Spaghetti With My Favourite EngScis

Tonight, I caught up with two of my favourite people: Heather and Ashwin. I'm pretty sure that I could not have made it through Engsci Biomed without them... lots of good times which is why we remain close even though life has taken us on different paths. Anyway, when all three of us get together (which is 1-2 times a year), we always hit our favourite spot: the Old Spaghetti Factory =)

All bundled up by the gumball machine

Thanks Ashwin for treating us girls to dinner. Next time, it's on me =)

-ange xx

Photography

I should also mention that I'm really excited about the photographers - a young couple like us! - that we have booked for the big day: Ambient Studios. I've met Trevor and Larissa in January at a wedding show and have been thinking about them and their style of documentary photography since we set the date. Glad they were still available!

Check out their awesome work: http://www.ambientstudios.ca/

-ange xx

Cheongsam

I've been meaning to write about this. Last month, my mom and I made a spontaneous visit to Alice Ko, a cheongsam designer. For those not in the know, a cheongsam is a Chinese traditional dress that is typically worn by a bride. It is usually made from a bright red brocade; however, at the time, I was debating on whether to get a dark red cherry blossom pattern or a gold plum blosson pattern (see below - not identical to what Alice had but this is all I could find on the Internet).

Gold brocade

Dark red brocade (flash of camera perhaps makes it less dark)

Everyone (parents, Jeff, Chris, Karen and Andrea) agreed that gold was best, even though it isn't traditional. But this was until today... this afternoon, our family drove up to visit my cousins Hang and Virginia who offered to lend me Hang's cheongsam which is made of bright red silk with gold sequins and beads sewn in the shape of both a dragon and a phoenix. No one would mistaken me for a bride for sure because it's very red and very traditional. It would also save me $400+... it does look great on, almost fitting me perfectly (I have to take it in a bit) which my aunt will do. I'm not sure if I can make the decision alone, so I'll have to wait until Jeff comes home to model it for him! I'll take a picture too, and will post it later to get some input!

-ange xx

Soia and Kyo Addiction

Mom and I went to Yorkdale Mall tonight to pick up more Christmas presents. We're still not done (I predict that I'll need at least 2 more trips - hopefully once this weekend and once with Andrea and Denise on Monday) because I was away in San Jose for the beginning of December which is when I usually get my shopping done.

Anyway, while we were supposed to shop for others, I was drawn by a Soia and Kyo promotion sign outside Mendocino. We walked in and ended up getting a down jacket each because I'm worried that the previous wool coat I bought will not keep me warm enough during the winter (click here to read earlier post). I'm not sure what my mom's "excuse" is though. But the good news is that they both were on sale. And they are both made in Canada... so I guess we're stimulating the local economy =)

My coat (from here)

Mom's coat (from here)

Thanks Andrea for officially getting me hooked on this brand!

-ange xx

Dad's Birthday!

Happy 60th Birthday Daddy! Love you!

Oh yummy Basket Robbins ice cream cake with chocolate fudge layer!

-ange xx

San Jose Recap!

I’m sitting in SFO waiting for my return flight to Toronto. Surprisingly, there is no Air Canada lounge here, or at least I’m not sure where it is… Anyway, I suppose I don’t need the Internet to blog as I can upload this entry when I have a connection. I thought I would write while I was away but it turned out that I didn’t really have the time. I had an absolutely wonderful visit though – here are the highlights.

Wednesday, November 25: I arrive in SFO 35 minutes earlier than scheduled. Just perfect! The first item of business is to get off the first exit of the 101 and get myself not one but two In N’ Out burgers for dinner! Delicious! I really think they have the best fast food burger by far and I’ve been craving it since my last visit in June! With a happy heart and stomach, I try my best to stay awake and admire our new TV (which arrived only hours before I did) but I quickly doze off on the couch as soon as my body is horizontal.

Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving! Jeff and I sleep in (as always) before having some pho for lunch. This was the best San Jose pho I have had – definitely rivals what we have at home and may even be better than the Golden Turtle on Ossington! We then make a trip to Safeway for groceries – can you believe the store is open on a holiday? We have a 10% coupon for everything so try our best to pick up as many things as we need, and even then, we only run a bill of $120. My plan was to make cornish hens for Thanksgiving dinner; however, they only come frozen and there was not enough time to defrost. So, we decided to make butter chicken and naan bread for dinner instead. We bake a pumpkin pie too, just to stick to traditional.

Friday, November 27 – Sunday November 29: On Friday afternoon, we drive out to my favourite mall in San Jose as well as to Santana Row (the posh shopping strip) to check out any Black Friday deals. Black Friday is honestly not as exciting as Boxing Day but we learn a lot about what we want and what we can afford for our apartment (i.e. paintings, dining set, etc). We do end up going to Home Depot twice (n.b. they say you always marry someone like your father) to buy a drill so that we can mount the TV and speakers to the wall. On Sunday evening, I keep score for Jeff’s regular hockey game at an arena I've never been too called Dry Ice. It was the most intense game I’ve seen yet!

