Jessica's Journey: Blessings to All!!!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Blessings to All!!!

Blessings from Mexico,

To view Jessica on Fox TV, Click on Link Below:

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

To order Jessica's necklace, Click on NEW Link Below:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35743111.

SPECIAL THANKS TO GCFD & OTHERS:

Special Thanks go out today to Bill Castoro - 2nd Assistant Chief of the Garden City Fire Dep't. in Garden City, N.Y. He organized and rallied the volunteer fireman to go out and sell raffle tickets for a 50/50 raffle to be held this month with proceeds going to Jessica's Journey Savings Club. We would like to personally thank him for all his efforts and all the members who went out and sold these tickets to help our Jessica and our family! We would also like to thank Marianne Quinn for selling 100 tickets to friends and family on her own and Cecilia Arango and her staff from Cecilia's Salon in Garden City, N.Y. who also sold 5o tickets to their patrons as well!!!
Words are not enough to express our heartfelt THANKS to you all for a job well done! May you all have a blessed Christmas, a joyous holiday season and a healthy New Year!!!

Upcoming Fundraiser in Naples, Fl.:

Holiday Bazaar & Vendor Fair
Sunday- December 6th - 2:00 - 5:00 PM
Indigo Lakes Clubhouse-Naples, Fl.
Call Nancy (419)350-9058 for gate code

***Put on by Lisa Reber & her Stampin Up friends, and, Joanne Hartmen & Team Jessica!!!***

Over 20 Different Vendors - Door Prizes every 15 mins.!
Bake Sale run by Oak Ridge Middle Schoolers!
***Bring your family & Friends!!!***

UPDATE ON JESSICA:

Jessica is currently on a different medication to help her with the problems she has been having with her stomach and intestines. We are also trying another sleep medication to try and get her some sleep - let's hope that it works! She received a booster yesterday to help alleviate some of the pain she is experiencing. As you know, and, as the doctors originally said when we first got here, Jessica's journey to wellness would be long and hard. She has been ill for quite some time and the body gets tired. We have seen the progress made and we know that God has brought us here to Mexico for Jessica to have a fighting chance to hopefully see the "light at the end of the tunnel". We pray for that every day, as we know you all do as well and we thank you for all your continued prayers.

The one thing I have realized is that God is pleased with us when we have faith. We must walk by faith and not by sight! Try to stop "biting your nails" for the weariness that comes with the worries of the day. When the tests come, try to relax and say to the Lord: " This is Your battle! This is the need you have asked me to put in your hands. I am trusting you for it. I am waiting for you to do it. I am willing to wait on You to do the impossible! " For, just like Mary & Joseph, we believe beyond what we can see, for nothing is impossible with You, Creator and Sustainer of all that is and will be!

"Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for You".
I Peter 5:7

All my love,
Jessica's Mom

***To post a comment, Click on Comments below***

7 comments:

Anonymous said...: To all my brothers in the Garden City FD. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put in selling the 50/50 raffle tickets.

God bless you all

David Stevens
Chemical Company #183
Garden City FD; December 2, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Anonymous said...: We are so glad that you see the progress Jessica has made.

You are right - God is in control and for that, we are so thankful!

May He continue to shower you both with His loving grace & mercy!

With love & prayers,
The Turners; December 2, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Anonymous said...: Dear Jess and Gina, I am thinking about you today. Jess, I'm glad that you received another booster- every step forward, no matter how tiny and teetering, is a step in the right direction! Gina, today in the grocery store I saw Saucy Susan and chuckled and thought of you. Your friendship has been a treasure to me and you and your family are always in my prayers. Hang in there, ladies!!! Love always, Angel; December 2, 2009 at 4:13 PM
katherine said...: hey mom and jess!

i was reading the second part of your blog you posted today and as i was reading the part about 'biting your nails', i was actually biting my nails haha...it was like old times when youd always tell me to stop..mom, even when youre in a different country it seems like you know exactly what im doing, when im doing it haha..just thought that might give you a little smile today, it gave me one!

i love you both

love katherine; December 2, 2009 at 5:56 PM
Anonymous said...: yesterday I was watching my 2 year old grandchild. He wanted to watch tv.So we chose word world. They were singing and the way they sang reminded me of Gina and the kids singing "we're cold, we're cold" when we were out in Jamesport on the little boat at jermains place. the sun went in and the drizzle came and captain roger couldnt get us back to shore fast enough.
Those were silly fun times. I miss them. Miss you guys and all our laughter.
always here for you.
Linda in Saratoga; December 2, 2009 at 9:33 PM
Anonymous said...: yesterday I was watching my 2 year old grandchild. He wanted to watch tv.So we chose word world. They were singing and the way they sang reminded me of Gina and the kids singing "we're cold, we're cold" when we were out in Jamesport on the little boat at jermains place. the sun went in and the drizzle came and captain roger couldnt get us back to shore fast enough.
Those were silly fun times. I miss them. Miss you guys and all our laughter.
always here for you.
Linda in Saratoga; December 2, 2009 at 9:33 PM
Anonymous said...: Thinking of you many minutes of every day Jessica. You are in our prayers and in our thoughts.

God Bless You,

Love,
Brian, Michelle and Tristen Mah; December 2, 2009 at 10:30 PM

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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.