A visit home (looong!)

HEY, WELCOME BACK!
We are so glad to hear you are over the worst. Things will just keep looking
up from now on.
Jazz & his mama

--

Irulan
from the stars we come
to the stars we return
from now until the end of time
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...
Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)

I got homesick today. Actually, what I mean is *more* homesick than
usual. It's not that it's not nice at my aunt and uncle's, it is, and I am
being looked after really well, I've hardly lifted a finger since I got
there and on Saturday my German friend Nüle arrived and stayed until this
morning when she left to continue her tour of all the best English gardens
and rosegrowers before returning to Germany on June 9.
It was great to spend some time with her again and meet her mother for the
first time. I have not seen her for almost a year and had almost forgotten
how I enjoy her delightful turns of phrase. For example; she brushed her
hair just before going out yesterday and I told her she looked nice (which
she did) She said "Well, I don't think it will hurt anyone to look at
me.."
After she had left, I decided to go out for a walk for the first time, I
felt unsettled. I managed ten minutes there and ten minutes back, very
slowly up unfamiliar streets, just looking at the flowers in people's
gardens as I went past, which was all very nice as I like to be nosy and
see what plants others have in case it gives me an idea myself.

BUT- there's no place like home and I wanted to see the cats. I get
visits from a counsellor from the Employee Welfare Service which my
employers provide, but yet he is independent from them and does not report
back, thank goodness. His name is Simon and he has seen me through 6
months of depression and all my eye ops and now this. This afternoon he
came to see me at my aunt's. Where, I might add, cards from RPCA have
been arriving for some days. Uncle Bryan, who had a stroke 2 years ago
and can't speak too well now, comes in from the porch and says "all
yours, fan mail." g Auntie has put up some thread between nails on the
wall and there are three threads across the wall, full of lovely cards
from you all.

Simon was easily persuaded to take me home - half an hour's drive. When
we got there, there was an avalanche of cards in the porch from my rpca
friends forwarded from the hospital! I still wonder what all the nurses
think about all my get well cards - no-one on the ward had so many, nor so
many flowers. One of the nurses said "I think you must be a top-class
h**ker!" I said that if so, my career is now over and she said she needed
another job anyway and would take over from me!!

So. I got home, opening the front door and quickly through the house to
the back door to open that.
Both the cats were in the conservatory just outside the back door when I
opened it. Kitty FC came in straight away without raising an eyebrow,
like I'd never been gone.
Boyfriend was on top of the freezer, where I put a blanket ages ago, as he
seemed to like to perch on it. When he saw me, his eyes became like
saucers. He could not believe them, that I was back, so I am staying here
until tomorrow evening. I can manage to feed the cats and myself (if I
just push something light that will bake in the oven for now) until
tomorrow evening when I have to go back for my cousin Margi's daughter's
wedding on Saturday.

I am going to negotiate a return home with my neighbours, if they will
agree to continue caring for the chickens, because I am not allowed to
lift anything heavier than a kettle for 6 weeks, so I can't change their
water daily, and if they will I can be here for the kitties without
putting my recovery in jeopardy. They like their routine. BF likes to
sit on the windowsill and look out of the front window. He soon did that.
He likes to snatch a few zzzzz's on the spare bed too, although he knows
that, strictly speaking, it's not allowed for a cat to be upstairs.
So I was in the bathroom tonight and I saw his butt disappearing into the
spare room to check out the bed, and left him to enjoy it.

Just a little hospital stuff now, particularly for Howard.
It was as I thought. Just exactly as I thought it would be. After a
major abdominal operation I had a self-operated morphine pump. Let no-one
tell you that morphine takes *all* the pain away but it makes it
tolerable.
I had the pump for 24 hours only, then the staff took it away and gave me
paracetamol!! which is good for a headache.
On the 2nd day I hoped I would die very soon. A nurse said I had to get
out of bed and walk across the room. I could only do fairy steps and it
was absolute agony, almost unbearable. I went about 15 feet and stopped,
unable to go on, whereupon she said "you will be walking to the dining
room tomorrow for your meals, otherwise you will go hungry." I said that
I did not think it would be possible, and would she let me go back to my
bed now as the pain was too much.
She said no. It was just like torture, impossible to tolerate. She
continued to try and make me walk further, 1 day after a major abdominal
op, how stupid is that?
I am ashamed to say I then had a tantrum. I told her to get off me, leave
me to make my own pace.
She forgave me when I went home..

I would like to send purrs and prayers to anyone who needs them. I have
more than 5000 posts to read, and I won't be able to do it in the one day
I have here at home.

The cards I have received from you all have cheered me up no end, thank
you very much indeed.
I would like to name some of you for exceptional cards. Obviously I
can't. I loved every one I got. Thank you all so much.

