About Jesicha's Life
Jesicha was a talented, creative,
loving, giving woman. She found joy in all things she
did and never missed an opportunity to experience
something new.
She was born in 1975, the second of
eleven siblings. From an early age Jesicha would delight
herself and others creating designs or fashions for her
younger siblings. She was destined to be a designer, her
eye for design was very evident. True to form, young
Jesicha, mastered the art of design and became a master
using every machine needed. By her early twenties she
was off to NYC, displaying her fashions at the shows and
selling into fashion boutiques for children.
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FROM JESICHA'S
CANDIED APPLES
SPRING LINE
LAVENDER CAPRI SET WITH HAT |
Her talents did not stop at
fashion, she designed her own home and found time to do
much of the detail work on the house herself. The
gardens surrounding the house were designed by her,
marking every planting, constructing stone pathways, and
seating areas.
Her hands never stopped moving, her
mind always a whirl. there was always a dream ready for
her to turn it into reality.
When faced with cancer, she never stopped a beat;
continued her dreams, continued reaching the top of
every mountain she set out to climb. This meant starting
a whole new idea in design and fashion; creating a line
of fashion and accessories from recycled goods, turning
discarded into something new and fabulous. It was a
greatly accepted where ever shown. Not to stop there,
she decided to begin a pet sitting business, giving
clients exceptional care for their pets, whether they be
dogs or cats or horses, goats, or snakes; she gave them
the personal love and care. Her life was full, and she
had little room for cancer.
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Designs from her
line:
GIVE THEM THE WORLD
using recycled goods
[ Displayed at Brazen Betties ] |
Most clients or associates were
surprised to learn Jesicha had battled breast cancer for
three years. Never did she wear cancer on her sleeve,
but pushed it to the back, in a deep dark corner,
exactly where it need be, for Jesicha has life to live,
places to go, things to do and a life to enjoy. Cancer,
there was just no room for it.
When the chemotherapy and radiation
began to take a toll on her body, and had not
accomplished the task of killing the cancer, Jesicha
turned to alternative treatments. Perhaps she would
admit that decision was made too late; yet she did trust
the doctors to tell her when chemo was no longer the
answer. She was disappointed that she trusted and did
not get what she expected; the truth needs be told,
early on, in time for a patient to make their logical
decisions. It was then in a clinic in Mexico that
Jesicha decided to found - Jesicha's Hope -
appropriately named - for it is Jesicha that is giving
hope to others and will continue.
Jesicha Leaving
clinic in Mexico after treatment and where she
decided to found Jesicha's Hope |
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Jesicha did go for the alternatives
finding them tolerable and invigorating to the body,
that so craved to be healed.
Her progress was good, the cancer regressed by a
good percentage. She had the hope of a new tomorrow,
every day was a day to enjoy and live for; her dreams
never ceased, always something new moving through her
mind, readying herself for the next adventure,
accomplishment, or challenge.
She found her last challenge in
mid-August of 2011. Damage from side effects and
long-term effects of the chemotherapy and radiation to
her liver and heart began to weaken her.
Although she never knew the liver and heart were
damaged beyond all odds, believing she would heal; and
another day would rise; she forged on trying to heal.
Jesicha retired after her morning exercises in late
August to nap; she succumbed within hours, giving her
the peaceful end a woman as full of love and life, joy
and hope deserved.
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JESICHA ERIN NAPOLITANO
- Grave where her garden blooms and we visit |
Jesicha is sorely missed and it
was her hope that one day when she had reached a healing
she would give back to others with cancer; showing them
that with hope and joy of life always in your heart,
cancer would never take over, always be forced to the
back corner of your life. She never had that chance to
make that dream come true, but we decided the world
needed to have Jesicha's Hope in their lives, so we
dedicate our lives to doing her work, in her honor, in
her memory.
Jesicha's Hope: BELIEVE IN LIFE
about Jesicha's Treatment and
Journey
Jesicha never wanted to be known
for her cancer; she hated the very thought the cancer
was even a part of her. She was Jesicha the person, the
designer, lover of animals and children; she was more
than anything the sister of ten wonderful loving
siblings and the loving daughter of a mom and dad.
But, unless her cancer story is fully told others
may not fully understand what she discovered and why she
created the organization Jesicha's Hope.
Her ‘rude' awakening as she called it came
towards the end of her journey; she thought it was the
beginning of a lifetime ahead of her cancer free; her
cancer free lifetime was not if she envisioned. Her
dream of Jesicha's Hope was handed over to her mother,
who carries the torch for her daughter.
Her cancer story began in the
summer of 2008. She loved animals and the great
outdoors. Living outside was not out of the norm,
especially in the summer where gardening and hiking
about trails with one dog or another was and everyday
event. When
her shoulder began to ache, and would not go away her
first thought was Lyme's Disease, in CT a common
occurrence.
After visiting the doctor and expecting to come out with
a script for doxy in her hand she came out with an
appointment for a scan in hand. Shortly after the
results came back she was headed off to yet another
appointment and there a doctor told her she had an
unusual lump under her breast.
