part of life

Have never been that sick before, but the other day, someone had to accept that sickness is part of life. Unexpectedly, experienced acute prostatitis last weekend. The onset of symptoms feels similar to the body aches of a common cold, but it quickly develops into urinary problems, such as painful urination or even a feeling of being stuck in the urinary tract. 

Couldn’t sleep all night due to a burning sensation, pain during urination, and frequent urges to urinate. Early the next morning, went to see a urologist nearby. Urinalysis and urinary ultraography were performed. The urinalysis indicates a severe prostate infection, while the ultrasound reveals that the prostate is enlarged to twice its normal size. Received an antibiotic injection, and oral medication was prescribed twice daily for three days. Blood was taken for further tests. 

The medication was really effective and slowly relieved the pain and discomfort when urinating, however, blood in the urine started to be found at the beginning of the medication. It was not clear whether that was due to a side effect of quinolone antibiotics or one of the symptoms of acute prostatitis. The doctor asked the patient to continue taking the prescribed medication. 

Two days after taking the medicine, the blood in my urine started to disappear. Blood tests revealed a PSA(prostate-specific antigen) level of 14, whereas the normal level is below 4. The urologist said that the level indicates a high risk of prostate cancer, but the severe prostate infection might affect the level. Next week, a blood sample will be taken for another PSA test.

The photo was taken in November 1997, with Kalinchowk in the background, near Dolakha bazar in the eastern-central region of Nepal. Kalinchowk has undergone significant changes since its development as both a tourist destination and a place of worship. A new village just below Kalinchow was built for tourists and Hindu pilgrims and a cable car has been newly installed to make it easier to reach the summit. Kalinchowk is no longer the pristine haven it used to be.

dusty road

It turned out that the countryside around Goryeong 고령 and Seongju 성주 districts, on the western border of Daegu, had already finished harvesting. The road and the path along the rice fields were very dusty due to the dirt left behind by agricultural vehicles during the harvesting season. Inhaled a lot of dust whenever cars passed by and stirred it up, which caused a cyclist to develop a sore throat. 

Managed to continue along the route to the west and crossed a pass between the two villages of Gotan 고탄 and Palsan 팔산 in Goryeong district. Paused for a moment to take a break around the office of Unsu 운수 township after zigzagging down from the pass, and a square in front of the office can be also seen. Enjoyed autumnal sidewalk scene on the way home. 

autumn downtown

Biked through the southern part of downtown for the first time in a long time and circled the city counterclockwise. It was cloudy all day, but it was a perfect day for biking! All the leaves on the trees turned red and yellow. 

Shincheon 신천 stream flows through the city from south to north and joins Geumho 금호 river at the end. There are two paths along the stream, one for the bikers and the other for the pedestrians. The route looped back through Dasa 다사 district, the northwestern part of Daegu 대구. On the way back, rushed along the cycling path around Dasa, looking at the apartment complex in the distance.

rushed through reeds

Indoor activities were limited during the pandemic, leading to a surge in the cycling population in Korea. The bicycle industry and market experienced a huge boom. Bike shops couldn’t keep up with demand. But the pandermic and the boom is over. The demand for new bicycles has fallen dramatically, and the number of cyclists is also said to have declined. In Korea, some bike shops have managed to adapt and are struggling to survive, while others may need to close for good. 

These days, the bike path along the river doesn't see as many cyclists as it used to, even though it is the peak of the cycling season. Headed to Waeghan 왜관 for the first time in a long while. The cool fall breeze took away all the sweat, turning the reeds along the riverbank brown. Took a rest for a while under an abandoned railway track near Waeghan. Samunjin 사문진 bridge over the Nakdong 낙동 river with a view of a river cruise. A triathlon on a national level took place in the vicinity of the bridge over the weekend.