Coping, news and ongoing

Hi everyone

Unbelievably I ran out of time yesterday (and energy) to post - sorry, I know how anxious you are all to know what is happening.

So much happens and yet so little and joining it all up as a mere bystander and non professional is so hard.

So in short:
Ella made it back onto the hospital ward around lunchtime yesterday
She is in a lot of pain and discomfort from the operation
She has to remain immobile over the weekend - so a lot of care to ensure no bed sores/pressure points developing etc
Overall they are still saying the operation went really well and that they are confident they got all the tumour out.  In fact so well they may even go back in within 3 weeks and put the proper false arm/bone back in, rather than waiting 10-12 weeks.  But all to be decided in due course.
There is of course a "but" which we have learnt this morning, as a result of the amount of muscle, tissue etc they had to remove from her arm and shoulder. Ella's upper arm and shoulder movements will for ever be very restricted.  They have replaced some of the muscle with some from her back, but this will give her by no means anywhere near normal mobility.
We had not fully appreciated this and are now wondering what else we don't understand!
So a huge amount for Ella to take in - when she is already very exhausted, in pain and struggling.

Of course we know that there were no alternatives to having the operation - well not acceptable ones, and that what they have managed is a miracle of modern science and skill in its self.  But naively and I guess simply as a coping mechanism we had assumed that she would eventually over time regain some where near normal use of her whole arm. 

I know all the positives and in her heart Ella does as well - not least having full functionality in her lower arm and hand, but its still a huge amount to take in and understand in terms of how she will cope in the future.   As an example, Ella said "that means I will never be able to have long hair again and be able to tie it back on my own" - a simple task - but important!  She of course speaks from 10 months of experience of living with restricted upper arm movement. 

But right now we are just concentrating on getting through the day - I wish we were in Bristol and close to freinds and family