Our Mexican Camino: Ending MS and Finding New Life: November 26, 2017: Day 373

Sunday, November 26, 2017

November 26, 2017: Day 373

We are finishing our Thanksgiving vacation. It has been a busy week. Much was accomplished. Of course the most important thing was Doug having surgery to remove his kidney stone. Today is his last day for antibiotics. His physical therapist came on Friday and has cleared Doug to use the walker around the house and the wheelchair when we go out. It is such a blessing to see him stronger again and to see him walking.

I am back at work tomorrow and Doug has a Retuxin infusion in the morning. We also get to remove the stent tomorrow. Thursday he has a follow-up appointment with his urologist and then hopefully we can put this kidney stone behind us.

Doug has done amazingly well. He has had no pain since the surgery. He has felt good and had more energy then he has had for some time. Last night after the BSU game, Doug and I went out and did a little Christmas shopping and then went to dinner. He has not had enough energy in the evenings to do that in years. Then today we had a full day with church and the family all over to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Angie and 2 of her kids had gone up to Montana to see my niece and her family. Tom went to be with his family with one of the kids. And so our opportunity to celebrate with each other had been delayed. It was nice to have everyone gathered under one roof tonight.

We have much to be grateful for.

God of Blessing, thank you for the many gifts we have been given over the past month and years. Thank you for the restoration of Doug's health. Thank you for a wonderful physical therapist who has held the vision of Doug walking again and helped him get to this point. Thank you for the gift of children and the delight they bring to us. Thank you for family and friends who share life's journey with us. With so many blessings, and so much hope, we rest and look forward to the new day. Amen

Thankful for Trixie and the love and joy she brings to our lives

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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!

Sunday, November 26, 2017

November 26, 2017: Day 373

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