I just saw my new belly button for the first time. What a weird thing... it was one shape a week ago and now it's a different shape. I'm impressed that they made one of my incisions there, though. Way to minimize the scars, Dr. Choi! When he took off the bandages, he asked if I liked "my new umbilical cord?" Took me a minute to realize what he meant. Hello, new belly button.
I also had my staples removed today and all my incisions "look good." I was pleased to hear that my gallbladder's biopsy came back clean. They discovered my inflammation was chronic (as opposed to acute), but no other surprises!
The best news of the day is that I get to take a normal shower tomorrow morning! I am SO excited! :)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Unexpected Korean hospital adventures
Oh the adventures I get myself into. If you had asked me 11 days ago what I expected my next week and a half to hold, never in a million years would I have guessed the health expedition that I was about to unknowingly venture upon.
I guess it all began about 4 weeks ago now. I started having stomach issues (see past blog entries) and visited a variety of healthcare providers in search of answers. While my condition persisted, it seemed that the source had been identified (a presumed stomach infection). I was caught completely off guard when my symptoms accelerated a week ago Friday. I could not stop vomiting, had severe stomach cramps, and had a fever. Thankfully, I had two good friends around who took my to the ER right away; there began my Korean hospital adventure.
Almost immediately I surrendered my freedom of mobility and my ability to eat/drink with the insertion of an IV. Doctors ran a million and one tests to isolate the source of my symptoms: urine samples, a battery of blood tests, X rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, liver function tests, physical examinations.... After 15 hours of being poked, prodded, drained, and dyed the doctors were quite sure of my prognosis. They determined that I had an inflamed gallbladder with at least one sizable gallstone. They also found infection in both my gallbladder and my colon. The treatment they proposed? Heavy rounds of antibiotics followed by laparoscopic removal of my gallbladder (4 smaller holes in lieu of a full-abdomen incision). Since Koreans do not typically perform surgery on Sundays, my surgery was scheduled for Monday morning and I spent the next 2 days fasting, receiving visitors, Skype-talking with my nervous (and far away!) family members, and anxiously awaiting the scheduled procedure.
Monday morning at approx. 5:45 am the head nurse came in and got me prepped for surgery (i.e., she put my hair in pigtails so my head could lay flat, changed my shirt into a surgical gown, and confirmed for the umpteenth time that did not have on nail polish or jewelry). About 7:30 my friend Emily arrived to keep me company. By the time I went in for surgery, I had talked to my parents about 5 times, my pastor had arrived, and I had spent about 5 hours on an adrenaline high.
Surgery went well. Evidence #1: my gallbladder on a green platter (yes, it was carried out to my friend in the waiting room). Evidence #2: a bag of gallstones that was waved above my eyes the first time I opened them in the post-op room.
I feel the need to pause the story and describe some of the many random things that I experienced in the hospital. But how does one chronicle a week like the one that I had? For example, every night I was woken up about 4 times: 3 am for an IV change, 4 am to have blood drawn, 5 am to describe my bowel movements the previous day, take my blood pressure, and check my temperature, and 6:30ish to go take X rays downstairs. Why they could not combine some of those tasks and wake me up fewer times, I am still unsure about. None of the nurses spoke English, so I quickly learned important medical terms in Korean and used lots of body language to communicate my needs. My favorite nurse made little whimpering noises whenever she thought something might hurt (even though my first new Korean word was "pain," I appreciated the extra warning). I tried to take walks regularly and loved frequenting the curb outside the hospital. In Korean hospitals, patients can walk their IVs down the block to grab food or out to the street corner for a smoke. Cracks me up!
Jumping back to my recovery timeline: I got out of surgery Monday and was in a ton of pain for the first 18 hours. However, with each subsequent healing day, the pain decreased substantially. Tuesday afternoon I was allowed to eat food for the first time. Thursday I sat up by myself. Friday I was released from the hospital and went to stay with a friend and her family for the weekend. Monday, I went back to work (well, I taught about half the day from a couch). My recovery has supposedly been on the faster end of the spectrum, but I have been a bit shocked at home much time it is taking me to get back on my feet. I have always been one to push myself to recover quickly... patience has never been my strongest virtue. While I get my staples out Wed. afternoon, I know that full recovery is going to take awhile.
Throughout the entire process, I have been overwhelmed by the support of my friends, family, and community. I probably had 40 different visitors in the hospital (many came multiple times). I had a coworker who was also admitted to the hospital around the same timing and we kept each other company most days. My friend Emily spent two nights in my hospital room and acted as my official "other" during the surgery. My room was lined with flowers, cards, stuffed animals, etc. Coworkers helped cover my classes during my absence. Friends and family members called regularly from the states. I got countless texts, emails, and notes encouraging me through the process. All this to say, I am blessed. Thank yous do not do justice to the kindness that was showered on me in the last week and a half.
