Thursday 29 March 2012

Two Steps Forward…One Step Back…

…but I am getting there!!! Thank you so much for all your ‘Get Well’ wishes. To bring you up to speed…

13 Get Well Cards

My surgery went without a hitch! My Consultant even commented afterwards, that it was a very gratifying procedure for him, because it so badly needed to be done!

I arrived at the ‘Day Ward’ bright & early at 7.30am on the Tuesday, along with a bevvy of fellow day surgery patients & was immediately taken through to the female section of the ward, where, we women did what women do & found out all about each other & what we were in for!! We weren’t kept waiting for long & I was given second slot in theatre, so by 10.30am I was gowned up & in the Anaesthetic room.

This is my least favourite bit of the whole process, that feeling of letting go…not to mention all the needles it involves!!! I was firstly given a local anaesthetic in the left side of my neck, which involved an ultrasound scan, to make sure they didn’t hit any arteries or nerves (gulp!)…this felt so weird, I was numb from my scalp to my waist on my left side!! Once they were happy with this I was allowed to drift off & the surgeon worked his magic!!

Next thing I knew I was coming too…whinging & complaining about the oxygen mask that the male nurse replaced as fast as I kept removing it!! My shoulder was throbbing, in spite of the local anaesthetic, so I was given morphine & that shut me up! When I finally woke up properly, I was back on the day ward & it was almost 3pm!!

I was allowed home in the evening, once I’d eaten & drunk something & been to the loo!! Still numb on one side, arm in a sling & clutching ‘Big Guns’ pain relief, I felt I’d come through the day rather well!!

On Wednesday I slept ALL DAY! By the evening my left side was back to life with just a few remnants of numbness in my neck & jaw…although the puncture marks & bruising on my neck make me look like a cast member in a ‘Twilight’ movie! 

Thursday I slept till 2pm…got up to eat some porridge & wash, then I got back into bed again!! I have to say at this point just how blissful it is to be sleeping IN BED again & for such long stretches of time!! Friday I had to get up to have my dressings changed & quite enjoyed my walk to & from the GP’s in the sunshine…but yes…when I got back I crashed out on the sofa & slept till 6pm!!

Saturday, I slept till 10am but then got up & pottered about & although I watched two movies back-to-back in the afternoon, I stayed awake all day! Yay! Progress…I thought!!

14 Spring Blossom

As the weather has been so glorious, on Sunday Lee suggested a trip out to a local garden centre. Good idea, thought I….but even the car ride there was uncomfortable & once in the centre, I felt as if I could keel over at any moment…needless to say it was a very quick visit & I was exhausted!!

So that’s how it’s been…two steps forward, one step back! I had my sutures removed yesterday & two of the three wounds are healing nicely while the third is still a little ‘sticky’. My pain relief holds off the soreness of the wounds, & I have none of the awful pain I had before.  The only time I wince is during my daily exercises to keep my shoulder mobile…I’ve yet to start physio’ proper, but am determined not to allow it to set back immobile!!

One silver lining from the whole process is a total lack of appetite, so in two weeks I’ve lost 6.5lbs! My challenge now is to hang onto that loss once the anaesthetic is fully out of my system & my appetite comes back with a vengeance!!

I apologise for the poor showing of photo’s in this post…I’ve nothing creative to share either! I have a couple of projects to knuckle down to before April 1st (!) & I think I should be OK with those… if I can just stay awake….!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by & do come back soon! Open-mouthed smile

Saturday 17 March 2012

The Power Of Positive Thought!…

Thank you so much to everyone who sent positive thoughts & vibes my way for Friday’s pre-op assessment!! It worked!! Not only did all the necessary boxes get checked but they offered me a surgery slot for next Tuesday!! Result!!

tavistock%202

so, at 7.30am I will arrive on the Day Surgery Ward & then wait to be given my theatre time! I am so pleased that I will be getting a full ten weeks recovery before my holiday in Turkey…physio here I come!!

The one thing I’m so looking forward to is a full, unbroken nights sleep...in my bed, as opposed to the recliner sofa! That & being able to swim again!! Can you tell I’m a happy bunny…I’ll be even happier when the pain is gone…even with extra scars to show for the experience!!

Maybe I can trouble you to hold onto those positive thoughts for Tuesday too? Just in case!!!

I can’t believe I neglected to mention in my last post that one of the first things I did when we regained our internet connection, was to sign up for Tim Holtz’s first ever online class, called ‘Creative Chemistry 101’

“In Creative Chemistry 101 Tim Holtz teaches the “science” behind it all. This class will give you the confidence to experiment with an abundance of techniques and give you ideas for ways to use all the creative mediums in your stash. This jam-packed online workshop is your front row seat to 100% technique know-how.”

0 Tim Holtz Class

…it looks right up my street as it’s all about techniques, rather than specific projects.  I’d rather learn ‘How to’ & put that knowledge into my own designs, than take a class where I end up with an album full of someone else’s designs!! It always feels a bit like painting by numbers!

I’m looking forward to cracking open some of the Ranger products in my stash that I’ve never got around to using, simply because I’m not sure what I can do with them, other than the obvious!!

So watch this space…although I’ll be in catch-up mode from the start with my surgery being on day 2 of class!! Ah well…needs must!!

I’m off to finish the laundry & take a batch of jam tarts out of the oven! I’m in overdrive trying to make sure everything is up to date, so I can afford to be ‘out of action’ for as long as I need to be post-op!!

Thanks for stopping by & do come back very soon {{HUGS}}

Open-mouthed smile

Monday 12 March 2012

Enforced Silence!

