Tuesday, May 18, 2021

showered

I'm showered, my teeth are brushed, and I've washed my underwear, the latter undergarment now hanging by my bed for all to see. The very nice husband/wife couple left yesterday and got replaced by a father/daughter duo. I heard that the father will get scanned and will probably be out of the hospital before Friday, so I'll be around to see a third pair of people. I sometimes think they're keeping me here to milk my insurance.

At 6 a.m. today, a nurse came in, stuck a needle in my left arm, and took a blood sample. This sort of random occurrence happens all the time here. My right index and middle fingers are riddled with tiny scabs from the many pinpricks I've received for blood-sugar readings, always preceded by a singsong warning from the nurse that sounds like "따끔" (ddaggeum) as the pin goes in. BP readings are hilarious: the cuff keeps popping off my arm, and they never learn their lesson about this. It's not that I have especially huge arms; I'm just a Westerner, and Korean hospitals aren't really prepared for Westerners and their Western dimensions. Of course, if you're a Westerner and tiny, you're good. I did ask one nurse what they do when a Korean wrestler comes in (those guys are huge); she lamely replied that they've never had such a person. That's probably not true. 

Not sure what's in store for today. I hope not more tests, but you never know. I'll write more later. 

UPDATE: the nutritionist swung by at 10 a.m. to tell me about all the things I can't eat. I already know what those things are, but I appreciated her cheerful presence.

UPDATE 2: just got news that I'll be visiting the ophthalmologist around 3 today. There's a worry about possible deterioration of my eyesight. Not surprising, given that they're tossing around terms like "atherosclerosis" and "hyperlipidemia." Eyesight is always a worry in such situations. 



3 comments:

Daniel said...

Congrats on the shower and laundry! Hate repeated needle stabbings. Hopefully, you'll be outta there in a few days. Any Buddhist chanting or celebrations ahead of Buddha's birthday tomorrow?

Kevin Kim said...

Can't say I've thought about it. Buddha will have to wait until next year for me to celebrate him.

John Mac said...

Damn, that last update is scary. Keep the positive thinking energy going!