For fear of being overly verbose, I feel as though this must conclude this epic tale. However, I can't conclude without a final thank you. Thank you to all of you who prayed for me throughout the process. Thank you for those of you who called, wrote, visited, or checked in on me. I am very grateful.
I guess it all began about 4 weeks ago now. I started having stomach issues (see past blog entries) and visited a variety of healthcare providers in search of answers. While my condition persisted, it seemed that the source had been identified (a presumed stomach infection). I was caught completely off guard when my symptoms accelerated a week ago Friday. I could not stop vomiting, had severe stomach cramps, and had a fever. Thankfully, I had two good friends around who took my to the ER right away; there began my Korean hospital adventure.
Almost immediately I surrendered my freedom of mobility and my ability to eat/drink with the insertion of an IV. Doctors ran a million and one tests to isolate the source of my symptoms: urine samples, a battery of blood tests, X rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, liver function tests, physical examinations.... After 15 hours of being poked, prodded, drained, and dyed the doctors were quite sure of my prognosis. They determined that I had an inflamed gallbladder with at least one sizable gallstone. They also found infection in both my gallbladder and my colon. The treatment they proposed? Heavy rounds of antibiotics followed by laparoscopic removal of my gallbladder (4 smaller holes in lieu of a full-abdomen incision). Since Koreans do not typically perform surgery on Sundays, my surgery was scheduled for Monday morning and I spent the next 2 days fasting, receiving visitors, Skype-talking with my nervous (and far away!) family members, and anxiously awaiting the scheduled procedure.
Monday morning at approx. 5:45 am the head nurse came in and got me prepped for surgery (i.e., she put my hair in pigtails so my head could lay flat, changed my shirt into a surgical gown, and confirmed for the umpteenth time that did not have on nail polish or jewelry). About 7:30 my friend Emily arrived to keep me company. By the time I went in for surgery, I had talked to my parents about 5 times, my pastor had arrived, and I had spent about 5 hours on an adrenaline high.
Surgery went well. Evidence #1: my gallbladder on a green platter (yes, it was carried out to my friend in the waiting room). Evidence #2: a bag of gallstones that was waved above my eyes the first time I opened them in the post-op room.
I feel the need to pause the story and describe some of the many random things that I experienced in the hospital. But how does one chronicle a week like the one that I had? For example, every night I was woken up about 4 times: 3 am for an IV change, 4 am to have blood drawn, 5 am to describe my bowel movements the previous day, take my blood pressure, and check my temperature, and 6:30ish to go take X rays downstairs. Why they could not combine some of those tasks and wake me up fewer times, I am still unsure about. None of the nurses spoke English, so I quickly learned important medical terms in Korean and used lots of body language to communicate my needs. My favorite nurse made little whimpering noises whenever she thought something might hurt (even though my first new Korean word was "pain," I appreciated the extra warning). I tried to take walks regularly and loved frequenting the curb outside the hospital. In Korean hospitals, patients can walk their IVs down the block to grab food or out to the street corner for a smoke. Cracks me up!
Jumping back to my recovery timeline: I got out of surgery Monday and was in a ton of pain for the first 18 hours. However, with each subsequent healing day, the pain decreased substantially. Tuesday afternoon I was allowed to eat food for the first time. Thursday I sat up by myself. Friday I was released from the hospital and went to stay with a friend and her family for the weekend. Monday, I went back to work (well, I taught about half the day from a couch). My recovery has supposedly been on the faster end of the spectrum, but I have been a bit shocked at home much time it is taking me to get back on my feet. I have always been one to push myself to recover quickly... patience has never been my strongest virtue. While I get my staples out Wed. afternoon, I know that full recovery is going to take awhile.
Throughout the entire process, I have been overwhelmed by the support of my friends, family, and community. I probably had 40 different visitors in the hospital (many came multiple times). I had a coworker who was also admitted to the hospital around the same timing and we kept each other company most days. My friend Emily spent two nights in my hospital room and acted as my official "other" during the surgery. My room was lined with flowers, cards, stuffed animals, etc. Coworkers helped cover my classes during my absence. Friends and family members called regularly from the states. I got countless texts, emails, and notes encouraging me through the process. All this to say, I am blessed. Thank yous do not do justice to the kindness that was showered on me in the last week and a half.
For fear of being overly verbose, I feel as though this must conclude this epic tale. However, I can't conclude without a final thank you. Thank you to all of you who prayed for me throughout the process. Thank you for those of you who called, wrote, visited, or checked in on me. I am very grateful.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
For the first time in 2 1/2 weeks...
my stomach feels normal. I went to french toast fest at the Pinho's and felt like I could eat real food. I took a walk with Jen. Life is just splendid!
