Making the appointment

Near the end of May, I went unannounced to the biggest hospital in Suncheon: St. Carlos (or Carllo?).

I tried miming, 'I need to schedule an appointment to get a tonsillectomy' to the frightened receptionist, but she didn't didn't understand (shocking?? lol)

So she called in an English Speaker from elsewhere in the hospital.

My new best friend's name was Ji-yeong. She was so pretty, sweet, and young. And obviously chomping at the bit to speak English with me.

Ji-yeong immediately whisked me away to the ENT department of the hospital. We had to wait in the waiting room for about 20 minutes. As per usual I was grilled about my life and asked intensely personal questions. I didn't mind, it's obvious from this blog that I like to talk about myself:)Everything I told her about my life elicted gasps, and 'woah's and 'oh great's and 'wow's.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable with the excessive adulation, I tried to change the subject.

Ji-yeong was wearing a lab coat, so I asked her if she was a doctor. Suddenly, she became as animated as elmo the tickle-monster.

"OOOHHHHH nOOOOOOO!! I HATE doctors! They walk around the hospital like they are the kings/queens and they stick up their noses at everyone else!! My boss, he is the worst! He sometimes uses four-letter words at me!!!'

After this cute and startling tirade, I asked her what her job was.

"Well, I'll tell you, it's a 3-D job: dirty, difficult, and dangerous. I am a lab technician, I go through samples of blood, urine, and feces. I like it though!'

Soon enough we were ushered into the ENT room.

The doctor asked me a few basic questions, and then brought out a foot-long skinny black tube, with a camera and a light on the end.

I was nervous at the thought of this going down my throat and gagging me (that's the worst part of frequent tonsillitis, all of the throat swabs).

I sort of shook my head away from it.

Ji-yeong was shocked at my wimpy behaviour.

"How will you get a tonsillectomy if you won't do this!!'

I slowly opened my mouth wide in agreement.

The doctor and Ji-yeong just looked at me.

"....this isn't going in your mouth...."

They put it in one of my nostrils, but only maybe a cm of the way in. It was perfectly comfortable. If only they had told me in the first place!

Anyway, I got to look at the inside of my throat from a whole new angle. The doctor told me my tonsils were not THAT big. I said I still wanted them removed. He shrugged. Didn't matter to him either way.

And so my tonsillectomy was scheduled for August 5th, 2009.

As I was leaving the hospital, Ji-yeong informed me I'd have to return between July 5th-10th to make sure I was a fit candidate for surgery.

The sweetheart gave me her cell phone number, and her extension at the hospital. I had to PROMISE to call her when I came back in July.

Warmed by her kindness, I left the hospital.