Hi to All,
To view Jessica on Fox TV, Click on Link Below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_vstm0bS8
I have two good things to report to all:
1) Jessica's fevers finally went away two days ago - thanks be to God. The new antibiotics definitely did the trick and so she will remain on those for another week to be sure that the infection stays away!
2) Jessica's Dad will be leaving the hospital today as well!
Thanks be to God, from whom all blessings flow!
Thought I would share this tip with everyone today. It is something that I use with Jessica and could be an invaluable tool for all those suffering with RSD. For the past few years I have been using a Travel Size Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor. It is manufactured by Life Source and it sells for @ $90. With many RSD patients, they have an extreme sensitivity to touch. This monitor is put on the wrist and is much less painful than the standard blood pressure cuff that is put on the upper arm. The other thing that is great is that you can bring it with you on ambulances, to doctor's appointments, and even to hospitals, so that you can take your own readings! It also records up to 30 of your last readings so that you even have a record to show to the doctors as well. It is travel size and completely portable and it runs on batteries! It also has the ability to tell you when your heartbeat is irregular. I have been using it every day here in the hospital with Jessica. It is great --- just thought I would pass it on to all those suffering with RSD or really anyone that is ill. It can be purchased at a medical supply store or at (www.LifeSourceOnline.com). Hope it helps you as much as it has helped us!
Also - another great product we have used for Jessica and her Dad David and the family as well are the Vemma liquid vitamins and minerals. They also carry an energy supplement called Verve. There is a lot of information about these products on their website, so I recommend that you check them out. Also, proceeds from the sales of these products go to help Jessica and her journey. The website is as follows: www.hopeforjessica.vemma.com or also at www.vemma.com
Hope these tips can be useful!
Every day we are called to small things with great love.
..........Mother Teresa
In God's love, always
Jessica's Mom*
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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 illThe 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 lesionsJessica'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 campFour 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 rashDuring 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. KirkpatrickUpon 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!
14 comments:
More answers to prayers - God is good!
Thanks for the tip on the Blood Pressure Monitor.
May God heal your sweet Jessica very soon!
Can Jessica move her arms and legs? Can she sit up? Is she eating again?
With love & prayers,
The Turners
Luke 18
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Psalm 28
6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
Barbara's due date is Sunday 1/24.
She is very tired and going to work is difficult. We pray the Lord will give her and her son a good delivery on the day He chooses. Thinking of you. Happy to hear that everyone is improving.
peace,
Saratoga
Thanks for the tips and for the good news! We will send our praises heavenward for this step in the right direction. God is good to us no matter which direction we are headed but I am always thrilled to be able to offer heartfelt thanks when He answers in a way that we have been asking! :)
Will be posting an update on my carepage today and since it has been a very long day so far, I will leave it to you to read it there rather than write it all again. I really need a nap now so will write more later.
I rejoice with you today!
-Fern
Hi Gina and Jessica
What wonderful news to hear that Jessica's fevers are down and that the antibiotics are working. That is definitely God working and watching over her.
I also wanted to thank you for the information regarding Vemma. I'm definitely going to look into it. I'm extremely tired all day from my mediations and would prefer not to have to take any other medications to wake me up. It would be great if the energy product from Vemma could help me. So, thank you for passing along that information.
As always, Jessica is in my prayers as well as your entire family.
God Bless,
Jenn
I will keep on praying for Jessica's improvement every day, and for your strenght. You are truly and inspiration. May God be with you and your family always !
Monica
Sarah Gina, I had the pleasure of meeting you the first of December when I was in Mexico with my brother in law. He was there for surgery for his ALS. He (Dan) was a few doors down from Jessica and you were so gracious to offer to translate for us if we needed it.I have been thinking about you and Jessica often and the other day found the website address that I had written down! I have been "catching up" on Jessica's progress. Praise the Lord that the fever has broken and that the antibiotics seem to be working. You amaze me with your eloquent words in your blogs. You are a great mom and a wonderful role model for following Christ and having faith. I am blessed to have met you. Please know that I am praying for you both.
Debi Stamper
Hi Ladies..What great news. So happy the fevers are gone! Our prayers are heard in God's ears and he is GOOD!
Wonderful that PapaDavid is going home too. Can only imagine how he worries about his GIRLS!
I remember watching as you used the blood pressure wrist wrap. Even the doctor and the nurses were amazed how simple and accurate it was. Remember when it caught a fever that was coming on and the nurses said NO on their cuffs and sure enough..Jessica and the wrist band were right. That Jessica (and you) sure know her body!
Thanks for mentioning the Vemma and Verve and the fundraiser. The vitamins are working wonders on folks as they are liquid and the site http://www.HopeForJessica.vemma.com is helping raise money the simple way and everyone benefits.
Have sweet dreams and every day in every way you're getting better and better.
:) XOXO
Nancy & Joe & Mr. Tinker
Just realized something..."Jessica's Journey" has the name JESUS in it! But of course it would!
XOXO
Nanc
John 1:16
16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
Sarah and Jess,
I'm so happy the antibiotics are working and the fevers went away. Now all we need to do is get you walking so you can escape. As you know you are in my old room, the one the great escape occurred in. I'm giving you a few more weeks and then I'm coming back and carrying you out myself. Sarah, you'll just have to pretend to be asleep on the couch and maybe lend me a few pesos so I can pay for a cab and the Hampton Inn. Jess, we'll drink Margs and lounge at the pool(I think we both need to work on our tans). But in all seriousness I'm glad the fever's down, this is just the start of more good things to come, i can feel it.
I was wondering if they made more Jessica Steven's Lyme disease necklaces b/c I want to buy one. I still wear my orange Jessica's Journey bracelet but i need some Jessica bling on my neck. So if you guys could let me know when they're back on sale that would be great. I hope you have a good weekend and hopefully my Mom and I will skype soon(i want to tell you about our trip to Florida). I love you guys. Tell Justin, Rick, Dr. Cantu, Dr. Rainbow, and all the nurses I said hola.
lots of love, Dev
Hi,
This is the assistant editor for Hospital.com which is a medical publication offering hospital news,
information and reviews. We also cover a wide variety of medical issues, one of which being Pain Management.
You will notice one of the many articles on this topic on our homepage. If possible I would like Hospital.com
to be included within your blog roll, offering our information as a resource to your readers. Please let me
know if this addition can be made,
Please email me back with your URL in subject line to take a step ahead and to avoid spam.
Thank you
Mary Miller,
may.hospital.com@gmail.com
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