Jessica's Journey

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Necklaces Are Back!

To Order Jessica's Journey Necklace, CLICK ON LINK :

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41687962

Hi To Family & Friends,

SPECIAL NEWS:

Jessica's necklace is back in production! I have heard from the Mah Family of Lymelinks/Etsy and they have received all the necessary materials & stones to start making more of Jessica's necklaces. They go on sale once again today! I would personally like to thank Brian & Michelle Mah for all their help and for donating all the proceeds from the sales of the necklaces to Jessica's Journey Fund! Please support them as well, as they are going through their own battle with Lyme disease, by visiting their website for many other jewelry items. Necklaces will be shipped in @ 1 - 6 weeks. Any questions - you can contact Brian Mah at: www.lymelinks.etsy.com.

Thank you all & May God bless you for your support!

Update On Jessica:

Jessica continues to try to take the "small steps" needed. For the past week she has been trying to go on her computer at night, while it is quiet and dark, to see how much her brain can handle. After the coma, it is necessary to work with your brain in the re-setting process. For her, things that may have taken her a shorter amount of time to do before, now require a much longer amount of time. This can be frustrating at times for her, but she knows she needs to take things slowly and try not to push herself farther than her brain will allow her to go. "Small steps" as Dr. Cantu always says! For now she goes on her computer at night for short periods of time and she tries to slowly increase it as tolerated.

Thank you all for always keeping Jessica in your thoughts and prayers. It means more to us than you can ever know!

Special thanks to Blanca Canavati - a woman that I met who is from Monterrey and visits everyday with her relative who is in the hospital. We speak when she visits and she has offered her help to me while I am here. Yesterday she brought me a present - a beautiful fleece blanket - to keep warm! Thank you so much Blanca! The people I have met while here in Mexico have been so very compassionate and truly amazing!

In God's love, always,
Sarah Gina (Jessica's Mom)*

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps".
Proverbs 16:9

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Friday, February 26, 2010

"Chapters" of the Story

Hi To All,

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

htt p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_vstm0bS8

As I sit here and realize that I have written and posted over 150 blog entries to "Jessica's Journey", I am simply amazed. Not amazed at myself but more amazed at what God has revealed to me and through me with each and every post that I have made.

Each post is a part of the story of this journey. The parts or posts become "chapters" and the "chapters" become the "story". The "book" that God has been writing through me has many, many chapters. Some chapters are happy, some are sad. Others are frustrating and seem wrong, while others are rewarding and seem so right.

God will be all in all. His will will be done. What may seem frustrating, wrong or unfair is not the end of the story. It's just the end of that chapter. Thank God the book that is being written here is full of many, many chapters!
:"
Augustine once said something so right, when he said: "We count on God's mercy for our past mistakes; we count on God's love for our present needs; but we count on God's sovereignty for the future!"

Pray for Jessica and lift her up today as she continues with her daily struggles and accomplishments. Pray that the "chapters" being written here in Mexico - add up to a wonderful "book" - one that is complete with a happier ending. Isn't this what we ALL hope and pray for each day? To God be All the glory!

In God's love,
Sarah Gina (Jessica's Mom)*

"I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God".
Hebrews 8:10

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Special Message to My Sister!

Hi To All from Mexico,

Today is my sister Carol's birthday. She is also Jessica's aunt and godmother. Since I can't be with her today I would like to send this present - a special message to her - via the blog, to wish her a very special Happy Birthday from Monterrey, Mexico.

"FELIZ CUMPLEANOS" OR "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" TO MY SISTER CAROL:

Dear Carol,

A sister has a special perception. When you hurt, she feels your pain. When you're happy, she shares your joy. When you're frightened, she understands.

And, when a dark day comes, a sister is not afraid to enter into the darkness with you. She walks in - invited or not - it doesn't matter - and she brings with her the comfort of God!

