Hospitalized in Bali..

Yesterday I was going to try out surfing for my second time. Kuta beach is world famous for its great surfing conditions, and Yuma and me wanted to spend a fun day at the beach. We got up early and went down to the beach, rented a couple of boards and got into the water. We had rented the boards for two hours, and since Yuma already has some surfing experience he helped me out teaching me the basis.

We had a lot of fun, until there were only ten minutes left of the session. A big wave was coming, and I was concentrating on the wave trying to surf on it. As the wave lift me up I realized that the direction of my board was heading straight towards a man standing in the water facing the beach; he didn't notice me coming at all. I tried to scream at him, but at sea I supposed it is hard to hear. Everything happened so fast, because the wave was so strong. My only thought was that if I continued straight I would hit the man in the back with my board, so I tried to push the board out of his way to the left. I succeeded, but instead of the board it was I who slammed into his back with my shoulder first.. I got up and asked him if he was ok, and he said he was. Me, on the other hand, had a strong pain in my shoulder so I decided to get out of the water. Some lifeguards tried to help me, but it did not seem like they knew what to do. Might have been a language problem or something, because even though I told them I had had an accident they suggested that my arm hurt because I had been in the water for too long.
Luckily an Australian woman came up to me; she had apparently worked with physiotherapy for many years and after a short examination she asked the lifeguards to call for an ambulance.
And so my day ended with many long hours at the hospital: first with x-rays where they concluded that I needed an operation: the bone in my shoulder had broken close to the joint and the doctor recommended operating in a wire that could hold the bone together.
As an exchange student I do have insurance through ANSA - Association of Norwegian Students Abroad - and although this insurance main purpose is to cover for any problems that might happen while I'm studying in Japan it does also provide me with a travel insurance for travels abroad up to 45 days. This truly saved me - just the examinations in itself would have cost over 350 US dollars, and the operation more than 3000 dollars.. Getting operated abroad sure is expensive, and this experience really shows how important it is to have a good insurance.
Yesterday evening I got the operation, and now all I can do is to wait for the doctor's decision regarding when I can leave. There was a lot I wanted to do here in Bali - diving, salsa, yoga etc.. I also had plans to go back to Ishinomaki-shi to volunteer once I got back to Japan, but now it seems that all these things probably are impossible.
Still, I feel very lucky after all. The damage could have been much bigger.. Also I am really fortunate to have Yuma here supporting me, as well as my family back home on skype. It has been about 24 hour since the operation now, and hopefully I'll be able to leave the hospital tomorrow.

Edit: Two days after the surgery, ready to leave. The nurse fixed my hair, but I was too weak from the medication to tell her I didn't like my new hair style. The other nurses laughed when they saw me. I kinda understand why. Haha..

About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.