1. A Flock of Geese.

30^C

Hot, still and sunny!

It all started a couple of weeks ago when I got the flu. I went to the doctors and he prescribed me some medication (4 pills, 3 times a day). I was on the verge of recovery when I got a fever. I went back to the doctor and he said he underestimated my size and gave me a larger dosage (5 pills, 4 times a day). Six days ago I woke at 3am with a fever, shivering and aches and pains, so I decided I’ll go back on the first bus at 9am. I wont lie, those six hours were terrible, but they were nothing compared to the 30 minute bus ride to the doctor. As I was walking to the bus terminal I noticed that my breathing that become short and shallow.. I thought nothing of it and kept going.. only when I got on the bus, and the breathing didn’t even out, did I start to get a little worried.

I kept on breathing that way for 45 minutes until I got to the doctors surgery. The first thing I asked him was “Why cant I feel my hands and legs?”. Apparently it has to do with the balance of electrolytes.. the sudden rapid increase in heart-rate for such a prolonged period had thrown my balance out of whack and that’s why my legs had cramped up and I couldn’t feel or move my fingers. He told me I was having an anxiety attack and that its all psychological and that I shouldn’t worry. I proceeded to tell him that I worked a total of 14 days last month and am only working 12 this month, what the heck do I have to be stressed about??!! He gave be three shots and increased meds (6 pills, 4 times a day) and the breathing slowed back to normal.

And that’s how it began.

I’ve been having these attacks ever since. I got frustrated with the incompetent blob this guy was being, and decided I’d get better care in a bigger city. So off I went to Wonju. Here’s where the fun really begins!

I walked into the hospital and the first thing I saw was a Gloria Jeans!! That one factor drained the rest of my luck for the day. After we found where we were meant to be going I met my man-nurse and immediately noticed the squirt of blood on his collar.. I defiantly wasn’t in Australia. I was put on a bed in the hallway and here’s what they did to me.

• Blood Pressure check: 133/88.. normal.


• Temperature.. normal.


• E.C.G.. normal.


• I.V.. This nurse guy was so nervous that he was visibly trembling when searching for the vein. I watched everything he did and I counted.. it took him a total of eight (8) tries to find the vein in my left arm. Each time he pull out a little bit (but not all the way) and stab in another direction.


• Blood test.. he tried my right wrist this time and found some blood in only five (5) tries. We joked about how 13 stabs must be bad luck so he’d have to poke me at least once more at some point. Sure enough, he didn’t have enough blood to test and went digging for more.


• Urine test.. normal.


• Skin test.. This I was sure was purely for the “look he’s a foreigner, lets make him squirm” factor. He inserted a needle half way up my forearm and just below my skin. Then he injected something yellow and what felt like hot molten acid into a lump under my skin. The lump of liquid slowly spread (and cooled, thankfully) and he marked where he’d injected it.


• X-Ray.. normal.

After all that they told me to wait for a couple of hours while hooked up to the IV. As we were waiting out side we saw this black 4wd pull up and a moment later the two men got out and went to get a bed. They got the patient on the bed and wheeled him inside. I saw a glimpse of his face (covered roughly by a hat) as they passed us by, and his mouth was hanging open.. stone cold dead. Also there was no order whatsoever, the emergency room was littered with moaning and groaning and even screaming people placed anywhere they might be some space.

Tomorrow I’ve decided to go to Seoul and hope that there are some people who might know what they’re doing over there. I’ll keep you updated.