2nd and 3rd week

After five days of my arrival, one of my bestfriends, Dalia, came here for a two week holiday. I was super excited when I saw her at the arrival hall that we almost scream in the middle of the airport. We have been planning her trip together for the past month or so and we had this packed-to-the-core itinerary for that 14 days she was here. Hubby and I tried to bring her to all the places we know but there are just so many thing to see, 14 days are just not enough. However, we managed to cover all the touristy places, the main shopping malls and also some of the locals' favorite spots.

Here are some of the places we went..

At the Charles De Gaulle arrival hall. There were jumping, hugging and shrieking as if we haven't seen each other for years but really, we just saw each other days prior to my departure.

Trocadero + Eiffel Tower

We brought her there twice..the first time was at night so she could see the Eiffel when its lit up and all sparkly and the second time was during the day, when the three of us went to the top most of the tower. Tiga-tiga pun first time naik. Thank God that the sky was really clear that day..we could see the whole of Paris so clearly from up there.

The Lourve..where Dot met her Cik Mona.

Notre Dame

She was more exited about the Greek shops, kebabs and souvenir shops along St Michel rather than Notre Dame itself. Tak nak jumpa Quasimodo ke Dot? Hehe

Jardin De Tuileries

Impromptu picnic.. lepas penat jalan straight from Hotel De Ville, around Auber, Palais Royal-Lourve, and the huge garden, we bought drinks and macarons and sat down at the the garden for an hour or so.

National l'opera

Super duper cantik. Almost as beautiful as Versaille. Its a shame that the auditorium is not open for public unless you're there to watch a show. I'm sure it is as beautiful as the exterior.

Arc de triomphe + Champs Elysees

The high end street in Paris. I did a lot of window shopping but someone did some actual shopping..hehe..I guess LV here really is cheaper than the one in Malaysia. Significantly so. If minat and ada niat nak beli, mesti beli bila dah datang sini..rugi if tak beli.

La Valle Village

Just outside Val d'europe mall, it is the area where we can find outlet stores of a few famous brands. It is where they sell their previous seasons collections at half (or more) from the original price. Sama outlet macam kat Bicester Village but less choices as compared to there.

Chateau de Versailles

A beautiful beautiful place. No picture can do justice for its beauty. We spent the whole day there, immersing ourselves with its elegance and attention to details.

Sacre Couer

Another touristy spot. Bare in mind, if you visit here, please be aware of those people selling strings of thread (macam friendship band tu)..they will just grab and tie your hand with the string and demand for money. Saw two girls in front of us kena and they were asked to pay 5euros for that stupid benang. Other than that, it is a nice, pretty place to visit and to look for souvenirs.

Disneyland

Channeling in our inner child! Saw all Disney's prince and princesses, the parade, Disney's characters and went to all the rides they have including their Merry-go-round. My favorite is definitely The Wonderland - we met the Mad Hatter (he really IS mad!) and the Queen of Hearts of course. No Alice in sight though.

One of the main contributor to our weight gain is the desserts here. They are all so delish and irresistible! The most famous dessert/cookie is obviously the macaron. Brought Dalia to try the legendary Laduree, the famous Pierre Hermes and also the pretty Fauchon. Personally, I prefer Laduree among all three. I really don't fancy Fauchon's macarons..even McD's macaron is better. I still like their chocolates though.

Mussels, mussels and more mussels! Yums!

On her last night here, we decided to round up her trip with a boat ride along Seine River. We manage to get a good seat on top of the open air boat. Saw all the famous buildings on a boat at night, recap-ing her trip..a great way to wrap things up.

To Dot, we hope you had an enjoyable time here..sorry if ada terkurang =)

Paghee

My stay here is exactly a month today. Alhamdulillah..So far, it has been nothing but great and interesting. I thought I would be updating more regularly since I'm on leave..but I guess other than catching up with TV series and movies (Jakun sebab internet laju and boleh download satu movie for about 15 minutes je) ,laziness got the best of me.

