"operation" it's not just a board game

an American board game for kids who wanna be doctors for all you SAFFAS out there.

So I had the lovely honour of having an operation in South Korea. It all started on the 2nd of October at 12:40. I know the time very well coz I was waiting for my lift to church and I like to be on time, so watch checking is vital! I had slight pain in my upper abdomen most of the day and all of a sudden on arrival in my apartment (back form church) I experienced HECTIC pain in my tummy.  Time... 4:30pm. This time I was checking my watch to meet Jen and Chloe at the train station. Chloe came to Korea to visit. As she arrived in little Gimcheon (my current home town) I was writhing in agony and thanks to an English speaking Korean friend of mine I went to the emergency room.

The first thing was a blood and urine test. My second in Korea (the first was for orientation). I think they want to sell it on the black market or something. JOKES! The result was that my white blood cell count was double what it should be. Still have no idea what that means. The I went in for an x-ray followed by a computer thermal imaging type test. Uber dramatic, right?! The doctor came over to my bed in the emergency room and proceeded to talk to my Korean friend in Korean. I would just notice her facial expressions and hear her say "aai go!" (translated to "oh no" in English. I finally piped up and said "WHAT IS WRONG?!?". Diagnosis: acute appendicitis.

The next day I went in for a laproscopic appendectomy i.e. they used a camera and surgery apparatus and pulled my appendix through my belly button. No scars. YAY!!! I stayed in hospital for 4 nights and 5 days. A bit too long in my opinion, but better safe than sorry. My friends here and my school were so amazing! They gave me so much love and visited me ALL the time. Incredibly blessed. The down side to the whole experience was the amount of medication they gave me. Korean medicine is administered through an IV. I had about 4 drips, 6 bottles of antibiotics and 16 injections (no jokes! 16 injections a day happened for three days consecutively). I have a bump on my upper wrist from the IV and injections.

Not the best thing to happen to a person away from home, but I like the fact that it's really competitive to get into med school in Korea. 98% of the population goes to university, so you HAVE to be the creme de la creme to get into med school. That was a reassuring factor.