H1N1 is a Blessing!! Who Can Say That? Yep, That'd Be Me.

So I have had a week to settle in, and goodness has it been busy!

Monday, I stayed around my recruiter's apartment in Ilsan until 1:30pm, then headed for the bus station.  I hopped on the bus to GwangJu around 3:50.  The ride was about an hour and a half long, and I read a book the whole way.  When I got to GwangJu around 5:30, the director of my school was there to pick me up.  His English name is Kenny.  We drove to my apartment, and dropped off my luggage.  After that we went to the school, and I met the teachers and some of the students.  He told me we were having a teachers meeting at 7pm, so I thought "ok, not so bad.  Sit around a table, talk about logistics a bit, and leave and sleep.  Not too long.  Great!"..... yeah, a Korean teachers meeting means eating at a bbq place until your buttons pop off your pants and talking about anything other than work.  I loved it.  :)  I love Korean food, and the metal chopsticks were a success!  I didn't throw anything at anyone, nor did I drop anything.  Sweet.  We finished around 10pm, then Kenny took me to E-Mart (similar to a small target, but with more of a grocery section... it just opened, and he wanted to check it out and I needed to get a pillow, tp, etc), then home.  I got home at around 11:30pm and crashed on the floor.  My school has 2 native English teachers at a time, meaning they only have enough housing supplies for 2 teachers at a time.  Since the teacher I am replacing is still here until this coming Wednesday, I don't have a bed, pots and pans, broom, cleaners, etc until this coming Friday, 2 Oct.  No worries!

Tuesday and Wednesday I unpacked everything and investigated my neighborhood a bit.  I also sat in on various classes at the school.  Wednesday night I had dinner (twice) with Portia, the other native English speaker I will be teaching with.  She is from Ohio and she seems to be pretty cool.  She's a Christian as well.  Her friend that she came over to Korea with had just gotten out of the hospital and wanted to hang out, so we all went out to eat.

Thursday, my throat started hurting.  It wasn't that bad until Friday.  I could barely speak because it hurt so bad.  I just chalked it up to climate change.  Friday, it got really bad... so bad that I went through 4 rolls of cough drops in 3 hours.  And my ears hurt as well.  After dinner with Portia and her Korean boyfriend, Moon, on Friday night, I stopped by the pharmacy and bought 3 more rolls of Halls.  I got in the PJ's, laid on my floor, and watched "I am Legend" with Korean voice over and English subtitles (QUITE hilarious).

I woke up Saturday feeling dreadful!  My nose and sinuses were full and drippy and all around gross, in addition to my throat and ears hurting, so I stayed in the apartment all day.  I woke up Sunday with a bad cough and chest congestion, a fever, chills, and cold sweats.  I felt like death, and I have spent the better part of all my life severely sick.  Well, on the brink of what I felt was death, I got a call on my Skype number (Sunday night in Korea, Sunday Morning back in the States).  I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyway.  The call was an automated message from NWA/Delta stating that there were 2 passengers on my flight from Detroit to Tokyo who were unknowingly infected with H1N1 and if I experience any signs or symptoms (all of which I had at this point) to seek medical attention within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.  This phone call came at least 72 hours after the onset of symptoms.  I researched it, and there was no point in me going to the doctor that late after the start of they symptoms.  I just slept it off.  I'm still recovering, but am feeling much better than I was this weekend.  I am going to take this week to fully recoup from it, though I still have to work.  I am just going to take it easy and let my lungs heal.

Still wondering how I can say that having H1N1 is a blessing?  Well, for those of you who know me, I have auto-immune diseases to a serious degree.  Because of this, I really haven't gotten sick in about 2 years because my immune system is confused.  It knows how to attack me, but does not know how to attack viruses and bacteria.  SoooooOOOOoooooo... my body responding so fierce against the virus is A VERY VERY GOOD THING!!!!  This is a sign that at least some of my auto-immune diseases are going into remission!!!!!!!!!!  Praise the Lord!  He is soooo good and so faithful!!!!! 

~ As for you, O LORD, you will not retrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and faithfulness will ever preserve me! ~ Psalm 40:11 (ESV)

I'll try to post more frequently.  Last week it just didn't happen.  :)  To see some pictures from before I got sick, click here.  Love you all!

Be blessed!

Karis and Irini.