Jaclyn’s Journey

Jaclyn’s Journey This is the new and correct page!! Updating on my health journey.

some hurts you can’t see. From the time I was 16 until 22 I was very ill, but no one could see it. At 22, I was paralyze...
07/24/2026

some hurts you can’t see.

From the time I was 16 until 22 I was very ill, but no one could see it. At 22, I was paralyzed and needed a wheelchair to get around. My illness became somewhat visible, however the hardest hurts aren’t what you can see, but what you cannot.

I’ve been pretty sick since my last post and have waited until I had some good news, but that has not come-YET. I’ve realized I need prayer. I need prayer surrounding me all of the time, especially when things are hard. A few specific prayer requests are improvement in disease, symptom control, and finding a community and friends in Atlanta.

I’m having a multitude of symptoms including extreme exhaustion, inability to eat much, nausea, GI upset, and many more. Being isolated to bed and sleeping a lot of the time is extremely hard. I’m unable to even text friends most days.

Since my last post things went bad and it was quick. I lost it. My body revolted during the 2 weeks to follow. It felt like I wasn’t in control of my body- spacticity, emotions were high, and I felt helpless.

Since my first month in Charleston I have travelled there every 3 weeks for 2 days of treatment. It’s long days of driving (around 6 hours there and 6 hours back), but I know I’m getting good care. I feel like I have a new family with the staff and other patients which warms my heart and makes it so much easier to travel knowing this.

I’m so thankful for those who’ve stayed by my side and my mom who’s had to take care of me day and night. God is in control and always has a better and brighter plan than I do. Maybe this turn for the worst is my body adjusting and changing into a better and brighter self? Let’s see what only God can do.💙

We fall, We break, We fail. But then. We rise, We heal, We overcomeBaby steps. Its taken me two weeks to write this post...
04/25/2026

We fall, We break, We fail.
But then.
We rise, We heal, We overcome

Baby steps. Its taken me two weeks to write this post- sorry. It’s been a very long two weeks full of baby steps. Every day this week i’ve been able to make progress. From sweating in the sauna (which is a natural bodily function that my body wasn’t able to do for the first 6 days of treatment) to standing with assistance to biking(slowly but surely).

My eyes have been opened more than I ever thought possible. Mold is in my body, sky high levels of heavy metals are in my body, and my body has not been able to get rid of “the bad stuff” like it should (there’s so many things in my body that are not supposed to be there that I can’t even list everything- it would be to long).

We’ve found a lot of answers, but it’s going to take a long time to get better, as I said before baby steps. My body hasn’t worked properly for a long time and that does not reverse quickly. It wasn’t just one thing that made me sick it has been a multitude of things over time.

One of the biggest answers we have found through testing is that I have off the charts levels of tin. Tin is not a heavy metal that they do see often. They have treated 3 other people who also had high tin levels and all of them had severe central nervous system problems. Tin causes degeneration of myelin. A demyelinating disease affects your myelin sheath. This is a protective cover that surrounds nerve cells. Transverse myelitis is a demyelinating disease that caused my paralysis.

I have faith in this process, but I need my prayer warriors to pray not only for complete and perfect healing, but also symptom relief. God has shown me so many signs that he is with me and I’m so thankful for every person praying for me. Karen Bott Lenhart has been with me every step of the way and has a bigger job than anyone realizes. So thankful that I get to call you mom💙 Prayers for mom too are so appreciated- she’s been a huge part of my success.

I am a bit worried to post this because everyone has strong opinions, but God is in control and I need my prayer warrior...
04/12/2026

I am a bit worried to post this because everyone has strong opinions, but God is in control and I need my prayer warriors. I’m embarking on a “journey” like never before.

At the begining of the year instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I chose to pick a word that I was going to hold onto. I chose HOPE as my word and it has been a great reminder on my best and worst days.

I have tried what feels like a million medications, supplements, and endless physical therapy. Yet, I am still very sick with pain, fatigue, spacticity, difficulty sleeping, inability to walk or stand, and horrific other symptoms. I have spent 90% of my time in bed over the past year.

My family and I have decided to treat my body on the opposite side of the spectrum by going to an environmental and functional medicine clinic. I just got to Charelston, South Carolina and will be here getting treatment wfor at least 4 weeks. I am terrified, but also very hopeful.

I’m posting this in hopes of prayer and support because it’s going to be hard. Most patients get sicker before any improvement is made which is why I am terrified, but hopeful with the stories I’ve seen and a friend who is 98% better after treatment.

Pray big- complete and perfect healing only God can provide💙
**I am not in the hospital, but wanted to share some of the reality I’ve been facing. I will be at the clinic all day and staying with my mom in a hotel at night.

I’m so lucky to have had a friend so great that saying goodbye is so hard. Claire was a close friend and my heart hurts....
03/16/2026

I’m so lucky to have had a friend so great that saying goodbye is so hard. Claire was a close friend and my heart hurts.

Claire lived life hard no matter the situation you were in. I would facetime you in the hospital one day and the next day you would be pushing through to travel, take exams, or go on like life was normal.

I’ll always remember Claire’s passion for life, her willingness to help others, and how good of a friend she was to me. Claire was one of the smartest people I knew, but also had the biggest heart. She was always thinking about others instead of herself.

I will miss her greatly and her legacy will live on forever. I keep thinking about Claire and how she made everyone feel welcome. The room always felt brighter with Claire in it. I’m praying for Claire’s family. I hope comfort finds them and that Claire’s love keeps showing up.

Claire was an organ donar and her last act on earth saved many lives with organ transplantation.

You can donate to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in Claire’s honor through this link.

https://takesteps.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/teams/ChronicPainsChronicGains?wait=1

It’s Rare Disease Day and to whoever knows or follows along knows that hits close to my heart. Behçet’s Disease and many...
03/01/2026

It’s Rare Disease Day and to whoever knows or follows along knows that hits close to my heart. Behçet’s Disease and many other rare disorders feel like they have wrecked my life. I wasn’t able to finish college, I didn’t have a typical high school experience, and now I am unable to work. Behçet’s Disease has caused Crohn’s Disease, autoimmune arthritis, Transverse Myelitis which is why I’m unable to walk, a pulmonary embolism, pericarditis, ulcerations, and more I’m probably missing. I am also even more immunocompromised, my immune system works differently, and long, high doses of steroids have made me look like a different person and feel like I’m not inside my own body anymore. I’m lucky to have parents to help me, good insurance that will *usually* cover medications I need, and an unwavering God who loves me no matter what. Every day is hard, yet my symptoms are invisible. The pain and fatigue I feel no one will truly understand. I have spent months in bed and sleeping all day, every day. I have also been in the hospital so much I wouldn’t be suprised if it was more than a year. I have to go to many doctors appointments that feel like torture. I always try and act as if I’m a typical 26 year old, yet I pay for it in the end. However, I’ve learned that true friends will always stand behind me and to leave the others. I have learned to have more empathy, compassion, and to celebrate every good day. Who can tell the pictures I’m doing well or doing poorly- I’ll give you a clue and say I deal with symptoms 100% of the time.

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7443 Thomas Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA
15208

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