Hospital Visit Number 2 & 3

During the winter months of the year I have a recurring problem. This problem involves the excessive perspiration of my feet. The problem is bad to the point that by the end of the day my feet are drenched with perspiration. You can imagine the odor that accompanies this problem.

I've been trying all sorts of antics to remedy the problem. I've applied baby powder to my feet. The logic to this is that the powder would absorb the excess sweat that is created by my beautiful, stinky feet. It works to a degree. However, it doesn't complete the job. The feet still stink. It's like the Peanuts character Pigpen. An odor that is unavoidably recognizable.

On the second day of my hospital visit. I was nervous about my soggy socks and odor. As the first visit but it seemed to be worse. Maybe I didn't go home the night before. This type of thing happens even on work days. Drinking whiskey in Korea is a Marathon of longevity. It's fun too. And when it's time to start heading back home you might find yourself holding some ladies hand. Where you end up at night is discovered the next morning as your stretching out of bed to get ready for work. I'm pretty sure that wasn't the reason though.

It made for an embarrassing moment. Your feet are bare and the Doctor is poking his little needles into you. The entire time that lingering smell manifests itself. I wonder if they have some sort of acupuncture for excessive sweat from the feet?

The Doctor is done with his poking. A stream of different nurses are in and out of the curtain room around my unfortunately small and uncomfortable bed. I feel bad that they have to smell my feet odor. It makes me very, very self conscience.

That night (Thursday) I went out to my regular hole in the wall spot for drinking and socializing. It's quite the spot the "1950's Western Bar". When I first started dropping into the spot back in April of 2007, it was the music that drew me in. I literally lived about 7 minutes away from the place that's elevator time included. Needless to say, it became my favorite spot to sit down and socialize. The people there are the sort that finds solace and comfort in whatever way they know how. Mainly solace and comfort is found in a bottle with this crowd. Sure, there are always exceptions.

When you frequent a place over a period of time you begin to see patterns. These patterns, social or otherwise makes an interesting impact onto our psyche. It allows us to let down our guard. In many respects it allows for contact with the outside world from our own. I made many friends and so it's always nice to visit 1950's Western Bar even when I live an 8 Dollar cab ride away now.

I didn't make it home that Thursday night.

Friday morning, I stretched out of bed washed up and headed to the subway station with my friend who's place I crashed at for the night. She was heading to work as was I.

I'm not completely sure why the hospital insisted that I have three visits or sessions. When I asked about having to come for the third one the receptionist laughed.

In a slightly broken Korean Grammar, "Do I really have to come tomorrow? My ankle doesn't hurt any more. I can walk on it now".

Now the problem was climaxing. I have the same smelly socks on and my feet aren't particularly doing so well. A spot opened up later in the afternoon for me to slip out to the hospital and back before teaching my last class for post kindergarten reading (An after school program for kindergarten graduates... Ha).

I quickly grabbed some baby powder found in the teachers office a few days earlier. Most of the teachers were in class teaching. I powdered up my feet. Boy were they soaked. It's crazy that it's being said here but seriously.

I had two options. Eat free food left over from lunch or go to the hospital and pay $10 to be poked with needles. Lunch was great by the way... meatballs with rice and some fried potatoes with little slices of ham. The choice was obvious, right. That's exactly what I did. Free food.

There was no third visit to the hospital. Maneuvering around is not at all uncomfortable. Things are looking up.

Hospital Visit Number 1

I'd like to take this time to welcome Julian to grey images. She has definitely brought some more color to Grey.

The other day we received a visitor all the way from Egypt via the 'Silver Thermos' blog entry. Can you imagine the story behind Cairo's visit? It inspires me to envision the disposition that spiraled Cairo's search for a silver thermos using our all favorite www.google.com.

Do I dare try? Maybe another time.

Two nights ago in a rush to use the restroom I slipped in my bathroom causing me to bang my ankle against the frame of the door. You can imagine the pain that I found myself in as cursing poured out of my mouth.

I went to sleep with my ankle elevated with a pillow. When morning arrived the ankle had become swollen and showed bruising. For some ridiculous manly reason I thought I could walk it out. So, after showering up and dressing down in my usual slacks and dress shirt I marched down the road towards work. I stopped for my coffee without my thermos. (I keep the thermos at work now leaving it to sit at my office desk). I smiled at the pretty lady who serves me coffee and continued on my way. It ended up being a 25 minute walk. It did not help to walk it out.

Upon arriving at work I immediately told my boss that I needed to go see a doctor.

She asked, "are you sick again"?

"No, not at all. I slipped in the bathroom and hurt myself".

Next door to the kindergarten I am employed at is a Hospital that specializes in acupuncture. It was close enough to be in and out in 40 minutes. It's exactly what I did with the opening in my schedule.

The hospital must not get many foreigners. They were extra friendly and kind of giddy. After checking in at the front desk they kindly asked me to have a seat. In less than 10 minutes I was being ushered into a room with a desk and a man with a white robe. The doctor had a big smile on his face.

I explained to the doctor what happened. He then tried to bend my ankle in a direction it doesn't normally bend.

"Ouch... Uhmmm. I don't think it normally bends that way," I said.

The doctor said, "Okay, okay".

The doctor and his team of nurses then ushered me into another room with a lot of beds. Each bed had a curtain around it. I took off my hoody (Yes, I wore slacks and a button up dress shirt and wore a thick furry hoody as a coat). I took off my All Stars (Chuck Taylor All Star shoes). I then laid down on the slightly uncomfortable bed.

The doctor took off my left sock and rolled up both legs of my slacks. He then rolled up the right arm of my sleeve. Before I could realize what was happening and how uncomfortable it was to have a doctor touch me, needles were being pressed into my right arm and hand. The doctor then proceeded to put a needle into my right leg.

"It's my left ankle," I said.

The doctor said, "I know, I know," and proceeded to put the last acupuncture needle into my left big toe.

I had more needles in my right arm than the rest of my body. I was dumb founded. It was my left ankle that was injured.

The doctor then used a needle to make multiple punctures into my left ankle. He then applied a suction cup instrument to draw out the blood that was causing the ankle to swell up.

In about twenty minutes I was out the door. It was easier to move my ankle. As I left the hospital the front desk lady scheduled another appointment for today... which I also went to and returned from.

I think this entry is long enough and so I'll save the following hospital entry for another day.

Don't slip on the ice. You might hurt something other than your ankle. Be careful when in the restroom also.