Oh oh me and my injuries
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Ana Laura
30 Oktober 2013 | Nieuw Zeeland, Rotorua
Long time no see! I haven’t written in a while. Manly because I’m too lazy but also because something new happened. So isn’t this whole exchange year about doing new things and exploring? Well, I did. And I decided to spend some days in the hospital. I am writing this with my right hand, cheek, elbows and chin covered with plasters and stitches and dressings. I am looking more beautiful than ever!! So let’s start from the beginning.
Exactly one week ago, October the 23d, I had just a normal school day and when I got home my host mum texted me if I wanted to go for a bike ride. Sure why not. We had to pick my host sister up at 18.30 and it was 18.00 already so it was going to be a quick ride. We took a different track than normal. It starts with a huge hill and all I could think of was ‘can’t wait till the way back this is going to be a mean ride down’. So exhausted I got to the top and we did some tracks and then we went back. Going down I was going soooo fast and I decided to stand up and feel the wind. I passed a corner and then there was one hill down left, like 150 meters till the end. I hit both of my breaks a little but I don’t know if I hit my front break more or I put too much weight on the front wheel but next I know I’m flying of my bike and I just see the ground and my face BAM. Then I blacked out a little because fell on my head and I opened my eyes and I was curled up holding me legs. I could only feel my jaw hurting and I looked at me legs who were more red than brown and that is kind of terrifying. My host mum was behind me and came running up to me, we had no phone but a stranger stopped by and gave us a phone. I only heard ‘oeeh your chin is going to need some stitches’ and me being terrified of hospitals and everything related to that freaked out even more. I never saw my bike but I stood up and walked to my host dad’s car, because we called him. We drove to the hospital emergency and I looked at myself in the car mirror and my face was covered in blood but I couldn’t really see what was open or wrong or whatever i just felt my skin and jaw burning. My host mum asked me what date it was and I honestly couldn’t remember. Not the year, not the month nothing. I just new that I was in New Zealand and when my birthday was. Arriving at the hospital they put me on a bed and like the movies all these doctors were standing around my bed doing stuff and next thing I know they cut my shorts and shirt open which turned out to be totally unnecessary and me being a poor exchange student was very annoyed by this!!!
I spent from 19.00 till 23.00 in the hospital. They first thought something was wrong with my neck so they put this thing around my neck and said I couldn’t move. Every time they asked me something I nodded or shook my head but then everybody freaked out, I knew my neck was fine and didn’t feel like talking. Then they started cleaning all of my wounds. All these needles were injected everywhere and it was horrible I kept saying my jaw hurt. I closed my eyes and got stitches in my chin, meanwhile someone else was cleaning my elbow. The doctor said: Do you want to see something cool? ‘Sure’. I then looked at my elbow and seriously a 5 cm hole. No elbow no skin just a hole yuck!!! They stitched it up continued on the rest. Then my host sister Hannah came to visit me she fed me two cups of yoghurt and orange juice after I kept annoying everyone that it was past dinner time and I was hungry. They then took me to a room to take X-rays of my jaw but all I could think of was throwing up. I couldn’t because there was nothing in my stomach :/ Anyways I got a bracelet with my details on it, of course with my name spelled wrong, and a charming hospital dress. They told me I had to go to the hospital in Hamilton the day after (1,5h away) because there are no jaw surgeons here. I could leave so I walked to the exit. I hadn’t seen myself and when I did I thought: oh my god I look terrible!!! My face was all pinky and red and full of wounds and bluh and blah. When I got home I ate around 4 scrambled eggs and some yoghurt. Sleeping was really painful because my shirt kept getting stuck to my wounds on my chest, my pants to my wounds on my legs and my pillow to my cheek.
