Torture Chamber

"Behind every corner,
A secret is sealed.
Beyond every turn,
The adventure revealed."

I went down to Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Hospital last Friday to get some rehab for my broken leg.

What? You broke your leg?!

I went down to Royal Talbot last Friday to participate in a research project (a hurdle requirement for my Physio course). The research project was entitled:

"Twitch Interpolation of the Ankle Plantar-Flexors: The Extent of Voluntary Motor Unit Activation Following Whole Body Vibration"

I assumed that all i had to do was stand on some vibrating plate and maintain my balance, so i didn't bother to read the research synopsis - BIG MISTAKE.

I wasn't allowed to eat 2 hours prior to the test, which was at 2pm. Naturally, my growling tummy made me particularly cranky. I had to walk for 30mins from Alphington station to get to the hospital -.-" I've got no idea why it's located in such a remote part of Kew.

On the way to the hosp, I had to walk on that bridge that you see above. It gets quite scary when you're in the middle. That picture up the top was taken before I crossed the bridge, and this one was taken after i crossed it. Sometimes we slog hard, taking small steps as we go along. We get demoralised cuz we don't think we're getting anywhere. Take some time to look back - history tells a different story.


I had to get the hair around my right knee shaved off to get rid of any resistance to the painful electrical stimuli that were to be sent through my right leg -.-" Basically, the aim of the test is to determine how much force my right calf muscle can generate with different treatments. So, i was taken to this portable caravan (the name "torture chamber" does more justice to its intrinsic nature) where i was strapped to a chair (very much like the ones you see in torture scenes in movies). I couldn't move ANY part of my body besides my right ankle. My right sole was placed on a force plate (a device that measures the force exerted on it in Newtons) and i was told to plantar flex as hard as I could. (Plantar flexion is the action you do when you tip-toe).

See, that doesn't sound too painful. BUT there was a twist that i was COMPLETELY unaware of. Mike (the researcher) attached electrodes to my knees and said that he would be sending electrical stimuli through my right leg to find the nerve that innervates my calf muscles. According to him, the electrical stimuli feel "weird, not painful".

It was WEIRD all right. And it wasn't just painful.. it was EXCRUCIATING! It literally felt like getting electrocuted! I could feel the electrical signal creep all the way from my knee through my calf and into my toes; causing each muscle to wrench in agony as it passed by.

He delivered 10 shocks (at the lowest intensity) to determine the exact location of the nerve. I didn't want to sound like a girl, so i sucked all the pain in.

Mike: "Hmm.. i'm surprised that you didn't wince. Most of them wince at the first shock. How's it feel?"

Isaac: "Weird."

I wish i had winced.

That wasn't the end of all the shocking.

There were 3 components to each test:
1) Plantar flexion without TORTURE (electrical stimuli) 7 repititions
2) Plantar flexion with TORTURE - 10 REPS!!!!
3) No plantar flexion; with TORTURE - 10 REPS!!!!

OMG!! There was a countdown from 10..9..5..4...3..2..1... BANG! before each electrical stimulus was delivered.. 20 shocks for each test. 2 tests to be carried out = 40 shocks + 10 shocks to determine the location of my nerve + ~10 more shocks to make up for the ones that weren't strong enough!

I was half dead after that 2 and a half hour test. Mike's supervisor (Ben) came in at the end of the test.

Ben: Wow! you've got extraordinary results. You're hitting 30 Newtons.

Isaac: What's the average reading?

Ben: About 15 Newtons. Any comments?

Isaac: Yea, it hurts a lil (JUST a LITTLE)

Ben: Hmm.. Mike, what stimuli are you giving him?

Mike: erm.. *looks at machine* 99%

Ben: o.O" I've never tested anyone with that before.

Mike: *looks at me* You seem to have a very high tolerance level. You didn't wince at the start and you didn't scream or anything.

-.-"""""""""""""""""

I would've given him 99% of HELL if i wasn't strapped to that torture chair.

My Faithful God

My Faithful God

When I was weary and broken
You caught my tears in the palms of your hands
You carried me through the fiercest storm
You are the God who heals my disease

Now I stand surrounded
By the power of your love
I'll raise my hands
To worship my King

Your love is like an ever-raging sea
I can't resist it
It washes over me
You hide my fears and failures
Behind the rugged cross
My soul it sings
What a Faithful God!

I will run and not be weary
I will walk and not be faint
For my God is faithful
He will carry me through

-------

Today was rather unique. I decided not to go for soccer training. I picked up a minor ankle injury a about a month ago. I thought it would get better after a few days, but it didn't. I continued to play soccer/futsal. Consequently, i gradually aggravated it to the extent that it's sending out excruciating pain signals whenever i stretch it. Ahh... i don't want to be limited by an injury; or worse, to be restricted from ever kicking a ball again because of it!!