Dry Ice Score Keeper

Monday, November 30: My 27th birthday! I spend my time leisurely and relaxed first at Barnes and Noble where I picked up a book on “How to plan a wedding cereomy” and (shamefully) snap a photo of the table of contents with my iPhone as a guide… this is a savings of 25USD! I then head back to the mall to try on wedding bands and find a possible birthday present (thinking a Coach bag). I must have tried 50 rings and was a bit discouraged when a salesman told me that the diamond of my engagement ring is mounted too low and that I would have to remount it if I want to wear a wedding band next to it… I learn quickly he’s full of crap. After picking up Jeff from work, we head out for dinner at my favourite Thai place, and we go all out: beef satay, curry and then fried banana with coconut ice cream for dessert. YUM! After dinner, Jeff suggests that we walk around the mall to look for a present. We go to the coach store but I cannot justify buying such an expensive bag (see below):

The tartan glam tote (from Coach)

Then Jeff suddenly pitches an amazing idea that he had for a while but didn’t want to share because he thought I wanted a bag: he suggested that we Build-a-Bear together! And that we did – we brought home a polar bear and named him Dexter (after the TV show that we had been watching nonstop). What a sweet and simple gift – Dexter even has a recording of Jeff’s voice!

Tuesday, December 1 – Wednesday, December 2: I can’t pinpoint anything particular for these two days other than working myself at home or at Starbucks while Jeff is at the office. But when he comes home from work, we spend some quality time together chatting and watching hockey!

Thursday, December 3: Jeff finds a coupon for Coach – 30% off already reduced merchandise at their Factory store. So, not having given up on the thought of having a bag, I go the Great Mall in Milpitas while he’s at work and am shocked to see that there is a line to get in the store and an even greater line at the cash. There is a sense of desperation. Women are lined up to buy 8-10 bags at a time. One woman grabbed a bag I was looking at right out of my hand and walked straight to the check-out line! I stood speechless – I suppose if I wanted the bag I would’ve fought for it, but I find nothing that I truly like (and would want to still pay $100 for) so I make my peace and accept the fact that this is simply not meant to be. I leave the store and walk into Zales (People’s equivalent) and try on wedding bands again and find the perfect one for the perfect price. They even have the ring Jeff wants and for less than online! I pull the trigger and purchase both, along with their warranties and engraving for less than $1000. What a deal! That evening, we drove out to downtown Los Gatos to catch up with Scott over dinner at Willow Street Pizza. It was nice talking to a fellow Canadian, as always!

Jeff's Ring (image from Blue Nile)

My Ring (image from Blue Nile)

Friday, December 4: This is the day that I decide to make Thanksgiving Dinner, only one week late. And it turns out to be a huge success! Maple cornish hens with roasted potatoes and vegetables! We invited Jimmy (Jeff’s co-worker) over and he and Jeff ate and ate and ate. I now understand the joy of cooking – to see the joy on others’ faces!

Saturday, December 5: We drive to Crate and Barrel after breakfast at home to check out dining sets but everything is too expensive. Jeff then had to work for a few hours in the afternoon (on top of working the previous night till 3am) because of an emergency situation at the company. He takes a mini-break though and we drive to San Francisco to have dinner with Adam who will be moving back to New York. The restaurant that Adam chose is called EOS – very tasty food. We have a fun time but drive back so that Jeff can work. We go into the office at around midnight and he fixes the problem in an hour! I like to think of myself as his lucky charm.

Sunday, December 6: This morning, we had lunch at Dave and Busters before picking up our wedding bands! So exciting (note: I’m smuggling mine back as we speak and it’s sitting very nicely on my finger)! We spend the rest of the afternoon at home, packing up and just taking in every moment we can together before he drives me to the airport and I cry, and cry, and cry. Even though we will be seeing each other in less than 3 weeks for Christmas, the separation is difficult. So here I am at SFO, with about 30 minutes to board my red eye flight. Dad or Chris will be at YYZ to pick me up (thankfully) and I have a busy week ahead of me. But for now, I have a little time to myself before I go back to the hectic school schedule, to reminesce about my wonderful visit and to think about Jeff playing hockey right now, and how he’ll score for me like he always does.

On a side note, my knee has been recovering well but I have been very laxed with exercise while I’ve been here. On the upside, when I’m with Jeff I don’t think about it much at all and the pain is only there once in a while. But, I’m sure that I could’ve done more strenghtening exercises. Neena won’t be impressed but I’ve already given her a warning. I see her and Dr. Theo on Tuesday – we’ll see what’s in store for me: is jogging and running in my future? Stay tuned!

-ange xx

Back to Blogging

I haven't blogged in a long time and to be honest, I'm not sure why. I think it's the lack of interesting things that have been happening to me as a result of staying home a lot and recovering. Speaking of which, the knee is coming along: my flexion is at about 110deg (thanks to physio 3 times/week) though my extension is not as good as it could be. It still swells when I do my exercises, but I'm walking without crutches, finally. I had a tiny "scare" last week: I had to start taking antibiotics again as a precautionary measure when I found a little hole in the area of my incision site (see photo below). This hole was caused by a stitch that the nurse left behind. There is no infection, but Dr. Theo thinks it's better to be safe than sorry.

My (unshaven) battle scars

More frequent blogging to come, especially since I'll be in SJ in 2.5 weeks for American Thanksgiving.

-ange xx

Goodbye Stitches and Zimmer Splint

Yesterday morning, my mom took me to the Fracture Clinic where I had my first post-op appointment with Dr. Theo. After taking a set of x-rays (which showed my new ACL in the form of a successful attachment of my semitendinosus with staples to my knee), I had my stitches removed. Dr. Theo then advised me to lose the zimmer splint (my dependable grey brace) as to prevent stiffness. He also told me to be aggressive with physio again: my new goal is to achieve an ROM of 110 degs in 6 weeks. This is totally doable (I think) but the pain is slightly more than when I first injured it.

