Private Insurance Perks

So the last 48 hours have been a little crazy... let's start with Thursday morning

Thursday morning (after Jason told me that bruising and the swelling of the foot aren't normal signs of recovery for a sprained Achilles) I leveraged (yea still got the consulting lingo down) Eugene's insurance coverage and went to a private hospital, The Wellington Hospital, to get a second opinion.

Turns out I fully tore my Achilles tendon. The GP Dr Sidney Price did some tests and suspected it, almost immediately I got sent to get a ultrasound on my ankle to check for a tear, which they found that it was completely ruptured. The "plus side" is that it was a full tear 3wks ago so my walking on it for 3wks hasn't been making it worse, just aggravating it. =P

So they made an appointment for me with the specialist Thursday evening where I got a confirmation about how it was a full tear and very quickly they put on a purple fiberglass cast for me.

This of course garnered more attention at school as people saw me hobbling, then on crutches and then in a cast. I had to promise a friend that the next time he saw me I would NOT be in a wheelchair.

Anyways so Friday morning I get a call that they were able to fit me in tonight for surgery and now I'm sitting in my private room with Eugene watching the Hulk... yes we get free movies on a flat screen tv... and I already put in my order for what sounds like a great dinner ... when I get to eat it. I haven't had a bite since noon... since apparently if they are putting you under that's a no go on food AND liquids. You can imagine that I am quite hungry and thirsty right now.

Eugene equates this experience to staying at a hotel, granted he is not the one who has to go under the knife but it is quite a nice experience.

I've had a lot of well wishes that tells me that news travels fast and as I suspected I'm going to school with some of the nicest people =) There have been many offers to bring me food, which also means people are quickly learning the way to my heart. hehe

Here's to my first experience in surgery and my first overnight stay in a hospital. No worries to my study group and ATK team I have brought all necessary materials with me so I can be productive. As James said, I'm almost lucky because it forces me home to get all my work done.

Learning to Walk

So it's been ages since I've written and yet so much has happened... probably why it's been ages since I've written...

So two weekends ago I attended Sports Day which started off with a fun paddleboat race (I think we came in 3rd or 4th... not bad for one of the few teams with two girls and one guy) and then touch rugby... mixed so faster.. my team was basically the 2011 Girl's rugby team and a few boys. We did pretty well until we met a team that was basically guys rugby team and a few girls. Knowing the rules is a real advantage. I really like rugby, even despite getting smacked in the face with a rugby ball (guys don't call out warnings like the girls do), and I thought I was starting to get the hang of the game too.

And here's where the story goes downhill... in my infinite wisdom... or misconception that I am superwoman... I decided to try out ultimate frisbee... even though the beginners team was all boys and just one or two other girls. So towards the end of the day I was guarding a guy, because all the girls on the other team had opted out, and I made a move only to feel like someone had kicked with all their might my achilles. Basically the pain was tolerable but when one (of the 5 doctors in my class) made me do a test to see if I tore my achilles and I couldn't pass.. I started tearing up at the thought of having to go through surgery and rehab.

After 3 hours in NHS I learned that it was a sprained achilles... clearly not a serious thing because they just gave me a wrap for my foot and told me to walk on it... oh and some ibuprofen.

Fastforward to today, now I'm known as one of the gimps around school, which is fine except all the pitying looks.. i count myself lucky compared to some of the other injuries.. and that it is an absolute pain in a city dependent on walking. But today I was reading about heel lifts that are suppose to help athletes and realized... hey aren't those like mini heels... so I put on my mini heeled shoes and it felt so much better walking... except I had forgotten how to walk normal. I walk like Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects and for the life of me I can't remember how to walk normal. I'm hoping its still just my achilles holding me back and that I won't be walking like this for the rest of my life... but a little part of me is scared that I'm so used to walking with a limp that I've forgotten what its like to walk... =P

Playing Hard... Need to Work Hard

Its been the first week of REAL classes and to balance out all the work that suddenly got piled on us I started to play hard and now I need to refocus.

Highlights to end out Sept
- Women's Rugby Kick Off - 80s gear at a 80s club
- Shopping in Camden with Naomi, Ximena, Ania, Aline for 80s gear
- Sundowners (aka free drinks) then Ania's house party then Bollywood Party
- Venu's Birthday at Zizzi's and FAME.... Remember, Remember, Remember
- Bodeans! Real Meat and Blue Moon... helped my tummy from being super homesick



Bodean's baby! Next time I'm definitely going back from some good ol mac n cheese

Pulled pork sandwich with burnt ends... Yum... bbq beans bleh... BLUE MOOON!!

What? What? Central Perk in London? Total recreation

Naomi and me in our 80s gear

Some of the Rugby girls after a night of drinks and partying.... so many drinks were getting spilled that my shoes were sticking to the ground