Jessica's Journey: FOX News TV Interview!!

Friday, March 16, 2012

FOX News TV Interview!!

Hi everyone!!

A few weeks ago medical reporter Angela Caraway from WSVN Fox News in Miami came to my home and filmed an update on my life-saving treatment in Mexico and my amazing recovery!! It is an update to the original "Counting on a Coma" report that was done before I left to undergo the Ketamine Coma.

"Jessica's Journey" aired last night in Miami, and will be airing locally this week (Florida) and hopefully nationally, very soon!

As you can imagine, it was incredibly hard to tell a 2.5 year story in only a 4 minute news segment, but they did a wonderful job editing, and I am very happy with the result!

I truly hope it will increase awareness of RSD, and to anyone else suffering with this...There is HOPE!

Here is the link:

http://www.wsvn.com/features/articles/specialreport/MI94660/jessica-s-journey/

Let me know what you think :)

God bless!

Love, Jessica

"...For NOTHING is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

*To Post a Comment click on Comments below*

8 comments:

Anonymous said...: Jessica:

I saw your report in the news this morning. Although it brought tears to my eyes, it gave me more strength than ever to get out of bed and just be greatful for what god has given us.

These past few months have been extremely difficult for me. In November I lost my 57 years old mother to Cancer, and just 2 weeks ago my dog, whom I loved so much was bitten and killed by a bigger dog and while I was taking him to the Vet I had a car accident and crashed into another car. I have been trying to be strong for my son and my family but is has been really dificult to do so. Until this morning, when I saw your report on TV. Your courage inspired me and made me see things a lot different.

I want you to know that I know how it feels to be able to go out in the sun again, to be able to feel the wind in your face and just to enjoy all those things we take for granted. I am now 33 years old and since I was 20, I have undergone several life-threatning emergency surgeries. The latest one was in 2009 where I got a horrible infection and went into septic shock. Fortunately, I survived and I am thankful everyday.

You mom is admirable and she reminds me a lot of my mother and my family. They have always been there for me and just like you, I am lucky to have such a wonderful family.

It's a shame I only heard from you until today because I would have loved to send you and your family my support and prayers. I wish you and your family the best. You are an extraordinary human being!

Yiselle (Miami, FL); March 16, 2012 at 1:11 PM
Anonymous said...: Dear Jessica,

I have been following your story for the past 3 years. I became aware of it because I work in the Garden City school district. If anyone deserves a miracle, it is you. Your faith and love of God is surprisingly uncompromised considering all you been through. I want to commend your mother for her unshakeable faith also.

You are a beautiful woman and you radiate God's love. May the strength of our Lord be with you always. I wish you nothing but sunny days ahead!

Marie; March 16, 2012 at 8:19 PM
Rosemary and John said...: Oh Jessica... what a wonderful sequel to the original story... You and your Mamasita look MARVELOUS! You are very well spoken and you conveyed a lot in a short segment. Congratulations! Love, Johnnny

Dear Jessica,

We've only known you for 2 years yet during that time we have seen you go up, down and all around on your journey towards reclaiming your life from CRPS.

You have validated the Ketamine Coma via your videos and interviews. No one can dispute the reality of your pre and post coma documentation. This will go a long way towards convincing "nay sayers" to open their eyes and minds.

We are inspired by how you maintained and deepened your Faith during the darkest of hours and know that your suffering has not been in vain. God's plan for you is unfolding in front of all our eyes. We pray that new doors will now open to so many in need.

Thank you for sharing your most vulnerable moments with all of us.

Lots of love always,

Rosemary and John; March 16, 2012 at 10:30 PM
Anonymous said...: Dearest Jessica --

Now that's a news report!! That was 4 minutes of show-stopping, ear turning, eyes wide opened news reporting & you are SIMPLY AMAZING! We can't thank you enough for sharing that and keeping all your cheerleaders updated. Once again, there are no words . . . you are a stunning sight! Keep up those giant steps, you're journey has just begun.

All our love and warmest wishes to gorgeous, amazing you, to your your marvelous Mom, your spectacular Dad & your beautiful sisters!