Wish me luck!

-ange xx

A Week After Surgery

One week after surgery and the pain has subsided thanks to a strict regimen of oxycodone, sleep and chilly compression from my cryo cuff (see below). Cryo cuffs are essentially coolers that can keep ice in water for >12 hours, eliminating the need to use ice bags or packs. It works like a siphon with a one way valve, and has a cool (no pun intended) feature in that it can apply compression on the knee too.

Cryo Cuff used to cool my knee (from here)

On Thursday, I returned to physio and Neena as well as the other therapists said that my post-op knee is the best that they've seen which is very encouraging because it means that Dr. Theo did a great job (not that I ever doubted it). I actually believe that there is a lot of swelling but they don't seem to agree - all signs of a quicker recovery! Anyway, Neena made me do some simple exercises: some quad sets and ROM against a wall. My ROM is currently at 40-45 degs.

Stitches out on Tuesday!

-ange xx

Me Versus Knee - Round Two

Last Friday was surgery day and while it went quite smoothly, the pain is much worse than what I first experienced when I injured it in July. Fortunately, I have lots of good medication to help combat the pain, but it has made me very sleepy so I spend most of my days resting, with barely any energy to sit in front of the computer. Today's a much better day though.

So, on Friday morning, I arrived at the hospital at 7am for registration. At 8.30am, Dr. Theo's assistant asked me which knee they were going to operate on. After I said "right", he took a marker and drew an arrow with the letters "ACL" on my leg (see below).

My post-operated knee

I then laid down on a prep bed where two nurses spoke to me simultaneously and quickly, one setting up my IV in my left hand and the other stabbing a needle in my groin. At some point, Dr. Theo came into the mix and started talking to me too. I was then pushed into the OR. I don't remember anything after that (I was extremely sedated) except that I woke up at 11.45am!

I was discharged from the hospital at 2pm and have not stepped outside ever since. My mom has been home everyday to take care of me - thank goodness! My mobility is limited and I'm very reliant on my crutches. I'm hoping that the worse is almost over! If you're curious as to what the stitches look like underneath the bandages, let me know! I took photos ;-)

Thanks for the well wishes everyone!
-ange xx

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Twenty-eight years ago today, Mom and Dad tied the knot at a Japanese temple and Chinese restaurant in Toronto.

Tonight, Chris and I offered to take care of ourselves (i.e. go to Spaghetti Factory for dinner) but Mom and Dad insisted that we join them since they will be away for Thanksgiving in a few weeks. We had a lovely family dinner at one of our favourite restaurants, Messis.

Our family before chowing down

Mom told the story of how she and Dad met just a few days after she arrived in Toronto in 1979. Lots of laughter ensued as we poked fun at their courtship but of course, Chris and I are so grateful for their fateful meeting and love =)

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Love you LOTS!

-ange xx

In Anticipation of Cold Winters

This afternoon, Mom and I went to Yorkdale to return a t-shirt that she had bought for Jeff as a "welcome home" gift when he visited last weekend. Unfortunately, the shirt didn't fit properly so we had to make a trip back to the mall... but who am I to complain about having an excuse to go to the mall?

Summer is not even officially over and stores are already selling clothes for the winter season. Seems crazy right? Who would buy winter coats in early September? The answer: me! I totally splurged on a Soia & Kyo wool coat today!

My classic wool coat by Soia & Kyo (from here)

In my defense, I went through ALL of last winter (the one where we had record snowfall in Toronto) without a proper coat. I actually bought one last December from the Guess store - my store of choice as 80% of my wardrobe comes from it, and it even inspired the name of this blog: now-GUESS-what. However, after two weeks, the zipper broke so I exchanged it for a new one. Then about a month later, the zipper on the new one broke too, but this time, I was out of luck as winter coats were no longer being sold in January. I simply got credit (which I later spent on summer clothing!) and was forced to brave the cold since no other store sold coats either.

Anyway, I was first introduced to Soia & Kyo by Andrea a few years ago while slacking on our Master theses, and last year, when I showed my mom how awesome this Canadian brand is, she bought a coat immediately which made her instantly cooler than me. I've been jealous ever since... but today, I think I've overcome my envy and guaranteed some warmth in the cold months to come - two birds with one stone =)

-ange xx

Labour Day Weekend

I have been so excited to write about this past labour day weekend but in the past two days after Jeff left (that's right! Jeff was home! Yay!), I was determined to finish making 11 second year engineering economic quizzes in preparation of the school year starting today and my absence after surgery in 2 weeks. Admittedly, there might be a slight correlation between my mood and the difficulty of the quiz before (happy = easy) and after (sad = hard) Jeff's visit.

Anyway, we had just the nice relaxing weekend that I needed. After being apart for 2 months since Hawaii, all I really wanted to do was be in his presence and enjoy it!

On Friday, we met with Reverend Ralph at Knox College who gave us some ideas for our ceremony. The chapel, which is located on U of T campus, is classic and beautiful, and even romantic to me considering we met at school almost 8 years ago!

Knox College Chapel (from here)

Knox College walkway to chapel (from here)

That night, we went to the movies and watched "Inglourious Basterds". A bit gory but one of the best flicks we've watched in a while!