Next day I left to the hospital where we arrived at 10am. I just brought my phone ipod and a book because I know how long I had to wait. They did some X-rays and then told me I needed an operation. I had to wait in the hospital until they had time for my surgery so next thing I know I was on a hospital bed next to the window with 3 other people starving. I was not prepared to stay there and I hated the idea of it. I spent my day starring out of the window and listening to music until Maria and Jill came. I was happy to see them and they brought me some clothes and stuff to do. Eventually I got some dinner, eggs mashed potatoes and jelly with ice cream, because my operation was going to be the morning after. They left around 9pm and that night I slept for 4 hours because my jaw hurt so bad. I got starved the whole day after that and I waited and waited for my surgery. An exchange student, Linnea from Sweden, who lives close came to visit me and after that my host family came. Again they told me I wouldn’t have my surgery that day so they took me for a walk and bought me some chocolate. The morning after I woke up around 7am with I think 10 doctors standing next to my bed starring at me with their pens and papers and writing things down. I tried to cover my watermelon sized face behind my blankets and was embarrassed. My doctor then said: Hey if you’re Dutch… aren’t you supposed to be good at biking? How did you manage to fall off?’ Furthermore the people i shared a room with were really old and boring. They told me there was going to be a new girl called Anna next to me. I was excited but nope next thing i know another 75 year old lady called Anna was laying next to me. She was Dutch though so talked to her a little bit.
Well that morning around 11.25 they told me I had to get ready for my surgery. Really scary because they pushed me in that bed throughout the whole hospital and in (Otis) elevators down to a little room. I had to sign papers agreeing to the risks etc. and all I could think of ‘I’m 17 why am I signing this on my own help’ I only sign things when my parents tell me to but this was serious and I actually had to pay attention. I waited for half an hour and then I remember going into the theatre around 12.29. It was freezing cold inside there and I had to change from my bed onto the table for surgery. I had to breath through a mask and they were putting this fluid into my arm and it stung like hell. I had to keep my eyes open for as long as possible but then it all just disappeared.
I woke up in my old bed again in a different room around 1,5 hour later. My mouth hurt so bad I started kicking my bed and moving my legs. I couldn’t open my mouth so I peeped really loud. My pain went from an 8 to a 9 to a 6. My nurse gave me lots of painkillers and then my host dad walked in. He stayed with me until I could leave the room. They rolled me back to my old room in my bed and told me to rest. My family wasn’t able to visit me so they went to town. I was incredibly tired so I had a good sleep. Again I woke up to people starring at me, this time my host family. They bought me a Large mango passion fruit smoothie which I of course finished in a blink of an eye ☺ We had to wait for my doctor and then I could leave! We waited for 3 hours and we headed off to Auckland to my host grandparents house. We went out for dinner in a Thai restaurant and the lady gave me a rice soup she ate when she wasn’t able to chew for a while. It was really good! The day after that we spent in Auckland and we saw some international boats, also a Dutch one. That evening we went back to Rotorua and I haven’t been to school since then ☺ My jaw is alright during the day it’s just at night that it really hurts and it’s hard to fall asleep. I have 6 screws in my gums, 4 right and 2 left. Around them I have elastic bands. I have done some baking even though I can’t eat it an watching lots of movies! I have to go back to the hospital the 13th of November to see if the screws are working. If not I’ll need another surgery ☹ International liquid food is welcome because that’s the only thing I can eat for the next 6 weeks. But of course I can save it until after those weeks, I’ve been craving kruidnoten for a while now! The summer holidays are close because next week Wednesday is the last day of school! Well they then have exams but I don’t have to do them! I’m also losing weight because of this liquid diet so I found some perks of my injuries! I hope you didn’t fall asleep while reading this because I almost did. I am going to check on my chocolate mousse, Ciao!
