FIBROMYALGIA

This patient had atypical fibromyalgia. Multiple physical injuries sustained since his teen years started to affect his nervous system, though not noticed at that time. He was a business man who had been severally cheated in the business market, which created powerful stresses, which also affected his nervous system. Also, this patient had been consuming large amounts of toxins from the many diet sodas he enjoyed. Additionally, the many pain medications had, over time, deposited even more toxins. All of these conditions added additional insults to his nervous system, until, eventually, fibromyalgia and seizures had become common place. The following is his testimony.

Testimony: Don S.
Aug 11, 2008

I have been suffering from Fibromyalgia and a seizure, jerking type of affliction for over fifteen years. It was extremely debilitating. I could not make plans for future events, never knowing if I would be able to attend. This was very difficult for both my wife and myself.

I heard of Dr. Young’s services and decided to at least meet with him and find out what, if anything, he could do for me. I can truly say that he has c hanged my life. He explored my entire life back to my childhood and made his diagnosis. He then planned treatments from the information I gave to him.

My seizure, jerking type of condition is related to injuries I suffered while in my teens and because of his treatments plus getting rid of toxins in my system, the jerking and seizures are almost completely gone, and the Fibromyalgia is so much better.

I have never been one to recommend, especially a doctor, to anyone so this is a first. I owe my “unexpected” recovery to the skills of Dr. Young. I feel truly blessed to have found him. Life is once again worth living and both my wife and I consider him a friend as well as my doctor.

Don S

Aug 11, 2008

TMJ

This patient developed TMJ and had sought the usual avenues of treatment. The regular medical community gave her a book describing how to live with this condition because, as they stated, TMJ could not be helped. She also sought dental specialists, but the mouth guards only made her condition worse. The mouth guards, because of the thickness at the rear portion, would “lever” her TMJ joint open, while she slept with her mouth closed. This levering action was counterproductive for her TMJ to heal properly. This is her testimony.

Testimony: Lucy T.
24 March 2008

Dear Dr. Young,

I want to thank you so much for “treating” my TMJ. I am practically symptom free and have the knowledge now to know what irritates my left TMJ and how to care for it. Your microcurrent treatments allowed the TMJ to heal in the proper position.

Other than normal wear and tear over the years, I didn’t have any TMJ symptoms until August 2007, when I took a bite off a large cucumber. I heard a loud pop and from then on every time I opened my mouth my left jaw joint clicked.

My dentist told me to eat soft foods for several weeks and it will get better on its own. When it didn’t he wanted me to wear a mouth guard and give it more time. That didn’t help either. I saw another dentist that specialized in TMJ disorders and he also suggested wearing a mouth guard but said the common practice now for most TMJ problems is to let them heal on their own. I tried the mouth guard for an hour one day and my jaw hurt worse.

Fortunately my chiropractor, Dr Tom Opdahl, recommended you for micro-current treatments for my TMJ. You recognized the problem immediately and started weekly micro-current treatments. The treatments relaxed the tendons and ligaments so the left TMJ could be positioned in a more neutral position thus stopping the cartilage from snapping forward over and over again. Before treatments my jaw would open to the right and click. After treatment my jaw opens straight with no clicking. After 6 months of treatments I am seeing you once a month for “tune-ups” or sooner if symptoms return.

I also appreciated that you took the time to answer my questions and even show me pictures in a medical book of the TMJ so I fully understood physically what was wrong and how the joint should function. It helped me to better understand my treatment, visualize how it should work, and to recognize when the TMJ was stressed while eating something chewy or hard, like ice or popcorn.

I have no doubt that without the micro-current treatments, my dentist would have left me to “heal on my own” until severe or possibly, irreversible damage was done to the TMJ cartilage.

Thank you again for your wonderful care. I feel very fortunate to have a doctor that is so knowledgeable in so many areas of heath care.

Sincerely,

Lucy T

MUSCLE TEAR

Testimony: Rick O
August 2008

In 1992, I was doing wind sprints following a fairly vigorous workout in the local gym. As I was running I stepped on some uneven ground and felt a tear in my back. I immediately sought medical attention. I saw doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, and other specialists but no one could fix the problem. I began taking pain pills on a daily basis while my back continued to worsen. I was becoming less active and spending more time lying down dealing with the pain. This pattern continued for fifteen years.

Then in the summer of 2007, I met Dr. David Young. He had just opened an office in the area and has expertise in muscular injury. After a few visits he was able to tell me what was wrong with my back (something no one had been able to do) and said he could help make it better. I was optimistically skeptical.

