On Thursday I was feeling worse than I had been for the past few days, sure I was getting a whopper of a cold. When I had my temperature read in the morning (by Korean law, teachers and students must have their temperature tested every day to rule out the possibility of H1N1. They are taking precautions like this in every large, dense workplace), it was in the normal range. After 6th period, high, but still normal. After the end of the day though, a mere 50 minutes later, it was elevated past 38 degrees (this is only 102 degrees: I've had worse. But I was in CANADA. Panic set in). So My Man took me to see the school nurse (yeah, they acutally have one of these. I'm not sure if she's here all the time or just for Swine Season, but I saw her.) and she tested my temperature. It was high enough to warrant alarm. So another co-teacher of mine (who is such a mother: I'm sure my mom would have been so glad that she was with me) took me to a walk-in clinic where some students were sent. My fever had again elevated, and the nurses there advised her to take me to the hospital, tout suite. I felt the tears welling up: I was scared.
After an agonizing hour later, after moving from floor to floor, masked person to next masked person, I was not only feeling horrible, but I was sooo annoyed: is this how you treat sick people? By making them walk around like mad? Is this to prove they are actually sick? I finally saw a doctor. He was wonderful, listened to my chest sounds to rule out pnemonia (I'm covering it all, mom), and we talked about Tamiflu. I asked about contraindications and, surprisingly, he was very patient with me and careful with his (no there are none) response. Phew.
I had to pay 71,000 (about $75) for this five minute visit (in Canada, I have never paid for health care, EVER) and then "get tested" for the Swine. This involved sticking a stick up my nose for a nasal swab. I think she touched my brain with this thing, it was that big. I was reminded of the little girl who had a rubber hose up her nose who shared an emergency room bed with me when I was five. Recalling this, I started to cry. Not just from the pain (excruciating, might I say), but because I was in Asia, quite possibly very sick, and had just had to pay for health care before they would even do the swab. I felt so alone, even though I had my extremely loving co-teacher with me. She teared up when I cried. Oh, and at this point, I was donning a mask. So I looked really stupid and was seriously scaring the children in the hospital.
Our next stop was for drugs. They only cost $2.50 and were given to lessen the symptoms (coughing, sneezing, pain, aches). And then I went home. And slept. Pretty much until Saturday morning. Matt brought pizza on Friday night, but we had to eat in the common area, lest he get sick sitting in my room.
Side note: there is an outdoor cat pen outside my room. I think people are keeping them in there, fattening them up, then eating them. Seriously. I heard them crying last night and saw a strange melliux of people scattered around with umbrellas, fashioning a cage for them. I was half asleep, but I'm pretty sure I saw and heard all that. I'm totally grossed out and have boycotted all Korean food until I stop hearing their meowing. That was an aside. Back to the swine.
So the hospital called me today to inform me that I do not have H1N1. I'm fine. I have a cold, maybe a flu, but I'm Sans Swine. Again, I'm being too glib...but you do have to laugh once in awhile. My co-teacher/saviour/mother figure called me right after to tell me to stay home on Monday and Tuesday to rest up. Thank god: I went out for a short walk for some non-Korean food (because of the Cat-Caused-Boycott) and I felt terrible. I'll rest again today, tomorrow, and go back to the children on Wednesday. I'm fine. Thank GOD. I will never take my health (in Asia) for granted again. I sincerely welcome all forms of sympathy at this point. I need a nap.
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