WARNING: GROSS DETAILS
Well, Wednesday night before I went to bed I felt a bump on my chin. Thought nothing of it and went to sleep. Woke up the next morning to an even bigger gross looking series of bumps on my chin. I will pre-apologize for the gruesome details, but this is what happened and this is my life right now haha. It is what it is :)
I tried to cover it up with my hand and held a paper towel on it, but as the day progressed it got worse and my students started asking questions. It was actually pretty funny because they were concerned. "Amanda teacher...fight?! Amanda teacher...fall? fall off bike, boom?!" LOL. I kept shaking my head and shrugging my shoulders to tell them I didn't know how I got it. Finally I said "Amanda teacher wake up...and...WOAH! (pointing to my chin) haha...felt like a game of charades! But they got it! At lunch time Mr. Bahn noticed how bad it looked and asked me more about it. I tried to explain what a boil was (I had a couple when I worked in the daycares back home) and that it's a skin infection that needs to be "drained" in order to get rid of it. He asks if I need to go to the doctor and I said, well it would help to get antibiotics. At this point in the day it was diificult to move my mouth due to pain and not to mention my lymph nodes were swollen as a result of drainage.
I had taught two classes at this point and just wanted to get my last one out of the way. Eventually Mr. Bahn explains that he found a good dermatologist and that I could leave work at 2pm to catch a ride with a teacher back to Gumi. The teacher who took me couldn't speak English so we rode in silence and he dropped me off. Mr. Bahn wrote down some notes to help me find the place and what to say. I walk in and just point to my chin, lol. They took my info from my ARC card, kinda like my Korean license with all my info, then lead me to a waiting area. I sat & watched a Korean "drama" on t.v. for about 45 minutes before they took me into a room.
The doctor looks at my chin, asks a few questions using minimal English and explains my antibiotic prescription to me. He says to come back in 2 days. I then asked him if he could relieve the pressure in it, so they take me to a treatment room and have me lay down on a cot/table. I wait a bit and he comes in and starts pressing around the area. So I close my eyes, because it's an uncomfortable feeling. I then open my eyes and notice a needle in his hand, in which he is squirting liquid from. I have a small panic attack and try to relax..thinking it would be just one shot. NOPE! After 7 shots in my chin, I could no longer feel it! They then tell me to lay down for 10 minutes, put some gauze and tape on my chin...then lead me to the pharmacy for my meds and cream. After paying about $10 USD or 10,000WON for both the visit and meds, I am on my way home! I'm guessing they got my medical insurance info from my ARC card. Either that or doctor visits are just super cheap! I was nervous because I was down to my last 40,000WON until Friday. I was also supposed to go bowling with some friends Thursday night, but decided it was best to stay home.
I text Mr. Bahn and tell him what they did for me. He says he is glad I feel better and that he will see me tomorrow. I then tell him that I am still contagious (if I touch my chin then touch a student's desk, etc.) so maybe I should stay home. He responds with "well it's not "air" contagious like the flu so in Korea that means you still have to come to work." I didn't get upset with him but I think he could sense the annoyance in my voice because he sent me an apologetic text message later that day. I felt bad!! So I suck it up and face the fact that I have to go to work.
I wake up at 6am to my mouth feeling swollen shut! I'm guessing the meds had a side effect/reaction and caused the left side of my mouth to be super sore and swollen. Maybe it was the 7 shots, I dunno! Seeing as I could hardly move my mouth to speak or eat, I text Mr. Bahn and explain. Normally I would have just went to work and then asked to go back home, but my school is 40 min away with minimal buses going to and from there! He calls me and I attempt to talk on the phone, and he says that he will explain to the vice principal and principal that I had a reaction to the medicine and cannot work due to it. I told him I could come to work so that they could see that I wasn't lying and I promised him I wasn't a lazy person who didn't want to work, I just thought it wouldn't be good for my condition to try to teach or be beneficial to the students. At that point I was half way dressed for school and wide awake. Took me awhile to go back to sleep, but I did for a few more hours. Woke up again to my mouth feeling sore and swollen. I was telling my friend about what happened yesterday and he refers to my situation as "chinomia" lol. I like to think my bandage on my face is rather sexy lol. NOT :) But, what can you do?!
Tomorrow I'm gonna go for my check-up at the doctor then go shopping at Lotte Mart. I mean, yes my face hurts and it looks funny and people stare at my bandage, but I think I can survive a trip to the store to get some things I've been wanting/needing for my apartment and now have the WON to get them :) Maybe I can find some clothes too...I'm tired of wearing the same ones over and over lol.
For now I'm gonna watch a DVD and call it a night! Oh yea, quick note. Wednesday night I went wandering around my neighborhood & found a small park with a swingset! I'm sure I looked like a silly foreigner swinging for about 15 minutes & listening to my Ipod, but it was nice! :) I'm sure I'll be there alot more when the weather gets warmer. :)
XOXO,
Amanda
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