Sunday, October 18, 2009

Special Sunday Prayers Needed!!!


Hi to all,

TO VIEW JESSICA ON FOX TV - CLICK ON LINK:


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

We need special Sunday prayers today!!! It seems that today is going to be another one of those days of struggling!!! Jessica was not feeling well yesterday and was saying that her head hurt in a different way and that she felt very achy, hot and then cold, etc... She began with low grade fever which quickly jumped to a fever of 104.3!!! Dr. Cantu was called and blood cultures were done and we await their results. Is it an infection in her catheter or something else??? I will keep you all posted.

Please pray extra hard today as you go to church or your houses of worship for my sweet Jessica! Pray for the answers to the fever, for the fever to lessen, and for the symptoms she is experiencing to abate quickly! Also, please pray for easier days for her; she needs them and oh so deserves them so!!!

Faithful in Prayer and in God's love always,
Sarah Gina (Jessica's Mom)


"Your light shall break out like the dawn, and your recovery shall spring forth quickly!" Isaiah 58:8


***To post a comment, CLICK on comments below***

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know you but have been following Jessica's story ever since it was in the Naples newspaper in Sept. and have been reading your blog every day and praying that Jessica finds her miracle!! Can't even imagine what Jessica and you all have endured. Hoping that good wishes even from strangers will help!
Praying for you from Bonita Springs......

Anonymous said...

Dear Jessica & Sarah Gina,

Please know I have you in my prayers & thoughts every day,all day!YES,YES,Jessica deserves a break & that's just what I'm praying for.Hang in there girls!
Jodi XOX

Ashley said...

Praying for you extra hard today love. Sending you lots of love and hugs from NY!!!

XO

Nancy said...

Dear Lord please break the fever and allow Jessica to be comfortable and able to rest pain free. May God's sweet breath cool Jessica's forehead and increase her strength.

I pray for Devon to relax IN BED and let the Lord heal her!! Hugs to our friends in Rm 845 from Nancita!

Sarah Gina, I love the idea of your invention... "Future Ketamine Coma Patient Bear"!!!

You are such a joy to those around you! Jessica is so blessed to have you for her MuM!
With love from Marco Island...Nanc & Joe

Anonymous said...

I will pray as hard as I can for beautiful Jessica to feel better soon. Her fighting spirit always pulls her through. I have no doubt that this time will be the same. Love and courage abounds, Bonnie

AUNT CAROL said...

We are all praying extra hard. We love you both very much. Please give Jessica a break. Love Aunt Carol....I am trying to skype so that we can talk....

Anonymous said...

Church was extra special today. The priest said not to be afraid to ask for God's help. Do you have an address so we can send you something by snail mail?

Prayers and Peace from Saratoga,
Linda

Unknown said...

Jessica,
Thank you for bringing me closer to our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. You are bringing me closer to Him through prayer for you. I woke up at 2:45 this morning feeling a strong urge to pray for you. You weigh heavily upon my heart and it is with the greatest faith that I have, that I ask Him to heal you... to give you comfort... to give you peace... All my love,
Gloria

davidrstevens said...

God is still in Control. We have to be strong. God knows exactly what his plan is for Jessica.

My job as her father is to praise and worship God for his love and mercies. To thank him for letting me be Jessica's father. I have taught her Jesus Christ. She has all the knowledge she needs.

Dad


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!