The Attack of Appendicitis!!!!

So here's what Hil and I have learned so far:
1) bellyache + coke = bad
2) appendix + Adrian = bad (it was truly never meant to be)
3) doctors + (scalpel * stiches * gas) = Adrian going unconscious on an operating table with one of the doctors cheering on the Korean soccer team [last words I heard: "Day-haminguk" - "Go Korea!" Hmmm, yes go Korea, but please stay while you're operating on me]
4) Adrian's belly - appendix + pain killers = memorable times on the children's ward

So it's now official: I'm appendix-less. It all happened quite fast: my doctor in Junggye-dong told me to double check with a specialist at the hospital, and then the specialist told me I'd be on the table before 6pm. It was a little bit shocking, but when Hil and I came to grips with the fact that I'm getting surgery and so no Thailand :( we became better adjusted to the idea.
It turns out that Korean hospitals are EXTREMELY efficient!!! They had me hobble-wobbling around the place going from an ultrasound (I felt like a pregnant lady!) to an x-ray to the specialist to the surgery prep in no time! It was a blast (sort of). Thankfully, Hil passed on the news and Jamie, Jennica, Lydia and Nathan came to visit me over my time there, giving me support and many reading options. Our boss Park came and helped translate things (which was good, cuz I only trust hand signals for everything non-surgical.
But the operation went really well with no complications, and before I knew it I could see my heartbeat (on a screen) and I groggily came-to in a children's ward. Behold: me in the garb:

Thankfully I was never left alone too long with the children. Hilary was just awesome and came both before and after work to care for me and play cards. It was hard being away from home, but she made the hospital as good as it could be. She slept over at Jamie and Jennica's place (since they live right by the hospital) and we were very thankful for that. Again, a big kudos to the J's and the Skulls as well for the company, concern and Time magazines! I don't ever remember having such a great hospital stay!

So yes, a big thank you to all who emailed and called during my hopital-time -it was appreciated very much!!! I'm doing much better now -I was kicked out of the hospital on Friday morning and went back to work on Tuesday and although work was quite draining, I'm feeling stronger every day. The stitches are out and it looks like I have a sweet-monkey pirate scar on my belly. So cool.

So things are looking up and on the plus side, I'm never going to have appendicitis again! On that note, check out Sebas' blog at www.sebastianinberlin.blogspot.com and his "Appendichimits" entry -it's got an amazing rendition of my now ex-corpus appendix in a pose that says it all.