Even though this is my third time here but there's still so much to see..so much I have yet to experience. I used to depend on my hubby since he speaks fluent french, while I, on the other hand, only know how to say bonjour and because of that, I refused to go out alone and will only go out whenever he's around (boo! teruk betul..). However, this time around, takkan nak duduk rumah 2bulan? Dah tak kira..kena jeling pun, I would still say "anglais, s'il vu plait?" sbb boring duduk rumah sorang-sorang punya pasal..huhu..but not everyone is like that..most of them don't mind conversing in English especially the younger ones..

The First Week

We went jalan-jalan around Paris..I wanted to see how the city looks like in

spring since the last two times that I was here, both were during winter. The city is definitely prettier in spring..people are more cheerful and everything is just bright and colourful. The weather was perfect..the sun's up but tak panas sbb angin sejuk (kadang2 biadap juga angin tu)..around 15-18°C..

This is Noisy Champs..walking around the neighbourhood.

Seine River.

Here you will see couples and groups of people hanging out, eating baguettes, ice cream, drinking wine, and some (like us) just enjoying the view and sucking it all in.

See the second picture; that is an island kat tgh2 Paris, and according to our tour guide masa naik boat, that's where the super rich people lives. It is some sort of a private, and exclusive island..satu apartment can go up to millions of euros.

Walking around Hotel De Ville, Auber, Opera area

Jardin des Tuileries.

Beautiful flowers. Love love love the bright colours

At the Military Museum

Did some walking around Invalides too. Museum tu masuk next time..hehe

SDR (Short Distance Relationship) soon

My husband and I continued on with our long distance relationship after we got married. It wasn't planned that way but since he has got a rather good job offer there, we decided that we need to do what's best for our future.

He left for Paris on the 4th day of Hari Raya, 2 months after the wedding. We had a super hard time adjusting to being apart from each other but Alhamdulillah, I was in Emergency Department so I was pretty much busy the whole time and without us realizing it, it was already December. I took 2 weeks off work to visit him there and we went for our (Christmas-y) honeymoon.

This picture was taken at a Christmas Market, Champs Elysees

After only 2 weeks of melepas rindu, we were again separated..this time, it was for another 5 months. Only God knows how difficult it has been for us. Imagine coming home from work (post-call days were the worst) to an empty room, going to weddings and functions without your plus one, helplessly worrying about your husband's wellbeing, makan minum semua from thousands of miles away. Horrible I tell you. And for some reason, I feel that the past 5 months had been very very long and draggy.

Anyway, the LDR is about to come to an end. I have completed my 2 years of Housemanship in HKL and I have applied for a super long leave (10 weeks to be exact) to be with my husband in Paris, to be a housewife (or nama glamournya domestic goddess..huhu) for that 2 1/2 months there and that 10 weeks is going to start in matter of hours from now.

Those miserable lonely days and the wait, will be worth it InsyaAllah =)

We will remember that day.

09/07/10

I was a mad woman, running around like a headless chicken that day. It was the first day of my leave (yeap, a day before my wedding day) and there were just too many things to do. Thank God for my family and bestfriends. They were the ones who helped me prepare everything at the very last minute. Some of them stayed until 2am that night to finish and put up the signage, pick up the hantaran and susun doorgifts for the solemnization on the next day.

10/7/10 (AM)

D-DAY.

Woke up as early as 5am that morning with my inai yg keras over my fingers and toes. Took me a minute before I realized that in just a few hours I will be someone's wife. The feeling was quite overwhelming I must say. Nervous, excited, semua ada.

My MUA came at about 6am while Nas and this team arrived at my house at about 7am, just in time for me to get dressed. I loved my akad nikah outfit that Nas designed. It turned out exactly how I imagined it to be.

Arrived at the mosque at 9am sharp. Alhamdulillah, the solemnization went smoothly. My father was the wali and he did the akad himself, and with one lafaz, Rushdan and I became husband and wife.

