Jolyn Ashcraft Jolyn Ashcraft

First post: Aug 15, 2016 Latest post: Sep 15, 2016
Friends and family,   

Jolyn's health has been deteriorating for the last two months.  Bill and Cole have been with her every one of those days.  Together they have visited doctors, specialists, emergency rooms and completed several tests in search of a cause to her condition. Symptoms included a decrease in muscular coordination, impaired vision, speech, and hearing. In the last 2 weeks, the symptoms became debilitating. Jolyn has needed Bill, Coles and Kris’s assistance 24/7 to stand, eat, etc. 

 Jolyn’s symptoms and the lack of any diagnosis after so many tests and doctors’ visits was beyond frustrating.  Bill, Jolyn, and Cole canceled their three-week family vacation back to the East Coast that they were all looking forward to so they could focus on solving Jolyn’s medical issues.

Wednesday, August 10 - Bill traveled to Seattle to drop Cole off with his cousins Cooper (4), Mack (7) and Tucker (11) Ashcraft for some time with family and at least a partial summer trip.  While dropping Jolyn off her condition worsened and Bill made the decision to take Jolyn directly to Swedish ER.  At the ER they ran tests, could find a conclusive diagnosis.  They prescribed some medicine in hopes of reducing the constant involuntary muscle twitches Jolyn was suffering in her hands.

Thursday, August 11 – Jolyn’s 46th Birthday.  Jolyn received an MRI late afternoon in hopes of narrowing down the cause of her condition.

Friday, August 12 - Bill and Jolyn traveled toSeattle for a neurologist’s appointment at 10:15 am.  Within 15 minutes the neurologist had Jolyn admitted to the neurology floor at Swedish Hospital Cherry Hill.  They performed more tests and placed an Electrocardiogram(ECG) on Jolyn.  Within minutes they concluded something was different in her brain. More tests were needed to be done to rule out what it wasn’t and narrow down what it was. Bill and Jolyn stayed the night at Swedish.

Saturday, August 13 – Doctors continued to monitor Jolynscondition and perform tests.  Bill andKris stay the night at Swedish.

Sunday, August 14 – Two days after her 46th birthday, Doctors diagnosedJolyn with Creutzfeldt_Jakob Disease. (CJD) a rare, degenerative, invariably fatal brain disorder.  Ashcraft family is beyond devastated and dealing with the shocking news as best they can.  

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