Sally, I am so happy to know Andy is home and is in the comfort of his own bed. I bet he will love his dinner! Take care of yourself as you are caring for him. Harry must be thrilled to have his Dad home! Hugs to all! :)

:eek: Harry's all curled up in the V bit inbetween Andy's legs - underneath the table!!!! They're both fast asleep - I'm going to have to wake them up in a bit, dinner's in an hour....:D

Love to hear how everyone is doing! I can just picture them fast asleep, so content! Happy for you Sally! :)

Harry
 

I knew Harry would make it up there, LOL!
Enjoy dinner.
Dot xx

Sally, So glad to hear that Andy is home and recovering. I'm sure Harry's glad too! What time is dinner? I'm on my way!

wow what a trooper. Wishing a fast and full recovery. Thanks for finding the time to keep us updated. Hope you all get the rest you need.

So happy Andy is home, hospitals are so depressing and you really cannot get proper sleep. There's nothing like your own bed for a restful nights sleep, doting nurse and comforting aid. (((HUGS))) Andy, Sally and lil Harry.

Sounds like you have everything spit spot and polished up to perfection as you always seem to. Things that would fell me like a tree seem to just fail to phase you much at all like nothing is too big for you. You are a toughie, Miss Sally!!! And on top of that, you cook like a professional chef, lady! Imagine getting to the hospital, checking Andy out and getting him home, and squared away(no easy feat for a post-op patient), Harry settled down from the excitement of having Daddy back home and managing a huge meal with trimmings! You are amazing.

I'm so glad Andy is doing well for what he's going through. He's pretty tough himself. Please give him and his furry little son Harry big hugs from Texas and allow yourself a second helping of whatever dessert you have in the house - you deserve it. I wish you had someone to spell you for a while so you could get out and about to stretch your legs and a deep breath, still knowing Andy's well-cared for.

Have a wonderful night now that hubs is home again. I know that must make you feel much better.

I'm sure Harry is glad Daddy is home, and Daddy is glad to be home out of that ole hospital. Nurse Sally has it all under control it sounds like :D

Wishing the best for a quick and smooth recovery!

:eek: I REALLY don't like changing that dressing...it's in such a very vulnerable, tight-skinned kind of a place double eek!

It's sort of at the base of his neck/top of the spine. He had his bath this afternoon (he badly needed a bit of a soak....:rolleyes:) so I put the waterproof dressing over the 'ordinary dressing' - that was easy.

But then getting it off, without pulling on those staples, I was so scared. I did it soooo gently, but it was making him wince - horrible :(. It wasn't really wet at all, but I dabbed it really gently with muslin, and then put the new dressing on....I couldn't wait for that bit - get it all covered and safe again....

At least he's eating, and beautifully-smelling now....;) :D xxx

God bless you, I am so squeamish when it comes to things like that, scared of hurting the person or my pups.

Oh dear! That sounds awful :( is it okay to use oil like olive oil to loosen the edge of the asdhesive or is it too close/ likely to enter the wound site? Works like a dream with band aids! Hugs to you darlin :lv32:

I missed this thread. I just wanted to add my prayers and best wishes for Andy. He is a lucky man to have you and Harry looking out for him.

Ouch!!!
 

Poor Andy, and you!! Sounds a horrible procedure to me, but Nurse Sally soldiered on and did it. You are very brave to take these things on and I admire what you are doing for your man Andy. But how good he must feel when the dressings are done, he has had a lovely soak, and to cap it all.....Your tasty cooking! Hang in there, soon be healed and you can take a rest from the intense nursing detail.
Thinking of you and praying the healing and nursing continue to go well.
Love and warmest wishes to all.
Dot :) (((((( oxoxoxo ))))))

Andy
 

How is he doing today? And what's for dinner:)
Hugs

:( It's been a bit of a yucky old day....loads of pain, sort of shooting downwards from the incision, via the shoulder, under the armpit, all the way down his arm and making the middle 3 fingers of his left hand numb...

Andy rang his GP, who said it was all his nerves still jangling away - and has increased his morphine dosage, just for now, to get him over the worse...

I have emailed the secretary of the surgeon that performed the operation - just to make sure that this is what we should be expecting...the hospital is absolutely excellent and specialises in this sort of surgery, and I know we'll get a proper reply tomorrow (it's nearly 11 p.m. here now - won't be tonight ;)) :)

In the meantime - Andy's eaten his dinner - roast chicken breast with olives, tomatoes + peppers...garlic + rosemary new potatoes...leeks + peas, then sticky toffee pudding and cream so at least he won't fade away! :D He didn't really feel like eating, but I had to make him eat - soak up all those drugs....

So please still keep my lovely Andy in all your thoughts, and thank you ALL for your continuing good wishes :heart to xxx

I'm sorry Andy is so much pain. I know how difficult it must be for you seeing him like that. Andy has a special nurse and also a precious buddy to look over him. I pray the pain subsides and that his recovery is quick.

