That was just a fun story that I needed to share. The real big story came two days later on Sunday when I rode my bike out to the University to have dinner with my two friends Peter and Rory at a Chinese place. It was a good meal and we had a great time. At about 9:30 PM I hopped on my bike to head back the 10 minute ride to my apt. The next thing I remember was being in a CT scanner and feeling intense pain. Muney was there as was my friend and coworker Will. Apparently I called Muney to translate for me and take care of hospital stuff. The hospital was busy and there wasn't a bed for the night, they did x-rays of my entire body to see what else was wrong but could see I wasn't in any immediate danger. I was in a lot of pain and there was discussion of me going home since there were no beds. Muney came back and said we had to wait for the doctor's ok, I couldn't wait so I pulled out my IV and said let's go. I don't remember how I got home but I know I did at about 8 or 9 AM. I called home and and let my parents know what happened, then went to sleep.
I didn't sleep well and was still in a lot of pain, I was bleeding from my right ear, my face and legs were scratched up, ribs were hurting and just generally felt awful. I don't know who I called first when i woke up at 2 but I think it was my friends Rachel and Ben that got me set up in a new hospital since I was still in so much pain. I brought my ipod and cell phone with me to keep me occupied while I was there. I get checked in and they go through all the x-rays and CT scanning again. At about 6 my korean coworker came to help with translation, they told me i would have to spend the night in the ICU.... scary right? yeah, i wasn't too scared at first, i just kinda laughed. CH left and i was all checked in at about 7PM which is when visiting time is over in the ICU. The first thing i did was pull out my ipod and cellphone to update everyone. Then the on-call nurse came over and told me in very poor English "no cell phones or electronics"..... fantastic...
I handed them over and he locked them away. Now im sitting here bored looking at the other 12 ICU patients, 5 of them on the opposite wall from all hooked up to respirators, one of whom had it in his trachea. The patient to my left was in bad shape and kept defecating himself, the one to the right had said mental issues and was rubber band tied to her bed and she never blinked. after a couple hours I had to go to the bathroom so I lowered the cage door of my bed and the attending nurse rushed over and said 'no no no' and put the panel back up, retreated for a moment and came back with a jug.....
Not a great night to say the least.
In the morning i found out that i could leave the ICU but was to stay in the hospital for 3 weeks for observation.... fantastic. after a week of hell, where no one could speak english, i finally convinced them to let let me go home so i could be more comfortable. Another thing i hated about this was that i didnt exactly know what was even wrong with me, nor did I even know what happened at this point for certain, i heard a car hit me, but that was it. Also, i was completely deaf in my right ear.
On the way back from the hospital we had to since some paperwork at the police station. On the way i learned it was a taxi who hit me. The cabs here in Korea are equipped with black box cctv's that record in and outside. I was riding my bike down a hill going fairly fast and my light across the walk was green but turned red just moments before i came to it, so the cabs light turned green (immediately in Korea not like the couple second delay in the states). And he just hit my back tire and sent me flying. I was in extreme pain still and signed the paper whatever it said.
I went home and felt only slightly better to be in my own place. My friend Ellen came over and took care of me during the first two nights i was here as i was still in a lot of pain. On Sunday i talked with my mom and thats when the wheels really started to move. She had gotten a hold of my cousin Bill, who married a Korean girl whose father works in Seoul and knows several high people in some high places. she told me to expect a call, which came just moments later. Mr Kim came down and made a couple phones calls to several people and got some information from me. He decided to take me to Seoul to Samsung Hospital, we went to dinner first, then got to the ER by 9PM. during check-in i got morphine (btw i found out later that the only painkillers i was getting at the first two hospitals was Tylonel) so i started feeling better, then i got a CT scan and MRI again and my own bed in the 'foreigner section' of the ER. It was a room with just two beds, a japanese girl was asleep in the other. We went to the Ear Nose and Throat section and talked with a doctor who took pictures of my ear drums and i could definitely see the burst.
This was the first time that could actually know and see what was going on. My ear still leaked cerebrospinal fluid for a couple weeks but finally stopped last month. I still have problems hearing from the right ear but i hope it will continue to improve. It was good to finally get some answers. In the morning i met with the dr who told me that i had two skull fractures along my temporal and parietal bones, along with some contusions on my brain which i got to see in detail via the MRI.
Mr Kim has helped me so much in getting things arranged with money from the cab company. They are going to cover me for 100% of medical costs and 80% of the lost wages from the 3 weeks i was not working. Yay!
Anyway, im doing much better now. sorry this blog came so late after it happened. Been busy is all i will post another much sooner than you would expect.
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