A day of fun was followed with days of pain, and it would take
more than a year before Chelsea Ashworth, then 10-years-old would
be diagnosed with Lyme disease and a condition called Bartonella.
Bartonella is a bacterial infection carried by ticks and other
insects that can cause abdominal pain and gastroparesis, a delayed
emptying of the stomach due to a partial paralysis of the stomach
muscle. These co-infections shut down Chelsea's digestive system,
leaving her unable to eat, drink or take any medication orally.
Path to Diagnosis
During the difficult path to her diagnosis, Chelsea was fed
using a peripherally inserted central catheter
(PICC) and total parenteral nutrition (TPN), but these
were not long-term solutions as they were hard on her liver and
kidneys. With her liver failing and the family running out of
options, doctors recommended the MIC-KEY* jejunal gastrostomy tube
as a healthier way for Chelsea to feed while they worked to
diagnose the causes of her condition.
Using the MIC-KEY* TJ/GJ tube, Chelsea received 8-12 hour
feedings at night. Her parents also liked the ability to rehydrate
Chelsea quickly during the day by using the MIC-KEY* TJ/GJ tube as
opposed to the hour and a half rehydration process they endured
previously with the PICC line.
The convenience of the MIC-KEY* TJ/GJ tube enabled Chelsea to
hydrate during school hours in the nurses office. In addition, the
low profile of the MIC-KEY* TJ/GJ tube made everything from
dressing to playing on the playground easier.
"The MIC-KEY* TJ/GJ tube is so much cleaner and easier to deal
with and provides a better way to live," said Chelsea. "I was able
to shower, take baths; even swim if I wanted to."
Road to Recovery
During high school, Chelsea underwent 160 hyperbaric oxygen
therapy treatments for her disease. She graduated with honors last
summer, and is now a freshman at Auburn University pursuing her
passion - political science. Chelsea has not used a feeding tube in
three years, but Tracy remains grateful for the work that
Kimberly-Clark Health Care does to bring cutting edge technology to
the world of enteral feeding.
"As a mother, it is heartbreakingly difficult when you can't
feed your child the way nature intended," she said. "I know that
Kimberly-Clark is working on educating doctors and nurses about the
importance of enteral feeding options and creating feeding tubes
that will work wonders for children and adults."
Click Here for a printable version of Chelsea's
story
