Road to Recovery - Phase 4:

Today is already the 4th week post-operation. u see, I practically have improved alot. I think.

I can walk properly. sometimes I forgot that my leg should be in pain. I can sit. sit with legs bent that is.

From 0 degree (leg straight only), to 30 degrees (slightly bend), to 60 degrees (bend further), and now my brace is set to 90 degrees! That makes my sitting position the most proper after op!

With that, Im left with 2 weeks! then I wont have to wear this brace around anymore. I had enough of people staring at my leg!

Last saturday was the first time I went out aft my OP. Walking around is still much tiring for me. Going to toilets is still a hassle. U know u know, its like, u like nak terkencing already but u have to take off 7 velcro straps first one by one! ergh.

But oooooh best dpt klua u know u know! Im in love with my shopped items!
now i cant wait for weekends again!! wheehoo!!~

Weekends come quick pls..........!
The horror of work - I grind my finger!!!!
Save me.

Ah finally...!!!! Its friday...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO you know how wonderful friday is!!!! Weekend is here again tau!!! Happy happy happy!!! Now that I have started my Industrial Attachment, IA, Weekends are getting more super duper precious!

Its like u come to work n see the date on the calendar hoping friday to come quick!!
And u keep looking at the clock hoping for 5.30PM!!! heh

So u see people, Im currrently having my IA over at Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. I purposely picked Hitachi coz its super near!! I can be there in 5 mins when My dad send me off to work. =D





Supposedly today marks 2 weeks of attachment experience. But heh, Im a sick woman. Sakit kaki la batok la demam la. I tasted only 6 days as of today.

I guess its the shock again this time? im TRYING to adapt here. Being me, new environments always need my adapting process.

It was just that day that I went home crying to my mom coz I was traumatized with my work!! haha! Its something new for me. Im not working in an office but in lab!
My job scope covers preparing parts of hard disk samples for cross section analyzing under the SEM (electron microscope).

Scanning under the high-tech microscope is easy. Preparing the samples is totally not. After molding the sample in polymer resin, I have to do GRINDING. And that, to me, is the toughest part of all.

It requires, firstly, my energy!!
secondly, patience!!
thirdly, my hands skills.

Grinding is the process where I have to flatten out the sample part so as to get the cross section area. I have to grind it against coarse sandpaper. The sandpaper is loaded onto the machine and it will spin fast. So all I have to do is hold the sample ontop of the spinning sandpaper and press it hard to grind.

If I set the spinning speed up high, griding will be faster, BUT! I kept losing control and the sample will "terpelanting" here n there. And there are times I accidently grind my gloves!! I had to change the gloves 3-4 times coz the gloves asek terkoyak!

It was super scary when I tore the gloves coz I wouldnt want to accidently grind my own skin after the glove! The sandpaper is coarse enough to grind the metal sample tau.

And thats the traumatizing part!

If I set the spinning speed down low, I will have to press the sample down LONGER. And do you know that pressing the sample down for grinding causes my hands to ache and sore!!! It causes my kuku to calar2 n pecah2 also la my goodness!!

it was a HORRIFYING experience!!!!!!!!

Its not easy u see, coz I have to press evenly for the same amount of pressure throughout. Coz when the pressure is not equal, the thickness of the sample will not be equal from one end to the other. It will be slanted, and that is bad for scanning. It'll affect the results!!

How to know if the flatness is already equal from one side to the other, must use light microscope and measure!!!

And I failed. Coz I overshot the limit. Over-griding. Cross section scanning cannot take place. Had to throw the sample away. *sniff sniff*
My hard work down the bin.

Sigh.

I really didnt look forward to work again the following day. I hated my work that day.

I kept thinking how wonderful life is to just sit at home. 3 months holiday had pampered me too much. I feel odd working 5 days. I keep thinking abt spending time at home.

And at that instance I vowed to be housewife ASAP aft graduate and not to work. hahahaha! I think cleaning the house is easier than grinding! I lebeh rela masak u!




But now, Alhamdulillah. Things are getting slightly better. Practice makes perfect la kan.

My second try was ok. I managed to get a flat plate. All of equal size throughout.
Phew.

And that is only grinding. After grinding I have to do polishing to remove all the scratches.

Its tiring u know u know. All the way I have to stand while doing those. Mind u my leg...
My supervisor can do one sample in half an hour. I took 2.5 hours for my 2nd try! I had to stand that long! heh. Hopefully after few more tries I can do better insyaAllah.

Lucky I have my mp3. I entertained myself with radio today! Atleast I could sing along and forget how aching my hands were.

Now all I need is hand massage. I NEED HAND MASSAGE YES!!!! Im thinking of manicure now. Any kind souls out there to pamper my tired hands for free??? haha!

I feel that my work now is OK already. Coz I have Suzanna with me. We always go cabot break to eat n chitchat!! Chitchat never fail to make my day. I need to talk to poeple!! Lab is just 4 enclosed white walls. DULL!

Suzanna is lucky coz her work is in office!! Lucky gerl. She seems really happy with her job.

Oh well, nevermind. I take this as an experience. Something to learn and to try. Afterall its only 6 months.

And I have already aim something for my first pay later..!
Raya is coming!! hehe, tau2 aje la eh nk beli aper.




Happy weekends everyone. =D

Road to Recovery - Phase 3:



The first few days after operation was tough. Tougher than I thought it could be.
My left leg was super swollen. It grew bigger than the right one. From the thigh to the calf!

It felt very stiff and tight, apart from the never-ending pain. I couldnt put even a teeeny weeny part of my weight on it.

I had to move around with crutches. Too long of a pair of crutches caused my arms to be tired. and my armpit hurts alot.

Toilet calls and showering were difficult. But I was lucky to have my sister helping me each time. I had to sit, with the left leg being straight, cause I cant bend the leg.

It has to be straight at all times. I had to put on this knee brace for 6 weeks! to keep it staight so as to protect the new graft. Straight like a wooden stick. heh! more like a wooden trunk!



Gigantic brace. I look so mechanical...!

I cant even take it off when I sleep. Super uncomfortable i tell u!! I couldnt turn right, couldnt turn left. Only straight straight straight!! And because of that, I didnt enjoy my sleeps. My sleeps were light. I kept waking up. Sungguh tak sedap.

Starting from day 5-6, my leg started to improve bit by bit. I had my bandage removed. The nurse bedek-ed me. Cheat my feeling. She said there isnt any stiches. heh. But my therapist told me ade! but its on the inner layer of the skin thats why we cant see.

By Day 9, I have started waking around the house without the crutch. Though it should be officially off on the 8th of July. Cant help it. Crutches are just sooo leceh. I hope I didnt hurt the new graft!

And I can now turn slightly to the left n right when I sleep.

I hope to get more of my range of motion pretty soon. I cant wait. Lets hope time goes off really fast this time. =D


I will get better soon, InsyaAllah...!