So, i decided to take a break from soccer today. I had plenty of study to catch up with anyway. HOWEVER, i ended up spending an hour or so "revamping" my room. I rearranged my desk and lamps, organised all the junk on it, rearranged the pictures on my wall, and vacuumed my room :D

That took me a solid hour. Then, i hopped on my guitar and started to worship God. I intended to spend about 30mins with God before starting on my study, but i ended up composing a song for 2-3hrs!! (yes, it's the song that you see above) haha!

Dinner time.

ps. Jesus loves you VERY much.

Happy 19th Nick! =)

Soccer buds.. Happy 19th Lobes! :)

Uncle Jin (middle man) flew over for a day on business. I realised that i've never had a real conversation with him. I guess I was too young and immature back when i was in Singapore.

That pretty girl in the beautiful blue dress on the left is Em. She's the future CEO of Maccas. (Coke and Ice anyone?)

That's us at Melissa's house (it's more like a Mansion) before the formal.

Nicky in his B'day present! Sup, homie?

ft. tb alv + extreme r@ger Darth Aud!

Nick and Serene. Franny, get outta the picture! :P

We "broke" Franny's jelly heart. Aww.. (that is funny)

Alvin: That's a shattered heart.

-

The average lifespan: 75 years.

No. of days in a year: 365 26,700 days.

2, 306, 880, 000 seconds to live.

-

Nick's surprise party was the first successful one that i've witnessed. There's an interesting sotry behind the surprise.

Serene had been planning this for quite some time, but Nick coincidentally found out a few days ago. It took quite a bit of wit on Serene's part (all credit to her). See, Nick knew that we were going to throw a surprise party for him, but he didn't know WHEN. Subsequently, Serene planned a premature "fake" surprise party while we were playing soccer last night to disguise the real surprise party this arvo.

We were having a fun time playing futsal until the lights went out at 10pm. Amidst the pitch darkness, Serene and a couple of girls brought in HAMBURGER CAKES with sparkling candles on them. Fortunately, the disguise worked, and Nick was genuinely surprised today.

I had a fun time at Nick's place despite feeling rather sick (i'm suffering from over exersion coupled with a lack of rest). Shared many laughs with Nick, Aud, Stan, Sha, Iain, Daniel, Serene, and JP.

Highlight of the day: Nick's lightsabre battle with Aud.


Adri and Aaron stayed over last night after soccer. Jerusha went to bed early cuz she had to wake up for tuition today, so Adri came over to my room and we chatted till 2 in the morn - "sempiternal love", "vituperations", silly songs that i compose, and grand dads is all that i can remember; the rest was just a blur.. I was wayy too tired.

At 2am, YES, 2AM, she was still hungry and was craving for her favourite Mee Goreng.

Adri: ^^ Meee... Gorreeenggg??? Pllleeeeaasseee (^^,)

So Mee Goreng it was. I cooked a good batch this time (Ann, i'm ready for rematch!) We watched August Rush as we ate. I dozed off soon after.. keeping my eyes open was harder than not closing them. (that wasn't meant to make sense)

I woke up at 8ish. I felt sooo tired and i just wanted to lazy around for a bit. Guess WHO comes rushing in.. Adri jumps on my bed and starts kicking me off -.-"" I ate her egg sandwich.

Ahhh.. uni's already taking its toll! I'm gonna spend my Sunday studying about muscle creep, low back injuries, stress-strain curves, fatigue failure...

"If i were a muscle, i would be on the verge of undergoing fatigue failure"

the house of fun

je ma'pelle adrienne ft. Isaac

yes well im not actually allowed to do this but whatever (:
atm at the Ho twins house and am currently not doing any productive (ie. not planning some mass sabotage on their beloved rooms) cuz i have netball in about 10 mins..

ISAAC JUST ATE MY EGG SANDWICH !
nottee !

btw we would just like to say to you, we dont appreciate ppl who tend to have a "repertoire of vetuperation"

BUT we do believe in sempeternal love (btw if the spelling is all wrong)


anyways au revoir !

Irony

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky

I got that poem from Yvonne's blog. She's an amazing writer/journalist. Her blog posts will shrink any ego and make one's vocab like a bottle of water floating in a vast sea.

Life's an irony because we human's are intrinsically corrupt.
Yet we refuse to admit to this simple fact
And make countless attempts to rectify this incorrigible problem
Which inevitably turns around and bites us in the backside.
Irony.

My first lecture back at Uni was on eicosanoids. What are they? See if you can figure them out.