My Dad

So, Jon and I were going through some old files the other day and I came across a paper that my mom had written for me. It is a list detaling everything my dad had gone through (medically) in his life. I thought I would share it with you. Let me give you a little background. My dad was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was ten years old. He had been living in Morocco at the time (he was a brat) and it is thought he contracted it through a virus. Most of his issues stemmed from the diabetes, although he took meticulous care of himself. You will see throughout his adult life he was diagnosed with two types of cancer as well as other medical issues. He finally gave up in June 2000, one month before his first grandchild (Coby) was born. Here is his story. It starts in 1983, when I was six years old:

1983 - Lazer Treatments on Both Eyes / GBMC
1985 - Declared Legally Blind and starts Vocational Rehabilitation
1989 - 1st Kidney Transplant / U of MD
1992 - Diagnosed with Throat Cancer. Had his tonsils removed / GBMC
1992 - Raditation Therapy for cancer / GBMC
1992 - Radical Neck Dissection / GBMC
1993 - Cataract Surgery / CCGH
1994 - Broken foot / Union Memorial
1995 - Lost Transplanted Kidney to rejection (it was from his mom)
1995 - Placed on top of the list for kidney/pancreas transplant
1995 - Began Dialysis / Frederick MH
1995 - Double Transplant -Kidney and Pancreas - U of MD
1995 - A few days after surgery suffered a heart attack
1995 - Tracheotomy (Larynogohracheoplasty with complete supraglattic closure) / U of MD
After this surgery he could no longer talk and used a Electrolarynx with an oral adaptor to speak. Plus, because of the radiation from having the throat cancer he was left with no saliva glands. He had to carry water everywhere he went.
1995 - Triple Bypass Open Heart Surgery / U of MD
1995 - Large Foot Ulcer
(1995 was the year I graduated from high school)
1996 - Below-the-knee (BTK) Amputation of left leg / U of MD
1996 - Re-opened his throat (partial). One of the first to have this done! / U of MD
1996 - Another surgery to open throat completely - Failed
1996 - Reclosed the throat
1996 - Large Foot Ulcers - right foot
1996 - Angioplasty to right foot / U of MD
1996 - Repeated Angioplasty
1997 - Toe Amputation on right foot / U of MD
1997 - Retina repair to eyes / Union Memorial
1998 - Another infected toe (he only has fou left at this point)
1999 - Spiral Leg Fracture
1999 - Sugery to repair leg and hip / CCGH
1999 - Collapsed Lung - Diagnosed with Lung Cancer