Jessica's Journey: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas & Feliz Navidad To All,

" A HEAP OF HAY " by Anne L. Moller

The Inn in Bethlehem
Had no room to spare...
Mary and Joseph
Were turned away there

That very night the Savior came,
And majestically
He lay
Upon a heap of hay.

Wise men said
He was a KING
And shepherds from the hillside
Heard ANGELS sing!

I would like to be like the Wise Men
Who brought gifts of gold,
Or like the Shepherds,
Brave and bold,

But what I can really be...
Is like the "Heap of Hay"
And have "room" for JESUS
Where He can stay!

On the night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Mary "wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room in the inn". (Luke 2:7) When Jesus was born, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angels to praise God. The birth of this child was good news for the whole world!

Christmas invites us to let Jesus be born in our lives.
Then every day God will give us life, joy, and peace.

We would like to wish everyone a blessed Christmas. May you all have a wonderful day celebrating his birth with your family and friends. Jessica and I can't wait to "see" her Dad and two sisters, Katherine and Michelle! Christmas in Monterrey, Mexico - what a journey it has been!

God bless you all and thank you for the love you have shown us especially during these past few years. We are blessed to call you our "family"!

O Holy Night,
Merry Christmas,
The Stevens' Family*

***To post a Comment, CLICK on Comments Below***

10 comments:

Anonymous said...: Herein is wonder of wonders:
He came below to raise me above, He was born like me that I might become like Him.

Herein is power; when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart He united them in indissoluble unity, the uncreated and the created.

-Valley of Vision, Gift of Gifts; December 25, 2009 at 8:36 AM
Anonymous said...: Grace and Peace be yours in abundance.

Merry Christmas to the Stevens Family! Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Day together!

With love & prayers
The Turners; December 25, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Anonymous said...: Merry Christmas Jessica =); December 25, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Michelle said...: Merry Christmas jess im in her hospital room nowww!!; December 25, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Merrryy Christmas Jessica, Mrs.&Mr. Stevens, Katherine, and Michelle!!! im happy to hear that you're all together for christmas!! I'm praying for you everyday Jess, I'm so happy you got your vision back, that is the best Christmas news :) Misss youu and hope you get back soon!!
Have a Great Christmas
God Bless
Love Brittany; December 25, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Anonymous said...: Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.
Peace and love,
Linda; December 25, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Marianne said...: Merry Christmas! I'm so happy you are ALL together today! Love and Peace to you! The Caparrelli's; December 25, 2009 at 3:12 PM
Anonymous said...: Merry Christmas and God Bless the Stevens family all together for the holidays. Hold on to each other and believe that 2010 will be bright and positive. Hugs and kisses, Bonnie; December 25, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Anonymous said...: Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas. You received two of the best gifts possible - all of you together and Jessica able to see again. Thanks be to God and blessings to you all.
With love,
Linda Wardley; December 26, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Anonymous said...: Please let Jessica know that she is in my prayers. I was diagnosed with lyme in late 2003 after 13 years of not knowing what was wrong. In 2006 I did 6 months of IV antibiotic treatment. I was than dianogosed in December of 2008 with psoriatic arthritis, a non-rheumatic form of an autoimmune arthritis.Today I am on 2 different immumosupressant drugs. God bless all of you as you continue to see if the treaatment for Jessica helped - I wanted to leave this poem that I was given while I was very ill
"Then He said, Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. And
behold, the LORD passed by and a great and strong wind tore into the
mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD
was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD
was not in the earthquake;
And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire and
after the fire a still small voice."
********************************************************
In our passage this morning, we see that God did not speak during the
wind storm, the earthquake nor the fire, but it was doing the quiet
time when all these great things had passed. Do you know that so many
times in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the week, we don't take
time out to listen to the voice of the LORD.

I NEEDED THE QUIET
----------------
I needed the quiet so He drew me aside.
Into the shadows where we could confide
Away from the bustle where all the day long
I hurried and worried when active and strong.

I needed the quiet tho at first I rebelled
But gently, so gently, my cross He upheld
And whispered so sweetly of spiritual things
Tho weakened in body, my spirit took wings

To heights never dreamed of when active all day.
He loved me so gently He drew me away
I needed the quiet. No prison my bed,
But a beautiful valley of blessings instead --

A place to grow richer in Jesus to hide.
I needed the quiet so He drew me aside.
--- Alice Hansche Mortenson

GOD Bless you and keep you; January 4, 2010 at 9:42 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.