Accidents are matters no one ever wants to hear of, much less experience themselves. It’s even more unnerving when it happens overseas.
Local actress-host Joanne Peh took to Instagram Stories on Jan 28 to document her ordeal: “Managed to get some good-quality skiing in until [I got] hit on the slopes, and my knee said, ‘That’s all for this season.'”
The 42-year-old then shared a picture of herself in a mirror, where she was seated in a wheelchair with a brace wrapped around her outstretched right leg.
She added in another Story: “It’s been nerve-rattling and confusing trying to figure out what needed to be done after a collision on the slopes. Navigating treatment in a local hospital – in a system we weren’t familiar with – only added to the uncertainty.”
She thanked locals who aided her throughout and “eased her pain and inconvenience”, and for the fact that none of her bones were broken in the injury.
The mishap also served as a reminder that even in this stage of life where her routines became predictable, she was still capable of feeling the raw emotions of panic and fear, she wrote, ending her thoughts with: “Grateful, shaken and quietly processing.”
She told Lianhe Zaobao that she and her husband, local actor Qi Yuwu, were in Altay Prefecture in Xinjiang, China, to ski.
However, while skiing alone on a beginner slope, Joanne was knocked down by a snowboarder. With her boots fixed to her skis, she fell and injured her right knee when she landed at an awkward angle.
She told the Chinese daily: “I was in a lot of pain and panicked. I couldn’t react momentarily because I had never encountered such a situation before. When I tried to stand, I collapsed – I knew I couldn’t ski down the mountain.
“The person who knocked me down and their instructor helped me to the side of the trail and they contacted the ski resort’s emergency services. However, they didn’t wait for rescue to come up the mountain before leaving – they just gave me their WeChat details.”
While waiting alone for help to arrive, Joanne called Yuwu, 49, repeatedly to no avail, which worried her that he, too, might have been in trouble.
At the resort’s emergency care, she reunited with Yuwu who revealed he didn’t have his handphone with him. He explained while looking for her, he had taken the cable car up the mountain and saw paramedics leading someone down and recognised Joanne from her clothes
When she was eventually taken to the hospital by ambulance, the foreign environment left her feeling lost – the outpatient procedures in Altay were vastly different from the ones in Singapore.
After undergoing X-rays and an MRI scan, the doctor confirmed that Joanne’s injury was quite severe: Although no bones were broken, she had injured her left, right and central cruciate ligaments and suffered bruising.
She was advised to rest for a minimum of one month, wearing a brace to stabilise her knee, and use crutches.
Joanne told Zaobao she regretted not handling the situation well due to panic but hopes to use her experience as a cautionary tale to others.
She advised taking photos or making police reports as records. While insurance may help cover the costs and damages, the party who caused the accident should still bear responsibility in accompanying the victim to seek medical care, aiding them and understanding the extent of the injury.
Currently, she is facing difficulties moving around and plans to see a doctor here today (Feb 2). As a sports-lover, Joanne anticipates staying sedentary for the next month in a bid to recuperate.
“I’m thinking long-term. I’ll just bear with it now and ensure there aren’t any complications later on,” she said.
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