Korean Job Discussion Forums

Jeweltone · Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Location: Seoul, S. Korea

I don't know if I would call this a cautionary tale, exactly, but I do think the information is worth putting out there...

I am now back in the United States, and I have been desperately ill for the six months I have been back- I have finally been diagnosed with post-viral gastroparesis. I don't want to go into excessive details - it would take too long, but you can probably piece together the whole story of my ordeal from my previous posts if you feel like it (I don't).

Last September, I began experiencing violent and random nausea every morning - this made the commute to work miserable and teaching a chore (excuse me while I go vomit, class!). I tried diet changes, not eating before bed, giving up coffee, etc. but nothing worked. I did not have a fever, and my symptoms usually got better by the evening. Then I began having more and more "attacks," and not just in the morning. This continued for months due to continual mis-diagnosis by Korean doctors. I was horribly misguided by one doctor who seemed to know what he was talking about - he said I had developed Acid reflux from a fatty-liver (I don't drink or smoke and am only mildly overweight) and as soon as I lost weight that I would feel better.

My symptoms did not improve from all of the little pills he pushed at me, and I became very irritable, weak, and severely depressed. He then said my problem was "all in my head" and gave me Xanax and Serox???, which sent me on a very scary lost weekend/moving towards the warm white light trip. I was also apparently allergic to one of the meds as my vomiting increased to every ten minutes. I did not go back to that doctor, except to get my medical records! Well, I lost 15 kilos due to my inability to keep food down over a six week period- the nausea got worse and worse and I couldn't even keep soup or oatmeal down half of the time. I also missed over two weeks of work due to my worsening condition.

I finally went to Yonsei Clinic, and Dr. Linton gave me a course of antibiotics for h. pylori, which I did actually have. I was so weak that I had to resign from my very good uni job two weeks before finals (no flamers need reply - it absolutely killed me to do it). My family almost had to fly out and pick me up. I still don't know how I got on that plane alone as I could barely walk...don't remember much of the trip except the rude lady in the baggage claim area of SFO!

I got back to the United States, and underwent many, many tests. The American socialized medicine system being what it is (I was unemployed, and on public assistance), it took a long time to get a referral to a GI specialist. They kept testing me over and over for obscure Asian third-world parasites! Finally I saw a GI. He ran more tests (sigh), including one where I had to eat radioactive eggs. He diagnosed me with gastroparesis, a condition one can get from a bad bout with the stomach flu (which I had in June, as well as all of the rest of my uni students).

Gastroparesis comes from nerve damage to the valve that empties your stomach into your intestines. Usually diabetics get it, but it can also come from viral infections. It has required a complete diet and lifestyle change for me - low fiber, low fat and NO unpureed veggies or fruit (baby food is disgusting -I don't know what babies see in it). It is not very common in otherwise healthy people, but it does happen. I will have this condition off and on for the rest of my life.

SO why am I posting this on the ESL board? I just want people to know that they should be VERY CAUTIOUS about unexplained vomiting. We have all had our bouts of food poisoning, mystery viruses, etc. while living in Korea! If your symptoms do not abate, keep on top of the doctors until you get a firm diagnosis. Cross check what your doctors say with medical information available online (the Mayo Clinic gives good information). Do your homework. Don't just "let it go" and hope for the best.

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

Thank you for your informative and heart-felt post. Sounds very rough! It is so true that you have to pay close attention to some of the Korean doctors and their funny ways of miss-diagnosing people. I've walked out of many an office when they did nothing but pull out a syringe of something and began assuming what they thought it was (a viral infection), when they didn't even hear me or check me out. (Found out later that it was bacterial.)

Dr. Linton is a very good doctor. I wish you well back state-side. All the best to you.

CabbageTownRoyals · Joined: 14 Sep 2006

Sorry to hear your story but thanks for posting. I agree, its important to let people know these things and remind us that we're not invincible even if we are young and healthy.....

JustJohn · Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Location: Your computer screen

grnmle · Joined: 13 Sep 2007

Thanks for sharing your terrible experience. At least I know all my vomiting is due to excessive alcohol consumption. I have that nailed down. But, seriously it is good to know this information. Good luck.

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

Thanks for your story. I also have problems with my stomach that started 10 years ago in Korea. No one can find out what the problem is. I wasted so much of my time, energy and self-esteem going to doctors. For a while, I gave up on doctors but now I have to go back because it's getting worse. Could you pm me the website address of the Yonsei Clinic or the phone number of D. Linton. I know that there are many quacks in Korea but there were many quacks in Canada too. At least in Korea I don't have to wait for 8 months to see a specialist. Good luck with your health.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

Have you ever read a book called Confederacy of Dunces?

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

canuckistan · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:41 pm Post subject:

That's just a terribly rough thing to go through--alone and in a foreign country. I will stop whinging about my week-long cold now Embarassed

I'm glad to hear you're on the mend.

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

Sorry to hear you had a rough time.

I jsut want to point out that even US doctors seemed to have a very hard to trying to figure out what was wrong with you.

Jeweltone · Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Location: Seoul, S. Korea

I have actually put on about 5 kilos since returning home Embarassed

It's all the extra carbs and protein from the new diet (you have to get energy from somewhere...)- still too weak to do much more than an hour of walking per day! I start work next week as an adjunct professor...

Yes, I agree that people tend to try and diagnose themselves too much via the Internet. Sometimes a cold is just a cold. I did use my limited Hangul to figure out what pills the original doctor gave me, and I became a bit suspicious about some of them when I read about their uses on the Internet.

In general, the doctor I initially saw was a decent doctor (just very wrong!), although the Yonsei docs indicated that I was pretty over-medicated. I never once got referred to a GI while in Korea, but if I had not left, I am reasonably certain that the good folks at Yonsei would have done so. The other docs who work with Dr. Linton are also very skilled and speak excellent English. The web address is:

http://www.yuhs.or.kr/en/contents.asp?cat_no=28114

I have generally had good health care in Korea, and I have no real complaints. If you live in Jamsil area, Dr. Kwak (love the name!) at Asan Hospital is also very good.

My health care in the US has been touch-and-go as well; it certainly takes longer to get through the system. A Korean US resident I know gets very frustrated with the slowness of the system here....You gotta admit the Korean system is quick!