I had my large intestines removed, which meant I needed an ileostomy bag for several months before the takedovvn surgery. This was all new and scary to me but Jess helped me through this difficult time. She called me, texted me, and even came to my house one evening after work when I was having a really bad day.
At first, we had a difficult time finding an ileostomy bag that fit properly (we tried seven different bagging systems before we found one that worked), so l had a lot of raw and irritated skin around my stoma site. I was in constant pain; burning, itching, bleeding. Jess, however, was determined to find a bagging system that would work for me. Jess took time out of her busy day-to-day schedule to meet with me, help me change my bag, and nurse my skin back to good health. I recall one day where she met with me four different times because my bag continued to leak and separate from my skin. It was a tough and trying time, but Jess always made me feel like I was the only patient she had.
I had my takedown surgery a few months later and Jess stopped by my hospital room to see how I was doing afterwards. To this day, she continues to text me to see how I'm doing.
Anyone who has worked with Jess knows she has what it takes and she's the real deal! She is a wonderful nurse that I now call a friend.