You are all just the best

Tweed

Welcome back Tweed! You "sound" so much better than when you were
posting just a few short weeks ago


And keep up with that walking! No matter how much it hurts now, it
will hurt less tomorrow, help you get stronger, and help keep your
circulation going so you won't develop any blood clots or other
nastiness





Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha

============
http://www.jhedge.com

Christina Websell wrote:
Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)

snip
BUT- there's no place like home and I wanted to see the cats. I get
visits from a counsellor from the Employee Welfare Service which my
employers provide, but yet he is independent from them and does not
report back, thank goodness. His name is Simon and he has seen me
through 6 months of depression and all my eye ops and now this. This
afternoon he came to see me at my aunt's. Where, I might add, cards
from RPCA have been arriving for some days. Uncle Bryan, who had a
stroke 2 years ago and can't speak too well now, comes in from the
porch and says "all yours, fan mail." g Auntie has put up some
thread between nails on the wall and there are three threads across
the wall, full of lovely cards from you all.
Simon was easily persuaded to take me home - half an hour's drive. When
we got there, there was an avalanche of cards in the porch from
my rpca friends forwarded from the hospital! I still wonder what all
the nurses think about all my get well cards - no-one on the ward had
so many, nor so many flowers. One of the nurses said "I think you
must be a top-class h**ker!" I said that if so, my career is now
over and she said she needed another job anyway and would take over
from me!!
So. I got home, opening the front door and quickly through the house
to the back door to open that.
Both the cats were in the conservatory just outside the back door
when I opened it. Kitty FC came in straight away without raising an
eyebrow, like I'd never been gone.
Boyfriend was on top of the freezer, where I put a blanket ages ago,
as he seemed to like to perch on it. When he saw me, his eyes became
like saucers. He could not believe them, that I was back, so I am
staying here until tomorrow evening. I can manage to feed the cats
and myself (if I just push something light that will bake in the oven
for now) until tomorrow evening when I have to go back for my cousin
Margi's daughter's wedding on Saturday.


Awwwwwwwwwwww

He may not show it, but he missed you.

Mimi wants me to ask you to give him a pettin for her, and she hopes that
his Mommy can help him "rite" her sometime soon. She misses his
messages -so much so she has been eating a bit extra at each meal, and has
gotten a bit "fluffier"



--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde
in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

Christina Websell wrote:
Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)

snipped for brevity only
You are all just the best

Tweed

ENTOKOS!

Nah, YOU are the best. Very happy to see you back, even if only
briefly. Very good that you got to see your "master and mistress", I'm
sure they missed you (I know everyone here missed you).

As to the hospital treatment. Having never had abdominal surgery, I
can only go by what family and friends have endured. The one that
seems closest to your situation (she had polyps/cancer in her colon and
had quite a bit removed) was given the pump for 24 hours (like you).
Then she was given IV morphine every 4 hours after that. I cannot
believe that they thought Tylenol/acetaminophen would take care of
surgical pain! The walking is normal, they want to make you get up and
move around, as soon as possible.

In fact, I'm the only person I know who had a surgery, and they didn't
"force" the walking issue (septic arthritis in my knee), and I didn't
have to walk around for at leat 4 days, and then *I* insisted (hey, my
backside was getting numb).

I'm so happy to hear that you are able to be at home, even for a short
while.

Smokie Darling (Annie)

"Jeanne Hedge" wrote in message
...
Welcome back Tweed! You "sound" so much better than when you were
posting just a few short weeks ago

That's because I have a good chance to live now, unlike what I was told
after my emergency admission. I came home for two weeks planning my
funeral, and how I would share my possessions out between my family.


And keep up with that walking! No matter how much it hurts now, it
will hurt less tomorrow, help you get stronger, and help keep your
circulation going so you won't develop any blood clots or other
nastiness

I was extremely naughty tonight. I drove my car a mile or so to the local
supermarket to get milk and bread and I have lived to tell the tale.

Tweed

In message , Christina Websell
writes
Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)

So good to hear from you. Have some purrs.

I'm sorry they've been so tough on you re the walking. It really was
for your own good - you needed to get moving to reduce the risk of blood
clots & nasties like that - but they didn't have to be so rough.

Morphine, good stuff, eh? It's not that the pain goes away, it's more
that you don't care any more :-)
--
Mogget

On 2005-06-02, Christina Websell penned:
Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)

I'm so glad you're feeling better, Tweed. I'm sure being in your own
house for a day will be a nice change. No matter how wonderful our
friends and family are, there's no place like home, especially when
you're not feeling well.

