Some Gave it All: Through the Fire of the Vietnam War by Danny Lane Mark Bowser

Author:Danny Lane, Mark Bowser
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Made for Success Publishing
Published: 2018-11-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHARLIE BASE CAMP: A NOISY NEIGHBORHOOD

“SEE, HERE IS A PICTURE OF YOU WITH CHUCK Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme, working out. I think it was around 1982,” said Chris to his dad as he sat at Danny’s bedside in St. Mary’s hospital. Danny was sitting up with a pillow behind his head and shoulders. Danny looked at the picture, but nothing seemed to register.

At that moment, Dr. McComas walked into the room. “Good afternoon, Chris.”

“Good afternoon, Doctor.”

“Well, I performed a spinal tap to remove a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid so that I could test it for infectious diseases, as well as any viral infections.” The doctor paused, glanced down at his clipboard, and finally continued, “I discovered that your dad is suffering from a case of encephalopathy of an unspecified origin.”

“What does that mean?” asked Chris.

“Well, basically it is a brain disease, or damage to the brain, that is causing a malfunction. It can be caused by a viral infection that creates a swelling of the brain. I think that is what is going on here. Encephalopathy can cause a broad spectrum of symptoms, which can express themselves in the forms of memory loss, dementia, seizures, coma . . . even death in some cases.”

With that, Chis’ cheeks turned white as a ghost. Dr. McComas realized that the news had stressed the young man, but he believed in being a straight shooter with as much compassion as possible. “The problem is that there are hundreds of such brain diseases and at this point, I can’t pinpoint which one your dad is suffering from. I am sorry, Chris.”

Dr. McComas took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly before continuing. “I am researching some studies that were performed on combat veterans from the Vietnam War, to see if we can begin to narrow down any specific brain ailments. Your dad was exposed to all kinds of chemicals and pathogens during his military tours. He was exposed to many jungle viruses, including malaria, which we know for a fact he contracted. He could have ingested parasites from contaminated water — and he was even exposed to Agent Orange. What we know at this moment is that his brain is very swollen, and we have to address that immediately. He is in a very critical state right now. If we can’t get this under control . . . then we could lose him.

“I need to bring up another topic too,” said Dr. McComas. “We need to appoint someone to be your father’s Power of Attorney in order to authorize future decisions concerning his health and other affairs.”

“I’m the only one he has, Doctor. I will call some of his lawyer friends and get it done.”

“Good. I am sorry I don’t have better news for you at this point. Hopefully we will have some good news soon,” said Dr. McComas. “If he doesn’t respond to treatment then we may have to move him to a Veterans Hospital or a nursing home. At this point, he needs twenty-four-hour care.

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