Questions....and some Answers......

Hi to all,

We thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and for all of your concerns regarding how Jessica is currently doing. I thought I would share some answers to some of the questions I have been receiving. Here goes:
1) Does she have her memory back yet? No. The past few days she has retrieved the basic knowledge of who she is, who I am, and her family, but it doesn't last long. As Jessica says, she goes into the "black hole" where I guess her "new" brain is trying to process all the information that it contains. The doctors have said it will come fully back soon. Today can't be soon enough though!
2) Does she still have noise and light sensitivity? Yes. Apparently, if you go into the coma with this as a problem, it can become more heightened with the ketamine. The doctors are having us remove the sunglasses and noise-cancelling headphones 3X a day and increasing it by 1 minute each day.
3) Does she have pain? Yes. But remember, all patients emerge from the coma with pain. It is the one question as they emerge from the coma that you want to ask, but the one question you can't. You see, the brain has to now differentiate between pain that existed before and what may be "normal" pain associated with the movements that the body made during the coma. In Jessica's case, it is further complicated by the fact that she still does not have her full memory back and so we can't compare what she is feeling now and what she felt before! From what we are told by previous coma patients and their families, this is the hardest part for the patient. Also, she is probably the most debilitated case of RSD they have seen, so her recovery is going to take longer.
4) Can she move her legs? This is probably the hardest question to answer as it is the most difficult. As you know, when Jessica was emerging from the coma she moved her legs. At that point she was still under the effects of ketamine and proporfol. For me, it was a sight that I will never forget and one that I know, with the certainty of God's awesome might, Jessica and I will see again!!! - I believe it was God opening a tiny window into what will be one day- that is our prayer and the hope that we have as a family!!! Jessica moves her toes everyday for the doctors!
5) Can she eat? This is a slow process and one that is evolving day by day. The doctors start with baby food and try to work up from there. Jessica enjoys the ice pops that I put into the freezer that I brought from home and hopefully one day soon she will be able to enjoy all the things she hasn't been able to in the past 2 years!
6) How long will we be here? That is another question that is difficult to answer, but let me say just this: Jessica and I and our family have been living day by day for the past 3 1/2 years. We will continue to do so. Jessica and I are here for as long as it takes to get Jessica back to a more meaningful, functional state of life!!! She deserves it more than anyone I know! We are in Mexico for as long as the doctors feel they can continue to help us achieve this goal!

Well, I hope that this helps to answer some of the questions that I have been receiving by your comments and calls. You are all our family and friends and so we thought it only right to answer some of them.


I am so very proud of my daughter Jessica. She continues to amaze me everyday in what she endures on this quest, her journey, to becoming well again and living pain-free. God truly blessed me 21 years ago, when he gently put my sweet little Jessica in my arms, and he entrusted her in mine and her fathers care. I want to make God proud by being the best mom that I can be and ultimately bringing Jessica back to the USA, to that brick house she calls home..............


Keep praying and may God bless you all,
Sarah Gina
(Jessica's Mom)

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