Day Fourteen

The snow is really coming down today. Poor Erica slipped and fell outside of Mario Tower on the way in and ended up in an ambulance to the hospital for an x-ray. Hopefully, nothing was broken. Joe (her husband, a patient) sure needs her.


So the morning started later than usual. Mom got a 15 minute stem cell drip and then a 45 minute protein drip. I had been standing by, writing "need to know"'s, for any new patient planning on coming, on my netbook that I will add to the blog. I wasn't able to get into the room that has the Internet cable to say goodnight to my littlest one on Skype but, it's okay... I called and hubby had me on speakerphone with her. Hearing her is better than not seeing her.  It melts my heart to hear her say "Hi, Momma".

We understand that Dr. Moon is going to the States through 1/10/10 to continue working on opening a lab in Houston and hopefully a clinic in possibly the Bahamas or Mexico. That may take quite a while though to come to fruition. I know they've been trying to open a clinic closer to the States for more than a year.

It's about 1:20 pm now. Everyone else went back to the hotel about 45 minutes ago. I'm going to wait until Joe finishes his treatment and take a taxi back to the hotel with him. Hopefully, Erica will get back to the hotel soon safe, sound and unbroken. I understand that the hospital is not the best place in the world. Your bed is basically a gurney with a sheet over it. The privacy curtain is just around your "bed" so not any real space for anyone to even visit you. You need to bring your own soap, towels, etc.

So, here I sit in a room next to Joe writing this and listening to Minnie Driver on my netbook. Yes, she sings and her voice is incredibly beautiful. Take a listen to her album called Seastories. It has become my South Korean soundtrack.

Here are some snow shots from today...

Day Thirteen

Very nice day today.  Cold but clear and it felt good to walk around.  Since it was a day off, we made it over to Itaewon.  There are a lot of American shops but also neat little sidewalk vendors.   We were there for three hours.  You can definitely negotiate... even with sellers in the indoor mall.  We went with Erica (wife of a patient), Debbie (caregiver of a patient) and Dawn and Dave (the newest couple).   Mom and I were approached on the sidewalk by two female students who wanted to practice their English with us.  I had actually read that this would happen in a book I got on Korea (Culture Shock: South Korea).  Overall, good day.

Day Twelve

It's Saturday here so it was to the clinic at 8:30 am.  As it was snowing, getting into the building was interesting but we made it.  Mom got the 45 minute protein drip and one of those rump shots (she had it out of my view so I didn't ask) but it had to have been either the CK or the vaccine. 

For lunch, we decided to have real Korean food for a change, so we ventured downstains to Yura.  I really wish I had taken my camera.  We both ordered the Bulgogi Kettle (which is a marinated beef mixed with mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots, etc.).  It was really very good.  They start you off with a salad, which had some kind of super cold relishy dressing.  Then they bring out the kimchi, cold bean sprouts, some kind of fish, what looked like small oysters and some kind of slimy mushroom sprouts (all in separate little bowls).  I tried everything except the small oysters.  It was all pretty good except the fish thing.  Ugh.  Mom only tried the cold bean sprouts and a piece of kimchi.  Then they brought out the Bulgogi with a side of (I think it was Jasmine) rice. This was obviously a lot of food for just two people but we did the best we could to eat what we could.                                               

This wasn't our table but lunch sort of looked something like this (the Bulgogi is in the middle).

Then they brought out a cold plum tea after the meal.  Mind you, all this they brought when all we ordered from the menu were "two Bulgogi Kettles, please".

We thought it would be nice to go the movie theatre across the street, just to do something different.  So, after we go back into the hotel room, I put my jacket back on and went across the bridge to buy tickets (it is reserved seating so wanted to be sure we pre-bought tickets).  I could not believe how crowded it was!  I actually had to take a number to buy the tickets.  Anyway, there were only two movies in English (with Korean subtitles)... Avatar and Sherlock Holmes.  After flipping a coin, we ended up with Sherlock Holmes.  Entertaining movie. 

Tomorrow, if mom is still up for it and it's not completely freezing outside, we'll take the shuttle over to Itaewon for a little shopping.  Will let you know how that goes!  How to ask "how much" in Korean:  Olma Imnika.

Day Eleven

It's New Year's Day here and it's been a quiet one.  I can tell how much it helps mom when she takes it easy.  We did take a walk outside.  So cold but really refreshing!  Here are some pictures of the area.  And if they look like every other picture I've taken, it's because there are so many of these streets and alleyways.  There are shops on top of shops and even underground markets.  Seoul is busy.  Lots of hustle and bustle.  This is not some po-dunk town.  Progressive and yet, traditional.  Most people dress very well... not like us in sweatpants and Uggs all of the time.  Here you go...

Day Ten

And so it has been another long day. We arrived to the clinic an hour earlier than usual so mom can begin Avastin. First, they gave her an anti-nausea medicine, then hooked up an IV in each arm. They both were used for hydrating her which lasted an hour. Then, they left one in to continue hydrating and the other was changed to the Avastin. Nurse Moon says mom shouldn't lose too much hair, which is good because she only brought one hat. :-)

I am eternally grateful that the clinic was able to supply mom with Lyrica (and at the cost she would normally have to pay as a co-pay and without the $90 shipping cost). We still haven't heard anything about the medications stuck in customs.

After mom's chemo, we took a taxi with Mr. Won to the Korean National University Hospital for the PET-CT scan. Dr. Moon's office should have it on Monday, then we'll need to take it to Dr. Cho on Wednesday.
In the taxi on the way back to the hotel, the taxi driver's cell phone rang. The ringtone? John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads". It was awesome. I literally cannot watch any of the taxi drivers that we've had. They cut other cars off, run alongside sidewalks and practically take out the pedestrians. It's best just to close your eyes and hum something.

As it is New Year's Eve, the patients and their families had dinner together in the Phoenix Room in the Garden Terrace restaurant, which is in the lobby of the hotel.  The bunch of us:  Erica, Joe, Jackie, Tom, Bryan, Courtney w/ little Jackson, Dawn, Dave, Dos, Jeff, Debbie, mom and I.  We sat around the table talking about how everyone heard of this treatment and their stories of the cancers et al that they have been battling.  What a group of people.  Each one, inspiring.
 
Tomorrow is New Year's Day and our big plans are to stay in and relax.  It's still incredibly cold out there!  Be well, All...