I listed my boss as my guardian, and he came by today armed with a charging cord, three 500-mil bottles of Coke Zero, and the thing I wanted most: my fan. Life is a thousand times better now that I have the fan. I'm happy to be charging my phone, and I'm happy to have the Coke Zero, but the fan is everything. Maybe I can get some actual sleep, now that the air around me is moving.
The boss went through the usual bureaucratic trouble to get to see me. He had to take a corona test (streamlined to just the nasal swab I'd talked about last year); results didn't come out until today. He was told he also needed to have my alien-registration number, which made him wonder aloud how he was supposed to know that. (He had to text me to get it.) Korea is often a bureaucratic nightmare, so none of this was surprising. I did feel bad that he had to go through so much red tape, though. And on a Sunday.
I forgot how loud my fan was. Luckily, the couple in the berth next to me (the husband is the patient) have been very kind and helpful, so of course they said my fan wasn't noisy. The wife has been extremely kind, taking away my tray after every meal, and showing me where the water dispenser is. The husband also offered his phone charger to me; I didn't take him up on the offer, but I was thankful for his kindness. I'm lucky to be berthed next to such people.
In other news: no talk of surgery. We're sticking with drugs to unclog some clogged passages in my head. They're also trying to get my blood sugar down, but the problem is that they keep feeding me rice. How the hell am I supposed to reduce my blood sugar if half my meal is carbs? Silly people. So I've decided to stop eating the rice. They just gave me an insulin injection, so when next they see how much my numbers have gone down, they'll probably attribute the drop to the shot, not to my stopping carbs. Ah, well.
So this was a full-on ischemic stroke, which means there's now some dead brain tissue in my head. This will turn to scar tissue, and since this was a mild stroke, I expect to be near 100% in six months. Obviously, all my previous talk of dieting will finally have to become more than talk; I'll take this as a sign from the cosmos and consider this a close call. This could've been a lot worse.
All for now. This is taking a lot out of me, and blogging by phone is never convenient. More later.
The full recovery in six months prediction is definitely encouraging, as is the focus on drugs instead of surgery. Hopefully, they'll set up an ongoing rehab schedule for you before sending you home. Show the cosmos you can beat them at their own game. Strike back at stroke (apologies, there's gotta be a better metaphor). Your neighbor in the ward reminds me of that famous line from A Streetcar Named Desire, "I've always depended on the kindness of strangers". Good to hear there are some good people left in the world. Enjoy the fan and coke zero and take everything one day at a time.
ReplyDeleteGreat to read that you are feeling better Kevin. Hope this is just a small speed bump on life’s road!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that this is more a matter of drugs. Good luck on the continued recovery.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole, good news. And good on you to put your knowledge re: carbs/blood sugar to practical use. I've been drinking Coke Zero forever, I wondered if you'd make the switch or just forego soda completely. I know you'll find the right balance that works for you.
ReplyDeleteI was also curious if you had roommates. My only hospital experience was at Soonchunhwang and I three loud snorers in the room. So, I couldn't even sleep to escape my nightmare. Glad you got lucky!
Have they given you a timeline for release? Are you still suffering from any physical impacts like numbness?
It's a long road, but then, you've been known to take the long road successfully. Keep up the good work!