On a more serious note, if you are the praying type, please pray for my friends' new daughter. Little Alina was born 10 weeks premature and has had quite the adventure already in life. My friends update the following site regularly on Alina's progress: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alina_jayde_adams
On a more serious note, if you are the praying type, please pray for my friends' new daughter. Little Alina was born 10 weeks premature and has had quite the adventure already in life. My friends update the following site regularly on Alina's progress: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alina_jayde_adams
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Seoul Inspired
I was feeling a bit restless after 2 weeks of being confined to my home (stupid stomach!), so I went up to Seoul for a day this weekend. It was great to free myself from the bubble that is my TCIS life. I got to see Lauren, do a bit of shopping, and stop at one of my favorite places in Seoul: the 5th floor of Dongdaemun shopping center (otherwise known as the place I find my jewelry supplies in Korea). I wandered the stalls and acquired enough quirky materials to pull together 7 pairs of new earrings (1 is still pending). Check out my newest designs:
First, the simplest (funky materials but easy construction):
Some that were a little more complex (painting and/or balancing required):
Finally, my personal favorite, the most Korean pair of earrings I have made to date. Love the randomness:
First, the simplest (funky materials but easy construction):
Some that were a little more complex (painting and/or balancing required):
Finally, my personal favorite, the most Korean pair of earrings I have made to date. Love the randomness:
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Missing real food
For the last week, I have been having stomach issues. I only seem to be able to digest bland soft foods. The $8 doctor gave me $8 medicine on Friday and laughed as he told me my "unhappy gut" equaled an "easy diet." While I am always happy to shed a few pounds without working out hours a day, I would much prefer to be able to eat across a range of food groups without volatile reactions. I am trying to be patient as I wait for my digestive system to regain its strength. But this is not easy for me! Patience has never been my forte!
Dear Iron Stomach,
Please return to me quickly. I miss you dearly.
Yours truly,
Sarah
Dear Iron Stomach,
Please return to me quickly. I miss you dearly.
Yours truly,
Sarah
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Unexpected
This afternoon my school officially closed (temporarily) as a precautionary measure against the spread of the H1*N1 virus. Korean Health is really trying to isolate the virus and those affected by it!
Pray for those who are sick and for all of us who might have been in contact with the flu.
Pray for those who are sick and for all of us who might have been in contact with the flu.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
First 2 Weeks Down
I have been back in Korea for 2 weeks now, and boy have they been busy! I guess the easiest way to recap is to go more or less day by day.
Sunday Aug. 2- got on a plane in SF, waited on the runway 3 hrs before taking off (thank goodness my friend, Emily, was on the flight), flew for 11ish hours, waited 1 1/2 hours in the Incheon airport for the TCIS crew to come together, took a 3 hr bus ride back to the warmest apartment ever! Arrival time: midnight Mon
Tuesday- 7:30 am back to school- about 7 pm... caffeinated my way through the jetlag; exhausting. but fun day catching up with all my friends! It is so nice to have a community of people around me who I love and who care for me. It really felt like coming home in many ways.
Wednesday-- I had work all day and then went with the gang to a jimjilbang for an awesome scrub down that night.
Thursday-- Day 3 of work. This was the first day of registration for the kids and I spent a lot of the day hearing about former students' summers. After work on Thursday, the chaos of soccer camp began. Somehow I got convinced last spring that it was a great idea for the girls to come back early for camp (even though I had work all day and the dorms were not open yet). The result? Double days after work and 9 girls sleeping in my apartment. Sounds crazy? Well, it was a bit. But it was a lot of fun.
Friday- Sunday-- soccer camp, soccer camp, soccer camp. Here's a pic of the girls finding creative ways to use my space and lack of plates: one mixing bowl + a whole box of cereal + a few spoons, take a bite and pass. I thought it was absolutely adorable.
Every day we played soccer for about 5-8 hours. It was blazing hot and completely exhausting, but a lot of fun. Evenings we ate out together. One night we went downtown and then had a crazy night of norebang (karioke). 6 pm Sunday the girls returned to their dorm worlds and I finally had a chance to get ready for the first day of school. Would I do it again? I don't know. But it was a great adventure with some wonderful girls.
Monday-Friday-- This year I am teaching Writing 2 (grade 10) and English 9. So far, my kids seem great. At this point, I really feel like I know most of the kids in the school (I've taught the vast majority of both the 11th and 12th grade classes and have about 1/2 of the 9th and 10th graders currently). It's nice to feel so comfortable teaching.
Friday night- For her birthday, my good friend, Jen, wanted to have a Star Trek party. Accordingly, about 25 of us did our best to dress in Star Trek fashion and played a variety of nerdy Star Trek games. Good times.
Sat-Sun-- I went up to Seoul and Suwon and met up with Lauren! I am so excited to have her in Korea and can't wait for her to experience the joys of international school!
