Hope For Janice: Tampa Treatment
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"Faith is not just believing that God can, it is also believing that He Will..."
RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) also known as CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)- is a progressive disease of the Autonomic Nervous System. The pain is characterized as constant, extremely intense... - "What is CRPS/RSD?"- American RSDHope
This was the diagnosis for Janice K Lewellen on October 6,2011...a day that changed her life forever, at the age of 41.
If you knew Janice, pre RSD, you knew how full of life she was...always on the go...Janice is married to Don Lewellen who is a veteran of the Metro Fire Department and served as a firefighter for 29 years. She spent 20 years as a school bus driver for Metro Schools while also obtaining a degree in Commercial Digital Photography. Janice was well on her way of fulfilling her dream of being a first class wedding and family photographer. Both Janice and Don have been very active members of the Goodlettsville Cumberland Presbyterian Church for 13 years. That was until her first surgery in April 2011 to have her ovaries removed. Things took a terrible turn for the worse 9 days after the surgery when she was rushed to the hospital with a terribly high fever where she was then diagnosed with an abscess in her small intestine. No one knew where this was headed...where this was taking her...and little did anyone know what she would have to go through on the road ahead of her. Doctors instructed Janice to be on bowel rest for the next 2 months...she could eat nothing and drink nothing, for 2 months. At the beginning of the 2 month bowel rest, a PIC line was inserted into her left arm to receive all her nutrition. Upon removal of the PIC line in her left arm, shortly after that, Janice began to experience intense pain in the arm...and ultimately the loss of ability to move the arm due to excruciating pain. At this point in her life, Janice would become unable to work anymore and soon she would be fully disabled. The pain started to take over her life and she was desperately seeking relief that she would ultimately never find...Pain became a staple of Janices' everyday life. She wakes up with it, it is there with her all day long, and she goes to bed with it every night. This disease rates at 47 on the McGill Pain Index Chart. To put that into perspective...Childbirth is rated at a 32. Amputation of a limb is rated at a 40. Pain has stolen her life...with no sign of it getting better as this is a degenerative disease. Even with the help of pain management clinics and doctors who specialized in treating this problem, they can't help her very much.
And here we are 4 painful years later... but now with a new hope for the future. After several discussions with Doctors and research efforts done by Janices' husband Don, there is a treatment for her that could give her, her life back. A second chance. A treatment center in Tampa, Florida specializes in the specific treatment (Ketamine therapy) of this disease and they have heard Janices' story and found her to be a good candidate for this. We are at the forefront of a cure that could end all of her pain, for good. She is looking at the chance to return to the active mother/wife she was...a chance to return to life in general. From losing all normality and being disabled, to regaining her life. What a miracle god is working on for her! While this is the best news she has received in the 4 years she has battled this disease, the treatment is not covered by her insurance therefore leaving the expenses up to her. The total estimated cost for the chance for Janice to have her life back is $25,000...that's where you come in! The Lewellen family is reaching out to friends and family for their support in the efforts to raise money to send Janice to Tampa to receive the treatment she so desperately needs. The treatment is scheduled for August the 14th and will be an intense 5 day outpatient treatment at the RSD/CRPS Treatment Center and Research Institute. Janice, Don and their son Jonathan greatly appreciate any and all donations, kind words, and especially prayers during this endeavor. We know that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the ultimate healer and he will guide her where he wants her to be. Thank you all so much in advance and God Bless.
RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) also known as CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)- is a progressive disease of the Autonomic Nervous System. The pain is characterized as constant, extremely intense... - "What is CRPS/RSD?"- American RSDHope
This was the diagnosis for Janice K Lewellen on October 6,2011...a day that changed her life forever, at the age of 41.
If you knew Janice, pre RSD, you knew how full of life she was...always on the go...Janice is married to Don Lewellen who is a veteran of the Metro Fire Department and served as a firefighter for 29 years. She spent 20 years as a school bus driver for Metro Schools while also obtaining a degree in Commercial Digital Photography. Janice was well on her way of fulfilling her dream of being a first class wedding and family photographer. Both Janice and Don have been very active members of the Goodlettsville Cumberland Presbyterian Church for 13 years. That was until her first surgery in April 2011 to have her ovaries removed. Things took a terrible turn for the worse 9 days after the surgery when she was rushed to the hospital with a terribly high fever where she was then diagnosed with an abscess in her small intestine. No one knew where this was headed...where this was taking her...and little did anyone know what she would have to go through on the road ahead of her. Doctors instructed Janice to be on bowel rest for the next 2 months...she could eat nothing and drink nothing, for 2 months. At the beginning of the 2 month bowel rest, a PIC line was inserted into her left arm to receive all her nutrition. Upon removal of the PIC line in her left arm, shortly after that, Janice began to experience intense pain in the arm...and ultimately the loss of ability to move the arm due to excruciating pain. At this point in her life, Janice would become unable to work anymore and soon she would be fully disabled. The pain started to take over her life and she was desperately seeking relief that she would ultimately never find...Pain became a staple of Janices' everyday life. She wakes up with it, it is there with her all day long, and she goes to bed with it every night. This disease rates at 47 on the McGill Pain Index Chart. To put that into perspective...Childbirth is rated at a 32. Amputation of a limb is rated at a 40. Pain has stolen her life...with no sign of it getting better as this is a degenerative disease. Even with the help of pain management clinics and doctors who specialized in treating this problem, they can't help her very much.
And here we are 4 painful years later... but now with a new hope for the future. After several discussions with Doctors and research efforts done by Janices' husband Don, there is a treatment for her that could give her, her life back. A second chance. A treatment center in Tampa, Florida specializes in the specific treatment (Ketamine therapy) of this disease and they have heard Janices' story and found her to be a good candidate for this. We are at the forefront of a cure that could end all of her pain, for good. She is looking at the chance to return to the active mother/wife she was...a chance to return to life in general. From losing all normality and being disabled, to regaining her life. What a miracle god is working on for her! While this is the best news she has received in the 4 years she has battled this disease, the treatment is not covered by her insurance therefore leaving the expenses up to her. The total estimated cost for the chance for Janice to have her life back is $25,000...that's where you come in! The Lewellen family is reaching out to friends and family for their support in the efforts to raise money to send Janice to Tampa to receive the treatment she so desperately needs. The treatment is scheduled for August the 14th and will be an intense 5 day outpatient treatment at the RSD/CRPS Treatment Center and Research Institute. Janice, Don and their son Jonathan greatly appreciate any and all donations, kind words, and especially prayers during this endeavor. We know that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the ultimate healer and he will guide her where he wants her to be. Thank you all so much in advance and God Bless.
Organiser
Janice K. Lewellen
Organiser
Goodlettsville, TN