Another Jess Update

Jess was starting to rest a little better when we left a bit after 5pm. Visitation is closed until 8pm, but I'm hoping to head back then. Again, his color was good and he recognized all of us with no problem. The nurse pointed out that the doctors keep things "flushed" out while they work, so there is often quite a build-up of fluids after surgery like this. She thinks that the drain is working well and is probably largely responsible for his headache subsiding some.

As soon as the drainage slows down a bit, the drainage tube will be removed. I have high hopes that he'll be moved tomorrow from the busy, noisy, crowded ICU to a room that will allow for visitors. I have to make a quick trip home to Port Lavaca, so I probably won't get to visit with him tomorrow. I'll be back on Sunday morning, however, ready to hear his jokes and poke fun at him a bit (since Leo is not here to do it). For those who don't know Jess, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you don't know him, but also that you are getting an overload of news about him here. But there are some people that want to get updates and have no other way to do it. So, my apologies, but this line of comments will continue for a couple of days. Why? Because Jess is worth it.

Odds 'n' Ends

• Dr. Rose commented that it was awfully nice of Jessie to save them the trouble and shave his head before coming in.
• When Jess called in before heading to Houston, he found that his paperwork had not yet arrived. When he arrived on Thursday, they assured him it had finally arrived and he was set to go. When he went to the hospital this morning? He took an extra set of copies with him "just in case". He did NOT want to have to come again.
• Although I'm generally pretty good with my internal compass, the hospital system is definitely challenging. Good thing we have Jess' brother Lester along to keep us going in the right direction.
• Jessie's first words to us when coming out of recovery? "I feel like I've been hit in the head with a baseball bat!"
• The prize for the most loyal sidekick goes to Jess' Uncle Walter, who was at the hospital with him from the time he walked in the door at 6am until we all left together at 5pm.
• And the prize for the person most outside his comfort zone during all this? (No, it's not Jess.) Jessie's son Trevor, who's first words upon checking in and looking out the hotel window were "Ugh. I've gotta get back to the farm!"