RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Mandatory CPR training in Korean again. I explained to my co-teacher that it wasn't appropriate for me to attend a Korean CPR training session because I won't understand and it could end up being dangerous if I'm recorded as being CPR trained when I'm not.

"All teachers must attend."

Coincidentally, today I was also told not to give food to the students (I never do this) because a 1st grader choked to death in another school in Chungnam. I don't suppose they'll stop serving lunch, though.

"Didn't someone do the Heimlich maneuver?"
"I don't know."

I found a brief article about it here. Seems that the student choked in the classroom during class and died in hospital.

Did anyone try the Heimlich? Did they know it? Did they do CPR instead? Is the Heimlich maneuver taught to school staff? Where was the school nurse?

I need to go do something distracting because thinking about health and safety here is making my blood boil.

They made me go to that last year even after I already showed them my up-to-date, in-an-actual-classroom, paramedic-level CPR/AED/First Aid certs from back home (first earned way back in 2009, and kept up-to-date with recertification and trainings until I moved here, as required by both my lifeguarding and my preschool jobs back home). Because apparently it wasn't as good as the "certification" earned from watching a 20-minute video in Korean, listening to a 10-minute lecture in Korean, and then "practicing" for 10 minutes on a semi-functioning dummy with two overly-giggly coteachers.

None of them were doing it right, and they were teaching the CPR technique that was recommended back in like 2010. They updated the compression/rhythm recommendations a couple years ago, right before I came over. IIRC, the new Red Cross guidelines push compressions over breathing, and changed the number (NOT depth) of compressions to be the same between children and adults. Infant CPR remained the same. But, honestly, this particular class was over a year ago, so my memory is a little foggy, and I have let my certification lapse since moving here.

They made me go to that last year even after I already showed them my up-to-date, in-an-actual-classroom, paramedic-level CPR/AED/First Aid certs from back home (first earned way back in 2009, and kept up-to-date with recertification and trainings since then, as required by my preschool job back home). Because apparently it wasn't as good as the "certification" earned from watching a 20-minute video in Korean, listening to a 10-minute lecture in Korean, and then "practicing" for 10 minutes on a semi-functioning dummy with two overly-giggly coteachers.

You'd think that natural selection would weed them out at this point... 

I just took a hard fall from the uneven tiles in our teachers room.  I went down hard.  I'm now going to have a huge bruise on my knee and probably my hip. 

I wish they would fix or replace those stupid things. 

You need to go to the hospital and get your injuries checked out. Scans etc.

And do it today. It's vitally important for claiming worker's compensation. Medical expenses for accidents at work are fully covered by the employer. Take pictures and video of the uneven tiles too.

IIRC, the new Red Cross guidelines push compressions over breathing, and changed the number (NOT depth) of compressions to be the same between children and adults. Infant CPR remained the same. But, honestly, this particular class was over a year ago, so my memory is a little foggy, and I have let my certification lapse since moving here.

It's been a while for me, too, so (and for anyone else who's interested):

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/cpr-steps

http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Compression-Only-CPR-Okay-in-Certain-Situations

https://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240175_Pediatric_ready_reference.pdf

https://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240170_Adult_ready_reference.pdf

I just took a hard fall from the uneven tiles in our teachers room.  I went down hard.  I'm now going to have a huge bruise on my knee and probably my hip. 

I wish they would fix or replace those stupid things. 

You need to go to the hospital and get your injuries checked out. Scans etc.

And do it today. It's vitally important for claiming worker's compensation. Medical expenses for accidents at work are fully covered by the employer. Take pictures and video of the uneven tiles too.

     But why? To what end?
     It's a lot of hassle with no benefit to denimdaze, unless she plans to sue. Which would be difficult considering that the MOE would just not renew her. Considering the how easy these kinds of cases are to delay, she would end up pursuing the charges from out country, making it both really expensive, and nearly impossible to win.
    Better to use use the accident to gain a bit of social capital, to be spent on negotiating a better summer/winter holiday. 

I just took a hard fall from the uneven tiles in our teachers room.  I went down hard.  I'm now going to have a huge bruise on my knee and probably my hip. 

I wish they would fix or replace those stupid things. 

