Results from Duke Medical Center....

Jessica has seen the doctors at Duke Medical Center . They have ruled out many things including migraine headaches, neuralgia, a seizure disorder, and any sort of tumor. As the questions have continued to be asked, and the neurologist has continued to look at all the symptoms, it has been determined this stems from the original ear infection. The pain appears to be a result of her body's inability to "shut off" the pain impulse to that area -- it is considered a hypersensitivity to the pain impulse. They have been able to put her on some medication which we are praying will "reset" that response.

Also, we will be seeing a Pediatric Dentist on Tuesday as there appears to be a dental component that is contributing to the pain in her ear. We have realized in the midst of all of the pain episodes (and discussing this with the neurologist), that Jessica has been clenching her teeth, and she grinds them at night as well which can significantly contribute to the pain she is experiencing.

Thanks for your faithful prayers for Jessica.

MRI Results...

This week we received the results of Jessica's latest MRI. It showed no sign of mastoiditis. Yesterday the Lord opened a door for us to pursue getting some answers through a Christian neurologist at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina . We praise Him for working out all the details of this special appointment on Tuesday. We will be staying with some wonderful friends of ours who live just an hour away from the medical center. Jessica's pains have continued to worsen this week. Please continue to pray this "mystery" would be solved soon.

MRI Scheduled

We took Jessica to the doctor today, and he scheduled an MRI for tomorrow afternoon. This type is different than any she has had in the past, and focuses on the mastoid bone and surrounding tissue. Thanks for praying!

Kayla's First Birthday Party!

In the middle of what seemed like a barrage of doctors visits for Jessica, we finally found some time to celebrate Kayla's first year. We thank God for blessing us with her little life. She fills our days with laughter as we watch her excitement for learning new things each day.

She thoroughly has enjoyed her gifts and amazed us all by her ability to devour a whole Elmo ice cream cake by herself.












 


 


 

An Updated Prayer Request for Jessica...

Please continue to pray for wisdom and guidance as we try to find help for Jessica's severe ear pains. Her symptoms continue to be very irregular. She has good days and bad days. Lately, the pains have been increasing again. We think her body may be resistant to this antibiotic, as she is complaining about an increase in pain around her mastoid bone. We plan to call the doctor first thing Monday morning, hoping he will want to see her right away. We do have an appointment scheduled for Friday at 2:00pm.

From what we understand, mastoiditis is one of the hardest infections to get rid of in the body. Please pray we can eliminate it before it turns into meningitis or a brain abscess (caused from the infection leaking into the different parts of the brain).

We continue to have "issues" with our mail server, so if you ever do get disconnected from us for a long period of time, please do not forget to bookmark our website at www.jansmajournal.com for the latest information where we will be posting more pics, video clips, and blogs about our ministry.

Go to www.jansmajournal.com to find out how our Mother's Day was so special...

Mother's Day Surprise!

On Saturday night Kristi had the opportunity to attend a Mother/Daughter banquet with her mother and our oldest three girls. She was given the special recognition of being "Mother of the Year". What an honor it was to receive this special attention! She feels so undeserving!

She was given a beautiful bouquet of red roses and a framed poem written just for her.












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More Testing...

We want to thank all of you who have been praying for wisdom and direction as we try to find a solution to Jessica's pain.

Recently, we were made aware of a doctor who specializes in "hard to solve" cases. We were grateful that upon hearing Jessica's story, he arranged to see her immediately. What an answer to prayer that was!

Our first visit lasted three hours. The doctor was very thorough, and did some additional testing which enabled him to conclude that Jessica quite possibly has chronic mastoiditis, along with a viral infection, and parasites. He prescribed a number of medications and nutritional supplements for her to take over the next month. Time will tell if this diagnosis is correct.

Although we still don't have any clear answers, we were encouraged this doctor said he wouldn't stop until he found a solution to her pain. This was a huge emotional relief to Jessica who was already wondering if she was going to have to deal with this pain for the rest of her life.

These are difficult times for our family, yet God is giving us the strength we need for each day. We praise Him for His faithfulness in our lives. Please continue to pray for healing for Jessica. It is our prayer the Lord would use this in her young life to grow her closer to Himself.