The Klatt Gang
XO; March 18, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Anonymous said...: dear jessica,

you are an amazingly brave person and your story is so moving. i have never been happier than watching that video and seeing your beautiful face smiling once more. your mother is the strongest person i have ever met. i am in awe of you both.

all my love and prayers, joanna o; March 22, 2012 at 3:47 PM
Anonymous said...: Dearest Jessica, Gina, David, Katherine and Michelle, Thank you so much for posting the news report! You have all taken part in an incredible story co-written by God and yourselves. It is right there for all to see in the report, in the "before and after" and in the incredible smiles on Jessica's and all of your faces. You had a deep and abiding faith in God and His ways, MUCH larger than the mustard seed of the Bible, and GOD MOVED THE MOUNTAIN! I can picture Him moving it with awesome strength and resolution, using your amazing faith, gifted doctors, new friends in a foreign country, prayer warriors, and many others in the background who were each involved in humble ways. Jessica, you are an inspiration. When I find myself having a hard time with perspective, I think of you and I feel strength. I know that wherever you go from here, God will be leading the way. You are blessed! Enjoy the sun on your face, the breeze, the hugs and all the things you have missed for so long- you deserve it!! Hugs to everyone!! Love always, Angel xoxoxoxoxoxo; March 27, 2012 at 6:15 PM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations! I wish you the best. You look fantastic and happy! Dr. Cantu is wonderful :); March 28, 2012 at 3:25 AM
sanela said...: It was amazing to see you in person and see how far you have come. You’re an inspiration and make us realize that the little things in life are the ones that truly matter. I look forward to hearing about your progress : ).
- Sanela; April 4, 2012 at 11:41 AM

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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!

What is RSD?

Imagine what it would be like to endure a burning sensation so intense that the most potent pain relievers are completely ineffective, leaving you with the feeling that your body is actually on fire...

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) is a painful & debilitating chronic neurological disorder that occurs when the nervous system malfunctions in response to a injury or illness- in Jessica's case- Lyme disease.

RSD is characterized by: Continuous sharp, stabbing & burning pain; Extreme sensitivity to touch; Severe headaches; Painful skin ulcers; Intense muscle spams; Softening of bones; Dystonia; Skin temperature & color changes; Hair/nail growth changes; Muscle atrophy; Vascular & Autonomic dysfunction; Sensitivity to lights & sounds and Paralysis.

This rare condition is a mystery to scientists & often is misdiagnosed. Much more research is needed to find the cause of RSD and ways to treat and prevent it.

Ketamine Coma Study

The Ketamine Coma Study is a clinical trial procedure being conducted in both Germany and Mexico, that is considered for patients with the most severe, intractable cases, who have exhausted all other reasonable treatment options.

During this procedure, patients are put into a ketamine-induced coma-- essentially shutting the body down & giving it time to "reset" the nerves, brain and spinal cord. Patients are supported by a ventilator and monitored in the ICU.

So far, only about 100 patients have taken part in the study. For many, it has been miraculous!
However, like any treatment, there are no guarantees. There are also significant risks, especially in Jessica's fragile condition.

The Ketamine Coma shows great promise as a treatment for severe RSD- the key is going to be more research.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a central nervous system depressant that produces a rapid-acting dissociative effect, blocking signals to the conscious mind from other parts of the brain. It was developed in the 1970s as a medical anesthetic for both humans and animals.

There are currently three kinds of ketamine treatments: The Awake technique (continuous low dosage for 4-5 days), the Outpatient low-dose infusion (4-5 hours a day for two weeks, then gradually-lower doses), and the Coma technique (continuous high dosage for about a week).

The hypothesis is that ketamine blocks the neurons and manipulates NMDA receptors which might reboot aberrant brain activity, the coma shuts down the nervous system, allowing damaged nerves cells to heal and "reboots" the patient's brain, much like a computer.

Ketamine can have some nasty side effects. Especially when emerging from the coma, patients may experience hallucinations, lack of body awareness, visual distortions, confusion, and weakness.

Why Mexico?

There is a popular misconception that medical care in Mexico is of inferior quality. However, this is not (always) the case. In fact, many facilities in Mexico are state of the art, with top notch care.

Because Ketamine is considered a schedule 3 drug in the U.S., only a small amount of ketamine is legally allowed for medical treatment according to federal law. The high doses required for the Ketamine coma are currently only legally available in other countries.

Jessica's doctor, Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick, is one of only a few specialists involved with this study in the U.S. He has teamed up with Dr. Fernando Cantu and his team in Mexico to perform the Ketamine Coma.