Miss-Delectable
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Jessica Stone update | wzzm13.com
Jessica Stone's world is silent. A sound that becomes more deafening to her every year. "This isn't a walk in the park for me at all. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed," says Stone.
It's been three years since Jessica made the decision to lose her hearing in order to save her life. A tumor caused by her neurofibromatosis II was growing on her brain stem removing it would mean silencing her world, a choice she willingly made, but one she knew wouldn't cure her.
Right now Jessica has an estimated 80 tumors in her body, "There's actually several throughout my chest behind my throat on my arm tumors in my lower spine in my ankle."
They are painful. And now it appears she's made another sacrifice, sleeping. "I can't sleep on this side or this arm will go numb from a tumor or if I sleep on my back all I feel is the tumors in my back. It's like the princess and the pea."
And there's more bad news. The tumor that was removed, the one that brought her to this life changing world of being deaf, has grown back, along with two more.
And yet Jessica doesn't lose hope, "Believe in myself and there's another miracle waiting to happen."
For nearly a year Jessica has been on an experimental chemotherapy that appears to have stopped the tumors from growing. But there's no telling how long that will work. "I'm on earth for a reason and whether my journey is a long one or ends tomorrow I'm going to keep smiling," says Stone.
We followed her to the University of Michigan hospital where she will learn if the chemo is still working. "The first thing that comes to my head is that it's judgment day again."
A three hour long MRI will help determine that.
It's an uncomfortable process for Jessica, a cluster of tumors will be pressing on her spine the entire time. The hope is that Jessica will not need surgery - again. She's had nearly 20 and she's only 26 years old.
Dr. Thompson a neurosurgeon at the University of Michigan and the one who removed Jessica's original tumor says there's good news."There is no significant change."
Relief for Jessica and her mom.
Dr. Thompson says the chemo is working for now, but there's a price. The depression and anxiety Jessica feels from it is beginning to wear on her, and the cheerful Jessica we've come to know is eventually brought to tears and admits being deaf is worse than the tumors. "It's really hard being deaf. I wish I would have known this two years ago when we were getting ready for surgery. It's not something that I was prepared for. Every day I tell myself I'm going to get through this and I'm going to be okay being deaf."
And yet in the end she still finds the strength to focus on the positive. The tumors haven't grown. It's a way for her to accept all the challenges that lie ahead. "I'm supposed to walk this way in this world and that's what I'm gonna do."
Because for now - it's the only choice that life has given her.
Jessica Stone's world is silent. A sound that becomes more deafening to her every year. "This isn't a walk in the park for me at all. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed," says Stone.
It's been three years since Jessica made the decision to lose her hearing in order to save her life. A tumor caused by her neurofibromatosis II was growing on her brain stem removing it would mean silencing her world, a choice she willingly made, but one she knew wouldn't cure her.
Right now Jessica has an estimated 80 tumors in her body, "There's actually several throughout my chest behind my throat on my arm tumors in my lower spine in my ankle."
They are painful. And now it appears she's made another sacrifice, sleeping. "I can't sleep on this side or this arm will go numb from a tumor or if I sleep on my back all I feel is the tumors in my back. It's like the princess and the pea."
And there's more bad news. The tumor that was removed, the one that brought her to this life changing world of being deaf, has grown back, along with two more.
And yet Jessica doesn't lose hope, "Believe in myself and there's another miracle waiting to happen."
For nearly a year Jessica has been on an experimental chemotherapy that appears to have stopped the tumors from growing. But there's no telling how long that will work. "I'm on earth for a reason and whether my journey is a long one or ends tomorrow I'm going to keep smiling," says Stone.
We followed her to the University of Michigan hospital where she will learn if the chemo is still working. "The first thing that comes to my head is that it's judgment day again."
A three hour long MRI will help determine that.
It's an uncomfortable process for Jessica, a cluster of tumors will be pressing on her spine the entire time. The hope is that Jessica will not need surgery - again. She's had nearly 20 and she's only 26 years old.
Dr. Thompson a neurosurgeon at the University of Michigan and the one who removed Jessica's original tumor says there's good news."There is no significant change."
Relief for Jessica and her mom.
Dr. Thompson says the chemo is working for now, but there's a price. The depression and anxiety Jessica feels from it is beginning to wear on her, and the cheerful Jessica we've come to know is eventually brought to tears and admits being deaf is worse than the tumors. "It's really hard being deaf. I wish I would have known this two years ago when we were getting ready for surgery. It's not something that I was prepared for. Every day I tell myself I'm going to get through this and I'm going to be okay being deaf."
And yet in the end she still finds the strength to focus on the positive. The tumors haven't grown. It's a way for her to accept all the challenges that lie ahead. "I'm supposed to walk this way in this world and that's what I'm gonna do."
Because for now - it's the only choice that life has given her.