Our Mexican Camino: Ending MS and Finding New Life: May 1, 2017: Day +161

Monday, May 1, 2017

May 1, 2017: Day +161

Doug's OT came to our house early this morning to watch Doug dress and get out of bed. She was very pleasantly surprised seeing what Doug can do. He was able to dress himself and move his legs to the floor and sit on the edge of the bed. Then she wanted to see Doug transfer. Since she wanted to see if we can begin helping Doug to shower she wanted to see him transfer to a transfer wheelchair, which is fairly narrow and will easily fit in the bathroom. This gave Doug and I the opportunity to show her how we had transferred with the disk that helps him to pivot. She said we did well and I feel good about having someone else watch us and provide feedback. She also said she would come back on Friday morning and train the bath aid to use the shower chair. This is a great stride forward. Doug can now begin showering at home. He will feel so much better I think.

Will is going to help us out and install the new shower head for us. I surely appreciate that. I am sure that he will do a better job than me and probably with a lot less frustration. The shower head can be used as a handheld shower which will allow Doug to be independent with his showering.

Doug was up walking again today With will and his PT. He felt good about his therapies and encouraged by his progress.

Last Friday, I found a bag on our doorstep after Loretta and Mark had finished mowing our lawn and had headed home. In the bag were 4 small containers of solar operated flowers. I called Loretta and asked her if she had meant to leave the bag. She said yes. She had bought the flowers for herself, but thought of Doug and I and thought we needed the flowers more. The flowers are now sitting on our kitchen window sill. They brighten our kitchen and our hearts with Loretta's throughtfulness. Thank you Loretta.

And so we pray...

God of Wonder, we give thanks for progress towards goals and for the help of others. We are delighted with the simple pleasures to look forward to each day that includes showers and walking. We give thanks for the beauty of spring with blue skies, spring flowers and green lawns. The ever changing landscape intriques and delights us. Be with us this night as we sleep. May we awake renewed, ready to face the challenges of the new day. Amen

No comments:

Post a Comment

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!

Monday, May 1, 2017

May 1, 2017: Day +161

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive