Jess DiNuzzo Life

07/20/2023

07/20/2023

This is Jessica’s aunt. Rich asked me to share this video with all of you. He is forever grateful.

07/11/2023

Hey guys I’m back in the city downtown, they’re admitting me finally after almost two weeks of this unbearable pain I’ve been in. I had my third intrathecal chemo today and my doctor here who is treating only the leptomengenial disease straight up asked me “when did it get this bad?” There is fluid built up in my entire chest, abdomen and groin area. They aren’t sure if the fluid is malignant or not, we will need to do surgery and see. There’s also a major concern with my liver, I’ll likely need a biopsy if it can be safely done. I’m just honestly fu***ng miserable. Things just got bad, fast and I’m trying my best to slow it down so i can be treated. The issue with being treated is every time we’re close, something else seems to happen. I wish this on nobody. Love y’all.

07/10/2023

Very grateful today for the GoFundMe donations that came in because we were able to enroll Dom in semi-full-time summer camp for 4 weeks while I am undergoing intrathecal chemo! What a huge help 🎉 as always I’m hoping to feel better but so far besides headaches I am still in a lot of pain. Fingers crossed for more solutions this week 💗💗🤞🏼🤞🏼
Thank you guys for praying, caring and donating to our family if truly has made a difference for us.

07/08/2023

Thank you everyone who’s been praying and keeping us close in your thoughts. On Tuesday I was told there is a very very strong possibility that cancer spread to my liver, gallbladder and that there is fluid building up in my chest cavity. This is just another blow to me as I sit with no plan for systemic treatment yet. I have spoken with both sides and so far it looks like I will be taking the local route to try and fight it. I’ll be sure to post another update as soon as I get into this week. As for now I’ve been resting a lot, I had a few spells where I will just fall down from being weak. 🤞🏼💗 Rich has been doing his best to keep Dom busy since I’m completely out of it.

07/04/2023

Wish today was better. I was in pain all night. Today the pain was severe and I went to the ER. They did a CT and told me cancer spread to my liver, multiple lesions. There’s also some issues with my gallbladder as well as fluid in my abdominal cavity. Just a bunch of stuff wrong. So they tried to transfer me downtown to be admitted and downtown wouldn’t take me because nobody is there to help me today. So I’m going home and will figure out more tomorrow. this just fu***ng sucks. F**k cancer.

07/04/2023

Thanks to everyone reaching out, I had my first intrathecal chemo today and although it was quick it’s no walk in the park. I’m so exhausted that I had to use a wheelchair to go to my appt. After they injected it I had to wait a while and I slept during that time in the doc office. Now home I have a massive headache and I just hate this... my right hip hurts so bad I can’t lay on that side anymore. I’m so frustrated with my body. I’m suppose to have another chemo treatment Wednesday. And from there, twice a week for 4 weeks. They also want me back on super high dose of steroids to see if that helps my energy and pain. I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday. Thank you to everyone who donated to the GoFundMe, this will be a total of 8-9 unpaid FMLA full or half days for Rich so he can take me to the treatments downtown. It’s really appreciated and makes these days a little easier to handle.
The picture is how they inject the chemo into my port in my head, that’s the chemo going in. It has to be done this way because this is the only way to effectively get the drug into the spinal fluid, brain, central nervous system. It doesn’t hurt or feel like anything but my legs went numb for a while after the injection.

07/02/2023

First time out of my house in almost 2 weeks. Grateful for this time 🎆 happy birthday, America.

06/30/2023

Since I can barely get out of bed it’s taken a toll on the household so for nighttime routine lately I have let Dom have little movie nights in my bed… tonight it’s the new Minions movie. Intrathecal chemo starts Monday and again Wednesday. Thank you guys for all the messages and comments of prayers I really appreciate it.

06/26/2023

Not the news I wanted to hear but at least we’re going to start doing something. Tumor cell count went from 260 per ML to over 12,000 per ML. Super concerning and it’s no wonder I feel so horrible. They want to start with chemotherapy injected into the port in my head starting this week for twice a week. Details aren’t worked out yet for days and times but please keep me in your thoughts. Rich is going to be taking this time as FMLA to take me to treatments so if you feel the want or need to help, I will post our GoFundMe in the comments. And we appreciate everything. 💗

06/22/2023

I have been silent recently because I received a call Friday that I wasn’t anticipating or hoping for. All the MRI results came back and they are telling me cancer spread more throughout my spine, specifically new areas of T1 hypointensity and enhancement in T2, T5, T6, T7, T10, T11, and T12. Enhancing lesions are also present in the sternum. At L4-L5, there is a disc bulge with a central annular fissure and the ligamentum flavum is thickened. The brain is starting to pick up contrast as well which is concerning. So far I haven’t received any update as to what the plan is going to be, they want to see some results from the last fluid draw as well as ordered a pet scan to check my entire body now because I’m feeling so horrible. I’m just angry. I’m exhausted like cant get out of bed tired. They have been wrong before and they could be wrong now I just don’t know what to expect from here. It sounds like we need both results and either treat both at once with two chemos or prioritize treatment of one over the other would be more ideal. I’m nervous now for the pet scan because I know that I’m not feeling good at all and the MRI results were not what we hoped for. I can’t take any more bad news, I’ve hit my limit.

06/16/2023

Thank you guys for the outpouring love and support. I’m sorry if I didn’t get back to comments yet I have been resting and today I took my little guy on a Dom & Mom date to Shedd aquarium at night, and Lou Malnati’s pizza downtown. He loved it 🐠🍕