Okey dokey. Time for a new blog. Today's topic, ladies and gentlemen, is Korean Hospitals. Ahh! You're wondering- Emily, why did you go to a hospital. Well, let me tell you. It all started...

about two weeks ago when Seth and I were returning from China. For those of you that read our blog on our China trip you may recall that by the time we finally arrived in Gumi, I was not a happy camper. I was hot and cold (at the same time- I know- AMAZING), had a headache, unhappy digestive system, runny nose, plugged ears, sore throat, overall muscle weakness, no appetite, and probably some other things I can't remember. Needless to say, I was miserable, but Seth was a top rate nurse. He's an incredible man.

Ok, so I toughed it out for a few days after our return and we thought that I was getting better, -my fever was gone, my ears had managed to unplug themselves, and my appetite was slowly returning. But something was still wrong. Time passed, we were busy with Kids Camp and I didn't really think about it. Then yesterday (Monday) I was forced to think about it. On Sunday I had eaten some seaweed soup (actually tasty by the way) and some bibimbap that decided to declare war on my digestive system. My throat was incredibly sore, I had difficulty swallowing, mild fever, bowel movements- too many, my muscles were weak. A lot of my symptoms that I'd had two weeks ago decided to make an encore performance. I was miserable. I left my night class at LG TV early and made it back to our apartment just in time to endure the worst migraine I've ever had. Seriously, I walked in the door, made my way to our bed, and clenched the pillow my sister had sent to me to help me get through the pain. I was again reminded that Seth is an incredible husband. I hope and pray that I can be for him, what he is for me. Does that make sense? I had a slight fever so he gave me some aspirin, cold cloth on my forehead, hot tea for my sore throat and fever, and rubbed lotion on my weak muscles. I think I'd be hard pressed to find anyone who could take better care of me (ok, maybe my moms are in the running too:). It then that I began to wonder if something was up. That leads us to today.
Woke up at 4AM (for anyone that knows me- this is not normal, Seth- yes, 4AM= normal, Emily= no) and couldn't sleep. Had chills, a slight fever, a small headache, and a very sweaty body. I decided that work, that morning was probably not in my best interests. I called my boss, told her what was going on, canceled my classes, and decided to take a little trip to the hospital.
Praise the Lord for international clinics with people who can speak Korean and English well. First my lovely guide (spoke excellent English, married to an American, and even knew how to pronounce "Des Moines" correctly) took me to see the gastrointestinal doctor. He looked at my list of symptoms I was experiencing and sent me off for a blood test, X-ray, and stool test (yes, I giggled a bit every time I heard the word stool- I personally prefer to use "poop"). Got a blood sample and remembered the advice of my lovely nurse from the UofI clinic in Belle Plaine- "close your eyes, wiggle your toes, and think about something else". Went in for my X-ray. Pretty normal except the technician thought I spoke Korean well (not true). Third and final test- stool test. No more details on that one. And you know what's amazing? My results were back in an hour!!! What???? I went back to the gastrointestinal doctor and got my scores. A little parasite and/or infection had decided to nest in my digestional tract. I saw it. It was gross. Sick. Punk parasite/infection. And my white blood cell count was low. Well, at least I think it is, I looked at the computer while my doctor and translator were talking and saw that my white blood count was in red, while the majority of everything else was in blue. Hmm, don't know. So he set me up with A LOT of medicine- stuff to scoot out my little friend, fever medicine, antihistamines, and some other stuff, 18 pills a day for the next three days. Here's the kicker- all the tests, visits with the doctors, etc. only cost about $78, and that's before insurance. And all the prescription drugs? About $30. Yeah, I know, incredible. I'm still reeling from the excitement.

I finally made it back to our apartment around 11:45AM today, just in time to tell my hubby about my adventures before he left for class. Overall, it wasn't too bad of a day, except for the fact they forgot to give me a band aid after taking my blood. So I put on a Shrek bandaid to make me feel better. It's orange. My recommendation? A parasite/infection is a bad idea for a souvenir.

So now, to follow the very strict instructions of my favorite nurse, I am to do nothing all day today. So here I sit with my laptop, watching Korean games shows and SVU, drinking lots of water, moving as little as possible. Still weak, a bit of a fever. I'll be ok.