Vendors for solemnizations:

Venue and catering - Masjid Wilayah, Jalan Duta

MUA - Nurin

Outfit - Nas Great Ideas

Hantaran - NGI

Cake hantaran - Gateuxlicious

Dyg2's outfit - Materials from Tanah Abang, Jakarta.

Door gifts - Chocolate brownies by Diah

10/7/10 (PM)

Reception at KGPA.

It rained cats and dogs that evening but thankfully the rain stopped by the time the guests arrived. The reception, alhamdulillah, despite some imperfections and bumps here and there, was still beautiful nevertheless.

Vendors for reception:

Venue and catering - KGPA

Decorations + dais - NGI

Outfit - NGI

Make up - Tiar Zainal

Wedding cake - Big Boys Oven

Dyg2 - Materials from Tanah Abang, Jakarta

Music - Band from The Royale Bintang

Finally, an update.

It has been over a year since the last entry. I blame my job, and twitter for it. Many have changed since then. Obviously I'm married now, but not yet with a child in case you're wondering. Doakan la ye.. =)

I will put up an entry (or two) later regarding our solemnization and the reception we had in July last year. I know I know. Sudah basi. It's not the "freshest" story out there but am going to put it up just to share our experiences and our vendors with you guys out there =)

Later!

It's getting nearer and nearer!

The wedding day, that is!
Wedding preparation is fun but undeniably exhausting and confusing. I have more or less 4 months to prepare to the big day but I'm farrrrr from being done. 4 months may seem like ages for some but definitely not for the bride(s)-to-be.
According to the bride's monthly planner (yes, benda ni wujud), I should've sent the materials for both wedding outfits (solemnization and reception) a month ago so that I will have ample of time to do fitting and alterations. Thing is, thanks for the bridal magazines, websites, blogs and even to my usual fickle self, I can't even decide on the design of the dress I'm going to wear, let alone the designer who is going to make it for me!
I have shortlisted the designers and came down to 3 people (plus one)..

1) Syomir Izwa - A new, up an coming designer. Loved his previous designs for other brides. But heard a lot of not-so-nice stories about his "professionalism". Met the guy the other day and I think he's really nice and creative. Should I take the risk? He is offering a good deal, which includes the veil and shoes!

2) Rizman Ruzaini - Super creative duo. They are known for their super heavy beading designs but I am looking for something more laid back, something flowy for the reception. I'm just tempted to ask them to design and make my baju nikah..

3) Nas - He told me he is venturing in bridal outfits now. He is memang known for those awesome wedding dais and decorations but as for baju baju...I really don't know since I have not seen any of his work...but from the ones that he sketched for me, it seems really really nice. How???

4) My usual baju raya tailor, Weng Kong. I'll design a simple baju kurung/kebaya sendiri and have her do the tailoring and beading. And for the reception, I'll rent it from a bridal house. Habis cerita. Kan?

I'm having headache and my ears are buzzing just thinking about this. However, I don't think my progress for this wedding is that bad actually. At least I have got the major things out of the way, like the place for the solemnization and reception. Other things which already settled include
- Make up artists
- Bridesmaids, and their outfits
- Decorator + hantaran
- List of hantaran (Semua pun belum beli. List sahaja yang ada)
- Guest list (But still needs a lot of editing)
- Favors
- Invitation cards (Proof read it and already on it's way for printing the last time I check).
- Photographer and videographer
- Pre-wedding photographer (non other than my bestfriend, Azlan Malek)

Luckily I'm only going to have one reception instead of the usual two. Definitely think it'll be fun-er but don't think I can handle the pressure on top of the ones I'm already getting from work.
The only one thing I know I don't have to think about is the honeymoon. I let that be Mr. Fiancee's problem and headache to figure out the best place for us to relax post wedding. =)

