Many of you have asked about my Dad since I started mentioning him in May when he fell and fractured his hip. This Daily Diary is my Christmas present to my Dad. It has nothing to do with matchmaking but everything to do with being desperate to help him find someone to help him with his pain. If you, or anyone you know has any suggestions I would love to hear them.
Merry Christmas and I hope you are spending it with friends and family!
Donna
December 23, 2010
Dear Doctors,
I asked my Dad what he wanted for Christmas and he said “Find me a doctor who can help me with my pain.” His name is Jack Douglas Young and he is a retired Colonel of the USAF who served almost 33 years and was active duty for WWII, The Berlin Airlift, The Korean War and Vietnam. He flew P38’s and B25’s with 88 total combat missions to his credit.
In June of 2002 he injured his back building a deck on his house and although he had back pain before it always went away in a few days. The pain never went away and sent us on a journey that has now lasted eight and a half years. He went to the Mayo clinic In Florida in February of 2002 and had Kyphoplasty. He had back surgery October 31, 2005 at the Swedish Medical Center in Denver and Dr George Frey put 14 two inch screws, two 12 inch rods and two brackets in his back (see attachment). Before the surgery we were told they would be putting in four to six screws. When Dr. Frey told me what he had done I asked why he put in so much hardware and his response was “Your Dad was tolerating the surgery so well we decided to go all the way up his spine.” He also fractured his hip in May of this year and Dr. Richard Stockelman preformed that surgery. The hip surgery, which included a metal rod that runs down his leg to just above the knee, seems to be healing well but the back pain is still the same.
The doctors we have seen since June 2002 are:
Dr. George A Frey
Dr. Richard Stockelman
Dr. Stefan Humphries
Dr. Orderia Mitchell
Dr. Roberto Masferrer
Dr. W. Lary Lippert
Dr. Richard D. Lazar
Dr. Ronald M. Laub
Dr. Martin J. Verhay
Dr. Steven Benecke
Dr. Jeffery Jenks
Dr. Timothy Sandell
Dr. Katherine Leppard
Dr. Eric O. Ridings
Dr. Mark Meyer
Dr. Patrick Shahan, his primary doctor.
His pain has been managed by Pikes Peak Palliative and Hospice for the last two years.
This is a list of his current medications:
MORNING(8AM): 10-325mg PERCOCET ……..1
give or take 1hr 10mg METHADONE HCL….4
25mg HYDROXYZINE………1
2.5mg GLYBURIDE…………..1/2
10mg LISINOPRIL…………….1/2
220mg ALEVE…………………..1
50mg DOXYCYCLINE HYCLATE …1 (temporary)
1 tsp FLAX OIL (IN CRANBERRY JUICE)
AFTERNOON(2PM):10-325mg PERCOCET ……..2
10mg METHADONE HCL….1/2 (OPTIONAL)
.5mg ATIVAN……………………..1
75mg EFFEXOR XR………..1
EVENING(8PM): 10-325mg PERCOCET ……..1
give or take 1hr 220mg ALEVE…………………..1
10mg METHADONE HCL….4
450mg CASCARA SAGRADA..1
40mg NEXIUM…………………..1
5mg DUCOLAX………………….1
1 tsp FLAX OIL (IN CRANBERRY JUICE)
50mg DOXYCYCLINE HYCLATE …1 (temporary)
BEDTIME: 10-325mg PERCOCET ……..2
.5mg ATIVAN……………………..2
10mg AMBIEN……………………1
NON-PRECRIPTIONS (whenever asked for)
BC POWDER (HEADACHES)
KENELOG SPRAY (ITCHING)
FLUCONZOLE (1TAB DAY/ RASH)
PERCOCET (UP TO 8 A DAY)
MIRALAX
We are thankful for everything everyone has done but the bottom line is my Dad still lives in constant, and often, extreme pain. He is 87 years old and his heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and all other parts of his body are in excellent condition. Mostly because, although he was in the military for almost 33 years, he never smoked. His mind is as sharp as a tack and he has an incredible will to live. He has a girlfriend he loves very much and the one thing he wants to do before he dies is take her to Australia.
He has great insurance through Tri-Care for Life and Medicare. If you, or anyone you can refer us to, has any suggestions for helping him PLEASE contact me at 719-338-2316. I don’t know how many Christmas’s he has left and he keeps saying to me “There must be someone else we can go to.”
We appreciate your time and consideration.
Merry Christmas to all!
Sincerely and respectfully,
Donna Shugrue, for Jack D. Young