Korean ER

So due to the fact that most people have no desire to read about other people's ailments I may have failed to mention in my last blog that I have been pretty sick since arriving in Korea. If you are one of those people now would be a good time to stop reading this post. I have had problems breathing, lymph nodes swollen to the size of grapefruits, and a fever that comes and goes as it pleases. Yesterday, after having a massive panic attack that had me convinced of my impending death which resulted in me calling Aaron to tell him goodbye, I started to feel ill again. Aaron came home and found me pouting in bed with eyes too swollen to open completely, a very high fever, and a restricted airway. Since Koreans are the nicest people on Earth there were two very concerned ladies from our school waiting downstairs to hear how I was doing, and once Aaron convinced me to get out of bed they rushed me to the hospital. Within five minutes of leaving my apartment I was in a bed and hooked up to an IV bag full of neon yellow liquid. I have never felt so restricted by a language barrier but thankfully I had a fellow English speaking coworker and two Korean angels to translate for me. Koreans go to the doctor for just about everything so the ER was constantly full of families chatting and waiting for their loved ones to finish their IVs. There was one very sick elderly lady who seemed to be in very serious condition which was pretty disheartening as her family was obviously distressed. The one highlight of my five hours in the hospital was when Aaron came back from the restroom looking as if he had wet himself. Apparently he has never encountered a bidet before, and after turning on the seat warmer and fan in an attempt to flush the toilet he was viciously attacked by the fountain of water meant to clean his derriere. I was finally released after two IVs, some liquid medicine and a giant fever control pill, and my savior boyfriend bought me a pizza and put me in bed. I am now confined to my bed because there is some protein (once again, thanks language barrier) that is too high in my blood and resting is the only thing that will lower it. I have 15 pills to take daily but my fever is down and I will hopefully be able to explore more of the city soon. For now, however, I will spend my time watching Starcraft tournaments complete with referees and commentators on Korean cable.