Korean Job Discussion Forums

melvaughn · Joined: 11 May 2006

What has been the worst physical ailment you've suffered through-out your time in Korea or during one year. I think my school is cursed because the teachers have had some of the strangest misfortunes and still had to teach through all of it.

One teacher at my school broke her rib but didn't know about it until she could hardly breath. She had bronchitis at the same time so literally felt like she was dying each time she coughed and she was given no sick days over this time.

Another teacher had a horrible ear infection. He had to go see special ear doctors in Seoul. It got so bad he lost his hearing in one ear...again, he had to keep teaching.

One female Irish teacher who has a reputation for drinking 24/7 developed swollen, puffy ankles (some kind of water retention) It got to the point where she could hardly walk. Then her scooter fell and landed on her ankel almost breaking it. She had to go in for ex-rays and found out it was badly sprained. She stopped drinking for a month and the swelling is finally going down.

I've only been here a month, and I can only imagine what's in store for me, so what have been some of your worse casualties over the year?????? I'm hoping for relatively painless stories.

periwinkle · Joined: 08 Feb 2003

I had giardia a few times, as well as food poisoning. Never experienced either back home. Also, after I first came to Korea (about a month into my stay), I got all those sores in my mouth- another teacher at my school said it was pretty common with newbies, and it was due to the change in my diet/ spicy foods.

Your school must be cursed, OP- will the guy with the ear infection get his hearing back? Man, that sucks....

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

Korean Hogwan Mutant Super Cold.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

I'd have to say the worst aliment I've ever had here was soondae.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

Every winter I get a terrible hacking cough which no medications seem to be able to fix and lasts a few weeks.

maryb · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:58 pm Post subject:

My first year I had a sinusitis, bronchitis, and an upper respiratory infection all at the same time. I as coughing so hard I would throw up. My eyes were swollen b/c my sinuses were so congested. Didnt get anysick days.

Second year, I fell and cracked 3-4 ribs. Didnt have a job yet but it did interfere with throwing darts. And yes, I was sober when I fell (everyone asks me if I was sober).

This is my 3rd year and so far so good. Granted I have only been back 2 weeks or so . . . . Shocked

gotte00 · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I had bronchitis and walking pneumonia at the same time.

Oh, I was told this during the SARS scare. Think I was a bit nervous?

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

On my way to play soccer with some of the Korean teachers on the weekend I managed to cut my leg open on some glass, resulting in a trip to the hospital and ten stitches. Never had to have stitches before back home, but at least I can put it down to a freak accident.

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

A mouth full of gopjang.I couldn't eat for 2 days after that,it was just so bad.Still brings back bad memories.

IWD(Injured while drinking) spun,fell over and cracked my ribs on my toilet bowl.took a good 6 weeks to heal.Utter misery in the dead of winter.

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

I had food poisoning last year which lasted about 4 days. Also had a bout of the flu this spring and had to goto the doctor and take Tamiflu.

The first month I was here I had that cold everyone seems to get when they first arrive here, but worse. My room (I say that because I was in shared housing at the time...never again!) had mold growing all over the place. I was sick as a dog for 3 weeks.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

Food poisoning (twice) and pneumonia (at Solnal!) the first year I was here. I can't remember anything serious since. I guess I learned my lesson about not eating raw eggs in the countryside.

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

food poisoning. i shit my intestines and puked into the sink simultaneously for about 7 hours. then i was fine.

until i went to a pc bang to check my email and ended up doing puke round 2 all over the floor of their lobby.

awesome. the girl gave me a roll of toilet paper to clean it up.

Doogie · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: Hwaseong City

Yesanman · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Location: Chungnam

Cholesteatoma

okokok · Joined: 27 Aug 2006

Chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, and ear infections.