me home to wallow in nausea and bed sheets. My second sick day.
My friend who had translated for me at the ER pointed out today (I went to work for a half day–progress!) that I may be on so many different medications that’s why I still feel so sick despite the pain having subsided to something more like a full abdominal twinge. I think she may have a point there.
You get your pills in individual packets, as opposed to bottles, in Korea. This is just one dose of each. I take all these 3 times a day (except the orange–that’s only twice).
