Back in Seoul: The Hits Keep Coming

The trip wasn't bad, no big disasters anyway. We got home about 9pm and went to bed about 11pm. Ian did try to get up at 4:30 am, but we got him back down for another hour. We got up and out the door by 10:30am.

The first hit was Seoul traffic. It was bad and the driving style is really annoying here. It is so easy to forget that. I had to lay on the horn--something Koreans don't do much--but, I rolled with it. It's pointless to get too worked up about traffic because it is a constant and you can't change it.

Next hit, my allergies started raging. My nose is running like a faucet and I don't seem to have tissues in any of the usual places. Annoying, but not critical. I need to neti and restock the tissues.

Then, I realized we are out of trash bags. You need special government trash bags here in Korea. Again, annoying but no big deal, I just need to stop by the market to get some.

On with my day, my first stop was to the Dragon Hill Business Center to get my cell phone re-activated. I stepped out to the playground and made my first call to my best friend on the post. We hadn't been good about keeping in touch because it is hard to coordinate phone calls with the time difference and she's not a big e-mailer. She did say that a lot had changed while I was gone. I was looking forward to seeing her and hearing the news.

Now, the big hit: she has breast cancer and is leaving for the US on Thursday.

What?!? They don't know if it has spread. She will find out soon. They are removing her breast and several lymph nodes to test them. I just got my notice for the Pittsburgh Race for the Cure. We have a team for Marci, my friend and theatre director whi had breast cancer several years ago. My cousin just had breast cancer last year. Both are survivors and I believe my friend will survive as well. It is shocking because she is young and has no family history or other known risk factors, but many people are in this category. I need to be more diligent with breast self-exams.

I will miss her and I send her my thoughts and prayers for a quick and easy recovery. Does anyone have any advice/resources/support suggestions that might help her?