Home again, home again, jiggety jig

[The Kleins, Tempe, AZ]

First things first.
I have a new gardener.
He is not a goat. His name is Jose.
He has no idea what I’m saying but I got the “one-fify” and gladly wrote a check. The yard is not as perfect as Ken does and he spent a fraction of a fraction of the time. But since our gardener for the last nine years lived alone, I have no idea of his condition. I hope he is well, but I sense he will not be doing yard work for some time.

Jesse was taken off epinephrine last night. He is still on medication to assist his heart – he is not entirely on his own. He needed some hemoglobin which they took care of this morning. The doc swung by and wants him to start PT and OT. ( I think Peatie and Oatie would be cute names for doodles) So we are moving in the right direction, and with tomorrow being one full month, it is remarkable to see how far we have come.

I went up by myself today and spent quite a bit of time with Jess. He turns his head to follow me, attempted to squeeze my hand, and will slightly move a foot on command. When the nurse told him it was March Madness and asked if he liked basketball he shook his head up and down. He also shook his head when I asked if he knew who Doodle was (our nickname for Phoebe). He was surprised or confused when I said we had a new gardener named “Jose.” He wasn’t following me and I didn’t want to get into details.

He is in a lot of pain. He is tethered to the bed as his right arm is reaching to pull the tubes out of his throat. (My Dad did this too; I guess it is pretty common) The sedation stays in the muscles and everyone is different. He is doing a little of his own breathing with assist from the ventilator. His eyes are not tracking yet, but his face is very expressive – mostly pain. When we put the game on it seemed like he was trying to pay attention and it distracted him a tad.

There is no way of knowing how strong his heart will return or what type of life he can have. The transplant discussion is on hold, but that is not a discussion that will go away until we see how he progresses. Jess is not the kind of guy to sit on the porch and watch Jose mow the lawn.

Quick, who can guess the names of two furry animals in my studio begging for treats?
Time for a little pet bonding. Sweet Dreams and thanks for all you support.
OOXX J, P, and H.

P.S. Phoebe's reaction to getting a goat...

[Missi]

See?!?!?! I told you there was a lot of good news hiding in your story yesterday! Off epi is good still for today. And yes, almost everyone reaches for the tubes...sometimes they're not, but most of them get tied anyway just in case. It's almost instinct to pull at something that's shoved down your throat, and not worth the risk. So that's why he's tied. Doesn't sound like sitting on the porch watching Jose would take very long anyway.
I really like Phoebe's reaction to the goat, perfect! Continued love being sent your way from Wichita. Glad to hear he's taken a turn for the better!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I love that you still have such a sense of humor. I am so encouraged by your reports of Jesse' progress. I will continue to keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers until Jesse is sitting on your porch for whatever reason.