All About Jamie

Hey Everybody! It’s Karen with Wellness Works NW! I am like that scary movie! LOL! I love movies!

 

Something as simple as breathing is amazing. We do it involuntarily. How many times do people remind you to breathe? Well for some people its not that easy. Our friend, Jamie Holloway has Vasculitis of the throat. When she started having problems breathing, she would go to the doctor & they were not sure what it was. When she got to where she couldn’t speak, they began to investigate her throat a little more to find out what was going on.

 

Most of us have a trachea that is the size of a man’s thumb. I have big hands, so her trachea is smaller than my pinky finger. This makes it really hard for air to come in & out at the same time. That is what your trachea does, it makes sure that you are breathing in & out. Over the years, doctors have found out more about Jamie’s throat. Talk about a chronic illness rollercoaster! Sometimes that roller coaster gets stuck. She was having symptoms: she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t speak, food would get stuck in her throat, all kinds of things. Her trachea is always trying to become smaller, from swelling & inflammation.

 

Finally, Jamie found an Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist that was able to help her. They realized she would need a trach to keep her airway open. Jamie started with a plastic trach because they make it easier to speak & smell & it is more comfortable, she has had several kinds of trachs but Jamie has had to live with a track made of steel…once again we are talking about that roller coaster & thinking: what do we do now? Jamie has a team of doctors who are always trying to make her life better. She has been an experiment now for several years for doctors here in the Pacific Northwest. We do have client who has Vasculitis, but her journey is different than Jamie’s. Like I said, you may be chronically ill & have something another person has but it affects you differently; maybe a little more intensely.

 

Jamie has had to have many surgeries since 2008. Unfortunately, Jamie is in the hospital right now, our last count for surgeries is 137… if I am mistaken, Jamie will tell me about it. She is very analytical. Jamie has been in the hospital many more times she has not had to have a surgery. This last visit is because she didn’t have a replacement for her high volume nebulizer that costs several hundred dollars. It was not working as it should.

 

If you go to Jamie’s site at JamieChasesButterflies.com you can learn about her. She is also an owner here at Wellness Works NW. Either site will have information about Jamie.

 

Time & time again, Jamie has had to go to the hospital. This last time, at the end of October, basically she was all dried up because her machine was not able to keep her trach moist. When Jamie was born, her nasal cavities were smaller than most people, that was a birth defect. Isn’t that interesting? We have talked about birth defects before & how it can lead to chronic illness. Jamie is a walking miracle. So Jamie is in the hospital right now & we have started a GoFundMe campaign to make sure she gets her machine. At the time of this video, we were 25% to our goal (right now we are at 100%). We are so grateful for the generosity of others!

 

A lot of you might know people with breathing issues, similar to Vasculitis. I know with this pandemic we are all concerned & those of us with challenged immune systems have to be exceptionally careful. I want to give a major shout out to Jamie. I hear she is doing wonderful & chasing all the male nurses! LOL! She is going to get me for this one!

 

Jamie we are thinking about you! She is one of the most resilient people I have ever known and she teaches all of us to remain resilient.

 

Today I dropped a roll of quarters on my callused toe & I am a bit of a drama queen, LOL, & I just kind of stopped & realized this was nothing compared to what others are going through. There is a lot of suffering & Jamie is suffering, but she is very thankful & happy. She can’t speak right now & they are doing the best they can to get the dried mucus out of her lungs with a machine (high-frequency chest wall oscillator; a vest that inflates & mimics clapping on the chest). The machine shakes loose the dried mucus in her airway & lungs & then she has to cough it up. I am so appreciative that they have figure out how to help Jamie.

 

We know Jamie will be just fine. We are so appreciative for your prayers & for the people who donated for her new machine. We look forward to Jamie barking orders at us really soon! LOL! That is #3 & I know I am in for it now! LOL!

 

We really enjoy what we do & that is why we tell all these stories because we know someone else is going through something & we want to encourage you whether you are chronically ill, or you know someone who is chronically ill. We are all connected & we want to be the conduit between you & resiliency… & Jamie you are that perfect picture of this.

 

Now if you are home right now & you are limited to how you can move, can you move your feet a little bit? I would like you to move your feet up and down, like I am right now? When you do this we are trying to increase your blood circulation. If it is a bad day & you don’t feel like doing anything today, move those feet. Tap those feet up & down just like Dolly Parton and say, “Yeehaw!” She is who I am voting for president, you know.

 

If you have bands & you can grab them just pull them. Circulation is is increasing & inflammation is decreasing. Lift your hands up & bring them down. We don’t want to bring them down behind your head, bring them down in front of your face. With a coupe of movements you can increase your blood flow. Just like Jamie would say: Let’s do this!

 

I am sending you all kinds of positive prayers & positive vibes. If you need help with your Wellness Plan please give me a call or text at 360-447-8061

 

#KeepMoving #WellnessWorks #WootWoot