I have now been seeing Dr. Young three times a week for a year. He has been applying microcurrent to my back and the results have been dramatic. The pain is gone and I am slowly regaining my life. I am more physically active than I have been anytime since the accident and continue to improve on a weekly basis. I have also met several of Dr. Young’s other patients during this time and all say he has made them better. If you are struggling with a physical ailment and are having a hard time finding someone who can help I strongly recommend you try Dr. David Young.

Sincerely,

Rick O

Doctor’s comments for “Rick O”.

This patient just completed a vigorous workout at the gym, then followed-up by doing some wind sprints. He stepped on some uneven ground, then felt a tear in his back. He went to the hospital: received (1) examinations, (2) cat scans, (3) MRI studies. All examinations turned out negative for any injuries. He was sent to a physical therapist. After a few visits he stopped. Physical therapy was only making him worse. He continued to complain about his pains. Eventually his doctors determined it was all in his head. He was prescribed psychiatric medications. He states: “I became a zombie, but I still hurt.” He stopped those medications.

Over the next several years his condition worsened. He could no longer sit for longer than 10 minutes before his low back muscles would go into severe muscle spasm. He could no longer do the simple task of walking up, or down stairs. If he wanted to go to the basement entertainment room in his house, he could not use the stairs. He had to walk out one entrance door, then slowly up or down the grass to get to other entrance door. When he taught school, he placed his desk in the back of the room, instead of the front, so when the students were working, he could lay down on his desk. He could no longer go on dates with his wife, because he could not sit in his car for more than 10 minutes at a time. He could not sit in a movie theater, or in a restaurant.

He would experience severe low back muscle spasms about once to twice per month. When this occurred, his body would go into a predictable pain pattern. This pattern or “cycle” of pain would last for a predictable four days. Meaning, he was bed ridden for four days each time. (1) First his original injury site would begin to spasm. (Upper right seat muscle.) (2) Then his right low back would compensate, and thus also went into spasm. (3) Then his left seat muscle would try to compensate, and thus, also went into spasm. (4) Then his left low back would try to compensate, and thus also went into spasm. (5) Then his right groin muscles would try to compensate, and thus, went into spasm. (It took a few years for all these compensatory measures to progress, one at a time, until each area became a problem of it’s own; his body’s own, self induced injuries.) During his predictable four days of needed confinement to bed, eventually his body began the reversal process: (1) His right groin muscles would start to soften. (2) Then his left low back muscles would start to soften. (3) Then his left seat muscles, (4)Then his right low back, and finally, (5) His right seat muscles. All occurred in the exact reverse opposite until eventually his right seat muscles would soften. Now he could go back to work.

Eventually he found a doctor in Arizona, (he lived in Washington), who was able to give him “some relief” whenever his back went into “very severe muscle spasm.” He would fly down, but always had to find two seats on the airplane, so he could stretch out and lie down. His doctor in Arizona allowed him to stay at his house to reduce overhead. He visited the Arizona doctor about twice or more per year for many visits.

During his initial intake interview at our clinic, he lied down on the floor, instead of sitting in the chair. I diagnosed him with a “micro-tear” of his upper gluteal maximus muscle, where the muscle becomes connective tissue, at the point where it attaches to the upper part of the right hip bone. My definition of a “micro-tear” is a condition not recognized by mainstream medicine. Imagine a pair of blue-jeans, badly worn at the knees. There are no holes yet, but the threads are badly worn, and about to create a hole. MRI studies can pick up a complete tear, but cannot pick-up tears on the cellular level only. This created a very weak spot. Then, when stressed to the point where it may indeed tear completely, the body would try to compensate by over spasming the next closest group of muscles, to try and stabilize the original injury site. Thus, his right low back muscles went into severe muscle spasm. Over time, this became chronic. (Long term.) Eventually his right low back muscle developed their own, severe, self induced injury. Now his right low back muscles are officially “injured.” Explanation: His right low back muscles, because of chronic spasming, began to atrophy (shrink), and became too weak to protect him anymore. This is when his body then began to respond with additional compensatory measures by spasming his left seat muscles, and so on; until it hit his groin muscles. It became a vicious cycle.

He was instructed by his Arizona doctor to perform a specific exercise to strengthen his low back muscles. Exercise: Sit in a chair, feet and knees shoulder width apart. Grasp a 25 pound weight to his chest. Bend forward / down, as far as possible. Straighten back up. Do several repetitions. He could not perform this exercise without going into severe spasm, which then resulted in the “predictable, four day, bed ridden, scenario.”

