Skating Photographer Jacque Tiegs Needs Prayer

I'm glad she's able to get out and about a bit. My mom had something similar happen to her about 12 years ago-had to relearn how to walk and all, they thought maybe it was West Nile that caused the encephalomyelitis. Slowly but surely, Jacque will get there--though I hope it doesn't take her TOO long to get back to some semblance of normal.
 
Jacque posted this update herself on her Facebook page back on the 15th (I've been a bit busy and distracted with other things and forgot to post it):

I guess I should update. It's been 4 months and 5 days since I got sick. I really thought I would be better by now. I have good days and bad days. This week has been a bad week. The vertigo is worse and my balance is way off. All my joints are swollen and hurt. My short term memory is still bad and I forget words. I forget a lot of things.
I have left the house once a week (for the past couple weeks) to go to the grocery store (and if I am driving one of those carts, get out of my way for your safety)! Anita, Pam and Nicky L. Foster come and help me out and check on me. They rock! I can't thank them enough. Greg LaRosaJosh KennonKanishka G. JayasuriyaJustin Laem keep me sane talking about figure skating!
I am so thankful for everyone's prayers and checking up on me. You have no idea how much it means to me. I have gone back and read some of the things people posted when I was in a coma, but I start crying and can only take it a few at a time.
Right now I can deal with a few people in a room at a time. But my brain is off and when there is a lot going on, I get confused and I have a hard time understanding what is being said.
Last week I colored my hair since I could do it on the couch and rinse it off in the sink. Hopefully I am getting my hair cut this weekend.
I have been searching the internet for information and help (the internet is pretty much my lifeline right now). Not many doctors have dealt with this disease and the ones I have gone to aren't real helpful. I''m not getting answers or resources I need.
I have joined an online survivors Encephalitis group from around the world. They have given me a lot of information and have allowed me to vent about this mess. They call this E.
There are lawyers, doctors, teachers and many other people like me. Some are in recovery for only a few months and others are 20 years and still having issues.
I have learned that most of the issues I am going through is typical of this.
My case nurse and I have spent the last 2 weeks looking for a doctor to go to. Money is short so I can't keep trying different doctors. So we found one that may be able to help. I go next week on Friday. I am feeling hopeful he can help.
Sorry this is so long. Live your life like there is no tomorrow and be thankful for what you have! Because tomorrow is not a promise and life changes very fast. You never know when something catastrophic is going to happen. Last but not least, if something is wrong and you are sick, go to the ER!! Had I gone earlier and not tried to deal with it at home, I would have gotten treatment sooner.
 
A new and BEAUTIFUL and POSITIVE update from Jacque on her Facebook page (just posted about 40 minutes ago):

Well, time for an update. Still no change from 2 months ago. Still off balance and vertigo has been really bad. I get tired very quickly. The more tired I am, the worse it gets The past few weeks I was ready to give up. I was done!!

BUT YESTERDAY I FOUND A DOCTOR who deals with what I have! Dr Sable is a neuro/physical rehabilitation doctor (he deals with injuries/illnesses of the brain). He spent a whole hour with me and explained to me what happened. He even pulled out the MRI and showed me where the damage is. He listened to me and he addressed my concerns. We made a game plan (which not one of the others even did. They just ordered more test and told me that this all might be permanent). He was even on time! He doesn't overbook either. His staff was wonderful too. It was worth waiting (3 months) to get in to see him! He understands that I have limited funds, so he and one of his PT taught me some exercises to do at home for balance and vertigo.
He wants me to see an ear nose throat doc to see if it can be in the ear and an eye doctor for the double vision.
I have to thank 2 of my neighbors who have been awesome taking me to the store to get groceries. Anita broke her ankle and has been unable to help me the past 4 weeks. My house is a wreck. I am fostering 4 kittens (which has saved my sanity).
I am planning on going out to the DSC show on Saturday and do some photos and will be at the Keyes tournament next week.
Thank you all for the prayers and thoughts! It means so much to me!
I still can use help in paying for the doctor/hospital bills. I have a couple of ideas how I can raise some money until I can get better. More info to come.
 
Bumping this thread back up temporarily since Jacque updated her situation tonight on her Facebook page...unfortunately, many continued challenges remain, but thankfully she has wonderful people helping her!:

Quick update. No changes at all. Still no balance, vertigo and now swollen feet! I continue to have a elevated white blood cell count. Still not sure what is causing it. I have taken many antibiotics for it.
In the encephalitis group (I never thought I would know how to spell that word!) I mentioned a few things. I smell natural gas in my house a few times a week. DTE has been very nice coming out and making sure nothing is leaking. But others have told me that that is a sign of seizures. So my doctor is having me get a EEG done. I have had 2 nights I have woke up and smelled fire. I can't move. I feel like I can't breath. It's been terrifying. Hopefully it's some PTSD.
I go out once a week to the store. One survivor told me to try earplugs (any more than 2 people, I can't focus and freeze). It helps a bit.
Carol who is my neighbor has been wonderful. She is 75! She checks on me all the time. She takes me to the store and keeps an eye on me. She has helped me with the kittens. I can't thank her enough. She has driven the kittens to vet appointments, me to the doctors, store and anywhere else I need to go. She gives me a kick in the ass when I am down (which is now a lot of the time)! God bless this woman!
 
