Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Achtung Treppe!

Of all the ways to end myself in an Ambulance on the way to the Emergancy room in Switzerland, I do it by falling *up* the stairs. Now before you start laughing, I would like to point out that many of you have probably done this yourself once or twice! Simply step wrong, or over think it, and whooops. Anyway, heres what happend.

Two weeks ago I went out with a girl from my class, and one of her friends. We headed to Basel, and after picking up some food, headed to see Burlesque (With Cher and Christina Aguilera) in German. I was so excited when I found I could actually understand most of the storyline! Granted not every word or sentence, but I knew in general what was happening! It ended up being a great film, and as we walked back to the trainstation at about 23:00 all was good. We were less then 10 minutes from the Trainstation when we were walking up some stairs on the side of the street. I guess I simply stepped wrong or something and fell face first onto the concrete steps. I had my hands in my pockets so nothing to really stop the fall. I thought at first it was just a nasty fall that would give me a bad head ache for a few days, but then my friend said "Oh blood". When I looked down at my hand it was already completely covered red. We eneded up walking to the closest pub, and there got a bag of ice, and found a women who literally took control. I was so lucky in that i never really had to think.  I overheard what they were saying but I wasnt really thinking strait so when I heard taxi I asummed we'd be getting one to go to the Hospital in. As I was sitting on a bench waiting for the "Taxi" to come, my friend called my host dad. I then all of a sudden heard sirens, and freaked out when I realized they had called the Ambulance. I was so embarrassed! I mean I could walk fine, and was still talking normally! In the end I spent 2 1/2 hours in the Emergancy room, got four stitches, xrays, etc. I was surprised to find that the ER system is very similar to that in America, and was lucky in that many of the people I worked with spoke english...(I can understand german fine, but medical terms, allergies, etc. is a completely differnt thing). By sunday morning I had a beautiful black eye that lasted well until wednesday when itcheanged to green followed by a bright yellow, and bruses that coveded my legs (in the perfect spacing of stairs).

In the end I was amazed at how quickly people, who are almost compelte strangers to you,  step up in the time of a crisis. The girls I was with  waited for me in the ER until 2 in the morning, and even checked on me over the course of the weekend. Sunday was spent washing the blood out of all my clothes, and contacting both my parents and AFS as to let them know what happend, and ofcourse calming down parents (both host and biological). While it was a great night of firsts, many of them I find were not that fun. Even without the pain even just walking, the uncomfortableness of the overly swollen eye, and the difficulty showering (as the stitches can not get wet), just answering the 5000 questions that alway follow once people see your face is enough to keep me always holding onto the hand rail now whenever I'm on stairs. Its definetly not fun. I finally got the stitches out yesterday afternoon, and now just have a inch or so long line on my cheek, but according to the doctor it should heal nicely. So other then a slight scar and crazy memories form a night out in Basel, I now get to always hear, "Achtung, Treppe!!" every time I walk near some stairs, in english,  "Watch out! Stairs!".

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