Great Expectations.

Hello.

I'm not that phased, really. Exhausted, yes. A bit emotional, yes. Hungry, not any more.

About 3 Christmases ago I realised. Things may have got a bit out of hand. Expectations of the perfect meal, perfect presents, the whole experience has got to be, er, perfect. And Easter has got a bit like that too. It's not me! All I would like is a 5 minute breather. 5 mins to close my eyes. 5 mins to look around me and see how lovely it all is (sometimes!). Maybe one less argument that day. Oh, and a really good episode of Dr Who. But I don't expect it. So when the nurses at the hospital and kind, well-wishing friends said "Oh what a shame that happened on Easter Sunday" (Henry breaking his arm!) I thought, "well, why wouldn't it!?"

Yep.

It was about eleven o'clock. The kids had done their egg-hunt in the garden and Hubby had made us eggs benedict for breakfast. (Not sure about that hollandaise sauce!) A joint of beef was in the slow cooker and I was thinking I was so full, it would be some time before I'd be ready to eat it! I sat down in the gazebo with a cup of tea and told Henry to go and play. Within seconds there was an almighty scream (fairly typical) and I looked up to see the look of horror on Henry's face and the lower half of his left arm flailing unsupported from his elbow joint. I ran to him, held onto his limb and quietly told him to stay calm while calling up to the bathroom for Hubby to come and help.

After a visit to the local minor injuries (it wasn't!), Henry and Hubby were sent on via ambulance to Margate hospital. I got on with arranging babysitters for the girls and met them down there. Meanwhile Henry had been x-rayed and booked in for an operation to have his elbow pinned and wired.

Several trips back and forth later, Hubby and I waited for the outcome. Then it all got a bit scary. We were met with a team of surgeons who were concerned that the blood flow to Henry's hand was limited. As the surgeon, who looked exactly like Lex Luthor from Smallville explained, this was serious and a specialist cardio vascular surgeon would need to come and perform a second operation. We were warned that Henry might lose his hand and there followed a very tense 2 hr wait into the early hours of the morning while they operated.

As it turns out, the artery that they thought was damaged was trapped and the surgeon was able to save it. So far it looks as though he will be ok. Maybe some nerve damage.

Henry is in a lot of pain and is still in hospital. Hubby is with him. I hope they'll come home tomorrow.

My Mum has been great and really helped out with looking after the other two children and lots of people have sent kind offers of help. I've just had the beef from the slow cooker, cold, with salad, new potatoes and coleslaw - my first proper meal since Saturday (if you don't count the eggs benedict!). It was lovely!

Get well soon Henry! xxx