:) Thank you Lisa, you're a sweetheart :) xxx

I am keeping Andy in my prayers and hope when the surgeon gets back to you, will say it is normal occurrence that won't last long. I know you are doing so very good taking care of Andy and even making the best dinners for him to enjoy. Make sure you take care of you also. Hugs, Dyan

Prayers and hugs for Andy and best chef award for Nurse Sally:D

....sticky toffee pudding and creme....can I come over?

Hope tomorrow is better for Andy, and that his recovery gets rolling in the right direction.

:)Ohhhh, how I wish you could all come to ours for dinner - what a wonderful, happy time we'd all have!!! :D

I've spoken to the actual surgeon who did the operation, such a lovely reassuring man. He said that everything went perfectly, but that one of the neck-nerves was so totally trapped that it was completely squashed :eek: Can you imagine?!!!? Poor man.

He said that it WILL take time, it has to kind of re-shape and then all calm down - it may take weeks, to keep taking the drugs, and to relax and do nothing :) That's THE most difficult bit for Andy - he's my hoover-er, window-cleaner, lawn mower-er (do you like all these words that I'm concocting?!!!? :D) etc., so I'm really having to keep him in check...

Big hugs to you all, from Andy as well as from Harry + I!! :heart to xxx

Sally, Thankfully the surgeon has reassured you both that all is going as it should. I know Andy will want to be doing all the things he would but when he is totally healed he can start doing them again. In the meantime, I hope he takes it easy. Hugs to all!

Sally, you are so sweet to update us when I know you really have your hands full. You do know how we all think about Andy, and are so hoping that he will get better.

It is great to have good communication with the surgeon and doctors to understand what is going on as Andy continues to heal. Recovery takes time, especially in these delicate procedures. Just keep telling him that this too shall pass, and better days are coming (for all of you).

Hugs to all of you. I bet Harry is happy to have a napping partner :snore: :dogzzz:

:) Well, he's doing loads of sleeping (Andy, I mean!!! :D) so then I catch up on all my chores - and have my lovely down-time on YT!!! :D

What IS difficult at the mo, is that I'm also the principle carer for my parents (both mid-80's, quite a lot wrong with them, especially my dad :(). They were going to move into the house next door to us (neighbours moving back to Portugal) but unfortunately that all fell through - if they were next door right now, life would be a lot, lot easier.

So I'm still trying to do everything that I 'normally' do for them, plus look after Andy. Mum + dad are so, so sympathetic and caring, and love us all to bits - but shopping, some cleaning, generally getting them out of the house etc. etc. still have to be done :)

It's quite a juggle - but we're getting there!!! :D xxx

Poor Andy - those first few days after surgery are so awful! But this kind of pain is good, given the area he was operated on and the regenerative nature of nerves but oh, boy, it's not any fun, is it? Poor Andy had a devil of a procedure and many important nerve roots and nerves were bruised, shoved and held aside and badly misused - in their opinion - and now they are waking up, becoming more functional and starting to scream out in protest as they go through the healing and regeneration process. There will be more of the same over the next weeks and even months but not as bad as time goes on. Poor, poor Andy. I feel so for him - he's going to have a rough time of it but your nursing and amazing cooking and love and caring can't help but ease his path, though he may turn into the biggest grouch you've ever known over the next two weeks. Harry will help keep up his spirits - the old Andy will return one day - when he's not jumping on Daddy with full force - haha!

I'm so sorry Andy - and you - and also even Harry(he gets that there is sickness in the house) are having to go through all of this. I'm just so thankful he's got you and Harry. Prayers continue every day!

When all this is over, I hope you all can take a nice holiday in France or something. You'll all deserve it.

Sending lots of warm thoughts your way. Sally you sure have a lot to deal with, and I hope things ease up for you soon.

Hoping Andy is feeling a wee bit better today. Sally, make sure you are not neglecting yourself, mom, dad, Andy, you're spreading your self thin. Make sure you rest and you too eat properly, you can't get run down, if you do, lil Harry will have to over see everyone, now you don't want that for little boy. (((HUGS)))

:yeahthat:
Whoa mama that's a lot on your plate! Time for a bubble bath. Andy is very lucky to have you and I bet your parents are so pleased and proud of what a loving generous spirit their daughter has- make sure to give to yourself too though. Do you have respite support? It sounds like you are able to leave the house to do your parent errands but I am sure there is nothing relaxing about staying away longer to have a latte! :cup: like you said, if only they were next door. I know your mind is on your loved ones and I am glad that you all have that beautiful relationship and cooperative caring :love: but spend some time really thinking of ways to support yourself too during this time of extra stress- what you can let go (time for the months scrub behind the fridge! Or maybe not) and see what you can outsource (got a local lawn mower?) and then dive into to those moments- if and when you find them- to snuggle up and watch a movie or read a book, to lounge in the bathtub with a glass of wine (my favorite indulgence lately), or whatever it is that leaves you feeling like you got a piece of yourself and your sanity back and like you can stay clam, level and strong ant keep going forward even through these hard times with a strong heart. My love and prayers go out to to you and your family. Big hugs. :lv32:

Hoping Sally and Andy are making it through today and things aren't too bad. Sally, you hanging, girl?