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My name is Jessica. I am a 33 year old married mother of one spunky 3 (almost 4 year old) boy and 2 rescue pups. I love my family, I love people, I love nature and animals, I love to travel, I love photography, I love tennis (hopefully I'll play again someday), I love life! I want to be around to see my baby grow up and to truly be able to live life to the fullest with my family.
This is hard for me. I try to be positive and optimistic and keep a happy face even through the hard times. I don't like to ask for help! But I am in a place now that I really need help as I do not want to be a financial burden on my family.
I've experienced digestive issues my whole life from excessive crying as an infant to strange symptoms that could never be explained despite countless tests through the teenage years into adulthood. Things have gotten progressively worse since I got pregnant in 2011, and after a severe episode that landed me in the ER in March, I was diagnosed with a congential deformation called malrotation where my intestines are twisted and out of place. My small intestines sit vertically on the right side of my abdomen and my large intestine travels up under 6 ribs on the left side - they can't even find my appendix through imaging because of how things are positioned. Since my diagnosis I have been having intermittent partial obstructions due to twisting of my intestines after eating causing constant pain, distension, nausea and trouble eating.
Malrotation is considered an emergency situation. The development of volvulus (fully twisting of the intestines cutting off blood supply and flow) and obstruction, common complications of malrotation, are considered life-threatening conditions. A local surgeon told me that if I develop one of these that I could die within 30 minutes if I don't receive emergency medical treatment. Surgery is required to reduce the likelihood of these life-threatening complications. In the past, surgery for malrotation had a 100% mortality rate! But with advances in intestinal transplantation, there is now hope. Dr. Kareem at the Cleveland clinic has made advances in the procedure and has become an expert in the field, going beyond what local surgeons are able to do and actually fixing the anatomy. This gives me a greater chance of living a more normal life, hopefully symptom-free!
I will travel to Cleveland, Ohio (a 1200 mile round-trip from my home) on August 7th for testing. My surgery will be August 17th with up to a 3 week stay in the hospital. The surgeon and clinic require up to 6-8 weeks stay in the area after surgery for follow up appointments to make sure there are no complications before being released to recover fully at home. The surgery is estimated to cost around $200,000, most of which will hopefully be covered by insurance. On top of medical costs, we will also have 6-8 weeks in a hotel, travel costs for several trips to Ohio from different family members who will participate in my post-surgical care (and hopefully at least one visit from my baby!), meals and other miscellaneous life expenses.
Any amount of help you can give will be appreciated beyond words!! Even $1 will pay for a snack or a drink for my mom while she's waiting with me at the hospital. $5 will cover a meal. $50 will cover a night in the hotel. $100 will cover the gas for my husband to bring our son to visit me. Anything, and everything, helps!
While I do not look forward to major surgery, I do look forward to living life more normally. Being able to enjoy the simple things – like being able to eat a meal without pain and nausea. And having the energy to keep up with my sweet, fun-loving, stick-collecting, imaginative boy!
Please watch this very short video of my highly-esteemed surgeon, Dr. Kareem Abu-Elmagd, which conveys his warm and compassionate nature toward his patients and his work:
This is hard for me. I try to be positive and optimistic and keep a happy face even through the hard times. I don't like to ask for help! But I am in a place now that I really need help as I do not want to be a financial burden on my family.
I've experienced digestive issues my whole life from excessive crying as an infant to strange symptoms that could never be explained despite countless tests through the teenage years into adulthood. Things have gotten progressively worse since I got pregnant in 2011, and after a severe episode that landed me in the ER in March, I was diagnosed with a congential deformation called malrotation where my intestines are twisted and out of place. My small intestines sit vertically on the right side of my abdomen and my large intestine travels up under 6 ribs on the left side - they can't even find my appendix through imaging because of how things are positioned. Since my diagnosis I have been having intermittent partial obstructions due to twisting of my intestines after eating causing constant pain, distension, nausea and trouble eating.
Malrotation is considered an emergency situation. The development of volvulus (fully twisting of the intestines cutting off blood supply and flow) and obstruction, common complications of malrotation, are considered life-threatening conditions. A local surgeon told me that if I develop one of these that I could die within 30 minutes if I don't receive emergency medical treatment. Surgery is required to reduce the likelihood of these life-threatening complications. In the past, surgery for malrotation had a 100% mortality rate! But with advances in intestinal transplantation, there is now hope. Dr. Kareem at the Cleveland clinic has made advances in the procedure and has become an expert in the field, going beyond what local surgeons are able to do and actually fixing the anatomy. This gives me a greater chance of living a more normal life, hopefully symptom-free!
I will travel to Cleveland, Ohio (a 1200 mile round-trip from my home) on August 7th for testing. My surgery will be August 17th with up to a 3 week stay in the hospital. The surgeon and clinic require up to 6-8 weeks stay in the area after surgery for follow up appointments to make sure there are no complications before being released to recover fully at home. The surgery is estimated to cost around $200,000, most of which will hopefully be covered by insurance. On top of medical costs, we will also have 6-8 weeks in a hotel, travel costs for several trips to Ohio from different family members who will participate in my post-surgical care (and hopefully at least one visit from my baby!), meals and other miscellaneous life expenses.
Any amount of help you can give will be appreciated beyond words!! Even $1 will pay for a snack or a drink for my mom while she's waiting with me at the hospital. $5 will cover a meal. $50 will cover a night in the hotel. $100 will cover the gas for my husband to bring our son to visit me. Anything, and everything, helps!
While I do not look forward to major surgery, I do look forward to living life more normally. Being able to enjoy the simple things – like being able to eat a meal without pain and nausea. And having the energy to keep up with my sweet, fun-loving, stick-collecting, imaginative boy!
Please watch this very short video of my highly-esteemed surgeon, Dr. Kareem Abu-Elmagd, which conveys his warm and compassionate nature toward his patients and his work: