Tonsillitis Day 4

Tues, June 2, 2009 at 11:51pm

Tuesday: Still not feeling better. I couldn't sleep worth a damn last night and kept waking up every 30-40 minutes coughing. Because of the nasal drainage, I can't sleep face down, and as a result, my throat gets incredibly dry during sleep, which forces me to wake up gasping for air and cough. Also, whenever I cough I am producing mass amounts of flem so I have to constantly get up to spit into the toilet. Sorry to be graphic but it sucks.

I visited Dr. Jang's ENT Clinic again today. No change in diagnosis, but he provided me with an extra four days of medication and another shot in the ass. Not sure why after only five weeks in Korea I have had two shots of medicine in my ass, but a little troublesome from where I sit.. Dr. Jang's is located in the building across the plaza from my apartment, so it is very convenient. Also located on the same floor are Dr. Kim's Dental Clinic, Dr. Joe's Eye Clinic, and the pharmacy. I believe I spent approximately twenty minutes at Dr. Jang's and the pharmacy, including travel time to/from my apartment. Today's cost of Dr. Jang and the pharmacy was 33,000 Won, which brings the grand total of this complication to 113,000 Won.

James offered to teach my classes for me today. This seemed to work out well, considering his classes are held at the same time as mine, and perhaps the same level or only one level difference between them. He is a generous dude and I appreciate all his help. While discussing my health matters with the school administration, I ran into several of my students arriving for class. All were very concerned about me and shocked by my appearance (unshaven and look like I just got in a fight). I was told the school called students to inform them James will be teaching their class today/tomorrow, so several students also texted me asking if I am okay. And to make matters worse, or add to the fun (depending on how you view things), my right eye is super red, puffy, and swollen. If I were a betting man, I would wager money on pink eye prognosis, so I purchased some eye drops from the pharmacy and will visit Dr. Joe's tomorrow if this does not improve.

The school sent me over some Korean rice porridge this afternoon, which actually tasted good, and was a nice gesture on their part. I located the store's website (http://www.bonjuk.co.kr) and was able to navigate to the porridge menu, located on the middle house. It's similar to cream of wheat with a variety of toppings, and the obligatory side dish of kimchi. Breakfast today was instant oatmeal, some honey filled cookies (also delicious, especially when served warm via microwave), and a banana. I was told to drink warm tea, but I must admit, this does not feel good on my throat. In fact, it leaves my throat dry and pains me to drink. So, I have found that the best drink for my throat is chilled Aloe juice. Yes, Aloe is not only for topical applications after a sunburn, but makes for a delicious drink that is very popular in Korea. It usually contains some Aloe pulp, which, in my opinion, is an added treat, and most soothing to the throat.

I slept most Tuesday evening; 7pm until just after 12am. This is perhaps the best sleep I have had in days. It's now 12:55am Wednesday and I have consumed two bananas, my five pills, two types of cough syrup, and I am preparing to attempt to sleep some more. Congestion has improved some. Cough is still bad. Throat hurts. My temperature is 98.4. And, if you're wondering, outdoor temperature is 75.2 F. Indoor temperature is 81 F.

Off to sleep some more. Or so, I hope..