A biopsy resulted, and it came back with invasive
ductal carcinoma ER positive, PR Negative HER2 positive,
it was poorly differentiated with intra ductal carcinoma
solid - node # 1 positive with tumor clusters, #2 and #3
were negative.
Surgery resulted in a radical mastectomy of the
right breast.
Before surgery she was put on a
neoadjuvant therapy of Herceptin 6 mg. Taxotere 75 mg
and carboplatin @ACU of 6, no radiation was indicated by
three top radiologists. She received 6 cycles of
Taxotere and carboplatin and the Herceptin were planned
for one year.
In 2009 of June the Herceptin was stopped and
Tamoxifen was started. By November of 2008 the radical
mastectomy was performed.
She was complaining about the same
shoulder pain during the course of the year and was
reassured they got everything and the pain in the
shoulder was not the same but replaced due to the
surgery and reconstruction of the breast that she was
undergoing.
But she still complained and in November of 2009 a scan
was done that showed she had hypermetabolic masses on
the chest wall and collar bone.
Surgery was again performed in
January of 2010 the reconstructed breast was removed;
the tumor on the chest wall was removed as well as on
the collar bone.
The tumors 4.5 respectively in size.
Jesicha's tamoxifen was stopped and cycles of
Zoladex and Armidex was begun. Radiation was recommended
and begun on the chest wall. By June of 2010 despite the
heavy cycles of chemo a new scan showed boney mets on
the spine of L2, L4, T5 and ilicc bone.; another scan in
October showed new hypermetabolic foci on the skeleton
at T5, L3, L5, L4, L1.
She decided to leave her care at
Beth Israel and Sloan, to go to a new promising doctor
at Dana Farber; she was hoping for one more trial that
might make the difference.
In November of 2010 the reports
came back for the second surgery; it was TNBC and
identified as adenocarcinoma metastatic; lymph nodes #3
and #4 were no longer negative, they were positive for
metastatic carcinoma. We would not know this information
until 2012.
December of 2010 her reports were
gathered from NYC and sent to Dana Farber.
She waited for acceptance into a trail program
and was told if she were to begin new cycles of chemo
her chance of getting into a trial would diminish. She
waited. The doctor told her cases such as Jesicha's
could go on for a long time, and she would simply manage
her condition, much like a chronic illness of any type.
Things she thought might be not so grim after all.
January of 2011, she was put back
on Herceptin, and several more cycles of chemo using
Avastin and Xeloda. By March there was no improvement
and the trial she hoped for was not available because
the trial she had used previously of the carboplastin
cocktail and the subsequent mets deemed her unqualified.
She was devastated.
She was being treated by the doctor
from Dana Farber as well as a former doctor from Sloan
that happened to move closer to Yale; she administered
all the chemo so traveling to Boston was not needed.
In May she complained of a bump on her head just
to the back of her head. It grew, but the doctor claimed
due to her headaches from the chemo she must have gotten
dizzy and hit her head. A week later we returned for
another round of chemo and told the doctor it grew, and
another appeared. They began to appear daily it seemed
and they all grew quickly. She had one just over her eye
and another to the right of the eye; her vision was
deteriorating. They decided to add Tykerb to the mix.
In June, with no improvement and
the tumors now in her jaw invading her mouth, radiation
was scheduled. Radiation would begin in mid-June.
Meanwhile at a support group center
she overheard another woman with similar advancement had
gone to Germany for Whole Body Hyperthermia and was not
doing well.
Jesicha enlisted her mother to do begin research.
A c all to a clinic in Germany resulted in his
telling her the probability of her making the trip in
her condition was not good but there were clinics in
Mexico that he suggested that could help.
She received a consultation with one clinic to
determine if she qualified and found she was able to do
so. She had also tried Dr. Bryzinski in Texas, but the
FDA had rulings as to who could get into his program and
Jesicha had not undergone enough surgery and radiation
to qualify. She was declined.
The clinic in Mexico accepted her and
arrangements were made to go just after her last
radiation on her jaw to improve her eating ability.
Jesicha had two treatments and the radiation on
her head proved to taxing to her already frail body.
Emergency arrangements made to bring her to the
clinic immediately, a week or so short of her appointed
time.
At the clinic Jesicha underwent a
transfusion, her blood count according to Mexican
standards were too low, for her doctors here it was a
wait and see.
A series of tests resulted in showing another
tumor in her right breast, not yet seen in a recent scan
in the U. S. The use of extensive sonogram technology
and thermography showed areas of high concentration of
cancer cells, and showed active tumors, those that were
currently using a lot of blood supply to grow.
