Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Countrygirl]

Maybe this should be in in off-topic but I need some high traffic on this one.

Tomorrow I go to the doctor to see if I have cancer. Granted, there is only a small chance that I have cancer but the signs are clear that there is something possibly seriously wrong with me. I've been trying all day to not picture how my life will change after my appointment. Not to mention that I think a good doctor is hard to find...especially in Korea.

I don't want to call anyone back home and worry them needlessly but I need something to get my mind off of this. And I can't be depressed around my kids. I always try to be practical but my nature is melodramatic. Please tell me some false alarm or funny stories to help me get through tonight.

[bassexpander]

Hard to know what to say without many details, but I wish you well.

Korea has pretty good medical care. If you are careful and get the right tests done at the better hospitals, you'll probably get a more thorough exam than you would back home for a lot less money (or in a quicker time frame).

A relative of mine had cysts on her ovaries, and she was all stressed that she had cancer. It wasn't. The doctors did a quick surgery on her and "vaccumed" them off with no complications. They just had to make a small incision to do it.

These days, cancer survival is pretty high if you catch it quickly enough.

Is your health care in order?

[Forward Observer]

Treat yourself to an expensive dinner tonight. Go to a spa and get yourself a facial, have your nails done, live it up. Try to relax. Let us know what happens tomorrow CG.

And get a second opinion. My wife was told she had ovarian cancer by an idiot that probably bought his medical degree in a 3rd world country. Had us scared for two weeks last year.

Some doctors here are good, some are excellent, and some are just plain quacks that have no business practicing medicine. Especially in this country.

[Draz]

I had a minor one last year, nothing like this. I thought I had hepatitis or something, turned out I didn't. Also have had nothing but good experiences with the Korean health care system.

[ChinaBoy]

How many kids do you have? Family can be therapeutic.

[Milwaukiedave]

I had a minor one a few years ago. I won't go into details, but I did end up getting a number of tests and was told at one point I may need surgery. That was upsetting. At that point, I opted to call my coteacher at work and let her know what was going on just in case I wasn't going to make it to school the next day.

All of the tests came up negative and the best they could do was something that was a temporary fix for the problem that I wasn't comfortable with. In the end, they did it and then reversed it and I walked out of the hospital upset with them. My body healed with the meds they gave me (even without the procedure) and it turned out fine. I ended up emailing the hospital and letting them know I was not happy at the time. If anything I can be very vocal when I'm in pain and upset.

I hope your tests all come back negative. Just keep positive thoughts and try not let yourself get down.

[Countrygirl]

Well, the tests won't come back for a while but it looks like it is an infection instead of cancer. Woo Hoo!!! I hate being melodramatic about things like this but every time I go home my parents tell me about more people I knew growing up who have died from cancer.

Last time I went home a girl I went to high school with died within weeks of finding out she had cancer. She even went to a Calgary hospital by plane and then was told that there was nothing that they could do and that she wasn't allowed to go home to die. I can't remember the whole story but everyone back home had to raise money to get her back in a special plane that could keep her in a bed with a nurse. Apparently OHIP won't pay for you to go home and die with your family by your side.

I'm not even afraid of dying, I just can't stand to leave my kids to fend for themselves. And I know my husband can't do it on his own. I'm just glad that I don't have to make any hard decisions for a while.

Thanks for the responses and well wishes. Now I can stop haunting this site trying to distract myself.

Good Health to you all!

[Forward Observer]

That's good to hear CG - now go out and celebrate!

[blackjack]

can't compare with cancer but I was a weekend away from losing my leg from an infection. To say the next few days in hospital were rough would be an understatement. (the experiential antibiotics they had me on didn't help either, nor the collapsed veins)

can't really offer any advice, but you have to find the strength within you. Family can't help, friends can't help (didn't even tell mine). It's when you discover how strong you actually are.

[earthbound14]

all I can say is that there isn't a damned thing to worry about until there is really something to worry about.

Even then worrying is probably not the most productive thing to do.

If things turn out for the worse you have to deal with it, no matter what it is. So take it all in stride.


For me the initial shock was pretty rough (I have had a health scare) and the following shit I put myself through (although I thought I was doing pretty good at the time) was rather pointless. In the end I just had to keep the same mental outlook on life but alter my actions and dreams. My outlook being that I would live lilfe to the fullest and be as happy as possible about it. My dreams had to change simply because some of them were just not possible anymore, but luckily that only brought others to the fore front. So in a way I didn't stop following my dreams I just shifted focus to other dreams that were now more practical or relevant.

The point being that if life takes something away from you, you have to look at what you still have left, do not focus on your loss....it's gone and unlike money you can't just go out and earn more. If you spend too much time stuck on what was lost you may no longer have any thing left to be thankful for.

Keep in mind that with cancer there is always the possibility of becoming cured. Some diseases out there cannot, so fight it, no matter how slim the chance. Honestly what choice do you have? Life or death...I'd choose that slim chance of life and cherish every damned minute of it.

I never had cancer and today I'm lucky enough to lead a normal life but there was a time when I thought the worst might happen and I'd be crippled, unable to work and living in my parents basement on pain medication. I chose not to let that happen and I was lucky enough that fate had some good cards for me.

Good luck with your tests and what ever happens let this be a lesson to love what you have and what you have had. I hope everything turns out for the best.

eb14

ps the one post I didn't read (until now) is the one were you say the tests came back fine....congrats!!! Have a great one!!

[wrosen01]

I wanted to write something encouraging here last night, before you knew your results, but couldn't think of the best way to say it. So glad your tests were negative! You should go out and celebrate.

I should be in Korea right now, I had a job and was all set, but around two weeks ago a nagging health problem floored me quite suddenly, and I ended up in the hospital for 10 days, a couple of which were pretty hairy. I'm out now, thankfully, and on the mend (doctors can be amazing sometimes!) It's funny, though, how serious illness can change your mind, your whole outlook. I feel so different now, ready to tackle so many things (medical bills included), just ready to start a new way of life.

Health scares are transformative, is what I guess I want to say. You've got to find the reserves to carry yourself through, but then things are just different. Hope your world is brighter now!