I survived my year!!

And now, I only have three more months to go.

Let's look back, shall we!

August 19th, I arrived, super stoked and exhausted from the all-nighter I pulled the night before. Lugging around my life in two large suitcases and my snowboard bag, I found the the Korean guy holding the sign with my name on it. I don't think he was too stoked on my life on wheels cause he didn't want to help me with it! After an hour taxi ride I got to my school to be greeted by a fellow co-worker, Darcy while I waiting in the taxi for my supervisor to inform me on what to do next. Little did I know what was in store for me next! (You should probably go back and read my first blog from after I got here!)

From there I absolutely dreaded my life at work. Everyday, I hated it. I got the Korean co-teacher from hell...nothing I did was right, I couldn't get the days work finished, I had to re-grade tests 3 times before they were acceptable, I had to have kids re-do assignments they had already completed...All while in the first week I was there. Lucky for me, three months later she got pregnant out of wedlock (a big Korea, no-no) and left. That's not very nice on my part but seriously, if that hadn't of happened I would have left Korea a long time ago...but wait... Maybe the jokes on me considering my year. Either way, I think we all can agree my life hasn't been too glamorous. I've had a lot of bad, some REALLY bad but also some good.

I've traveled from the West to the East coast of Korea, Snowboarded the slopes of Taegi-San of Korea and Nagano in Japan, ventured around feeling like an ant in Tokyo, Soaked up the sun rays in the Philippines all while enjoying a $6 message next to the waves of the ocean...Ya, life could get worse.

Oh, but wait! It did...

Diagnosed with the worst upper respiratory infections (Dec-Feb), having to be heavily sedated on antibiotics for a total of 3 months, my inner ear pierced on both sides three times on separate occasions by a thick needle to have the fluid sucked out by a vacuum, having one of the worse (to me) imaginable minor surgery performed in April through a free translation app on a smart phone (if you didn't know, Korean doesn't translate well, if at all, to English), to be followed by knee surgery (July 29) on a torn ACL which occurred in February.

I can honestly say this has been by far, the hardest year mentally, along with physically that I hope to ever have. (Disclaimer- If you tell me that it'll only make me stronger, I might punch you in the face).

I have only 3 months left, and still recovering from the surgery. I had my second follow up appointment with Dr. Kim today. It went much better then my first! The Doc's words, I'm not great, but I'm good. I'm much better then the last appointment but I have to try harder. I guess that's better then nothing, right. Comforting, at least.  He tells me, my body scars well on the outside but not on the inside. He said it's a good thing. It means I heal fast but it creates me to build more scar tissue within my knee and that creates it to be more difficult and painful for me to regain my ROM (range of mobility). Ahhh, perfect! More pain and difficulty, just what I wanted! I asked if I could get off the crutches and he said I didn't have to use them around the house but for longer distances use them or at least one. He also said if my knee felt stable enough I didn't need my brace anymore! Whooohooo! I asked if the hospital had a recycling program because If I didn't need it, I didn't want it. He tells me I should keep it for at least 3 or 4 months cause it's the expensive one. Really, doc? Why did I need the expensive one?!! Either way, that's good news for me! Korea is not cripple friendly. I've been taking cabs everywhere I go because there was no way I felt comfortable riding the bus. The last few days I finally felt comfortable enough to have the courage to ride it. There's a few buses that drop off close to my school so I took the less crowded one. Here I am, on crutches having a hard time getting up the 3 big stairs to get on the bus, fumbling around trying to not let go of my crutches to hit my t-money card to the machine just incase the bus starts moving. Looking around, all the seats are full. I'm the only one having to stand at that time. I look around, making eye contact with the majority of people on the bus because of course they are all staring. You'd only think someone would offer me their seat. I know, I have worried the look on my face because I'm really scared I'm going to fall (I wasn't stable standing on the bus when I wasn't broken let alone now when I using only one leg) I'm praying in my head that the bus driver will be nice enough to let me get secured before moving the bus, I feel the bus driver take the brake off and I'm like, oh god, here we go. Finally, the oldest lady gets up and offers me her seat. I instantly take it and (I'm sure) do the most pathetic crippled attempt to bow while saying thank you in Korean. Then, after I hit the button to signal the driver I want off, she tries to make me get up way before the bus stops moving. Ya, right lady! I'm not getting off until it stops. Then, again everyone stares as I attempt to get off the bus. I'm standing at the top of the stairs about to put my crutches down to get out the door as the people barge on making me have to back up and move out of the way. Seriously, can you people not wait for the cripple foreigner to get off the bus?!! Anyhow,  that's basically how I've began my last few days...Yay, me! It's frustrating, infuriating, fatiguing....but at least I'm healing and if anything you guys are able to enjoy my pain, right? :)

Here's to the next 93 days, let's hope they are good!!