As for your hospital's refusal to manage your pain appropriately -- I
just don't know what to say. I'm disgusted and outraged. Is this
some fundamental difference in the way health care is approached in
different countries? What an awful way to treat people.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...
Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)
....
Tweed
What a nice surprise it was to see your post! You seem to be doing really
well, considering what you've been through.
Although she could have been nicer about it, the nurse was probably making
you get up and about so that you would be less likely to develop blood clots
in dangerous places and to get your digestive system back on track.
We'll be sending some more purrs for a rapid and complete recovery.
Annie, with the help of Rosie & Cinder

It's soooooooo great to hear from you. I hope you can make arrangements so
that you can be with your kittys. I bet that will speed your healing.
We're sending healing antipain purrs accross the Atlantic.
Suz&Spicey

Christina! So glad to hear from you -- your post just brightened my day!
Continue to heal and we'll keep sending out lots of purrs for your quick
recovery!
hugs,
Christine and Omar, Oreo, Midnight, Robin & Tucker
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...
Hi, folks

Long time, no post, eh? ;-)

I got homesick today. Actually, what I mean is *more* homesick than
usual.
It's not that it's not nice at my aunt and uncle's, it is, and I am being
looked after really well, I've hardly lifted a finger since I got there
and
on Saturday my German friend Nüle arrived and stayed until this morning
when
she left to continue her tour of all the best English gardens and
rosegrowers before returning to Germany on June 9.
It was great to spend some time with her again and meet her mother for the
first time. I have not seen her for almost a year and had almost forgotten
how I enjoy her delightful turns of phrase. For example; she brushed her
hair just before going out yesterday and I told her she looked nice (which
she did) She said "Well, I don't think it will hurt anyone to look at
me.."
After she had left, I decided to go out for a walk for the first time, I
felt unsettled. I managed ten minutes there and ten minutes back, very
slowly up unfamiliar streets, just looking at the flowers in people's
gardens as I went past, which was all very nice as I like to be nosy and
see
what plants others have in case it gives me an idea myself.

BUT- there's no place like home and I wanted to see the cats. I get
visits
from a counsellor from the Employee Welfare Service which my employers
provide, but yet he is independent from them and does not report back,
thank
goodness. His name is Simon and he has seen me through 6 months of
depression and all my eye ops and now this. This afternoon he came to see
me at my aunt's. Where, I might add, cards from RPCA have been arriving
for
some days. Uncle Bryan, who had a stroke 2 years ago and can't speak too
well now, comes in from the porch and says "all yours, fan mail." g
Auntie has put up some thread between nails on the wall and there are
three
threads across the wall, full of lovely cards from you all.

Simon was easily persuaded to take me home - half an hour's drive. When
we
got there, there was an avalanche of cards in the porch from my rpca
friends
forwarded from the hospital! I still wonder what all the nurses think
about
all my get well cards - no-one on the ward had so many, nor so many
flowers.
One of the nurses said "I think you must be a top-class h**ker!" I said
that if so, my career is now over and she said she needed another job
anyway
and would take over from me!!

So. I got home, opening the front door and quickly through the house to
the
back door to open that.
Both the cats were in the conservatory just outside the back door when I
opened it. Kitty FC came in straight away without raising an eyebrow,
like
I'd never been gone.
Boyfriend was on top of the freezer, where I put a blanket ages ago, as he
seemed to like to perch on it. When he saw me, his eyes became like
saucers. He could not believe them, that I was back, so I am staying here
until tomorrow evening. I can manage to feed the cats and myself (if I
just
push something light that will bake in the oven for now) until tomorrow
evening when I have to go back for my cousin Margi's daughter's wedding on
Saturday.

I am going to negotiate a return home with my neighbours, if they will
agree
to continue caring for the chickens, because I am not allowed to lift
anything heavier than a kettle for 6 weeks, so I can't change their water
daily, and if they will I can be here for the kitties without putting my
recovery in jeopardy. They like their routine. BF likes to sit on the
windowsill and look out of the front window. He soon did that. He likes
to
snatch a few zzzzz's on the spare bed too, although he knows that,
strictly
speaking, it's not allowed for a cat to be upstairs.
So I was in the bathroom tonight and I saw his butt disappearing into the
spare room to check out the bed, and left him to enjoy it.

Just a little hospital stuff now, particularly for Howard.
It was as I thought. Just exactly as I thought it would be. After a
major
abdominal operation I had a self-operated morphine pump. Let no-one tell
you that morphine takes *all* the pain away but it makes it tolerable.
I had the pump for 24 hours only, then the staff took it away and gave me
paracetamol!! which is good for a headache.
On the 2nd day I hoped I would die very soon. A nurse said I had to get
out
of bed and walk across the room. I could only do fairy steps and it was
absolute agony, almost unbearable. I went about 15 feet and stopped,
unable
to go on, whereupon she said "you will be walking to the dining room
tomorrow for your meals, otherwise you will go hungry." I said that I did
not think it would be possible, and would she let me go back to my bed now
as the pain was too much.
She said no. It was just like torture, impossible to tolerate. She
continued to try and make me walk further, 1 day after a major abdominal
op,
how stupid is that?
I am ashamed to say I then had a tantrum. I told her to get off me, leave
me to make my own pace.
She forgave me when I went home..

I would like to send purrs and prayers to anyone who needs them. I have
more than 5000 posts to read, and I won't be able to do it in the one day
I
have here at home.

The cards I have received from you all have cheered me up no end, thank
you
very much indeed.
I would like to name some of you for exceptional cards. Obviously I
can't.
I loved every one I got. Thank you all so much.

You are all just the best

Tweed