On Saturday, we ran some errands and took it easy - enjoying dim sum and Mom's amazing dinner (picture to come!). Actually, she made LOTS of great food for Jeff over the weekend because she, too, was excited that he was home. In fact, we just finished all the leftovers yesterday!

On Sunday, Jeff's mom and Paul came down for lunch and we hit our regular spot: the Baton Rouge at the Eaton Centre. We were all craving the baby back ribs! After lunch, we sneaked a peek of the Arcadian Court and I began to dream about what it will look like in a little more than a year. The stamp of approval from Jeff came from him saying "I like the palm trees - very Californian" as you can see in the background of picture below.

Arcadian Court (from here)

On Sunday evening, we had a BBQ with Jeff's friends who live in Corsa Italia. After that, he went to Labour of Love while I stayed back to nurse my knee. Side note: last week was the first that I no longer used my crutches!

On Monday, we slept in before going on a lunch date and walk around the city. The weather was perfect all weekend (albeit humid) but it was a luxury we haven't gotten in Toronto all summer. We picked up Wii Resort, as I mentioned in a previous post, so we spent the evening laughing a lot while trying to set records and unlock mini-games.

Then came Tuesday morning, and the inevitable drive to Pearson. However, this time, I maintained a bit more strength knowing that we will see each other again in 4 weeks for Thanksgiving.

Anyway, that's the story of our lovely and comfortable weekend - just like old times! Now I have to get ready to go to the hospital for my pre-op blood test and on Tuesday, I will see Dr. Theo who will give me clearance for surgery... or at least he should since I've been working so hard on my physio!

-ange xx

Back to the Scene of the Crime

Last Wednesday, I returned to the field that took out my knee to watch my team play in the championship game. Unfortunately, we lost but I did have fun being a cheerleader... well, as much as I could have being a cheerleader as opposed to a player.

The Floppy Discs - 2009

Since my injury, I have tossed the disc several times, mainly with Chris. It is great target practice for him since I cannot chase the disc down, and it keeps me from losing my ability to throw - especially flick: something I just recently learned to do consistently on Mauna Kea beach on the Big Island, Hawaii.

I also plan to get some practice from playing the Frisbee game on the Wii after buying "Wii Resort" with my Future Shop gift card from my Dad-to-be and Cathy. And I have a goal: you see, in just a few minutes of trying, Jeff set the high score to be a ridiculous 1000pts (keeping in mind he NEVER has played ultimate) whereas Chris and I have yet to crack 400pts :-| This means that I have more exercises to do on top of the ones that Neena gives me, on a given day hehe =)

-ange xx

Say Yes to the Dress!

As Andrea has said, my mom and I are wedding dress shopping MACHINES. Almost everyday in the past two weeks, we have visited at least one bridal store in the afternoon - a nice break from working in the morning and working in the evenings (side note: these days, I'm making hard quizzes for 2nd year economics and coming up with benchmarks for thesis which I'll blog about tomorrow).

Rewind to May when I tried on my first dress in a small shop called Jolie on St. Clair. The first dress I put on ever, I just absolutely fell in love with. But at that point, I was obviously not ready to commit. Plus, a girl will only be engaged once in her life so she might as well try as many dresses as possible. So, since then, I scanned through A LOT of magazines but didn't start going to stores again until about 2 weeks ago. Crutches in hand, I was determined to find my dress before surgery because the order takes up to 8 months!

After going from shop to shop, I got more confused because (without sounding vain) every style and fabric looked great on me: lace, tulle, mermaid, poofy, etc. But, for some reason, I always thought back to my first dress. Then yesterday, while at another store, I tried on this first dress again and knew it was the one! I wanted to be faithful to Jolie, so my mom and I drove back to St. Clair and today, we bought the dress, for over $550 less than the retail price. Amazing! I'm in full support of helping the local community ;-)

Anyway, I'm THRILLED and though I cannot post the dress on my blog (because I want to keep it a secret from Jeff), I thought that I could share some of the dresses that I did like when I tried them on.

By Jai Bridal: a very elegant silk dress with flowers
that looks almost identical to the dress below.

By Ines Di Santo: I didn't try this one on but just wanted to share
that Jai is probably $5000 cheaper.

By Sophia Tolli: A real princess dress with tulle and lots of beads

Anyway, I'm happy (and proud) that my dress is much more fabulous than what I've shown here! Now onto the next item: photographer!

-ange xx

CNE

Every year, Chris and I have to go to the Ex to win huge prizes that are bigger than me. Past teddies include: Taz (the only one we kept and did not give away to family friends), Scooby-Doo, Grover and more! However, each year, the carnies make the games more difficult: the rims on the basketball game are more oval; the rings for the ring toss game are smaller; and so on. A lot of the games probably just require 15 minutes to master but considering that each attempt is increasingly expensive, winning a prize would cost much more than it is worth.

Anyway, last night, Mom, Chris, Karen and I went to the CNE with the mindset that the best "games" are the food stands: you really can't lose. You pay $5 for a tornado potato or corndog or a dozen Tiny Tom's donuts and you're an instant winner.

With one crutch under arm, I admire the craftsmanship of the tornado potato
Photography by Karen

Chris can't wait to bite into this potato that has been peeled to maximize
deep fry surface area goodness
Photography by Karen

Mom's free princess bat is only slightly larger than the footlong corndog - delicious!
Photography by Karen

We had a great time: you can obviously see the joy that food brings =) And by the time we got home, I had been up and walking for about 3 hours. I totally crashed and my knee and belly couldn't be happier.

