Jess is doing so so so well!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise God, the Healer and Physician.
I was with her yesterday until I had to leave to go to Family Night. (UVA is about a two hour drive from Franklin.) They had stopped all of her sedation medications so she was more “with it” than she had been since the accident. The swelling in her face had gone down considerably, so she could open and close both eyes for the first time.
While I was with her, her nurse needed to suction her vent tube. Apparently this is an unpleasant procedure for the patient – she basically couldn’t breath for 15 seconds while the suctioning is taking place. While the patient is in no danger, is must be a scary feeling. The nurse started the suctioning, and Jess grabbed my hand so hard it hurt. She sat up as much as she could and started shaking her head back and forth, as if to say, “Cut this crap out right now!” It was WONDERFUL to see her pissed off. Our spunky Jessica is coming back.
Her husband, Chis, stayed with her after I left to get back for family night, and while he was still there she was extubated!!! She is trying to talk and asked about the accident. She knows that Clay died, but I don’t think the reality has hit her yet, which is probably a good thing. She’s upset that she’s immobile and has no patience to sit still. I don’t think she’s being the most pleasant of patients, so her doctor may wish he hadn’t take the tub out when he did 
I had planned on going back to UVA this evening, after the dinner at the church, but Bev and Gabe forbid me from driving. I was upset, but they were right. We got back to our house around 4:30 and I fell asleep immediately. I’m going back to the hospital tomorrow – leaving Franklin at 7:00am sharp.
Surgery to reconstruct part of Jessica’s face is scheduled for Monday. Her knee has been obliterated, so I’m not sure what will be done with it, but that is low on the priority list right now. Joe and Cyrus want their mommy NOW, and are starting to have a hard time being away from her. At first it was a grand adventure to get to have a bunch of sleep overs with Grandpap Rick and Grandma Angie, but they are so ready to be back home with mom and dad. As soon as Jessica gets moved to the step down unit we’re going to take Joe to see her.
Right now what we need most is prayer. We’ve got food coming out the gills, and none of us have gone to work this week, so child care just hasn’t been an issue. However, next week we are going to have to go back to work and try to regain some semblance for normalcy, at least for the sake of the kids. If you would like to do something for us, please consider bringing a meal next week or the week after, or offering to take the boys to the park or the pool for a day then.
Every little thing you do for us a blessing.
