Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Ketamine Booster Today - #9







Hi to all,


TO VIEW JESSICA ON FOX TV - CLICK ON LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_vstm0bS8

UPDATE ON JESSICA:
Today Jessica will be receiving another ketamine booster (#9) and we are thankful for the continued forward movement in her treatment. While she is undergoing the booster, Dr. "Green Shirt" will be putting a new anesthetic into her implanted pump in order to help with her treatment here as well. She is experiencing some pain with her J-tube again, so it is our hope that we can increase her intake by mouth and eventually get rid of the J-tube all together. For now it has to stay; as it is our "safety" in case she can't continue to tolerate adequate feedings.

For all of you that know me, you will be happy to hear that I was able to go outside and go to the local store (H.E.B.), which is like a Stop-n-Shop or Publix, with Cecilia while she was here. This was my first time out of the hospital since we got here! We hopped in a green cab and it felt great to be out, but also a little wierd as well. Dr. Cantu was giving a booster to Devon, so Jessica felt safe enough knowing he was right next door, and Devons' mom stayed with her while I was gone for the hour! Originally Dr. Rainbow was going to stay with her, as she is the only one that Jessica says she will stay with, but the other hospital where she works, had a very complicated serious case, and she was desperately needed there! Please pray for the little 7-month old baby girl who received a gunshot wound to the head and her mother as well! Thank you!



Thank you again for all your continued prayers for Jessica and her healing.


Remember:

LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR GOD, AND HE WILL BLESS YOUR DAYS!!!


All our love,

Jessica's Mom


***To Post a comment, CLICK on Comments below***

3 comments:

James Kildare said...

Friend:
I also suffer this disease and really painful, but based on appropriate medicines'm doing to get ahead, this medication oxycontin is good for pain but it causes anxiety and is dangerous if you can not control it, findrxonline visit a few months ago and in his article on oxycontin show that can be dangerous if not prescribed by a doctor and if one does not adequately control the sensations they produce, I really hope to have more news from you.

Aunt Carol said...

Ive been reading the blogs each day and am happy to hear that the treatments are happening each day. I am so happy that you got to go out even for a short while. Missing you too much...my love and prayers are with you both. Love you,,,, Carol tryed to skype and have not had any luck

Anonymous said...

Gina- I hope that Jessica is better each day, and I hope that you are able to get out in the sunshine more. Enjoy your time with Cecile. Friendships are a gift from God-His special angels from heaven.
Yesterday I was requested by Saratoga schools to tutor a first grader who is homebound due to a car accident. Once again, we are shown what a difference a day makes and how many of us need God's help.
May the Lord bless you and keep you close.
Linda


Jessica's Journey to Getting Her Life Back

By Sarah Gina (Jessica's Mom)


As we begin this journey toward renewed health we would like to express our sincere heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick and all the work he has done and continues to do in order to bring patients like my daughter Jessica back to a more meaningful life and restored from this devastating illness. Also, special thanks to Dr. Fernando Cantu and his team of doctors in Mexico for taking on a difficult case like my daughters, Words cannot express the renewed sense of hope that we have that one day, our Jessica, can regain her life that has been taken away from her – God Bless you all!

Jessica’s Story

Once an A+ student who loved school, was involved in many extracurricular activities, played varsity tennis, lacrosse and gymnastics and enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, our daughter Jessica has spent the last 3 years incapacitated, paralyzed, unable to sit or walk and eat. She spends her days confined to a hospital bed, wearing sunglasses and noise-canceling headphones, due to severe light and sound sensitivity.

Jessica and her sisters, 2 mos. before becoming ill

The pain she feels is indescribable and all attempted treatments have not even come close to relieving her suffering.

She has seen many doctors, undergone numerous painful tests and procedures, has been prescribed various medications, and has been hospitalized frequently including being intubated and on a ventilator. She is severely debilitated and currently is only 92 pounds. This is certainly no life for a 21 year old young woman!


