HI!
To Order Jessica's Journey Necklace, Click On Link :
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41687962
To view Jessica on Fox TV, Click on Link Below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_vstm0bS8
Hi to All,
Please pray for Jessica today. Pray for more "good days" and less "bad days". Pray for her to feel God's love with her "every day"!
In my prayers this morning for Jessica and for all of you, the word "love" came shooting out to me. There are so many different types of love. There are so many different ways to love. But, there has only been one true constant since the beginning of time:
WE Love Because HE First Loved Us!
My prayer today for All of you is to feel His love today!
2John 1:6:
"And this is Love: That we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love!"
Here is a beautiful Song with a beautiful video message:
"What the World Needs Now Is Love"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=MX&v=u_cIhnUEEng
In God's Love Today,
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!
9 comments:
Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Psalm 6:4
Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.
Psalm 23:6
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 25:6
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
Psalm 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.
Psalm 31:16
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Psalm 36:5
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Psalm 63:3
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
Psalm 69:16
Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
Psalm 89:2
I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
Psalm 91:14
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
Psalm 107:21
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.
What a lovely video! The world could use more LOVE!
We will pray that your sweet Jessica will have many more "good days" and that the improvements keep coming.
May you both continue to feel the love He lavishes on us. May He also give you the strength to endure this rollercoaster ride.
With LOVE & prayers,
The Turners
National Geographics has some really neat pictures (for those nights when you are surfing the net):
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photos/patterns-landscapes/#40348_600x450.jpg
What an awesome Creator!
LOVE
During the Lenten season and always let us show the Lord's love through us His servants. Give someone(s) special in your life an extra 10 minutes of your love for them. Let them know you care. Let them know they are special and should have your attention.For you Gina and Jessica an extra 10 minutes of prayer.
Love from Saratoga
Linda
Dearest Jessica and Gina, I have to thank you for helping me to develop perspective in my life on what's really important. I had a leak in my kitchen last week, which led to the discovery of mildew under my cabinets. The insurance company contractors have been here for the past three days taking out my floor, cabinets, and appliances looking for mold. Unlike in the past, when I would have been undone by the whole thing, I have found myself more or less being able to deal with it pretty well. You have taught me what is really important, and that I can make it through challenging times and see them through to the end. Your unshakeable faith throughout your trials has brought me to a different place in my thinking, and for that I am so grateful. I miss you and keep you in my prayers always. Love you! Angel xoxo
Do you know if they will also make a matching bracelet?
Exodus 15:11
"Who among the gods is like you, O LORD ? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
Deuteronomy 10:21
He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.
Job 37:22
Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty.
Psalm 65:5
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas,
Psalm 66:5
Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!
Psalm 68:35
You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
Something to encourage you ...
http://web.mac.com/gstocker/mypainstory/Shannons_Blog/Entries/2008/4/12_It%E2%80%99s_a_Girl!.html
Shannon and I learned this week that we are having a girl. Now this is where things start getting interesting. As some of you may or may not have heard, when Shannon was in her coma in Mexico, there were several families in Monterrey, Mexico who got to know us and followed Shannon's progress. One lady, Marcela de Cardenas, asked one night if she could pray for Shannon at her bedside. Obviously, with nothing to lose, I said OK. After praying, she walked over to me and said something like..."You may think that I am crazy, but God told me while I was praying that your wife is going to have a daughter next year...and her name needs to be Mary.
I was just hoping that Shannon would wake up and be out of pain. Having a child in 2008 (which was next year while Shannon was in the coma in April/May 2007) seemed all but impossible. Shannon's hormones had been wiped out entirely by the RSD, medications and weight loss (as evidenced by numerous blood tests prior to the coma). So I thought it was sweet, but it seemed exceedingly unlikely. I told many friends and family about Marcela’s comments and really did not talk much about it again. This is until Shannon tested pregnant in December. We had just moved into a new home about a week before we knew she was pregnant and the house had a bright pink baby room by the master bedroom. We intended to paint it another color in late December, as neither one of us were wild about a bright pink room. When we found out a week later that Shannon was pregnant, we decided to wait to paint the room and see if we were having a girl. We called Marcela in Mexico to tell her that Shannon was pregnant, and she said "I know". It was getting pretty weird now.
With God, all things are possible!
Hi girls. This Marcela sounds like a angel from our Dear Lord!
XOXO May today be the best day yet of your Health Journey!
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