What a week & a bit it’s been!

Hubby had a birthday & treated himself to a new laptop. All well & good you might think, but with it came a ‘light bulb’ moment!! What if he used his old laptop to replace the stack of my desktop, thereby speeding up my internet connection. That led to using my old stack to update Nathans desktop computer too!

Who was I to argue? Faster internet was certainly worth a day off-line while all the re-programming took place….wasn’t it?!!

All went well until about 4pm on the Saturday when a communal cry of “Nooooo!! I’ve lost internet connection” came from various rooms in the house! Hubby inspected the ‘Live Box’ & made a phone call to the help desk, but to no avail….& we were without internet for a whole week!! Sad smile

It’s fixed now…phew! The boys were beginning to have withdrawal symptoms from X-Box Live deprivation!! I’m sorry to all of you who I’ve not been able to visit, email etc & I will endeavour to catch up asap!!

6 Lee Cake & CandlesAs mentioned, Lee had a birthday on 5th March & it was another time to play the cupcake game & restrict my pro-point intake!!!  It’s all worth it…I lost another 1 1/2lb this week!

Along with other gifts I gave him a guide book to Beijing & some Chinese currency in readiness for his trip in July!

We’ve been having fun with the ‘phrase book’ section of the guide!

7 Happy MailI also received some Australian Happy Mail from the Lovely Shazza over at ‘Soul Scrappers’.

During the recent ‘Sense-ational Summer’ contest I had won a few prizes & they all came in one package!

When I opened it up I had all these wonderful scrappy goodies…

 

8 Inside Happy Mail


…I’d actually forgotten about them, which made the surprise even more enjoyable! Thanks Shazza! It’s just great fun to play along anyway!


On the subject of Scrappiness…I have one LO to share! The lovely Julie Jeavons left me a comment & asked with a ‘pretty please’ if I’d play along with her recipe challenge, also over at ‘Soul Scrappers’…how could I refuse?!! Here’s my LO…

9 I know my place

You might recognise the photo from a previous post…Pikachu, making himself at home in the rubbish basket in my scrap room! he knows his place!!

I did have one fabulous surprise this week, which was perfectly timed by my sister, Rosemary.  The Accident Investigator had just left (here to record a ‘Statement of Truth’ in connection with the collision that took place in November…can you believe the old bat is still trying to claim Personal Injury for herself & her passenger after she drove into me while I was stationary?!!…but I digress!!) when the phone rang. 

10 Hotel in TurkeyIt was Ro to tell me that she was going to book a holiday for us & it was her treat! I had not expected to get any time in the sun this year, so it was a wonderful surprise!! We are going to Turkey (again!) but not our usual haunt of Olu Deniz, but Icmeler, a bit further west!  So, we’re off for a week on June 1st & I am so looking forward to it…I just hope my surgery is done & dusted before then so I can get the full benefit!!

11 pre-opWhich brings me to this Friday &   my trip to the hospital for a fresh ‘Pre-Op Assessment’…my GP is happy with my BP level now & I just hope that the pre-op unit finds nothing else to hold things up!

So…with faith in the power of positive thought, I ask you all kindly to send positive vibes my way this Friday & hopefully I’ll be given the OK & an early ‘Op’ date!! Many Thanks in anticipation!!!

Thanks for dropping by, I’ll get around to visit everyone soon! Meanwhile, have a great week & come back soon! Smile

Thursday 1 March 2012

A ‘Woo-Hoo’ Kind of Wednesday!

Firstly, can I say a HUGE Thank You to all of you who take time to leave such lovely comments, they really are appreciated & help me keep things in perspective.

Secondly…WOO-HOO indeed!!  Yesterday was such a good day!!!

In the morning I went along for my first weigh-in at Weight Watchers & to my joy had lost 4lbs!! :)

Then off I went to the nurse for my BP check-up & all three of the tests showed by Diastolic number (the bottom one!) in the eighties…so I’m now officially safe
to have a General Anaesthetic!! :)))  I now have to wait to hear from Admissions as to when I can be fitted in for my surgery…even my shoulder seemed a little less painful yesterday..for a while anyway!!

The day after tomorrow As it’s the first of a shiny new month, I have some scrappiness to share. Firstly this months poster challenge over at ‘From Screen 2 Scrap’. The poster for your inspiration is ‘The Day After Tomorrow’.

The added criteria were…

1. to use only one photo
2. to keep it monochrome with a touch of blue
3. to use a white title


…& here’s what I did with it…

Winter Wonderland 
The photo is of Alex, taken when he & I had our walk around the village on that wonderful snowy Sunday at the beginning of last month.  What doesn’t really show up in this LO photo is that each snowflake & stamped sparkle is glittered! But hey, you get the idea!! 

I did find this poster more challenging than some…but what would you do with it? We’d love to have you play along with us this month…pop over to ‘From Screen To Scrap’ & join in!!!

5 Jacky's February LO to lift for 1st March

 

It’s also time for another LO for the lovely Dawn’s ‘Chinese Whispers’ & this month Jacky’s LO for me to lift looked like this…>>>

 

 

& this is my ‘lift’…

29 Feb 2012 001
Again, my muses! This time enjoying the giant inflatable slide at last years ‘Beds County Show’.  I had fun gluing down all that twine into swirly patterns…I made a template first to pencil onto the page & then glued as I went along…I’m pleased with how that turned out!

I do hope everyone gets to enjoy a bit of sunshine this weekend & I’ll leave you with something else that made me smile yesterday…

Smile 

Thanks for stopping by & come back soon! :)