You need to go to the hospital and get your injuries checked out. Scans etc.

And do it today. It's vitally important for claiming worker's compensation. Medical expenses for accidents at work are fully covered by the employer. Take pictures and video of the uneven tiles too.

     But why? To what end?
     It's a lot of hassle with no benefit to denimdaze, unless she plans to sue. Which would be difficult considering that the MOE would just not renew her. Considering the how easy these kinds of cases are to delay, she would end up pursuing the charges from out country, making it both really expensive, and nearly impossible to win.
    Better to use use the accident to gain a bit of social capital, to be spent on negotiating a better summer/winter holiday. 

i'd probably go to the hospital so i had 'evidence' and could then negotiate a better holiday, etc

What are broken limbs but proof of what a hard worker you are!

3 weeks ago I started having symptoms of a disease I'd rather not disclose. I go to the doctor and of course they prescribe medicine. Symptoms are not only still present but worse a week later. I go to another doctor and they actually check rather than just ask me my symptoms. They also prescribe medicine. Now I'm on the last dose and I still have symptoms. What are the odds that if I return to either doctor they'll just prescribe meds again?? 

I just took a hard fall from the uneven tiles in our teachers room.  I went down hard.  I'm now going to have a huge bruise on my knee and probably my hip. 

I wish they would fix or replace those stupid things. 

You need to go to the hospital and get your injuries checked out. Scans etc.

And do it today. It's vitally important for claiming worker's compensation. Medical expenses for accidents at work are fully covered by the employer. Take pictures and video of the uneven tiles too.

     But why? To what end?
     It's a lot of hassle with no benefit to denimdaze, unless she plans to sue. Which would be difficult considering that the MOE would just not renew her. Considering the how easy these kinds of cases are to delay, she would end up pursuing the charges from out country, making it both really expensive, and nearly impossible to win.
    Better to use use the accident to gain a bit of social capital, to be spent on negotiating a better summer/winter holiday. 

i'd probably go to the hospital so i had 'evidence' and could then negotiate a better holiday, etc

Taking a photo of a bruise is probably faster, easier, less stressful, and equally convincing than going for an MRI for the same thing, but to each their own. 

aye, but legal/official documentation is probably better if you were 'threatening' or suggesting taking legal action, at least from what i've read in various korean legal help groups

i left my public school on a bitter note and from being a bit screwed over, so maybe i'm a bit more mistrustful and less likely to give the benefit of the doubt than most

3 weeks ago I started having symptoms of a disease I'd rather not disclose. I go to the doctor and of course they prescribe medicine. Symptoms are not only still present but worse a week later. I go to another doctor and they actually check rather than just ask me my symptoms. They also prescribe medicine. Now I'm on the last dose and I still have symptoms. What are the odds that if I return to either doctor they'll just prescribe meds again?? 

Which STD did you get?

But seriously, go to a reputable hospital instead of small-town clinics if you're not getting proper treatment.

3 weeks ago I started having symptoms of a disease I'd rather not disclose. I go to the doctor and of course they prescribe medicine. Symptoms are not only still present but worse a week later. I go to another doctor and they actually check rather than just ask me my symptoms. They also prescribe medicine. Now I'm on the last dose and I still have symptoms. What are the odds that if I return to either doctor they'll just prescribe meds again?? 

Which STD did you get?

But seriously, go to a reputable hospital instead of small-town clinics if you're not getting proper treatment.

Wouldn't know since these doctors never give me a diagnosis

OK, so disclose your symptoms. We'll help diagnose you.

Wouldn't know since these doctors never give me a diagnosis

If you suspect a specific disease, go to a hospital that you know conducts tests for it and request those tests.

Seoul even has places that are known to be very discrete with a lot of those tests.

3 weeks ago I started having symptoms of a disease I'd rather not disclose. I go to the doctor and of course they prescribe medicine. Symptoms are not only still present but worse a week later. I go to another doctor and they actually check rather than just ask me my symptoms. They also prescribe medicine. Now I'm on the last dose and I still have symptoms. What are the odds that if I return to either doctor they'll just prescribe meds again?? 

Which STD did you get?

