Our Mexican Camino: Ending MS and Finding New Life: December 13, 2016: Day 24

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

December 13, 2016: Day 24

It is late on Tuesday night and so this will be a short post. The good news is that Doug is continuing to improve. Today when I got to the hospital he was in a chair and had breakfast in front of him. He was actually drinking some orange juice. This is the first time since last Thursday that he has been interested in food or taken any nourishment independently. He then willingly took a few bites of oatmeal. I brought him his favorite blueberry scones to entice him to eat and he ate a few bites of it as well. For lunch he ate half of a chicken sandwich and half a piece of pie and for dinner he ate half of a chicken breast and some rice pilaf. I am thrilled he is eating again. This is a big step back to regaining his health.

I was pretty frustrated today though. The nurse had left him in a chair for an hour an half by himself with his food sitting in front of him. No one had helped him, even though he has not eaten anything since last Thursday and he is too weak to eat on his own. Then he was not going to give him the humidified oxygen. He had left it off of him and Doug had begun coughing again. This followed by him refusing to retake his blood pressure when I asked him to. Doug's blood pressure was down to 71/56. The OT wanted to work with him and get him into a stand. He is so weak he cannot stand on his own let alone with that blood pressure. I ended up having to demand he call the doctor and letting the doctor know what I was not pleased with and also letting the head nurse know. I let them know my expectations for his care in no uncertain terms. Low and behold I did get the humidified air, the blood pressure taken and OT and PT for Doug. But whew.....frustrating. He is in ICU!

A couple more delightful things happened today. I learned that Dick Halsey at our church is selling handmade wooden pens, for Christmas gifts and donating all the proceeds to Doug's medical care. This was an amazing and delightful surprise. Then my good friend Jacquie Prather came by the hospital to see us and brought an envelope. Inside was a Christmas card and money from some dear Parkridge staff that have continued to get together over many years. These dear ladies donated to Doug's care, instead of giving each other Christmas gifts. And then my friends Carl and Linda Goodwin came to Nampa to see Doug and took me out for dinner at the Brick. It was so wonderful to have a couple of hours with these dear friends.

The other thing that happened today is that the doctor and a transition person at the hospital met with me to talk about Doug going to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation after he is released from the hospital. Doug is really not keen on this idea but agreed to it. I am concerned about which facility to choose. I would love to hear peoples recommendations based on recent experience.. This is another big hurdle facing us.

God of Mercy, thank you for the goodwill and care of good friends who lighten our burdens and sustain our hope. Thank you for our dear friends who pray for us daily and journey with us. They remind us of your goodness and continual presence with us. Be with Doug as he continues to heal. Strengthen his body, so that he may walk again. Give him confidence that he will be restored to health. Fill us with joy at all the small blessings that we receive each day.In your name we ask it, Amen

1 comment:

UnknownDecember 14, 2016 at 3:19 PM
Hi Eileen,

Pat and I are following your blog. Everyone is praying for Doug and you. I went through a struggle with my mother two years ago before she passed away. She was in and out of the hospital, then assisted living, rehab and hospice.
There is a lot to consider when selecting a rehab facility. Make sure they see a fair number of rehab patients each year. . .not just an offshoot of skilled nursing with a couple of rehab beds. Is an RN on duty 24/7? They often try to get by with aides and can do it legally. He may need OT, speech or PT. I would make sure they have on site physical therapy. I would talk to staff to see what their attitudes are. and just walk around and observe. Is the place clean, does it smell, is food appetizing. How often do they check on patients? These are just a few things I can think of.
John Scott
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About Doug

Fr. Doug Yarbrough was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. Although judging from his MRI scans he probably had it for many years prior to his diagnosis. Since the diagnosis he has experienced continuous progression of the disease resulting in more and more disability.

Today he is dependent on an electric wheelchair to get around outside of his home. At home he uses a walker to walk short distances. His eyes loose focus easily and he cannot read. This is difficult for someone who has always been a voracious reader and life long learner. He experiences extreme fatigue. Most days it is all he can do to just take care of his own personal needs. We are grateful he can do that and fear the day that he will loose these skills. But with the progression of this disease that day may not be far off.

This is not the person Fr. Doug has always been. Many will remember him as an active member of his family, church, community and state. He is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. As a priest and community leader he has been a passionate crusader working on behalf of the poor, the abused, the homeless and minorities. He has been a husband, a father and a grandfather. He has always been the person who helps others.

Fr. Doug is a learner and believes in education to serve the common good. He has a B.A. in Education and Philosophy, a Master's in Counseling and a Master's in Religion. He has a doctorate in Educational Psychology. His education nurtured his thirst for learning, to make God known to the world and to serve others in the example of Christ. His favorite Bible passage is from Micah 6:8. In the New English Language Version of the Bible it reads "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" These words have framed his work in the church and the world.

In 2005 he was awarded the Canyon County Humanitarian Award for his contributions, care and concern for the most needy and marginalized people in Canyon County. He chaired the Nampa Shelter Coalition board and was on this board for many years. He also served for many years on the Nampa Family Justice Center and the Idaho State Domestic Violence Boards. He founded the Open Arms Baby Boutique in Nampa. This is a resource center for low-income women. The women earn points for prenatal and postnatal check-ups. They may then trade the points in for diapers, baby clothes, furniture, etc. He was on the "Success by Six" Treasure Valley committee. Fr. Doug served on the Mercy Hospital Ethics Board. All this he did while pastoring a church and serving on many church boards and committees.

After many years of service, Fr. Doug is now in need of your help. He is in the fight of his life to stop the progression of this horribly debilitating disease. Up until now, there has been little hope, but upon returning from a pilgrimage of prayer for healing we learned of a new stem cell treatment that some are calling a cure. This treatment is HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant). Using this treatment the patient's own stem cells are harvested, then the patient's immune system is killed using chemotherapy and then the patient's own stem cells are transplanted back into their body. It works similarly to a reboot of a computer. The immune system is being rebooted. This treatment is in Clinical Trials in the United States, but in other places in the world it is being used as a treatment for MS. Worldwide data shows that more than 80% of MS patients receiving this treatment see an end to the progression of the disease and many see a reversal in disability. The brain is able to heal from the bodies own attacks on the myelin insulating sheath around that surrounds nerve fibers

Unfortunately HSCT treatment is expensive and not yet covered by insurance. To get this treatment he will have to travel outside of the country. To help pay for this treatment family and friends of Father Doug are raising money to help pay for uninsured medical expenses associated with HSCT (HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT) to halt the progression of his Multiple Sclerosis. We don’t have time to wait for Clinical Trials in the US. Fr. Doug is rapidly progressing in disability from this disease. We have to act now if we are to save and hopefully improve the quality of Fr. Doug’s life. We have a goal of October 15, 2016 to raise all the money needed. This is the earliest possible date that the treatment may be available.

Fr. Doug has chosen to fund-raise with HelpHOPELive in part because HelpHOPELive assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay for unreimbursed medically related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button.

For more information, please contact HelpHOPELive at 800.642.8399.

Thank you and God Bless you for your help!

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

December 13, 2016: Day 24

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