-ange xx

One Month Until Surgery

One month from today, I'm scheduled for ACL reconstructive surgery - unless of course, Dr. Theo decides on September 15th at my pre-op appointment that I'm not ready which I highly doubt. So far, my recovery has been great. I continue to work hard on my range of motion (ROM) and strengthening exercises. I can walk freely but tire easy and then need my crutches for support. Neena says that I'm a model student! A++ for me!

Speaking of ROM, my flexion is now at 130deg - far exceeding Dr. Theo's minimum of 90deg and meeting Neena's goal. To be honest, I'm even surprised by how well I'm doing but have been warned that I'll be starting from zero after my surgery. In fact, I'm preparing and organizing myself for all the school work and teaching that I will be missing by categorizing my time and assignments by "pre-surgery" and "post-surgery". Nothing ingenious, but from the stories I've heard, post-surgery recovery is pretty painful and I'll be off my feet again for awhile.

Anyway, the most exciting part of pre-surgery (since the rest is work-related) is that Jeff will be coming home for Labour Day weekend! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay! I cannot wait. 10 more days!

-ange xx

New Rides!

My parents are THE BEST. They are kind, caring and thoughtful. So much so that when I simply mentioned that having an exercise bike at home would help tremendously with my physio, we went shopping for one. In fact, yesterday, we went on a family field trip to the local Fitness Depot and picked up the Johnson R800 - very fancy (see below):

The Johnson R800 (from here)

It took Chris and Karen about 2 hours (with breaks for food) to assemble it right in the middle of the living room - saving us $75 for delivery and assembly! I'm looking forward to using it 3 times a day, slowly pedaling at an impressive top speed of 10-20 km/h for 5-10 minutes, to keep my knee from getting stiff, especially on days that I do not have physio. Mom is also pumped about the bike in the living room because this means she can cycle and watch TV everyday before the wedding.

I was excited to share the news about my shiny bike with Jeff. Funny enough, when he called last night, he had some exciting news to tell me himself. He, too, also bought a new bike - very sexy (see below):

Jeff's new carbon-fibre road bike (from here)

Some background: two weeks ago, his old mountain bike was stolen right off his patio. Fortunately, he was able to claim it for insurance and got $650USD - a lot more than the salvage value of that bike. So, it all worked out as he was able to put the money towards something new! Also, during this two week period sans bike, we became the proud owners of a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero (for $2850).

Our *new* car - not actual, but same idea (from here)

This means no more rental cars to get from point A to B! And, that I can fly directly to SFO for American Thanksgiving! Yay!

-ange xx

Congratulations to Victor and Adriane!

Last night, I attended Victor and Adriane's beautiful wedding! Victor and I have known each other since I started graduate school in September 2005, and we served as co-presidents of the chemical engineering graduate student association over the 2006-7 academic year. We always joked around about being "political spouses" but I couldn't have been more thrilled for him when I first found out that he met a lovely girl named Adriane, who I got to know better while playing softball with her last summer.

Anyway, the ceremony was held at the Newman Centre on the UofT campus and was followed by a dinner reception at One King West. The mass was lovely, the venue was very classy and the whole event was extremely organized. In fact, it gave me many ideas for my and Jeff's wedding. For instance, the couple's first dance was even choreographed which makes me think that we should either a) take lessons or b) have a slideshow on simultaneously as to divert the audience's attention away from us while we sway back and forth =)

The happily married couple serve great as my crutches

Unfortunately, I had to leave a bit early (shorly after the dinner and speeches) as Prof. Paradi kindly offered me a ride home. I was, however, pretty tired from standing a lot during mass, and it was my first full evening out since my injury so the timing worked out just right (aside: my flexion is now 105 degs).

And finally, some more great news: Mrs. Paradi graciously and generously offered to make our wedding cake! Cake decorating is a serious hobby of hers and I couldn't feel more honoured! Isn't that amazing? =)

-ange xx

100 Degrees of Flexion!

I had a great day at physio today. So great that I just have to blog about it. In the past week, I've been committed to my exercises that Neena teaches me during our sessions. I've been challenging myself as much as I can to bend my knee and put weight on my leg. And it has paid off.

My flexion is now up to 100deg (from 75deg just a week ago and 25deg to begin) and I'm relieved that I am over the minimum 90deg required for surgery! I was also able to pedal on a bike, albeit slowly. Starting today, I will attempt to walk around the house without my crutches. So all in all, things are looking up. Neena says she'll continue to push me and has set an ambitious goal of 130deg before my pre-operation assessment on September 15.

Time to put my game face on!
-ange xx

Unhappy Triad

Yesterday, Dr. Theo confirmed my ACL tear but also told me that I did much more damage than was anticipated. I also tore my medial meniscus and did something to my MCL and the lateral meniscus! See the diagram below for where all these parts of the knee are.

Anatomy of the knee (from here)

Chris says this type of injury is called the "Unhappy Triad" and according to wikipedia, is usually caused in contact sports (e.g. football, soccer). How I managed to do this while playing Ultimate is a mystery.

Anyway, I am scheduled for surgery on September 25 (again, great healthcare that I can't boast enough about) but only if I can get my knee to bend 90 degrees by September 15. I hope it's not a problem considering that I was at 75 degrees last week but I'll find out what my progress has been over the past few days at home when I have my physio appointment this afternoon.