Even when you try to hide your worry or your pain, a sister can see through you, right down to the truth. A sister is like a "ministering angel" (Hebrews 1:14), sent straight from heaven to you!

Happy Birthday to my "strong" big sister Carol - who has battled with cancer these past two years - and has made it through!

Remember this Carol - next year we will celebrate your birthday on the beach in Marco Island - collecting seashells - arm in arm - once again!!!

Love you always, your "baby" sister, Sarah
Con mucho amor de Mexico...............
xoxoxo

JESSICA SAYS HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU TOO!!!

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Perseverance & Strength

Hi to All,

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

htt p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_vstm0bS8

Jessica received another booster yesterday. We were able to sit her bed up more and we have also begun playing music softly in her room during the booster. As you know, Jessica has had severe sensitivity to sounds and light before we arrived in Mexico and she has needed to wear sunglasses in her room and Bose noise-cancelling headphones as well 24/7. When her eyesight was restored in December she has been gradually trying to tolerate the light more and more each day. I am happy to tell you all that she no longer needs to wear sunglasses in the room! This is another "small step" but a huge advance that she has taken towards recovery! Also, she has also begun only wearing ear plugs and trying to keep the headphones off more and more each day. Another "small step" as Dr. Cantu always says!

I am so proud of Jessica. These small steps that she is taking while still struggling with the pain, are simply amazing and a true testament to her courage and perseverance and inner strength. There have been many days where she has felt that she had had enough and couldn't do this another day! God has truly blessed her with a spirit of tenacity; of grace under fire; of steadfast determination under insurmountable odds; a true will to somehow keep going on...........

Please pray for her today. Pray for her to keep fighting through the pain; to keep taking the "small steps" needed; to keep holding on to that original "hope" that brought us here to Mexico --- the hope of a more "normal" life - free of sickness and pain!

May God Bless You All,
Sarah Gina (Jessica's Mom)*

As it says in Hebrews 10:35:
"So do not throw away your confidence -- it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you WILL receive what he has promised!"
Also - Hebrews 12:1:
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus - the author and perfecter of our faith"
Also - Hebrews 13:5:
"Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you! So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid!"

***Special thanks go out once again to the following people:
1. Eloida & Rodolfo from the Union Church - for "all" their help this past week.
2. Sylvia - my new best friend here in Monterrey. She is an amazing, loving person who always brings her friendship and also - this Sunday - Lasagna (yes-Italian food at last!).
3. Manuel & Daniel - for making and bringing "purified" water for Jessica and I. It was so special of Manuel to do this for us.
4. Barbara - for all the homemade food she continues to bring and her friendship as well.
5. Betty - who dropped by with american magazines for me to read. I missed talking with her, as Jessica was having a rough day that day.
6. And last but not least - Pastor Long - from the Union Church. He has given us amazing strength through his spiritual guidance while here in Mexico. It is a true testament to him that All the people that have been mentioned above ALL come from the church that he pastors --- Union Church. That says it all! God is alive and well!

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

40,000 Views of Blog!!!

Blessed Sunday To All,

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

htt p://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW_vstm0bS8

Everyday for the past two months I have been reading inspirational stories to Jessica to help pass the time and also to provide a distraction from the pain. I find these stories on the internet and some of them are simply amazing and very thought provoking, especially when you are in a hospital.

Today - Jessica's Journey Blog - has received over 40,000 Views!!! We can't thank you all enough for the love and support and inspirational comments you have posted to this blog!

In honor of that I wanted to share the following link to a slideshow that I think you will all find very interesting. Please watch it till the end as it conveys a special prayer to All of you from Jessica and I, from Mexico.

Enjoy and May God Bless You All!

LINK:
http:www.rogerknapp.com/inspire/BibleDV.html

All our love,
Sarah Gina & Jessica*

Center of His Word:
PSALM 118:8
"IT IS BETTER TO TAKE REFUGE IN THE LORD, THEN TO TRUST IN MAN'.

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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.