Josh78 said:
Bumping this thread back up temporarily since Jacque updated her situation tonight on her Facebook page...unfortunately, many continued challenges remain, but thankfully she has wonderful people helping her!:

Quick update. No changes at all. Still no balance, vertigo and now swollen feet! I continue to have a elevated white blood cell count. Still not sure what is causing it. I have taken many antibiotics for it.
In the encephalitis group (I never thought I would know how to spell that word!) I mentioned a few things. I smell natural gas in my house a few times a week. DTE has been very nice coming out and making sure nothing is leaking. But others have told me that that is a sign of seizures. So my doctor is having me get a EEG done. I have had 2 nights I have woke up and smelled fire. I can't move. I feel like I can't breath. It's been terrifying. Hopefully it's some PTSD.
I go out once a week to the store. One survivor told me to try earplugs (any more than 2 people, I can't focus and freeze). It helps a bit.
Carol who is my neighbor has been wonderful. She is 75! She checks on me all the time. She takes me to the store and keeps an eye on me. She has helped me with the kittens. I can't thank her enough. She has driven the kittens to vet appointments, me to the doctors, store and anywhere else I need to go. She gives me a kick in the ass when I am down (which is now a lot of the time)! God bless this woman!
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Pls ask her to hang in there....offtimes we develop new problems because of life style changes due to illnesses.. So vertigo etc will have stopped an active person from walking running whipping around ...this can develop all kinds of swellings which lead to other problems....great that her doctors are checking everything out and she needs to elevate all night and anytime enforced inactivity happens...naps,,,,just rest a bit ect....make sure you get up and walk about often....trips out to stores are good...but not alone and always go to stores where there are shopping carts whereby you put your weight on forearms on the cart to prevent tripping and falling...That way you get excersize ...both body and mind....kinda safe physio...Thinking of you and the kitties,,,,,,by the way...kitties are good physio as well....get up often just to check what they are up to and then go back and rest...remember right now your body might feel like it is not yours but you are still you on the inside and have the fight to conquer this.
 
Sad news today, considering all that Jacque has been dealing with the last few months..

Jacque's mother, Donna Graham Gorenflo, passed away Wednesday morning -- this is from Jacque's own Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Jtiegs14?fref=ts, posted by Jacque herself:

Today heaven gained an angel. My Mom. I heard that all your pets greet you at the gates to heaven. So Mom will be greeted by many. I love and miss you Mom.
I will be adding more photos of my mom and writing more. I am devastated right now.
 
Oh no, this is such sad news. Until you've been through the loss of a parent, I don't think you can understand what a shock it is (even if you know it is coming due to a long illness). I will try and get onto FB later and send her my condolences. :(
 
I'm so sorry to hear this news. I can relate for heaven gained another angel with my Mom's passing at the end of August. Hang in their Jacque. My thoughts and prayers are with you during what I know is an extremely difficult time. Even with knowing that my own Mom is in a better place and at peace, it is so hard to be without her. Such a loss is very deep and life-changing. Try to remember and hold onto the special moments and the love that will never die. Blessings and prayers for you always, Jacque. (((Hugs)))
 
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The latest update from Jacque, posted on her Facebook page about 2 hours ago -- still SO many challenges that drain her spirit, but yet she remains strong, and also outlines some future plans, slowly in the works:

10 months ago, I woke up from a coma. It's really been a rough year. I still have terrible balance issues, double vision (I will need special glasses), vertigo, consent headaches (sometimes migraines), not sleeping or sleeping and waking up to no balance and falling all over like a drunk for a few hours and more. Other than going to the store and once in awhile out to dinner with my neighbor, I am home bound.
I have accepted that this is going to be a slow recovery and no matter how mad I get or feel sorry for myself, it's going to take time if it ever does gets better. Encephalitis is nothing to mess around with.
I hate not being able to drive. Not being able to go see friends. Photography. I really miss softball.
It helps to know that people care about me. I really love my friends and neighbors. They have been there for me. It's been rough lately. Losing my Mom really hurt. She was the only close family I had. I really miss her. A couple of neighbors came over and brought me cards, balloons and flowers. It meant a lot. All the thoughts and prayers when she passed I still read over and over.
I was planning on doing a calender to raise some money to pay off my medical bills and my co-pays. But that is on hold for now. I will be offering pictures for sale soon.
I will be selling a bunch of my stuff so I can continue treatment. So keep an eye out for that. I still can do some photography. I just can't walk far and it will take a little longer than normal. I haven't been able to work, and I have paid off 1/2 of what I owe to the hospital. I still have co-pays for specialist, treatments and test (and they will be going up in Jan and my deductibles also). E messed with my entire system. Not just my brain. My body and my life.
I am going to start a blog also. I will post links when I finish the 1st one.
Thanks all for being there. XOXOX Jacque
 