So, that's the story for now. I have to work on my range of motion and have been ordered/prescribed aggressive physiotherapy over the next month. This means I likely cannot go to San Jose to see Jeff - definitely the worst part of this whole deal.

Wish me luck.

-ange xx

A Card to Brighten My Day

This morning, I got a very sweet surprise from my father-in-law-to-be, his lovely half, Cathy, and the "kids". THANK YOU!!!

A purolator man rang the bell at around 11am and I almost missed him because I have to slowly crutch downstairs to get the door. I'm glad I caught him in time though, otherwise I would have missed out on my hilarious card (see below) and a future shop gift card (yay! lucky me!).

Front of the card

Back of the card

The "kids" in Corunna last Thanksgiving

It's days like today where being a bit crippled is not too shabby ;-) I'm so grateful for the amazing support system around me.

-ange xx

Pseudowalking

A week has passed and I've made some progress! I started physiotherapy and my physiotherapist, Neena, has taught me how to do some simple exercises to prevent muscular atrophy. Also, an important goal is to get my range in motion back. Essentially, a healthy knee has flexion of 150deg. Here's a picture to illustrate:

Range of motion of the knee (from here)

When I first got out of the knee brace last week, my knee could only bend 30deg. On Tuesday, at physio, I was able to bend it to 69deg. And on Thursday (just two days later), I got it to 75deg. I'm halfway there! Yay! Neena has also told me to challenge myself by putting weight on my right leg. So, I've started to walk (well, pseudowalk - I complete the motion of walking but rely on my crutches for balance).

Next Tuesday, I have an appointment with Dr. Theo (aside: again, what amazing and prompt healthcare). I imagine he'll be sharing the results of my MRI and giving me options and/or a recovery plan. I'm looking forward to this. In fact, I'm getting anxious and growing impatient "waiting" to know what is in store for me over the next few weeks/months. Wish me luck!

-ange xx

How do I get back on the (Big) Island?

It is a beautiful summer day in Toronto (finally!) and I can only admire it from the inside! I also find myself wondering/daydreaming: If I go back to the (Big) Island, will my knee magically heal, like on "Lost"? Will someone please take me to Hawaii again, just to see if such a recovery is possible? I need to test this hypothesis =)

The gorgeous Waipio valley
Photography by Jeff ("borrowed" from Facebook)

I haven't blogged at all about our trip to Hawaii so I'm thinking maybe I should sort out some photos in the next few days when I'm bored.

-ange xx

Thumbs up for Canadian Universal Healthcare

Today is Day 10 of staying off my feet and this journey has been physically taxing for the rest of my body, and mentally draining. I think I've been frustrated by not being to help out around the house and needing to rely on my parents and Chris, and crying to Jeff. Thank God I have them!

I am also extremely grateful for the incredible and timely health care that I have received. Here is a quick summary of the medical love and attention.

• Wednesday, July 22 at 9.45pm: I arrive at the ER in Mt. Sinai Medicine hospital and am discharged a "short" 2 hours later. I go home in a knee brace and crutches.
• Thursday, July 23 at 9am: I call the Mt. Sinai Sports Medicine Clinic and am told that someone just canceled his/her appointment so I can come in the following week!
• Tuesday, July 28 at 5.30pm: I visit the Mt. Sinai Sports Medicine Clinic and am examined by a physiotherapist and a physiatrist (Dr. Taylor with the iron ring - previous blog entry) who orders that I get x-rays... so I do before going home. Also, I'm told that the orthopaedic surgeon will be around the next day and that he happens to have an opening. If I don't take it, the wait to see him will be 8 months! Yikes!
• Wednesday, July 29 at 5.30pm: I return to the Mt. Sinai Sports Medicine Clinic and see Dr. Theo (the surgeon) who plays with my knee and concludes in about 1 second that I have torn my ACL. Dr. Theo orders me out of the knee brace and writes a prescription for phsyiotherapy at UofT and an MRI (usually a 2-3 week wait) before seeing him again.
• Thursday, July 30: Not expecting to hear from the imaging unit, I surprisingly get a call for an MRI on the following morning at 6am! I also visit the UofT Sports Medicine Clinic and their doctor examines me and comes to the same conclusion as Dr. Theo. He orders physio for me next week.
  
• Friday, July 31 at 6am: Chris drives me to get my MRI bright and early yesterday.
  

Now, it's just a waiting game. It apparently take the radiologist a week to send my MRI results to Dr. Theo (and confirm the tear).

My knee is still swelling but not as much, and now you can see some bruising. The pain is greater too because I no longer can where the brace for support, which means more tylenol and more ice!

I'm just glad it's the weekend - more guaranteed TLC =)

-ange xx

Izzy, X-Rays, Ice Cream and the "Fat Bachelor"

One week later, I'm still not walking and the swelling continues. But over the past few days, I have been so fortunate and grateful for the many visitors and phone calls.

Yesterday, I had a pretty (physically) intense day. In the morning, Zoe brought her lovely self and Isobel over for a visit. As always, it was great catching up with Zoe and Izzy was a darling - very smart, curious and a runner at 1! I probably shouldn't have "chased" her around but she's just tooooooo cute. This left me with little energy until my appointment at the sports clinic later in the afternoon. Chris dropped me off and my mom accompanied me the whole time - it was my first day out of the house, wearing shoes, since Wednesday!

