Road to Recovery - One Step at a Time

Mommy took a BIG step this week. She took a trip to Monterey. It is the first time in three years after her stroke. GOD! We are so proud of her!!

Mommy has not traveled far since she suffered the stroke. She did not have the strength or the endurance to stay out. Daddy has worked with her on exercising and building back her strength since day one. He has been there for her 24/7. He is such a great husband!!

In April 2007, we were planning on going to Costa Rica for vacation. The trip was put on hold because Mommy's doctor would not allow her to fly. Mommy was disappointed because it meant she was medically disable and it was very hard for her to accept. We told her that Costa Rica will always be there for her.

For a while, Mommy could only take baby steps and would get tired easily. It was expected when she had her brain opened to have a 3-4 in blood clot removed. The slowly seeping blood had zapped some of the nerves that controlled her speech, right arm and both legs. Mommy could not move and speak for couple of weeks after the surgery.

You would have to witness her progress to appreciate what Mommy accomplishes today. Right after the surgery in April 2007, Mommy was in acute rehab for a month. She could not even move her feet/legs at first. The physical therapists had to move her leg one step at a time. They worked 6-7 hours a day, 30 days straight.

At first Mommy needed help standing up. Then, she started using the cane to stay balanced, then she started moving her legs -- one exhausting step at a time. Then, she started walking more and more. Babies steps in the backyard. Walks around the block. Climbing stairs. Stay out for 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 2 hours, 4 hours.... now, at times she can even walk without assistance. It was a long way to recovery but she did it.

Our first big test was in March of this year when she took a field trip to Tomales Bay nonstop. She did it!! So I said let's try Monterey which required her to be on the road for 3 hours nonstop and she did it again.

We're back from our little 1-Day/1-Night excursion. Next, we will try Lake Tahoe/Reno, then perhaps LA or Las Vegas. We will make our way back down to Mexico and eventually COSTA RICA. Yes, it's there waiting for Mommy.

A big salute to my parents and to all of you who are working hard to get back to normal life. YES, YOU CAN!

Taiyaki DYI

Taiyaki. It's a traditional Japanese sweet treat made with a flour batter and red bean paste. You can find it in Japantown. When it's being baked, you can smell it a mile away. Like in cartoons, just follow the smell to the food stand. You can't miss it.

A fish is born: pour batter into hot fish shape molds, fill the middle with red bean paste, let it cook, flip to cook the other side and voila, piping hot sweet treat in minutes. Just like magic! It's yummy but darn expensive. I remembered that it used to be about $2.50 each. That was a while back...

Never thought I would be making Taiyaki one day. I spotted a Taiyaki mold in a Korean Supermarket last week. Not cheap. $19.99 for a two-goldfish mold. Hmmm... let's see, I'll have to make at least 8 fish to make it worth of my investment. I just hoped that it would work like the picture showed.

What to use for batter? A quick Google search resulted in abundance of recipes but I got lazy. I figured pancake/waffle mix would do. Guess what??? I was right! Whoo-hoo!

So home-made Taiyaki is possible. Look at my creation. Aren't they cute? So far, I made over 10 times over the weekend. I got to eat one, the rest were devoured within minutes. Demand over Supply. Now I know why it's so expensive.

Happy goldfish making everyone!