And that, my friends, is my first 2 weeks in sum. Hope you enjoyed the play by play.
Sunday Aug. 2- got on a plane in SF, waited on the runway 3 hrs before taking off (thank goodness my friend, Emily, was on the flight), flew for 11ish hours, waited 1 1/2 hours in the Incheon airport for the TCIS crew to come together, took a 3 hr bus ride back to the warmest apartment ever! Arrival time: midnight Mon
Tuesday- 7:30 am back to school- about 7 pm... caffeinated my way through the jetlag; exhausting. but fun day catching up with all my friends! It is so nice to have a community of people around me who I love and who care for me. It really felt like coming home in many ways.
Wednesday-- I had work all day and then went with the gang to a jimjilbang for an awesome scrub down that night.
Thursday-- Day 3 of work. This was the first day of registration for the kids and I spent a lot of the day hearing about former students' summers. After work on Thursday, the chaos of soccer camp began. Somehow I got convinced last spring that it was a great idea for the girls to come back early for camp (even though I had work all day and the dorms were not open yet). The result? Double days after work and 9 girls sleeping in my apartment. Sounds crazy? Well, it was a bit. But it was a lot of fun.
Friday- Sunday-- soccer camp, soccer camp, soccer camp. Here's a pic of the girls finding creative ways to use my space and lack of plates: one mixing bowl + a whole box of cereal + a few spoons, take a bite and pass. I thought it was absolutely adorable.
Every day we played soccer for about 5-8 hours. It was blazing hot and completely exhausting, but a lot of fun. Evenings we ate out together. One night we went downtown and then had a crazy night of norebang (karioke). 6 pm Sunday the girls returned to their dorm worlds and I finally had a chance to get ready for the first day of school. Would I do it again? I don't know. But it was a great adventure with some wonderful girls.
Monday-Friday-- This year I am teaching Writing 2 (grade 10) and English 9. So far, my kids seem great. At this point, I really feel like I know most of the kids in the school (I've taught the vast majority of both the 11th and 12th grade classes and have about 1/2 of the 9th and 10th graders currently). It's nice to feel so comfortable teaching.
Friday night- For her birthday, my good friend, Jen, wanted to have a Star Trek party. Accordingly, about 25 of us did our best to dress in Star Trek fashion and played a variety of nerdy Star Trek games. Good times.
Sat-Sun-- I went up to Seoul and Suwon and met up with Lauren! I am so excited to have her in Korea and can't wait for her to experience the joys of international school!
And that, my friends, is my first 2 weeks in sum. Hope you enjoyed the play by play.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Technology, collaboration, and classrooms of today
I am only 2/3 of the way through my conference (Building Learning Communities) and my brain is already on overload: Wikis, Twitter, blogs, Ning, archive.org, easywhois.com, Diigo, blurb.com, Moodle, Chatz, Gallery, cell phones, iPods, De.li.cious, podcasts, google docs, digital storytelling, 2.0 Technology, Facebook, transmedia, ... so many great ideas and tools! So many concepts swirling in my head! What do I do with all this knowledge?
This is when I wish there was someone else here from TCIS to brainstorm with. That was such a nice luxury at the Professional Learning Communities Conference in Denver a few weeks ago! I guess I will have to wait just a few more days to discuss when I return to Korea on SUNDAY! Where did this summer go?
One lingering thought- for better or for worse, 2.0 technology has opened so many networking doors and has changed the landscape of global communities forever.
This is when I wish there was someone else here from TCIS to brainstorm with. That was such a nice luxury at the Professional Learning Communities Conference in Denver a few weeks ago! I guess I will have to wait just a few more days to discuss when I return to Korea on SUNDAY! Where did this summer go?
One lingering thought- for better or for worse, 2.0 technology has opened so many networking doors and has changed the landscape of global communities forever.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Reflections
When I am in Korea, I expect to experience new things all the time. However, as much as the rational side of me knows that life goes on without me in the states, I am always a bit surprised. Perhaps is an egocentric thing, or an oblivious thing. Either way, it has been interesting to see my friends living grown up lives. While I have been navigating the transition period commonly known as one's 20s, my friends have also been changing, meeting people, learning, developing, and growing up. I have loved all the moments of interaction I have had with loved ones who have known me at different stages of life. Like mirrors, I think we reflect back to each other the selves we once were. We help each other realize the subtle ways that we have changed. Most of the changes are good, I think. Yet it is always a bit surprising to learn how much you have grown over time... and how much your friends (and family members) have matured as well.
Deep thoughts. Deep thoughts.
Deep thoughts. Deep thoughts.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Where, oh where, has my little muse gone? Where, oh where, can she be?
On vacation I guess. Alas, I will resume writing when the inspiration finds me.
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