Oh man Niki, I didn't even see this thread..it was a while ago...sorry.
No you are NOT the worst owner in the world! I'm sure you take very good care of Cloud and love him to pieces.
As they say..hindsight is 20/20. No sense beating yourself up over coulda, shoulda, wouldas.
How IS Cloud??? How did the surgery/stitches go?
Does Cloud have out of cage time? Does he enjoy being out and playing/exploring? If he does, then I would suggest getting a smaller cage that you can set up near his regular cage. Let him explore it on his own and become comfortable with it. That way he can stay in the smaller cage while you do cage cleanings and won't freak out. It could also be used for travel cage or to take him outside.

My Ziggy is not hand tamed, and I've found it's sooo much easier having 2nd cage for him to go into while I clean the big cage.
My best to Cloud..I hope he's well on his way to recovery by now.