3 Months

Wow. It has been that long since I last updated this blog. Dah berhabuk and bersawang dah. Work and wedding preparations took most of my time these past few months.
Anyway, my last post was about my dad's operation right? Well, post operation was pretty much uneventful. He recovered rather quickly, the wound healed nicely and was up and about after a few weeks. He did not complain of pain or anything after the operation. He had an appointment a month after the operation, which was in December whereby he need to repeat his CT scan. This CT will show if there's any late complications or fractures to the stents (he had 5 altogether).
I myself sent my dad to the CT scan room and get the CT reported by the radiologist before his appointment with the surgeon. After 2 days, they called me saying that the report was ready and I picked it up at the radiology department and headed straight to the surgical clinic. On the way there, I read the report and I was so shocked to learn that there is a leak! They did not specify which type of leak it was, so I handed the CT to the surgeons and they told me that it was a type 3 leak, meaning we have to put in under GA again to reposition the stent.
Since HKL is always full and the OT list is super full, we couldn't find a space for my dad 2nd operation until February. We tried to push for those days where we have longer OT time but it just couldn't be done. Basically, my dad had to wait for a month with a leaking AAA stent =S. Luckily the flow of the leak was not high when they did the ultrasound scan, so it is kinda reassuring that it can be delayed.
On the 11th of February, he underwent angiogram KIV for another stent in case they couldn't secure the leak. He was in the OT for 2 hours. I went in to the OT after he was done and saw all my bosses there. The head of department saw me (he was the one leading the operation) and he told me that when they went in, they couldn't find any leak at all. The stents were already secured and angiogram, being the gold standard investigation for a leak, trumps the CT scan findings. Probably the leak was sealed off by my dad's own body defense mechanism. I wouldn't say that he went in for nothing but rather, he went in and confirms that there is no leak and there is absolutely nothing wrong with his previous operation.
Currently, he is already playing golf again and running around the house playing with his cucu-s. =)
Alhamdulillah.

Now I Know How It Feels Like To Be On The Other Side

Back in 2006, when I was still in my 2nd year of medical school, my dad had an episode of NSTEMI (heart attack) and he was hospitalized in PPUM for a week. There, he was also diagnosed with 8cm abdominal aortic aneurysm (aka triple A). Doctors tried to convince him that it was very very dangerous and he needs operation ASAP but my dad, being the hard-headed person, refused any treatment and defaulted all follow ups. I, being the daughter, and also a medical personnel, knows the urgency and the catastrophic event that can result from his illness and I have been "bugging" him to get something done but he continued to refuse treatment.
One bad thing about triple A is that there is absolutely no pain and symptoms. Patient would feel absolutely nothing and comfortable regardless the size. My dad thought that he was ok and actually believed that the aneurysm can actually shrink within time. I have no idea where he got that concept, no from me absolutely.

Picture showing aneurysm. My dad's aneurysm was 10 cm. Yes, you read it right...TEN blardy CM!

