Our Mexican Camino: Ending MS and Finding New Life: October 30, 2017: Day 346

Monday, October 30, 2017

October 30, 2017: Day 346

The weekend brought some ups and downs. Doug continued to not feel very well, but getting a little stronger each day. I took over giving Doug his antibiotics in his PICC line on Saturday. The first time by myself was a little stressful, but by today I felt much more comfortable. Doug's blood pressure has remained very low, hovering around 105/70. I decided not to give him his blood pressure pills and just monitor him to see if it stayed low. It has been low but still in a safe zone. His foot is still red and swollen, but the ultra-sound showed no clot. So I guess we are ok.

The best part of the weekend is that we had the opportunity to listen and learn from the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA. He was inspiring, a joy to learn from and very approachable. Doug was able to attend on Sunday morning and had the opportunity to listen to him preach on loving our neighbors as ourselves. Doug very much enjoyed the service and also seeing friends from across the diocese.

Doug and I with Prsiding Bishop Michael Curry

The Presiding Bishop said many intriguing and profound things. One thought he shared was "The opposite of love is not hate, it is selfishness". That is something I will think about for a while, but it makes a lot sense to me. Another thing he said, that should be obvious, but it often gets lost among Christians is: “If it doesn’t look like love, if it doesn’t look like Jesus, it isn’t Christianity. Period. Exclamation point. Amen. Hallelujah.”-@PB_Curry. It was great to hear a great preacher/speaker/teacher and to learn.

We celebrated my grandson Cole's 10th birthday this weekend. He is such a wonderful sweet boy. It is hard to believe 10 years ago he was born. He decided he only wanted a family birthday party this year. His favorite gift did not change from last year, he still wanted more Lego's.

Cole is 10 years old.

Tomorrow Doug goes to the urologist. We will learn more about what is happening with the kidney stone. We are anxious to hear about what the doctor will suggest. Doug will also get another week's supply of antibiotic in the mail tomorrow to receive through his PICC line.

And so we pray:

God of Hope, we give thanks for the light that comes into our lives when things seem dark. It has been a tough couple of weeks with Doug's kidney stone, infection and other health issues. It feels like we stepped back in his progress. But in the middle of discouragement from loosing ground, we have been given hope. Hope in words of inspiration from Preseidng Bishop Curry and hope in the light that shines in Cole's eyes and in his heart. For this we give you thanks and praise. Amen

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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!

Monday, October 30, 2017

October 30, 2017: Day 346

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