My appointment was short: the physiotherapist and the doctor (with an iron ring) touched my knee, in search for the spot that hurt and found it when I twitched and screamed. They ordered x-rays (though I feel they should've ordered an MRI too), which I did immediately after, and am scheduled to see the orthopedic surgeon today. The timing works out perfectly as that doctor just happens to be at the hospital today and there are some openings. Otherwise, the waiting list to see an orthopedic surgeon is 8 months! Yikes! So today, is hopefully the day, where some light will be shed on the injury.

After the x-rays, my dad picked us up and we headed to Chinatown for some dinner. Crutching around has really strengthened my left leg and toned my arms =) When we got home, my mom had to clean my crutches because 1. we were trekking around the hospital and 2. we were trekking around Chinatown (enough said, and we are still plagued by the Toronto garbage strike. Yuck!). Thank you mommy!

Andrea and Jesse also stopped by last night with ice cream (Yum!) and we watched Survivorman, MLB and the finale of Bachelorette. We even watched the first episode of a reality show called "More to Love" (i.e. Fat Bachelor). Lots of jokes ensued. I LOVE when they visit. Oh, and here is a (iPhone) picture of the beautiful flowers that Andrea sent last week from King West Flowers. She is the best! She also ordered her wedding bouquet and my bridesmaid bouquet from this store - I may have to do the same!

Flowers from Andrea (iPhone quality)

After they left, I had a nice chat with Chris followed by my most relaxing time of the day, talking to Jeff before bed. Even though we are far apart, he has been outstanding and attentive. Very sweet.

Today, I plan on resting until I go back to the hospital. Shouldn't be too hard considering it's the first day I'm alone so there is only so much I can do. I'll have to read some papers on the nature of financial statement fraud for my thesis, or something that is just as exciting.

On an unrelated note, what has happened to summers in Toronto? Will it ever stop raining?

-ange xx

Out of Commission

I had all these wonderful wedding-related plans this weekend, from trying on dresses and an informal food tasting at Arcadian court, to showing my mom-to-be and sis-to-be the venue. However, someone (up above) made different plans for me.

On Wednesday evening, as I was playing defense during an Ultimate game, I attempted to block a guy from catching the disc (and did!) but landed awkwardly. My knee twisted and I heard a pop! Fortunately, the field was close to home so my parents were able to get me in 10 minutes and brought me to the hospital. The doctors believe it is a tear in my medial meniscus but I'll have to be reassess on Tuesday, once the swelling goes down.

Holy fat (tanned) knee Batman!

For now, I am in a knee brace, with crutches, and in some pain =( I'm glad I didn't break any bones but I can't help but be scared... I can't walk at all right now and am frustrated that I cannot do everyday things.

My new fashion accessories

I'm just sooooooo lucky I have my mom and dad, and Chris to take care of me. And Jeff to talk me through it over Skype. And Andrea for sending me beautiful flowers. And Maygan for all the cheer. And my team for their sweetness. And I'm grateful for everyone's well wishes!

I'm optimistic that I'll recover quickly... I just need to give my body rest. I'll also use this as an opportunity to slow down. Spend more time on thesis, perhaps? =)

-ange xx

Possible Colour Palettes

After being away from Toronto for 6 weeks out of the last 8, I've found that I have a lot of catching up to do. The conference in Philly went well. I got lots of encouragement from Professors but I have to admit I'm overwhelmed by how much I have to do. But before I get back to my PhD research, I had to finish some outstanding work that the Boss gave me, which included editing my Master's paper and preparing a presentation for another conference at McMaster next Tuesday. Needless to say, I have had to be productive over the last two days - so focused that I finished both tasks! I'm now rewarding myself with this blog break!

Now for fun stuff: I've also been excited about thoughts of our wedding - date still TBD. In addition to looking at venues, I've been trying to decide on a colour palette - the most important factor is that the girls look good. Here are some of my ideas. You, too, can play with the colour selections and dress designs on the Dessy website. If any combinations tickle your fancy, please let me know. Personally, I'm drawn to blue because it's my favourite colour but it's a difficult one to match. I also really like the dark red.

Amethyst with venetian gold sash

Venetian gold with claret sash

Claret with venetian gold sash

Midnight with periwinkle sash

More on venues later!

-ange xx

An Update!

For the past two weeks, I have been away with Jeff and the family in Hawaii. It was unbelievable! We had a fantastic time. In fact, I've been sad since yesterday because 1. I won't see Jeff until August and 2. the concrete jungle of Toronto is cold yet humid and smelly from the garbage strike. I'll have to find some time to share photos and stories , but I'm off to Philadelphia on Thursday for a conference, and will not be back until the following Tuesday - which means, blogging will have to wait =(

Anyhoo, Jeff introduced me to his new iPhone 3GS which can capture video - how cool is that? He was able to take a video of us on the Big Island, at its most gorgeous beach called Mauna Kea.


Video Courtesy of Jeff

More updates on volcanoes, rainfalls, beaches and so much more later!

-ange xx

A Busy Week

I have been so overwhelmed with work (see below) these past two weeks that it has left little time for me to blog, which is too bad because lots have been happening.