But seriously, go to a reputable hospital instead of small-town clinics if you're not getting proper treatment.

Wouldn't know since these doctors never give me a diagnosis

Never blindly trust doctors, especially in Korea. I went to the dermatologist with some random inflammation that I believed to be an infection. He said it wasn't infected, but he'd give me medicine to treat the symptoms. One of his choices was Tramadol, an opioid painkiller which is used to treat severe pain and has a lot of side effects and warnings. Luckily, I always google every medicine prescribed by a doctor and tell the pharmacist not to dispense any inappropriate medicine.

Go to a big hospital and ask for a proper explanation of what's wrong with you. Have tests done, even if they're not cheap. I've never had an STD, but I've had prostate trouble with uncomfortable symptoms, and it required going to a major hospital for the proper tests to be done (which thankfully didn't involve an ajeosshi sticking his finger up my arse).

aye, but legal/official documentation is probably better if you were 'threatening' or suggesting taking legal action, at least from what i've read in various korean legal help groups

i left my public school on a bitter note and from being a bit screwed over, so maybe i'm a bit more mistrustful and less likely to give the benefit of the doubt than most

Oh, I definitely agree here. If you're keen on going in for legal action, then the more documentation the merrier!

StillinKorea:

"Luckily, I always google every medicine prescribed by a doctor and tell the pharmacist not to dispense any inappropriate medicine."


You've had success doing this in Korea?  I've tried a couple of times telling them not to include medicine (anti-biotics) and they've told me it's all or nothing.  I even had my gf (nurse) go with me to the pharmacy on her floor of clinics and ask, and they said the same thing.  And they've known each other for years.  I had to go back to the original clinic and get them to cross it out and name chop the prescription. 

I've tried a couple of times telling them not to include medicine (anti-biotics) and they've told me it's all or nothing.  I even had my gf (nurse) go with me to the pharmacy on her floor of clinics and ask, and they said the same thing.  And they've known each other for years.  I had to go back to the original clinic and get them to cross it out and name chop the prescription.

    I've noticed that some of the pharmacies in my area include small captions with a picture of the pill and the name beside it. I generally don't wan't the painkillers and vitamins that doctors stuff in every prescription, so I go through the list (with the help of google) and pick out the pills I don't need. Check out the envelope: might be that you have the same thing on yours.

StillinKorea:

"Luckily, I always google every medicine prescribed by a doctor and tell the pharmacist not to dispense any inappropriate medicine."


You've had success doing this in Korea?  I've tried a couple of times telling them not to include medicine (anti-biotics) and they've told me it's all or nothing.  I even had my gf (nurse) go with me to the pharmacy on her floor of clinics and ask, and they said the same thing.  And they've known each other for years.  I had to go back to the original clinic and get them to cross it out and name chop the prescription.

The pharmacists usually agree, but some say the same as your pharmacist. In that case, I have them show me which drug is which and don't take the inappropriate ones. It's better to not have improper medicine prescribed in the first place though. You're paying for it (albeit not much) and the doctors are getting kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies at the expense of their patients' health. I won't be going back to that dermatologist who tried to prescribe me an opioid for something that barely hurt.

If you argue long enough, in Korea, people will usually back down.

StillinKorea:

"Luckily, I always google every medicine prescribed by a doctor and tell the pharmacist not to dispense any inappropriate medicine."


You've had success doing this in Korea?  I've tried a couple of times telling them not to include medicine (anti-biotics) and they've told me it's all or nothing.  I even had my gf (nurse) go with me to the pharmacy on her floor of clinics and ask, and they said the same thing.  And they've known each other for years.  I had to go back to the original clinic and get them to cross it out and name chop the prescription.

The pharmacists usually agree, but some say the same as your pharmacist. In that case, I have them show me which drug is which and don't take the inappropriate ones. It's better to not have improper medicine prescribed in the first place though. You're paying for it (albeit not much) and the doctors are getting kickbacks from the pharmaceutical companies at the expense of their patients' health. I won't be going back to that dermatologist who tried to prescribe me an opioid for something that barely hurt.

If you argue long enough, in Korea, people will usually back down.

save the opioids for your next long haul flight!