Exactly one week ago, October the 23d, I had just a normal school day and when I got home my host mum texted me if I wanted to go for a bike ride. Sure why not. We had to pick my host sister up at 18.30 and it was 18.00 already so it was going to be a quick ride. We took a different track than normal. It starts with a huge hill and all I could think of was ‘can’t wait till the way back this is going to be a mean ride down’. So exhausted I got to the top and we did some tracks and then we went back. Going down I was going soooo fast and I decided to stand up and feel the wind. I passed a corner and then there was one hill down left, like 150 meters till the end. I hit both of my breaks a little but I don’t know if I hit my front break more or I put too much weight on the front wheel but next I know I’m flying of my bike and I just see the ground and my face BAM. Then I blacked out a little because fell on my head and I opened my eyes and I was curled up holding me legs. I could only feel my jaw hurting and I looked at me legs who were more red than brown and that is kind of terrifying. My host mum was behind me and came running up to me, we had no phone but a stranger stopped by and gave us a phone. I only heard ‘oeeh your chin is going to need some stitches’ and me being terrified of hospitals and everything related to that freaked out even more. I never saw my bike but I stood up and walked to my host dad’s car, because we called him. We drove to the hospital emergency and I looked at myself in the car mirror and my face was covered in blood but I couldn’t really see what was open or wrong or whatever i just felt my skin and jaw burning. My host mum asked me what date it was and I honestly couldn’t remember. Not the year, not the month nothing. I just new that I was in New Zealand and when my birthday was. Arriving at the hospital they put me on a bed and like the movies all these doctors were standing around my bed doing stuff and next thing I know they cut my shorts and shirt open which turned out to be totally unnecessary and me being a poor exchange student was very annoyed by this!!!
I spent from 19.00 till 23.00 in the hospital. They first thought something was wrong with my neck so they put this thing around my neck and said I couldn’t move. Every time they asked me something I nodded or shook my head but then everybody freaked out, I knew my neck was fine and didn’t feel like talking. Then they started cleaning all of my wounds. All these needles were injected everywhere and it was horrible I kept saying my jaw hurt. I closed my eyes and got stitches in my chin, meanwhile someone else was cleaning my elbow. The doctor said: Do you want to see something cool? ‘Sure’. I then looked at my elbow and seriously a 5 cm hole. No elbow no skin just a hole yuck!!! They stitched it up continued on the rest. Then my host sister Hannah came to visit me she fed me two cups of yoghurt and orange juice after I kept annoying everyone that it was past dinner time and I was hungry. They then took me to a room to take X-rays of my jaw but all I could think of was throwing up. I couldn’t because there was nothing in my stomach :/ Anyways I got a bracelet with my details on it, of course with my name spelled wrong, and a charming hospital dress. They told me I had to go to the hospital in Hamilton the day after (1,5h away) because there are no jaw surgeons here. I could leave so I walked to the exit. I hadn’t seen myself and when I did I thought: oh my god I look terrible!!! My face was all pinky and red and full of wounds and bluh and blah. When I got home I ate around 4 scrambled eggs and some yoghurt. Sleeping was really painful because my shirt kept getting stuck to my wounds on my chest, my pants to my wounds on my legs and my pillow to my cheek.
Next day I left to the hospital where we arrived at 10am. I just brought my phone ipod and a book because I know how long I had to wait. They did some X-rays and then told me I needed an operation. I had to wait in the hospital until they had time for my surgery so next thing I know I was on a hospital bed next to the window with 3 other people starving. I was not prepared to stay there and I hated the idea of it. I spent my day starring out of the window and listening to music until Maria and Jill came. I was happy to see them and they brought me some clothes and stuff to do. Eventually I got some dinner, eggs mashed potatoes and jelly with ice cream, because my operation was going to be the morning after. They left around 9pm and that night I slept for 4 hours because my jaw hurt so bad. I got starved the whole day after that and I waited and waited for my surgery. An exchange student, Linnea from Sweden, who lives close came to visit me and after that my host family came. Again they told me I wouldn’t have my surgery that day so they took me for a walk and bought me some chocolate. The morning after I woke up around 7am with I think 10 doctors standing next to my bed starring at me with their pens and papers and writing things down. I tried to cover my watermelon sized face behind my blankets and was embarrassed. My doctor then said: Hey if you’re Dutch… aren’t you supposed to be good at biking? How did you manage to fall off?’ Furthermore the people i shared a room with were really old and boring. They told me there was going to be a new girl called Anna next to me. I was excited but nope next thing i know another 75 year old lady called Anna was laying next to me. She was Dutch though so talked to her a little bit.
