With an arrow that big....

Alot of padding for three small holes!..I bruise easy..and bleed easy..ufff!:)

.....You'd hope they got the correct leg:)

OPERATION PHOENIX

Here I am with my mum after the operation. Yes I'm slightly out of it!

Two feet back on the ground

My operation on Monday turned out to be thus far successful, thank god, alhumdulliah.:) It was a long day waiting as I was scheduled to be the last op for the evening. My mum came over from perth to help me get through everything and her presence has been a great relief...I don't know what I would have done without her here! She has been so supporting, so helpful and she's been an extra voice inside my head keeping me strong!
Anyways I went into surgery at about 5.30pm. One minute a guy was talking to me about taekwondo and the next minute I woke up in the recovery room in absolute pain and wanting to throw my guts up! That was 8.30pm...the longest minute of my life!

They took me up to my room where I was greeted by my mum, and it was a good thing she was there or else the poor nurse would have had to listen to my non stop babbling about random things (yes totally random). The nurse floated in and out of the room...she initially told me I had a buzzor attached to my wrist and that when I felt pain, i was to press it......---and naturally being in alot of pain...I pressed and pressed and pressed...and pressed....until she came back in shock to see alot of it gone. Anyways... that was the end of my instant pain reliever coz she took it off me!..(Need I say I was extremely dissapointed)!

Mum stayed with me half the evening but then had to go because of hospital rules. I didn't end up getting much sleep that night because of my constant need to throw up. My stomach had ran out of everything, including bile, so the only thing I was throwing up was air! hmmmmmmmm I liken that experience to a dog trying to pee on a tree to leave its scent but unable to because it's empty.

The next day all I could think about was leaving the hospital--I didnt want to be there another second. I tried so hard to get moving early morning but my leg wouldn't stop bleeding and every time I went to stand I felt like fainting. The physio was the first to endure that with me---he walked me about 3 steps towards the door when I said I was going to faint and I barely made it back to the bed before I started being sick again! ufffffffffff I just wanted to go home. So I tried and tried and damaged the carpet with blood and tried some more until finally, about 6pm, the nurses bandaged me up so tight there was no chance I was going to bleed again:)..AND I WAS OUT OF THERE!

To Sum the event up: It was a night I seriously want to forget about, but simply can not!

I have named it "reality Tuesday". It is the day I heard the bad news about my knee and the day when everything began to sink in.

My bid to win the World Championships next month has come to an end and my main focus now will be recovering from surgery I need to undertake on Monday.

It was initially hard dealing with the fact that I can't go to Worlds to fight. I think on Tuesday I cried enough to fill the Murray Darling River and rid Australia of all its water problems! But, what can I say other than -- these things happen, alhumdulliah (thank god), I'm alive and well. I guess it's a blessing in disguise and that god has sent me down this path for a reason. For whatever that may be, I'll be giving my all to recovering strong and being back fighting better than before.

This is a new chapter in my fighting career and I have no doubt the journey will bring forth my true fighting character.

"Negatives are quick to turn into positives if you believe in yourself."

The term BLACK FRIDAY certainly lived up to its name last week for me.It was the 13th of April at 4.30pm when I officially found out the bad news about my injury. I had an MRI retaken in Australia hoping that the results would be clearer and better than the ones I had taken overseas. Although unfortunately, swelling or no swelling, the same results were produced. Now, I have to go back to the doctors to see what the next steps will be.

Resting under the orange trees with Pasa.
Me and my Spidies!!
The Beautiful, cold water we went in. I think I only managed to get in there to help my knee recover, otherwise there would be no way of me going....it was ICEY COLD! Needless to say my love caught no fish:(!!! and whilst there were no fish I was still petrified a shark would come and eat me!

Well I spent a few days in Turkey after the comp, having not seen Bahri and family for along time. He was really sweet and so concerned for me and my inury, I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful bf, alhumdulliah. I had an MRI there and slowly regained walking movement. At first I could not walk up and down stairs, which meant getting to his home at the top took a long - long - long time to reach. But by the end of the week I could get there in 6 mintues.

Bahri has helped me keep a positive mind frame. At times I slip and wonder why this happened...but he reminds me it all happens for a reason and I know that it will only make me stronger and hungrier to succeed! I already want it so much more than before, ---I believe--- and clearly see my goals are possible. A mountain might be in my way, but I am a person who is willing and determined to conquer it. I will climb this mountain and any other thrown my way to reach my goal of gold at the Olympics.

German Open - The Competition Setback

David working on my leg
SWelling from my injury above...

And Brittany trying to hide her swelling from me:) She fought like a champ in both tours regardless of the fat lip she got from Mexico!:)

My German Open campagin didn't exactally go the way I planned it to, then again no injury is planned. My first fight was against Netherlands. - I was winning 4 to (-1) with only 48 secs to go and then it happened. ..........pop -pop....the first time....and pop - pop the second try, my knee just gave way.

I think its time for me to call Alissa Camplin - the Ice Queen.

DUTCH OPEN - SILVER

Gwladys Espague from France and I on the podium. My support team. Thanks (l toR) Andy, Daniel, Taeho and David
The Aussie Team

We just finished the Dutch open in Eindhoen, where I placed 2nd. The comp went from 9am in the morning till 2am the next day. ..and yes I was fighting my final at 2am! It was an extremely long and tiring day, but a successful one non the less. I learnt alot from my experience and pushed past some of the most excrutiating pain I have had in a while. My final was not the best, I tried new things, I tried to fight with two feet but one of them just didnt want to connect with anything (having swollen up in the semi) and part of it felt like a dream. At least I can take this matt time with me to the World Champs and hopefully progress past my mistakes and make the 1st place podium.

Briefly

1st fight: Won against Greece

2nd fight: Won against Germany

Quarter Final: Won against Belarus

Semi Final: Won against Sweden

Final: Lost to France

1 EPEANGUE, GWLADYS, FRA
2 MORGAN, TINA, AUS
3 SOLHEIN, NINA, NOR
3 KYLBORN, LIE, SWE

Final Korea Days

We spent the last few days at KoGAS Company team! It is an awsome team - but only guys training there. It was good because it allowed us to do our own training with them and practice basic techniques for competition. The coach, Mr Park had helped the Aussie team significantly and was vey welcoming to us.