Jessica is suffering from neurologic Lyme disease and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a severely debilitating and painful neuromuscular disorder. She suffers daily with constant sharp, stabbing, tingling and burning pain; throughout her body; severe headaches; paralysis; intense muscle spasms; gastroparesis; seizures; twisting of her limbs (dystonia); sensitivity to any touch (allodynia); extreme sensitivity to lights and sounds; excessive sweating; swelling; fevers; softening of bones; decreased hair growth; redness and discoloration of the limbs; and painful skin ulcers. The pain is constant and unrelenting, but despite her suffering, her faith in God remains and she still has hope for her future.

Jessica's painful skin lesions

Jessica's journey began in 1999, when she was only 11 years old. She became very ill with Mono and was bed bound for 3 months. She subsequently developed RSD (stage 1) of the lower right leg. She received early intervention and returned to playing sports and enjoying her life.

Jessica, age 15, at summer camp

Four years later, in 2003, while away at a sleep-away camp, she developed a rash behind her right knee, coincidentally in the same leg that previously had RSD!

At the time, the camps nurse & doctor told her that it was “duck rash” – a rash from swimming in the lake with duck feces. However, Jessica was able to obtain photos from camp from another camper which shows the classic “bulls-eye” rash from Lyme disease! It wasn’t until much later and only after developing symptoms and becoming very ill, was the diagnosis of Lyme disease and Babesiosis (another tick-borne infection) made.


Most people (and doctors!) have no idea how serious Lyme disease can become and no clue how to properly diagnose it. Unfortunately, if she would have been promptly diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease, the RSD would not have been triggered and she would not be suffering.

July 2003, Jessica's Lyme disease rash

If it wasn’t for her doctor, Dr. Liegner, and his expertise with complex cases of Lyme, and his determination to try any means in getting her well, by getting a “team” of doctors on her case, we wouldn’t be here today, still fighting. We owe him a deep sense of gratitude for all he does for Jessica!

During these past three years and with the pain becoming more intense and unbearable she has been seeing Dr. Finkelstein for pain management. He has even made house calls to spare her the pain of coming by ambulance to his office. Jessica has been treated with multiple pain medications, at the highest possible doses, as well as an implanted dilaudid pain pump, which delivers potent medication straight into her spine. Many doctors have told us that with the amount of medications Jessica was taking would be enough to “kill a horse”—yet they had little to no effect on her. If it wasn’t for Dr. Finkelstein trying to alleviate her constant, severe, unrelenting pain, I don’t know how she would have managed. He is very special to us as well.

Recently Jessica was transported by air ambulance to Tampa, Florida to see Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick, a world renowned RSD expert. Dr. Kirkpatrick told us that Jessica is one of the most debilitated patients he has ever seen.

Jessica getting into the air-ambulance to go see Dr. Kirkpatrick

Upon his testing and because Jessica's condition is so severe, Dr. Kirkpatrick is recommending the only treatment available that can possibly help relieve her suffering, and afford her some semblance of a “normal” life - the Ketamine Coma Procedure - a clinical trial that is being conducted in Monterrey, Mexico.

During this procedure Jessica will be put into a coma , with the hope that her nerves, brain and spinal cord will “reset” -so that her nervous system sends the correct signals to her brain.


Yes, this is a radical, scary treatment, however, for Jessica, "scary" is thinking that she could spend the rest of her life in this condition, unable to walk, eat, or take care of herself. Since all reasonable treatments have failed to help her, we feel we must try everything possible to help Jessica regain her life.

We understand that due to Jessica’s fragile condition, there is a high risk associated with this procedure. We are also aware that other patients with severe RSD like Jessica's have had success.

Jessica’s goal is to one day become a doctor. Our hope is that with this study she can have that chance. As her Mom, I know that she will be a great doctor because when a patient presents in her office and says “Doctor, I am in pain and words cannot express how bad it is” – my daughter –Dr. Jessica– will be able to say - :I know how you feel, I’ve been there too. So, take a seat and let me tell you a story”….

We are so thankful and feel so blessed to have been led to Dr. Kirkpatrick.

God is good and with his help guiding Dr. Cantu and Dr. Kirkpatrick, our hope is for Jessica to be able to return to us whole again and pain-free!