Jacque's latest update (posted yesterday, but just found it today -- continued challenges, but trying to remain positive, and maintaining that fighting spirit and wry humor!):

I forgot to update this week. Friday marked 1 month since my Mom passed. I keep wanting to post something on her page or call her. Then I remember she isn't here.
I went to my GP this week. I lost 14lbs (I have been trying really hard to lose weight). But my heart rate and BP are up. They did an EKG and things look good. They think it might be stress.
What really made me happy was the nurse that came in. She said I looked much better. I told her what I have been doing and the diet, vitamins and such. She told me it shows and out of the blue, she said she is really proud of me for being proactive about my health. That meant a lot to me. I really am trying. I still have vertigo, double vision and balance problems. But a few months ago I decided I would accept it, but I am going to do the best I can to get better. If I don't I need to figure out ways to live with it.
Thanks to my neighbors and good friends who have always been there for me, I am doing okay.
Contra to a very toxic person who has been trying to bring me down, I am not unstable, nor am I suicidal. She can spew what she wants to, about me. I am done with the blackmail, threats and name calling. Ask people who see me daily. This person hasn't seen me since I was in the hospital and has called only a handful of times mostly to scream at me and put me down. Not once to see how I am doing or anything. I've kept quiet about it. But I needed to throw it out there. Get it off my chest. Karma will get her! I love karma.
Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts. It's been 10 months and 1 day since I got out of the hospital.
Now if we can get over the election season, I can read everyone's post.
 
Wow, who would be calling to sceam at someone with such a serious illness and whose mother just died?
 
My dad who passed earlier this year had meningitis an encephalitis, it was actually his second time with meningitis. Like @LilJen posted my dad also got it from the West Nile virus, from a mosquito bite playing golf in Myrtle they suspect. But we are so lucky in Canada all the medical an rehab is covered by our govt an not expensive insurance companies so even though my parents in a small town my dad had excellent PT an care all for free.

Also our family each day helped him learn to walk an talk etc. In fact at 82 he was able to return to driving! It took two years an he was still improving, but there was a brain injury so effects meant he could not be in noisy places, lots of people, short term memory issues, balance issues but got much better. It was so much effort then he broke his hip. Even though my dad did die he was such a fighter.

It's so important the rehab, I hope Jacques gets the emotional an physical support you need to combat this horrid injury. Hope she can realize even though you can't fix a brain injury, you can create new pathways an new ways of doing things so improvements are made.

Who is this horrid Contra person?
 
Xela M said:
Wow, who would be calling to sceam at someone with such a serious illness and whose mother just died?
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Jacque's mother passed away a month ago..As far as the other situation, I know who the person (someone in her family) is but it's a very personal and longstanding situation to Jacque and I'm not going to say anything more about it..
 
Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts. This has been a bad year for me. I really am trying hard to have somewhat of a normal life. I hate sitting in my house day and night by myself. The internet is my best friend for now. I really miss my mom. It was so sudden. I spoke to her a few days before and she sounded fine. She was excited about DWTS and mad because the Tigers didn't make the play offs.
The Cubs won the WS!! That really mad a bad year pretty darn good and skating season started.
The person Josh is being polite about is my sister. The one who dropped everything to save me when I was in a coma. I am going to vent for a minute here. My sister has a miserable life of her own making. She blames everyone for her problems. She has made threats, called me names and said things that are really horrible. She was not with me the 3 weeks I was in the hospital. She was there until the doctors told me the real reason I was there. Now she has found someone who knows me who is just as toxic as she is.
I have a long road to go and life is too short to have to put up with someone like her.
 
