Mission: Pump, Day One

It was only yesterday evening that I found out the final 'details' of my admission to the hospital. Although, when I say 'details', what I actually mean is a vague email from my doctor saying I would receive a phone call sometime today, explaining the admissions procedure! Luckily, the call came, and here I am: in room 1409 at Haeundae Paik Hospital, Busan, South Korea.

My unlike-me pink, girly nails!

I received the call from the English-speaking liaison nurse around 10 am, explaining I was to come to the admissions centre from 3pm and my room number would be 1409. So for most of the day I pottered around. I woke up late, had a manicure and pedicure, popped into school to get some marking to help kill time and then went for my 'last lunch' around 3pm (having already had my 'last brunch', 'last dinner' and 'last breakfast' in the 36 hours previously: a posh brunch date at the Park Hyatt hotel on Saturday, dinner and beers at Ange - my favourite Korean BBQ restaurant - on Saturday night and a breakfast of NY egg sandwiches this morning courtesy of my housemate. You could say I've been somewhat spoiled. Or milking it for all it's worth...). 

I arrived at the hospital around 4:10 and made my way to the admissions centre where I took a number and waited my turn. The procedure was relatively painless and before I knew it I was up on the 14th floor being met by my doctor. I was weighed and measured before being give the Spanish Inquisition about my medical history while sitting with the nurses behind the nursing counter! Again, the quiz was uneventful, most questions were fairly standard.

On being asked whether I would like the Korean meal or the Western meal, I opted for  Korean which prompted a call from the English-speaking liaison nurse... She told me the meal would be fairly bland but that I should eat it all. I would find out why shortly! 

Finally, after handing over ALL my medication (and feeling quite helpless!) I was taken to my room... A fairly bog-standard shared room with 5 beds and 3 existing patients, all a little older than me, all wearing matching hospital-issue pyjamas and curled up in various positions in bed, attended by an array of family members. I took my bed, changed into my uniform and unpacked my bag - full of clothes I doubt I will need!

Around 5:25pm, a nurse came to test my blood. Needless to say, I was not allowed to do it myself! It was 173 and I was told that my dinner would be around shortly. In due course a nurse entered with a round of meds, including my insulin. She proceeded to stab me in the belly with my insulin pen, without telling me how much insulin she was giving me; I was too stunned to protest or even ask! A few minutes later, my dinner arrived, and I did my best to shovel as much into me as I could: not knowing how much insulin I had in my system... So far, so good! The food was actually pretty good: a bowl of white rice, some side dishes, beef and potato soup, fried fish... 

Now, I'm lying in the uncomfortable hospital bed waiting for tomorrow when all the fun starts! I am scheduled to have fasting blood taken then an insulin pump team will be in to see me mid-morning... I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed today, and the whole experience is very surreal! But I have come into hospital, on the other side of the world, feeling loved and cared for by people near and far. What more could a girl ask for?! Apart from a new pancreas maybe...