Josh's trip to the Mayo Clinic
Donation protected
In October of 2014, after completing a half marathon race with his wife Amy, high school art teacher Josh Henschel started exhibiting signs that something was terribly wrong.
Upon completing the race, both Josh and Amy felt understandably exhausted. However, after a few days, Josh did not recover as expected. He returned to teaching and his colleagues noticed that his speech was slightly slower and his movements and reactions were clearly delayed. He was having obvious difficulty with basic teaching duties. A friend suggested he see the school nurse, who upon speaking with Josh, was very concerned. She sent him directly to the emergency room questioning if he had suffered a stroke. Little did Josh know then, that this would be the beginning of a long medical journey.
The ER doctor found nothing wrong with Josh outside the normal recovery symptoms of running a race of that distance; however, the symptoms continued. Josh and Amy embarked on a journey which led them to several medical professionals including countless neurologists, otoloranogists, speech and voice therapists, and physical therapists. Josh has undergone various batches of tests and procedures including MRIs, x-rays, a spinal tap, vocal chord injections and a DaT scan to help with a possible Parkinson's diagnosis. He was referred to various local experts and spent considerable time at Johns Hopkins searching for answers and healing. After months and eventually years of doctor appointments, tests, and various diagnoses, the main symptoms continued on without much explanation.
More on the diagnosis from Josh's perspective...
"The most obvious problem is with my speech quality. My vocalization is dramatically slower than it should be. After the race, I struggled through most of the 2014-2015 school year but was forced to take the last quarter off because my voice just couldn’t keep up with the demands of teaching full-time. I continue to hope for the best but my voice and health seemed to have plateaued at an unacceptable level, which is very frustrating. Despite all the tests, there have been no discoveries of a neurological issue at this point in time. The doctors have explained that although there is no "hardware" issue in the brain, there is a "software" issue in the body. The official diagnosis at this point in time is a functional movement disorder combined with muscle tension dysphonia. In addition to the obvious vocal difficulties, my symptoms include unstable walking and balance, tongue tremors, periodic trembling and numbness in my limbs, and stiffness in my head, neck and facial muscles. Although we completely respect the doctors we have worked with, we continue to question if we are missing something."
And now for the good news! Josh has been accepted as a candidate for consultation and examination at The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota at the end of April. He and Amy are both excited and nervous to embark on another chapter in this medical mystery and are hoping to find answers and possible healing through the Mayo Clinic's expert staff of doctors. Typical appointments at Mayo Clinic range from 4-10 days. Josh has appointments scheduled for three days, but has been advised by the clinic to plan to stay longer. At this point, they have prepared to stay for a week.
Because Josh, Amy, and their children are dearly loved by their friends and family, they are often asked how they can be helped. With this gofundme opportunity, we now have a tangible way to support them in a way that only a loving community can do together.
The trip to the Mayo Clinic will be an unbudgeted expense for their family. If you feel led to help with their flights, hotel and food expenses, please donate any amount to this fund. I promise you it will be received by incredibly grateful hearts.
Upon completing the race, both Josh and Amy felt understandably exhausted. However, after a few days, Josh did not recover as expected. He returned to teaching and his colleagues noticed that his speech was slightly slower and his movements and reactions were clearly delayed. He was having obvious difficulty with basic teaching duties. A friend suggested he see the school nurse, who upon speaking with Josh, was very concerned. She sent him directly to the emergency room questioning if he had suffered a stroke. Little did Josh know then, that this would be the beginning of a long medical journey.
The ER doctor found nothing wrong with Josh outside the normal recovery symptoms of running a race of that distance; however, the symptoms continued. Josh and Amy embarked on a journey which led them to several medical professionals including countless neurologists, otoloranogists, speech and voice therapists, and physical therapists. Josh has undergone various batches of tests and procedures including MRIs, x-rays, a spinal tap, vocal chord injections and a DaT scan to help with a possible Parkinson's diagnosis. He was referred to various local experts and spent considerable time at Johns Hopkins searching for answers and healing. After months and eventually years of doctor appointments, tests, and various diagnoses, the main symptoms continued on without much explanation.
More on the diagnosis from Josh's perspective...
"The most obvious problem is with my speech quality. My vocalization is dramatically slower than it should be. After the race, I struggled through most of the 2014-2015 school year but was forced to take the last quarter off because my voice just couldn’t keep up with the demands of teaching full-time. I continue to hope for the best but my voice and health seemed to have plateaued at an unacceptable level, which is very frustrating. Despite all the tests, there have been no discoveries of a neurological issue at this point in time. The doctors have explained that although there is no "hardware" issue in the brain, there is a "software" issue in the body. The official diagnosis at this point in time is a functional movement disorder combined with muscle tension dysphonia. In addition to the obvious vocal difficulties, my symptoms include unstable walking and balance, tongue tremors, periodic trembling and numbness in my limbs, and stiffness in my head, neck and facial muscles. Although we completely respect the doctors we have worked with, we continue to question if we are missing something."
And now for the good news! Josh has been accepted as a candidate for consultation and examination at The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota at the end of April. He and Amy are both excited and nervous to embark on another chapter in this medical mystery and are hoping to find answers and possible healing through the Mayo Clinic's expert staff of doctors. Typical appointments at Mayo Clinic range from 4-10 days. Josh has appointments scheduled for three days, but has been advised by the clinic to plan to stay longer. At this point, they have prepared to stay for a week.
Because Josh, Amy, and their children are dearly loved by their friends and family, they are often asked how they can be helped. With this gofundme opportunity, we now have a tangible way to support them in a way that only a loving community can do together.
The trip to the Mayo Clinic will be an unbudgeted expense for their family. If you feel led to help with their flights, hotel and food expenses, please donate any amount to this fund. I promise you it will be received by incredibly grateful hearts.
Organizer and beneficiary
Heidi Cesarini
Organizer
Lititz, PA
Josh Henschel
Beneficiary