^^ So sorry to hear about the difficulties you are facing @mysticchic. Hang in there. Having recently lost my mother, I understand some of what you are going through now. Remember that your Mom is in a better place and her spirit remains strong in you. Gosh it is hard to keep negative people out of your life when they are relatives. It's so hard to do, but think about maybe understanding why your sister is the way she is, and try to forgive her. And then try to find ways if you can to reduce her influence on you/ impact on your life. Do you have a therapist or a life coach you can talk to? I will pm you about some reading material that might be helpful. Peace, love, hugs!
 
aftershocks said:
^^ So sorry to hear about the difficulties you are facing @mysticchic. Hang in there. Having recently lost my mother, I understand some of what you are going through now. Remember that your Mom is in a better place and her spirit remains strong in you. Gosh it is hard to keep negative people out of your life when they are relatives. It's so hard to do, but think about maybe understanding why your sister is the way she is, and try to forgive her. And then try to find ways if you can to reduce her influence on you/ impact on your life. Do you have a therapist or a life coach you can talk to? I will pm you about some reading material that might be helpful. Peace, love, hugs!
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Thank you. The only time I ever hear from my siblings are when they have needed something. Recently, she has made friends with someone who has a grudge against me. I blocked him over a year ago for being a bully to someone. He thinks I am talking about him and his most recent threats were to call my sister. He did.
When I 1st came to in from my coma she told me I ODed and that she was having my cats put down. Here I was unable to move, scared to death, in pain, very sick and upset. Thank god my 2 friends were also there and assured me they wouldn't allow her to do it. Once the doctors told me the real reason I was there, her MS acted up and she came back one more time. Not once while I was in the hospital did she say anything encouraging, hugged me or told me everything was going to be okay.
Since I got home, she told people I was mean to her and said nasty things about to her. That's why she is done with me. She has called me a couple times to screech at me for stupid reasons and threatens to post things on FB.
When my Mom died I talked to her twice. One time was to tell me how my Mom died and the other was she was mad my dad asked me to write the obit. I tried working with her on the obit. Finally, I told her to go ahead and just do it herself. I also informed her she could explain to my dad why I wasn't doing it.
If anyone would like to see my discharge papers from the hospital, I am willing to send a copy of them. That has seemed to piss her off. It makes her look like a liar.
 
mysticchic said:
Thank you. The only time I ever hear from my siblings are when they have needed something. Recently, she has made friends with someone who has a grudge against me. I blocked him over a year ago for being a bully to someone. He thinks I am talking about him and his most recent threats were to call my sister. He did.
When I 1st came to in from my coma she told me I ODed and that she was having my cats put down. Here I was unable to move, scared to death, in pain, very sick and upset. Thank god my 2 friends were also there and assured me they wouldn't allow her to do it. Once the doctors told me the real reason I was there, her MS acted up and she came back one more time. Not once while I was in the hospital did she say anything encouraging, hugged me or told me everything was going to be okay.
Since I got home, she told people I was mean to her and said nasty things about to her. That's why she is done with me. She has called me a couple times to screech at me for stupid reasons and threatens to post things on FB.
When my Mom died I talked to her twice. One time was to tell me how my Mom died and the other was she was mad my dad asked me to write the obit. I tried working with her on the obit. Finally, I told her to go ahead and just do it herself. I also informed her she could explain to my dad why I wasn't doing it.
If anyone would like to see my discharge papers from the hospital, I am willing to send a copy of them. That has seemed to piss her off. It makes her look like a liar.
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very nice...hitting you where and when you are most vulnerable...Such a high level of toxic personality..You need to stay away from stress.Am i right in guessing that yourself and your family have always excused her behaviour thereby enabling her to play and control all of you. Time to look out for yourself and make sure you have put blockers in place so she cannot harm you further. Make sure you have someone you totally trust to be named as the person who speaks on your behalf should you not be able to do so at any point and just so your family cannot decide anything that this person has documents to back this up. I am sure you are on the road to recovery so pls work on all the things you can do to help this.
 
Hey all, I have a huge favor to ask. The elderly lady who lives next door to me who drives me to appointments and the grocery store, had her car die. We were leaving my doctors office on Wed and it took an hour to start. We managed to make it home stalling all the way. It's a 1989 Buick Regal. She lives on Social security and had no money to fix it. I really depend on her to drive me to these appointments. If I have to take a cab it's 50.00 + round trip. I can barely afford the copay. If you can help out I would really appreciate it.
We have AAA picking the car up to take to the auto repair place (who is giving us a discount). If you want to call in a credit card there, PM me and I can give you the number. Thank you!! I know I am asking a lot. But I depend on her to get out of this house. She said she is too old (75) to get another car. She wouldn't live long enough to make the payments. She also has no family to help her out. She also takes my foster kittens to the vets. https://www.gofundme.com/Helpcarolfixhercar
If you can't help, please share.
 
thank you all!! for the fundraising, i am now offering to send any digital photo (full file) so you can print for a wall hanging or whatever of any skater I have on file. You choice of 1 for 50.00+ donation and 2 for 100.00. I am going to do a calendar for 2018 for any donation 125.00 and above and it will be mailed to you. Pictures will include Jeremy Abbott, Hubbell and Donahue, Piper and Paul,and many many more. For a donation of 250 and above, you can chose which skaters that I have and the calendar will be one of a kind (12 months to 18 months). Calender's will be mailed out in November. I am trying to figure our how to use one of the crowd funding websites to do it. If anyone has an idea what site if better let me know.
 
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