After a few years of nagging, my dad eventually succumbed to it. He finally agrees to go for a check up last month. It just so happens that currently I am in a vascular unit in surgical department, and I called up one of the consultant surgeon and referred my dad to him.
My dad went for a check up in his clinic straight away he ordered my dad to be admitted the very next day for further investigations and pre-op assessment. He was in ward 14 (surgical ward HKL) for a few days and CT scans, lung function test, ECHO, etc were done. Everything looks prefect and he seemed fine to undergo a major surgery. His aneurysm has expanded 2 cm since the last time he checked and currently at 10cm. According to my consultants, my dad is a rare case which at 10cm, his aneurysm hasn't actually leaked or ruptured.
Mr Naresh (the consultant surgeon), talked to my dad and the rest of the family about the urgency of his operation and what would happened if he does not go for surgery. I myself saw the CT scan and i was shocked (and I cried) when I saw how thin his aortic wall was. It was super thin that i believe it can rupture just about anytime.
The surgeons then referred my dad to Hospital Serdang for further evaluation of his heart since he has a history of IHD. The cardiologists did an angiogram for him there. Initially they wanted to do angioplasty for him but when they saw the angiogram, they told me that he needs a bypass (CABG) and can't perform any angioplasty for him since he has 3 vessel disease and his LAD is already 90% blocked. At that point, I was praying so hard that my dad won't have to do an open surgery because I know his heart could not take the stress during the operation since they need to clamp the aorta if they go for open surgery to repair the aneurysm.
After much discussions among the specialists and surgeons from HKL, Hospital Serdang, and IJN, they have decided that they have to do the aneurysm repair (EVAR) first since it is semi-emergency and CABG post EVAR. Bare in mind that it was a super major surgery. The complications during operation includes MI, aneurysm rupture, conversion from EVAR to open surgery (which my dad can't take it), DVT, acute limb ischaemia,, and stroke.
My sister came back from the USA to give my dad and the rest of the family moral support. The operation really hit my family hard. All of us including my extended family were worried sick, we cried, and we all really did pray hard for him.
On 27th of October, they went in to the OT. The surgeons cleared up the whole day and concentrated on my dad's case alone. There was no other OT that was on. Mr Zainal, the head of department, happens to know the pioneer of EVAR and he called him up to scrub in together with the team. In a way, that gave a boost of confidence and a relieve for us..not that we didn't trust our own surgeons (they are the best in Malaysia...all aneurysm cases from this country will be referred to the vascular team in HKL) but it was kind of a comfort to know that the pioneer himself was there.
The operation went smoothly at first. They started at 9.30am and finished at 12pm. I was informed by the OT staff nurse that my dad is well and will be transferred to ICU shortly. I was waiting outside of the OT with my mom and sisters and after half an hour, still no one came out from the OT and no sign of my dad.
The staff nurse came out again and told me the news I dreaded for. There was a complication. The surgeons are opening him up again and doing emergency embolectomy since they couldn't find any pulse over his lower limb and on table angiogram showed there was a block over his popliteal vein. I stood there for a minute, stunned. I went back out and break the bad news to the whole family. We went back to his room in ward 14 to wait and started to recite prayers and yassin for his well being.
From 12 noon until 4.30pm I was walking back and forth from OT to ward 14 to OT just to check if they have finished with my dad's operation. I waited in front of patient's waiting bay since I was not allowed in. I only got a few updates from Faizal, the houseman who scrubbed in (unofficially my eyes and ears in OT that day).
At about 4.45pm, my dad was wheeled out and transferred to GICU. After they have attached all the equipments and machines onto my dad and anaest doctors did the post-op review, we were allowed to go in. He was on ventimask by that time and already extubated. My sister woke my dad up by telling him the time but he was still drowsy from all the anaesthetic given.

Diagram showing the simplified version of EVAR that was done for my father.

He was in GICU for a day and transferred to general ward (MY WARD!) for close monitoring (but not as close as in GICU).
It was awkward and a bit weird for me and my colleages to have my dad around as our patient, especially in acute cubicle. By the time he was in general ward, he was already being himself. The talkative, whiny, and funny self.
On the 3rd day post-op, he was transferred back to his room ward 14 as he does not need close monitoring anymore but just 4-6 hour monitoring of his vitals.
On Friday, 4 days after his major operation, the team decided that he is strong and well enough to go home. Mr Naresh briefed me about what to expect once my dad goes home and what he should and shouldnt do, which includes no golfing for 2 months.
As of today, it has been exactly a week and my father has been doing extremely well, Alhamdulillah. He is already up and about, tolerating orally well, fever just settled, and complaining every second that he wants to go for putting and golfing. It was another miracle that he recovered this quick. I guess because of his pre-morbid condition prior to the operation was good (NYHA Class I with EF of 51%..!!) helped the short recovery period.
Whatever it is, I'm so glad to have my dad back and relieved to know that he will be there for my wedding day and to be my wali for my akad next year, insyaAllah.
For those of you who prayed, called, texted, visited, on behalf of my family, THANK YOU very very much. God bless.



**My dad told me when my sister Farah woke him up after his operation to tell him that it was already 5pm, in his head he was thinking "Crap! 5 more holes to go!" - he was playing golf during the whole operation! Morphine and Fentanyl can really do wonders.

***I'm sorry cause there's so many medical jargons. It's difficult for me to explain every single thing but I've tried to make it easier to understand by linking some of the words to the Wikipedia page...sorry..=)