Hospital Visit in Korea

1. I don't have the corona-virus and this has nothing to do with COVID-19.
2. I'm basically fine now, so nothing to worry about. Thanks.

After cleaning my apartment, I laid down for a little rest. When I awoke and tried to walk to a nearby cafe I was in considerable pain and had stiffness in my lower back. I was unable to walk properly and felt twisted in my back. It was a struggle to walk for more than a few steps.

Over the next few days, things did not improve. There was pressure in my back when I sat down, and anytime I twisted or rolled over in bed I would get a jolt of pain. It was difficult to get dressed or bend down. A really weird thing is that my body alignment was visibly off, meaning my torso was twisted. My belly button was off-centre by about ½ inch.

I reported to school on Monday but there were few teachers around because classes hadn't started yet for the semester. Eventually, one English teacher arrived at school and I disclosed my ailments. I had asked her to write a note for me so I could go to the pharmacy for some cream or whatever they had that might help. Instead, she gave me two pain pills from the school supply, one for then and one for after dinner. They were surprisingly powerful pills as I soon felt drowsy at school. The evening pill ensured a good night's sleep and some grogginess in the morning, but no relief for my back.

The English teacher explained that she had similar symptoms before and it was a slipped disk in her back. She insisted that I see a doctor. 

Medical privacy is not really a thing at my school in Korean. When the foreign English teacher is unwell, everyone soon learns about it. A crowd formed near my desk and a discussion ensued. I couldn't understand the words, but from the context, it was clear that the teachers were discussing what to do with me, who would take me, and which doctor or hospital would be the best choice. One teacher even grabbed my back trying to find the spot that hurt. How do you say, "Unhand my love handle, you goon" in Korean?

It was decided that a friendly math teacher would take me to a nearby hospital. This teacher was nice and spoke passable English. We waited for about 45 minutes at the hospital before seeing the doctor. While waiting, the teacher accidentally bumped my leg several times sending waves of pain through my back. 

The teacher took 10 seconds to explain my symptoms to the doctor. The doctor then asked one question. I was out of his office in less than a minute with a prescription for 3 days worth of painkillers and muscle relaxants. Evidently, the doctor did not think it was a slipped disc but rather a ligament strain. With my Alien Registration Card, the hospital visit cost about $5 and the pills about $4.

This is a perfect example of why learning the language is important. I believe that the math teacher who took me to the doctor didn't think my problem was serious. In those 10 seconds I assume he said something like, "he has back pain". Moreover, he didn't really talk to me about my symptoms beforehand, so he wouldn't have had any idea what to tell the doctor. A lot of assumptions were made on my behalf, without my input. 

Two days later, my co-teacher planned to take me to another doctor. I was sure to carefully explain to her what was wrong with my back. We decided to try a small clinic that does physiotherapy and acupuncture. Needles stuck into my back would be a new experience for me but I felt that some sort of treatment was necessary. Unfortunately, because of the typhoon the night before, the area was hit with a power outage. When we arrived at the clinic, a note posted on the door explained they were closed for the day. No needles in the back for me.

Thankfully the pills seem to be working. I improved a little each day. I was feeling about 75% recovered, so we decided to forgo another trip to the doctor on Friday. The school nurse gave me a supply of patches to apply to my sore back instead. The patches give off heat when stuck onto your skin. I wore it on Friday night, and it seemed to help. I was feeling pretty good by Saturday so I'll wear these patches during the weekend, and hopefully, I'll be back to normal by Monday. No pun intended.

Navigating the medical system is a real chore as a foreigner, especially when you're in pain and can't speak the language. Thankfully, I have great support from the teachers at my school. Even though things were done a little differently than I'm used to, I still feel well cared for.