She began heavy immune boosting and strict diet;
a series of treatments including, and a series of IV
therapies that would slow down the blood supply to the
tumors and begin the kill off were administered around
the clock. [We have
continued to search and find the best treatments as she
wanted to do. The treatments she has may not have been
the best but they were all we could find at the time;
today we have discovered so much more and share what we
have found on our Cancer
Treatment page ]
After three weeks, Jesicha who was
carried into the clinic walked out; her cancer was
dying; there as a huge reduction in the blood supply to
the tumors and some had disappeared.
On her skull alone, she entered with near 13
visible tumors on her skull, jaw, and face structure;
she left with 3 and they were shrinking.
She returned home expecting new and great things
ahead. While at the clinic with her mother she was so
excited about her progress but very disappointed that
such good treatments were blocked from patients, never
disclosed to people that have no hope; that rather than
give people what they deserved, all information and
resources it was being held from them. [ Note:
by federal and state laws a doctor cannot
administer, recommend or disclose to a patient any
treatment that is not approved by the FDA, no matter if
the doctor believes it could work or could be a last
hope] Jesicha did not know that such laws existed and if
she had known she would have deemed that barbaric, that
all persons have right to know of all treatments and
make such decisions for themselves.
Jesicha's Hope was conceived while at the clinic,
to give to others what she thought they should all know
and have the right to know.
Jesicha was doing fine until
mid-August of 2011; her scans in early June compared to
her July scans showed the cancer was dying off rapidly.
Despite these good scans, her condition began to
show signs of being sluggish and it was noticed the
Lyme's disease of 2010 was resurfacing again with pains
to her knee joints.
Her oncologist here would not believe it was
Lymes’ and would not give her Doxy, but insisted it was
bone mets, though no PET scan showed mets to the knees.
Again, she called the clinic who sent a colleague
associated with the clinic to see her in CT.
He arrived shortly after Jesicha arrived home
from the hospital where she went on an emergency to
acquire some relief from the Lyme's. She did get the
relief through an IV of Doxycycline.
The hospital due to her nausea from the
doxycycline used two anti-nausea medications resulting
in a side effect of heart palpitations; causing another
trip to a hospital further away, thinking she was having
a stroke due to radiation damage to the heart. There she
was forced to undergo hours alone without her mother
able to be present, of pressuring her to go into hospice
with heavy morphine. Jesicha determined to live;
refused. She was returned home under the direction of
DNR stipulations. An attorney had to remove it once she
was save at home.
The doctor from the clinic arrived on August
15th.
Her condition began to improve
under the care of the clinic doctor and he ordered all
recent records from the area cancer clinic; they gave
them to him over the phone as he needed the quantities
and names of all chemotherapy in the last chemo cocktail
given. He
asked for all liver test results. After reviewing the
records, he determined from his exam and the results of
past and recent blood work her liver was failing and
failing fast.
The liver began to ' relax ' on August 19, it
completely engulfed her tiny belly; it felt like jelly
not like the hard-tight liver she had had only a week
before. On the afternoon of August 19th, she complained
she was very tired after she did all her therapies. She
asked the doctor if she could take the afternoon off;
she fell into a sleep, only to wake confused and unable
to understand some of what was going on. In spite of
Jesicha's refusal to use hospice her siblings insisted,
knowing what was approaching.
The nurse arrived in the evening.
Jesicha would be lucid often but slip back into a
dream state. Jesicha asked that her mother hold her hand
and wait until she ‘ got there' . Her mother never left
her side.
At 2:50 am on Saturday August 20th,
2011 Jesicha succumbed to liver failure due to
chemotherapy poisoning. Her mother, her sister Natasha
and brother Ethan were by her side. At 2:50 am Jesicha
let go of her mother's hand forever.
Notes: Because her doctor in NYC
refused to continue to treat her [ she was not a classic
positive case] she had gone to Dana Farber. The surgical
biopsy report went to her NYC doctor, he in turn order
the report sent back to the lab without having the
office send it to Jesicha or finding out where she was
receiving treatment. All her records were sent to Dana
Farber - minus the new report showing this cancer was
TNBC. You will see her treatments from Dana Farber were
all based on her first diagnosis of being HER2 +.
Hormonal treatments did nothing for the TNBC and
allowed it to grow exponentially.
It was not until later that her doctor at Dana
Farber discovered the second biopsy report was not
there, they requested it and finally obtained it from
the lab. Jesicha by this time was already in Mexico. She
never knew of the mistake and it was not discovered
until after her death.
During this research her mother discovered that
although her liver was failing the nausea drugs given to
her for her Lyme Disease stressed her heart.
Although Jesicha had complained about feeling out
of breath after her radiation on the chest following her
second surgery, the complaint was followed by a
cardiology exam and report from her oncologist telling
her she was fine. It was subsequently discovered during
this research the cardiologist report showed damage to
the right portion of her heart; her oncologist felt
Jesicha was going to die anyway and the added stress of
knowing she had heart damage was not necessary, she kept
it a secret.
While this added information cannot undo what has
occurred, it can give cause for others to beware and
understand your oncologist is not your friend, they are
there to do a job and do it as they are instructed; your
life is yours and only you can save yourself.
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