Did I have to work Monday? Yup. Could my director or supervisor tell me directly? Nope. Had I talked to them over the weekend, yes. Well, one yes, the other one sent me a text...but the point is, I talked to both my bosses, and neither one of them had the balls to tell me themselves I had to come into on Monday, they told my co-teacher Adeline to tell me. This shit happens all the time! I understand, Korea is different from the US with (for the lack of a better word) ranking among collars but if you are wanting to tell an employee they need to work despite doctors orders, you better damn well be able to do it yourself!
Monday comes, I go to work and of course it's raining. Grrr-eat start! I do my daily routine, my knee size increasingly getting bigger from all the swelling.. and the pain equally, if not more, as great. My co- teacher and co workers doing as much as they can to help me, though with my stuborness didn't most of the help, making it harder on myself but I'm sorry, if I'm expected to work, I should be able to complete all tasks needed, by myself! Correct?! Even though those tasks were difficult, my greatest defeat the children. Putting on a happy face is harder then it looks when you are in a uncomfortable amount of pain. They have no idea why you are not happy, they just think you brought toys and look weird. I used this time to give the "it's not nice to stare" lesson. My kids, despite their crippled teacher and lack of English, they did everything possible to help me, except behave! ha...but who can blame them! They are smart, they know when they can get away with things... And to tell you the truth, I didn't care! They got their book work done, and that's all that mattered!
My follow up Appointment was Wednesday, which I had to get more blood testing done (why, I have no idea), an x-ray, and meet with my doctor. For this appointment my Director decided Adeline should come with me. I wasn't to happy about this. I'd gone through this whole process by myself, where it would have been nice to have someone to help me, but now I'm basically finished, going to a follow up appointment, where I need no help, and now she wants to send someone with me! Adeline tells me, it's because Moon (my director) wants her to hear what the doctor has to say. Can Moon not ask me?!!! I hate the middle man bullshit in this country! Not only is info lost in translation, it's also lost in the more people it travels through. We go to my appointment and was it good? Not at all. From having to work the last two days before the appointment, I lost all my extension (straightening the leg) from swelling. Resulting in about 300% worse range of movement from when I left the hospital. My doctor wasn't to happy with Adeline. He told me I had one more week to regain it back otherwise I risk losing it forever. In the state it was in now, I am considered disabled. These were words I didn't want to hear. Now, I'm worried and I'm mad at myself for not just telling my employer I refused to go into work those two days, but what's done is done and now I have to correct it. After the fact, Adeline tells me that I need to be more of a "drama queen" at work and cry. This will show miss Moon and Yugin that I can't do the work and they'll give me more sympathy. SERIOUSLY?!!! I thought I was a grown up! I thought I worked with grown ups! A doctor's note isn't enough to show I shouldn't work, I need to cry and be a baby! F*** that, I'm an adult and I have respect for myself not to act like a child to get my way. I think having surgery on my knee, with a job I'm required to stand, is a legit excuse to take and an extra 2 days off.
Upon returning to work, at every available moment, I have had a friend come push and force my knee into a full extension (well...as much as it would go). Did this feel good, not in the least. To describe the feeling, imagine a rock behind your knee cap and in between your joint that you are trying to flatten as you straighten your leg with all your ligaments and tendons tender. Every time I'd fight tears, but despite the pain I have seen progress!! My knee is slowly able to extend more and more without me having to force it. Yay, me!!!
Making it through the first week back to work, we have a three days weekend! I believe it's Independence Day from when the Japanese left Korea but not entirely sure. I'm just happy I get an extra day off my knee, but lucky me, my air conditioning decided to break. So now, I'm siting in a sauna. My apartment is 83 degrees.... I'm hot, gross, and uncomfortable. I can't open my windows because it is equally as gross outside, the rain makes for a disgusting amount of humidity. My building is surrounded by other buildings so even was to open my window there is no air circulation. I grew up without Air conditioning so I can handle the heat but humidity and no circulation...I do not like.
I had a Adeline and my friend Darcy over yesterday for some entertainment. Adeline taught me how to make Jap Chae, a Korean clear noodle dish, that I think is delicious! When I'm home, prepare to eat it! It takes a bit of prep time cutting all the vegetables but totally worth it. It's usually a side dish but I eat it as the main. Adeline doesn't know it yet but I'm going to make her teach me how to make a lot more things! :) She also taught Darcy and I how to play a Korean card game, Stop-Go. We played 5 rounds, and I still don't quite understand (the point counting is the most confusing) but hopefully before I go home I'll confidently know how to play so I can teach you guys and take all your money!!
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| The Semi-private room I stayed in pre-surgery.... one roommate, automatic bed, free Ethernet. Post- surgery I moved to a 6 bed room becuase it was 100,000w cheaper, but I had a manuel bed, no internet, and 5 old lady roommates. |
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| The Sharpie Marking the doctor put on my leg to undergo surgery. |
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| My sign to remind me not to eat or drink after midnight before surgery. My nurse spoke English, do you think she would have thought to write it in English for me, of course not! |
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| Staples out, post-shower....my leg's coloring doesn't look to healthy next to my right, but it's getting better. |
3 months, 17 days....
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