Well that morning around 11.25 they told me I had to get ready for my surgery. Really scary because they pushed me in that bed throughout the whole hospital and in (Otis) elevators down to a little room. I had to sign papers agreeing to the risks etc. and all I could think of ‘I’m 17 why am I signing this on my own help’ I only sign things when my parents tell me to but this was serious and I actually had to pay attention. I waited for half an hour and then I remember going into the theatre around 12.29. It was freezing cold inside there and I had to change from my bed onto the table for surgery. I had to breath through a mask and they were putting this fluid into my arm and it stung like hell. I had to keep my eyes open for as long as possible but then it all just disappeared.
I woke up in my old bed again in a different room around 1,5 hour later. My mouth hurt so bad I started kicking my bed and moving my legs. I couldn’t open my mouth so I peeped really loud. My pain went from an 8 to a 9 to a 6. My nurse gave me lots of painkillers and then my host dad walked in. He stayed with me until I could leave the room. They rolled me back to my old room in my bed and told me to rest. My family wasn’t able to visit me so they went to town. I was incredibly tired so I had a good sleep. Again I woke up to people starring at me, this time my host family. They bought me a Large mango passion fruit smoothie which I of course finished in a blink of an eye ☺ We had to wait for my doctor and then I could leave! We waited for 3 hours and we headed off to Auckland to my host grandparents house. We went out for dinner in a Thai restaurant and the lady gave me a rice soup she ate when she wasn’t able to chew for a while. It was really good! The day after that we spent in Auckland and we saw some international boats, also a Dutch one. That evening we went back to Rotorua and I haven’t been to school since then ☺ My jaw is alright during the day it’s just at night that it really hurts and it’s hard to fall asleep. I have 6 screws in my gums, 4 right and 2 left. Around them I have elastic bands. I have done some baking even though I can’t eat it an watching lots of movies! I have to go back to the hospital the 13th of November to see if the screws are working. If not I’ll need another surgery ☹ International liquid food is welcome because that’s the only thing I can eat for the next 6 weeks. But of course I can save it until after those weeks, I’ve been craving kruidnoten for a while now! The summer holidays are close because next week Wednesday is the last day of school! Well they then have exams but I don’t have to do them! I’m also losing weight because of this liquid diet so I found some perks of my injuries! I hope you didn’t fall asleep while reading this because I almost did. I am going to check on my chocolate mousse, Ciao!
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30 Oktober 2013 - 06:59
Mummin:
NO cabe dudade que cualquier situacion - por dificil y dolorosa que sea - puede dejarnos cosas positivas sinos proponemos descubrirlas. Este relato tuyo es una prueba de tu gran optimismo, fortaleza mental y fisica y tu sentido del humor. En mi opinion, este ultimo ha sido - sobre todo - el factor principal en tu recuperacion.
HAs hecho de una terrrible situacion algo mas llevadero y hasta gracioso poniendo las cosas en perspectiva y ensenandonos que todo es relativo y efimero en esta vida.
Gracias por ser una chica tan positiva. Me has dado un ejemplo de optimismo y - no puedo dejar de decirlo - como madre me siento muy contenta y orgullosa de ti.
TIenes a un angelito que cuida de ti y a una familia anfitriona que te quiere y te cuida.
Como dice la letra de una de las canciones de la pelicula "The SOUND OF MUSIC", you must have done something right :)
COn todo mi carino y mejores deseos por una buena y expedita recuperacion. TU mummin.
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30 Oktober 2013 - 09:07
Sabine:
Lieve meid, wat een avontuur!
Je kunt het in elk geval heerlijk smeuig vertellen, geen sprake van in slaap vallen hoor! Je weet de humor er zelfs van in te zien, je hebt je prima geweerd hoor , mijn complimenten!
