Quick Jefferson Update

I’m writing this Saturday morning, around 10 a.m., and I wanted to give everyone another update on Jefferson.

I spent a good part of yesterday at the hospital with him. He was incredibly tired and sleepy, but he was happy to see me. For a long time, we really didn’t say much of anything. We just sat there quietly, looking at each other and smiling. Sometimes that’s enough.

The biggest challenge yesterday was nausea. He was already feeling a little queasy, and unfortunately, anything they gave him for pain seemed to make it worse. The anti-nausea medications weren’t doing much to help either, so as the day wore on, understandably, he became more uncomfortable and a little more irritable.

But here’s something you should know about Jefferson: even when he feels like absolute crap, he still worries about being a burden to everyone else. That’s just who he is.

They had hoped to move him out of the ICU and into a regular room yesterday, but his blood pressure was running slightly high. Every nurse on the floor — including the most seasoned one — assured us that it wasn’t anything particularly concerning and that she sees this sort of thing all the time after surgery.

The doctor overseeing him, however, is newer and very much a by-the-book kind of person, and she wanted to keep him in the ICU until she was completely satisfied that his blood pressure had settled down. Frankly, if being extra cautious is her biggest offense, I can live with that.

The really good news is that he hasn’t needed to be put on any additional medications as a result of the surgery.

I’m heading back up to the hospital in a few hours, and we’re hoping today is the day they move him into a regular room. Once that happens, it feels like we’ll have crossed another big milestone — and then it becomes a matter of getting him strong enough and comfortable enough to come home.

And he texted me this morning.

That might sound like a very small thing, but considering everything he’s been through, the IVs, the wires, the discomfort and how exhausted he is, seeing his name pop up on my phone meant a lot. That little act of love was very much appreciated.

So, as of Saturday morning, we’re still moving in the right direction. Maybe not quite as quickly as Jefferson would like, but after what his body has been through, I’m perfectly happy with slow, steady and boring.

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts. Every good thought, prayer, bit of positive energy and well-wish being sent his way is deeply appreciated. ❤️