Friday, June 12: We celebrated grandma's 84th birthday over a traditional 10 course Chinese dinner. Lots of food, lots of laughs and lots of pictures. Here's this year's family photo:

Whoa! So many Chinese people! I'm startled by it.
Photography by Aunt Elaine

Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14: I spent the weekend with my amazing Leaders of Tomorrow: Graduate (LoT:G) committee at Hart House Farm which is located about 1hr north west from downtown Toronto. It was my first time at HHF in 8 years as a UofT student and I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it is. The purpose of the retreat was essentially to pass the torch to the new co-Chairs of the group. I have to admit that it was hard to let go but it is the right time =)

Aside from eating more than I did on Friday night, we had a yoga lesson (my first) which was quite challenging. I needed lots of help:

My attempt at yoga with support from Maygan and our yoga instructor
Photography by Erin Kim

It was also refreshing to breathe in the clean air, see the stars at night and roast marshmallows by the fire. Of course, we did some work but the retreat was really about building friendships with wonderful, intelligent and creative engineers - which I think we successfully did!

The only photo evidence of productivity
Photography by Erin Kim

Monday, June 15 - Present: The many deadlines that I have has translated into long hours of sitting in front of the computer reading and writing. Specifically, I have to prepare 3 presentations for 3 upcoming conferences, finish editing 2 scientific papers (one based on my Master's and the other on entrepreneurial education in engineering curricula), and work on my thesis (thank God for my summer student) as well as the annual report for LoT:G (my last duty as exiting co-Chair). Despite all this, I find time to miss Jeff (though I'm not supposed to say hehe). And the only breaks I have had from work and thinking about him were when I took grandma to the dentist on Tuesday AND Thursday morning to get her dentures realigned, and when I played Ultimate on Tuesday evening. I somehow got 5 bruises on my arms and legs but at least I broke my scoring drought. Yay!

I'm soooooooo glad tomorrow is Friday.

-ange xx

Shortbread Cookies Fuel Leadership Thoughts

I left school at 2.30pm this afternoon to hang out with one of my favourite persons in the world, Ann (my cousin David's wife). She lured me away from work by inviting me over to make shortbread cookies for grandma's birthday tomorrow. We made four batches of three different flavours: lemon, banana and vanilla. Below is a picture of what they look like after Chris, Maygan and I got to the cookie tin a few too many times ;-)

Shortbread Cookies (iPhone quality)

While they may not appear all that exciting (blame it on the camera), they are delicious - not too sweet and not too rich in butter. And they are very easy to make... I'll need to ask Ann for the recipe later! Or maybe she'll post it as a comment *hint, hint*

Anyway, these cookies were what fueled my 3 hour brainstorming session with Maygan (another favourite person of mine!). In this time, we developed the agenda and programming for a leadership retreat that we will be facilitating this weekend. I'm so proud of us for being so creative and innovative - it's days like this when I wonder why I'm doing a PhD in financial engineering and not in sociology or pyschology. The answer to this question probably looks like this: "$".

-ange xx

Back in Toronto

After 3.5 weeks in SUNNY California, I returned home to dark stormy skies in Toronto. Not a good welcome BUT at least I have our family trip to Hawaii on June 22 to look forward to (i.e. More sun! Though I am already sporting a nice tan!). I am happy that I also got to see my parents and Chris (we played Ultimate tonight), as well as Maygan and friends at school. Tomorrow I'll get to see Andrea when we play Ultimate (yay!) and I hope to also catch up with Zoe and Izzy (I miss my little niece!).

Anyway, I miss Jeff lots and lots already (I'm a big baby!) but find comfort knowing that we will see each other again in 18 days (not that I'm counting) on the Big Island. Over this past weekend, I made more of his favourite meals: curry on Saturday night and tomato pesto on Sunday night. Here's a close-up of what the latter looks like as I realized that my previous post did not show it clearly:

Tomato Pesto and BBQ Chicken

Very simple. Very tasty. Very healthy.

-ange xx

Banh Cuon

My first time making banh cuon was definitely an experience. I screwed up the first few rolls before getting the technique right. Below is a picture of them, though I suppose I should have dressed them up with vegetables and herbs to make them look more appealing (we had greens but I was just so excited and wanted to take a picture immediately!):

Banh cuon without the fixings

Needless to say, they tasted amazing and Jeff and I ate them all! Mom was impressed when I showed her over the webcam, and I'm sure both Dad and my po po would be proud that I can actually cook up a true Vietnamese meal!

-ange xx

The Return of Tonkatsu

When something tastes as good as tonkatsu, it's inevitable that Jeff will request it for dinner again. And when I get a sweet compliment like "You're amazing" for cooking it, how can I not make it again? =)

The tonkatsu was even better than last time; in fact, there is "no evidence" that I made it except for our happy tummies.

Tonkatsu before it disappeared

For those who are interested, here's a quick recipe:
1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of a thin piece of pork loin
2. Dust both sides with flour
3. Coat the pork in an egg-water (3/4 : 1/4) mixture but make sure there is no dripping
4. Now coat the pork with breadcrumbs - the denser the better!
5. Deepfry in vegetable oil (medium to hight heat) until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Consume with a smile

-ange xx

Dumplings

To kick-off Asian-themed dinner week, I made dumplings. They were delicious and as Jeff complimented, "They are just like Mom's!"

Here are some close-up pictures and instructions on how to make them.

1. Mix ground pork with diced shitake mushrooms and napa cabbage. Flavour with soya sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Fold dumplings with store-bought wraps (very convenient!) so that they resemble the following:

Raw dumplings

2. Boil dumplings for 3-4 minutes. Dumplings will float when they are ready!

Boiled dumplings fresh out of the pot

3. If desired, pan fry boiled dumplings until light brown with olive oil over medium heat.

Pan-fried goodness

4. Enjoy the yummmminess!

-ange xx