One day, while taking a short walk to stretch out his muscles, he happened to walk by our clinic, which is only three blocks from where he works. He saw our sign out front, part of which reads, “Neuro-muscular therapy.” He said, he nearly fainted. He had been traveling to Arizona for that last three years, and here was a doctor who might be able to help him, this close to his work. At this point in time, he had been suffering for over 15 years. (Fifteen years.) (During all this time, his wife continued to be a most faithful, loving, and patient wife. Now is payback time. Now they are starting to go out on dates again, like a second honeymoon.)

He began therapy at our clinic, receiving Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM), to all his affected muscles. (Now five areas, instead of just the original injury site.) FSM was administered while he performed the above chair exercise. But, he had to support his low back, by placing his hands on his knees, then bend forward. His first treatment, he could only bend forward while being assisted with his hands, and three repetitions only. Eventually we worked up to several repetitions. Eventually he was able to bend forward, “unassisted” (no hand support). Soon he was able to progress to a one pound weight. (We would laugh, because this weight was pink, and I could put it into my shirt pocket without wrinkling my shirt.) Three repetitions to start, working his way up to over time to 30 repetitions. Then he progressed to a two pound weight. (Blue this time.) As therapy continued and he could increase his weights, he began to do stair therapy. He would come early to our clinic and walk up and down some stairs before therapy began. He began with one flight of stairs. (Defined as once up, then back down.) Then he immediately received his FSM therapy while performing his chair exercises. Gradually he was able to do several flights of stairs before each FSM treatment, so much that he developed a huge sweat. As he was able to use more weights, he also began to do his stair exercises at home. He worked his way up to 100 flights of stairs, walking down to his basement entertainment room, then back up. This continued to the point where his wife was starting to get concerned about wearing out their carpet. His weights for the chair exercises also increased. He would work one weight until he could do several repetitions. Enough that we stopped counting the repetitions, and began to count the minutes instead. When he got to a solid 20 minutes with one weight, then we increased his weight by one more pound, and began at the five minute mark, working our way up to 20 minutes again. And so on. At 25 pounds his back had a severe negative reaction. WHY? His primary injury site (right seat muscle) had totally healed. All the rest of his compensatory muscle injury sites also completely healed. However, his right low back muscles (his first “compensatory” injury site), had severely atrophied, (shrunk). FSM can heal, but cannot replace muscle tissue that is not there anymore. This became his limitation.

At this point, he has recovered to a fairly normal life, with the sole exception, that his right low back is his weak spot. This weak spot can give him problems, if he really over works himself. When this occurs, he can now fix it on his own, using stretching exercises. I rate his recovery at about 95%.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

by Dr. David G. Young, N.D.

I will present a brief summation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as I suspect this disorder is not thoroughly understood by mainstream medicine. My patient’s testimony will follow this summation.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines trauma as something that is threatening to the self or someone close to you, accompanied by intense fear, horror, or helplessness. IE: Severe stress beyond the range of normal human experience. Half the general population will experience a traumatic stress in their lives. IE: Rape, molestation, abuse, assault, combat, kidnaping, and accidents. 15% of those will develop post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD affects 8% of the general population at some time in their lives. It is eight times more common than cancer or schizophrenia.
(Source: Frequency Specific Microcurrent professional medical training seminars for doctors: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

PTSD causes physiological trauma, leading to actual changes to the Solar Plexus, Sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system, Brain stem, Adrenal glands, Hindbrain, Midbrain, and Forebrain. Fears of different types are also stored in various organ systems, as is well documented in Chinese Medicine.
(Source: Frequency Specific Microcurrent professional medical training seminars for doctors: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Mainstream medicine’s usual treatment of choice is antidepressant / psychiatric pharmaceutical drugs. In early 2011, documentation from various reliable medical watch groups, have started to surface, documenting the enormous widespread (multi-billion industry) over-use of the various forms of psychiatric drugs, and strongly question their efficacy:
Citizens Commission on Human Rights Seattle
http://cchrseattle.org/
Alternative Mental Health
http://alternativementalhealth.com/
Mercola.com
http://search.mercola.com
Numerous articles, search under: “psychiatric drugs”

PTSD patients have a hyperactive amygdala (midbrain and forebrain). If the amygdala can be quieted enough to allow the traumatic information into explicit memory with reduced emotional load, then the patient can recognize, verbalize, categorize and release it.
(Source: Frequency Specific Microcurrent professional medical training seminars for doctors: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Some medical professionals will say “it is all in your head, there is nothing wrong with you.” Yes, while PTSD does traumatize, then change the way the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain function, it is more than a simple “it is all in your head” function. The changes are absolute. How else can anyone explain why a PTSD victim, when placed in the same situation again, starts to tremble exceedingly. It is NOT something they can control. Psychiatric drugs do not heal the damaged neuron pathways of the brain, it only subdues the emotions. But PTSD affects far more than the brain alone.

