Goodbye America
After living here for almost a year it's already time for me to say goodbye. I lived for a semester in Knoxville, had an amazing winter break, with the help of cess525 (Brentz) and her family! One that I won't forget for a long time, if ever, and then I moved on to Atlanta.
I expected to have a quiet, nice and easy semester here in Atlanta while doing my internship. I would work on a project, probably make some friends and after that go home, but life had different plans for me.
In February I got unexpectedly ill on a monday morning. Nothing bad I thought and I just went to work. I didn't feel good all day, was stubborn but went home early. The next day my side was hurting so bad that I decided I needed to go to the doctor for this. After hours and hours of waiting in the ER, I went to the operating room to get my appendix out.
My colleagues, who I really got to know during this period, stood by me every step of the way. That moment I realized that I got really lucky. Here I was in this foreign country, with no family, no friends since I just moved, but they were there for me when I needed it most.
Brentz called several times and arranged it that once I was released from the hospital I could stay with her husband's aunt. It would be good too since she was a nurse and her husband an ER doctor. I went there for the week, but didn't really got better. I didn't feel hungry and when I did eat, I threw up again. After a few days I also saw that my right side was a bit bigger than the left as if there was a bump, but I thought it was probably because everything was healing.
I went home again and since I couldn't sit still I went to work on Friday. That Sunday I skyped with my parents and had to throw up again, this time they forced me to call Rathees(who became my best friend here in Atl.) and we went, again, to the hospital. After waiting again for a few hours and me feeling ridiculous in there. I got another CT scan. Soon after that a nurse came in to take a lot of blood. Seriously, there have to be vampires in that hospital seeing how much blood I had to give for tests! Anyway, I had no idea why, but you know, probably for something good. Then my ER doc came in for a second and told me that another doctor would come in soon and explain me some stuff since I had an abcess.
The other doctor came in and explained everything to me. I asked him when I would be operated again and he said within 30 min. I was fine with it, other than the fact that he seemed scared of what could happen. He told me there was a chance they had to take part of my colon(sp?) out.
After that within 30 min I was weeled to the OR. No pre-op for me this time, but immediately under the knife. He said they would try it laproscopically(sp?) but wouldn't know for sure seeing as how bad it was and that the abcess was already pushing my organs on the right side aside.
A few hours later I woke up in the ICU. Called my parents since Rathees forgot to do that and told them I was in the ICU and the surgery had gone ok.
The next few days are a blur. I just don't remember them. I remember pain(!), being nicely drugged up, a really annoying roommate, and my parents who came on Wednesday. After that they stayed for two weeks. I got better, slowly, but had around 25 stitches/staples and a big scar from my bikini line till above my belly button.
Of course the staples didn't held and I walked around with an open wound for around 3 to 4 weeks before that was healed.
America says hi to you.
I got mostly better after this, and started to make friends and saw my co-workers now from a different perspective. People who stayed with me when I needed it. My supervisor stayed with me the entire first night I was in the hospital. Rathees stayed with me in the ICU, sleeping on a hospital chair. Co-workers coming at 7 am in the morning so I wouldn't be alone. These people are truly amazing human beings!
After everything I went to Floriday(twice), made many friends, worked on a big honkin' project from work and even though I was the baby in the office, I got a lot of responsible tasks that not a lot of interns according to many people get. The conference was a HUGE success and sofar I and my team already got a lot of praises.
I learned to love living here. I missed my family, but I love life as it is.
Now it is time for me to go home. Something that I've been looking out for. I can't wait to see my family and friends again, but on the other hand it feels like I'm leaving a piece of me in here behind...actually I do...my appendix... ;)
When you move abroad people prepare you for leaving everything behind and telling you you will have a good ol' time in there, but they don't mention how hard it is to leave. How hard it is to leave people that you grew to love and care about behind with the chance of seeing most of them never again.
