So… this was one blog post I was certainly not expecting myself to write. I guess I need to start from the beginning and explain how I ended up waiting 15 hours in the ER and having surgery abroad.

If you did not already know, I have a milk allergy and this can make life quite difficult because I get really sick if I eat any kind of milk product or milk derived product. While on my study tour I unfortuneately had a run in with some dairy so I was pretty sick for the first few days I was back home.

I also developed what I thought was a rash on my side, and assumed it was just an adverse reaction to the milk consumption. I so did not feel good though. I had a ton of inflamation and basically felt like I was hit by a bus so I spent a lot of my time that week sleeping and trying to ger better. I sucked up being in pain for a few days and eventually saw a doctor on Friday. She gave me some antibiotics and I thought all was going to be hunky dory – boy was I wrong.

That weekend my host family so nicely took my to Flensborg, Germany which is a cute little town south of the Danish border. I loved being there, but my host family couldn’t help but notice I still was not feeling well and that I was in a lot of pain. So luckily, my host mom used to be a nurse and after she looked at my infection said that we need to go to the ER to get it looked at. I was so freaked out, but knew that she was probably right and thus we decided to drive the three hours home in order to make my ER appoitnment at 5:30 Sunday night.

Now, here is where it gets really fun.

Long story short … at the hospital saw general practitioner, he referred me to their surgical team, and then before I knew it I had an IV port and was getting preped for surgery. TIt was a wild time, but I can not thank my host mom and family enough for waiting with me and taking such good care of me. The hospital didnt have time to operate that night and I ended up having the surgery the next afternoon, but the best part of thw whole experience was that my surgical team was made up of enitrely females! Whoop Whopp Girl Power!

I am happy to report I am totally fine now, but special thanks to everyone at Herlev Hospital for being so kind and helping the young american who really was so out of her element. The Danish healthcare system was very easy to navigate and I virtually had no issues so I really can’t be more grateful. Hopefully no one reading this ever ends up in a Danish hospital, but know that if you do , know that you will be totally fine and will leave with an a unique story to share about your adventures abroad.