Hopelijk gaat het langzaamaan weer iets beter en kun je uiteindelijk weer iets meer genieten van eten en niet alleen drinken. Zo te lezen heeft je gastfamilie zijn uiterste best gedaan om ervoor te zorgen dat je goed opgevangen bent en niet teveel alleen bleef. Je zult over een paar jaar heel anders tegen dit moment aan kijken, want hier groeit een mens van...
Ziekenhuisopname is nooit een pretje, en dan zo ver weg van huis in een ander land al helemaal niet. Je hebt je er zo te lezen prima doorheen gewerkt. Petje af hoor! Geniet fijn van de komende vakantieperiode en het zomerse weer daar. Hier is het inmiddels echt herfst met harde stormen en regen. Laat me weten als er op administratief/verzekerings gebied hulp van mijn kant nodig is. Normaal gesproken moet dat allemaal goed aflopen, daar heb je die verzekering voor.
Vertroetel jezelf en laat je ook fijn door anderen een beetje verwennen, dat mag best hoor in zo'n geval. ik wens je van harte een goed herstel toe en de nodige afleiding om aan leuke dingen te kunnen denken en ook weer mee te doen. Dat helpt ook bij het genezingsproces. Blijf zo lekker positief en dapper, dat helpt ook!
Dikke knuffel vanuit Nederland. Sabine -
31 Oktober 2013 - 00:31
Tia Mausi:
Que barbara, Ana !! Esto de vivir toooodas las aventuras.... De verdad que te mereces un premio por tu actitud positiva ante estas situaciones extremas !!
Nuevamente te lo digo: tu estilo de escribir es genial, y mantiene a uno interesado del principio al fin, nada de que se canse uno de leer.... Bravo ! Debes aprovechar ese "don" de escribir...
Esta experiencia, dura pero Gracias a Dios superada en su mayor parte, es algo que no solo tu vas a llevar muy presente.... tambien la prueba del apoyo de los que te rodearon y ayudaron, tanto tu familia anfitriona como tus amigos y los doctores/enfermeras.... y, hasta la actitud cooperativa del desconocido que les presto el telefono para llamar cuando mas lo necesitabas.... no cabe duda que el mundo seria mucho mejor si todos actuaramos con esa buena fe....!! :)
Anita, gracias por haberte mantenido en contacto durante esta situacion, para compartir con los que te queremos pero estamos lejos todo lo que iba pasando y cuando te iban a operar, etc. No sabes lo que nos reconforto el poder seguir a distancia tus movimientos y poderte imaginar, y rezar, por tu operacion y recuperacion....
Gracias a Dios todo va bien... Recuerda orar cada dia (o noche) por la gente buena que te ha dado su mano, para que tu y todos nosotros, sabemos extender la nuestra a quien la necesite....
Siguete cuidando mucho, y sacandole todo lo bueno a las experiencias vividas.... y mantennos informados de todo, ok?
Besos, con todo mi corazon,
tia M. -
31 Oktober 2013 - 00:35
Tia Mausi:
Correccion: no es "para que...sabemos extender..." sino "sepamos extender...." !!! -
31 Oktober 2013 - 03:04
Opita Y Omita:
Nuestra muy querida nietecita: siguiendo la lectura de tu relato sobre lo acontecido, no hemos podido menos que sorprendernos de tu gran entereza. Sí, nuestra pequeña es solo pequeña en nuestro sentimiento pero grande en su fortaleza. Continúa cuidándote y aprovecha tu tiempo en la medida que te sea posible. La distancia material nos separa, pero nos congratulamos por la nobleza y cariño que tus padres anfitriones te han prodigado. Sin duda Nuestro Señor te protege y por nuestra parte continuaremos pidiendo por tu pronta recuperación. Tus abuelos siempre te acompañan y desean tu felicidad. Besos . -
11 November 2013 - 15:21
Lila:
Dear Anna Laura,
Considering the odds and the pain, it looks like you are going well through it.
The holiday is coming up, and this week, hopefully, the doctors will be confirming everything is going well. Take care of yourself and enjoy your holiday/adventure.
Good luck and all the best.
Big kiss from all of us,
Lila
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