I'm sure I'll be back in the states one day, but this experience will stay in a special place in my heart. I would recommend everyone to do this, even if it is difficult at some times, as long as you are open to it, you'll have an experience of a lifetime.
Hugs, Jann
I expected to have a quiet, nice and easy semester here in Atlanta while doing my internship. I would work on a project, probably make some friends and after that go home, but life had different plans for me.
In February I got unexpectedly ill on a monday morning. Nothing bad I thought and I just went to work. I didn't feel good all day, was stubborn but went home early. The next day my side was hurting so bad that I decided I needed to go to the doctor for this. After hours and hours of waiting in the ER, I went to the operating room to get my appendix out.
My colleagues, who I really got to know during this period, stood by me every step of the way. That moment I realized that I got really lucky. Here I was in this foreign country, with no family, no friends since I just moved, but they were there for me when I needed it most.
Brentz called several times and arranged it that once I was released from the hospital I could stay with her husband's aunt. It would be good too since she was a nurse and her husband an ER doctor. I went there for the week, but didn't really got better. I didn't feel hungry and when I did eat, I threw up again. After a few days I also saw that my right side was a bit bigger than the left as if there was a bump, but I thought it was probably because everything was healing.
I went home again and since I couldn't sit still I went to work on Friday. That Sunday I skyped with my parents and had to throw up again, this time they forced me to call Rathees(who became my best friend here in Atl.) and we went, again, to the hospital. After waiting again for a few hours and me feeling ridiculous in there. I got another CT scan. Soon after that a nurse came in to take a lot of blood. Seriously, there have to be vampires in that hospital seeing how much blood I had to give for tests! Anyway, I had no idea why, but you know, probably for something good. Then my ER doc came in for a second and told me that another doctor would come in soon and explain me some stuff since I had an abcess.
The other doctor came in and explained everything to me. I asked him when I would be operated again and he said within 30 min. I was fine with it, other than the fact that he seemed scared of what could happen. He told me there was a chance they had to take part of my colon(sp?) out.
After that within 30 min I was weeled to the OR. No pre-op for me this time, but immediately under the knife. He said they would try it laproscopically(sp?) but wouldn't know for sure seeing as how bad it was and that the abcess was already pushing my organs on the right side aside.
A few hours later I woke up in the ICU. Called my parents since Rathees forgot to do that and told them I was in the ICU and the surgery had gone ok.
The next few days are a blur. I just don't remember them. I remember pain(!), being nicely drugged up, a really annoying roommate, and my parents who came on Wednesday. After that they stayed for two weeks. I got better, slowly, but had around 25 stitches/staples and a big scar from my bikini line till above my belly button.
Of course the staples didn't held and I walked around with an open wound for around 3 to 4 weeks before that was healed.
America says hi to you.
I got mostly better after this, and started to make friends and saw my co-workers now from a different perspective. People who stayed with me when I needed it. My supervisor stayed with me the entire first night I was in the hospital. Rathees stayed with me in the ICU, sleeping on a hospital chair. Co-workers coming at 7 am in the morning so I wouldn't be alone. These people are truly amazing human beings!
After everything I went to Floriday(twice), made many friends, worked on a big honkin' project from work and even though I was the baby in the office, I got a lot of responsible tasks that not a lot of interns according to many people get. The conference was a HUGE success and sofar I and my team already got a lot of praises.
I learned to love living here. I missed my family, but I love life as it is.
Now it is time for me to go home. Something that I've been looking out for. I can't wait to see my family and friends again, but on the other hand it feels like I'm leaving a piece of me in here behind...actually I do...my appendix... ;)
When you move abroad people prepare you for leaving everything behind and telling you you will have a good ol' time in there, but they don't mention how hard it is to leave. How hard it is to leave people that you grew to love and care about behind with the chance of seeing most of them never again.
I'm sure I'll be back in the states one day, but this experience will stay in a special place in my heart. I would recommend everyone to do this, even if it is difficult at some times, as long as you are open to it, you'll have an experience of a lifetime.
Hugs, Jann