PTSD patient’s sympathetic nervous system and adrenal glands are on “constant overload.”
(Source: Frequency Specific Microcurrent professional medical training seminars for doctors: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

PTSD traumatizes, then changes, the way the Autonomic Nervous System functions. Think of the automatic nervous system as “automatic.” If you touch a hot stove, the burn signal does not travel to your brain, where your brain processes the “hot stove” input, then sends back a signal to your hand to withdraw your hand. No. There is a much faster way to withdraw your hand. The hot stove signal goes through your autonomic nervous system, specifically the sympathetic component. The hot stove signal travels to your spinal cord, where there are afferent and efferent (input and output) portions within the structure of the spinal cord, that bypasses the need to send the signal to the brain for computation. Way too slow. Instead, the sympathetic nervous system instantly sends a signal back to your arm to “withdraw!” your hand. It is “automatic.” The Sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system is the “fight or flight” reaction. The Parasympathetic component is responsible to allow your body to relax, to digest food, to use the bathroom, etc.

Adrenal glands: In close concert with the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” response, the adrenal glands produce epinephrine (commonly called adrenalin), which is the hormone needed for instantaneous fight or flight reactions. In chronic PTSD, the adrenal glands have been overproducing too much adrenaline, too often. The muscles of the patient are continuously tight, because the body is ready to “fight or flight” immediately.
(Source: Frequency Specific Microcurrent professional medical training seminars for doctors: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Because PTSD causes physiologic changes to the sympathetic nervous system, in addition to the adrenal glands, both systems must be treated together. In addition, as before mentioned, parts of the brain were also affected, as well as potentially other organ systems. Treatment of PTSD, must “reprogram” all of these nervous systems, hormonal systems, and organ systems.
(Source: Frequency Specific Microcurrent professional medical training seminars for doctors: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Taking a psychiatric drug, and / or painkillers, does not heal the body. If treatment is confined only to “masking” the trauma and pain, the body will continue to “compensate” however it can. The longer proper healing is delayed, the more the body will compensate, then compensate again, and again, until many “layers” of ill health have developed in the victim’s physiologic and psychologic makeup.
(Source: Frequency Specific Microcurrent professional medical training seminars for doctors: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Dr. David G. Young, N.D.

TESTIMONY OF ONE OF MY PATIENTS

I work for the railroad. In April 2008 I was on a job site. I was wearing my three point harness and carrying between 70 and 100 pounds of equipment, strapped to my body. The job that day was on a bridge, crossing over a river. I was walking on the catwalk, about 40 feet above the water. The boards on the catwalk broke under my feet, and I began to fall to a sure death in the water below. With all that weight strapped to my body, I surely would have been dragged to the bottom of that river with no hope to survive. I would leave behind, my dear wife, and my small child. I was so afraid. Luckily, I was able to stop my fall with an elbow, catching myself on the steel structure. I managed to crawl out with help from my co-workers. Safety equipment for falling was not required because catwalks are not supposed to break.

For a long time after my fall, I could not go near any bridge, without shaking with fear.

I had immediate pain in both shoulders and was not able to walk for several days.

I received all the care that the medical doctors could give me, but something was still not right. I had constant, sharp, stabbing pains, along with dull achy pains, all at the same time. I spent a week camping last year, and twice both feet fell asleep, while I was walking. My muscles in my low back and legs would become swelled up almost daily. The more I used my muscles, the more they became swollen by the end of each day.

I saw several Allopathic Doctors, dressed in their white coats. Each doctor told me he could fix me, then would hand me another prescription for pain killers or more physical therapy. I also received several bone scans, cat scans, and nerve conduction tests, all of which came back negative, for which I was very grateful. Two Allopathic Doctors stated there was nothing wrong with me, but still handed me more prescriptions for more pain medications.

“Allopathic” is a descriptive name for medical doctors. Just as Naturopathic, Osteopathic, and Chiropractic are descriptive names of those doctors. “Medical Doctor” is more like a trade name. Look it up in a dictionary. I borrowed Dr. Young’s medical dictionary, Dorland’s Pocket Medical Dictionary, Twenty- Third Edition. “Allopathy: A system of therapeutics based on the production of a condition incompatible with or antagonistic to the condition being treated.” The many prescriptions I was given for my “pain management” is a prime example. Allopathic Doctors are irreplaceable at certain times, like open heart surgery, or surgery after a major accident. But for me, all my pain management drugs did was make me a zombie, and dependant upon those prescription drugs.

Physical therapy did more harm than good. Chiropractic adjustments helped, but did not fix anything. Surgery was not an option because no one could figure out where my problems were.

After two and a half years of hopeless help from doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors; I was sure I was destined to live life, in a constant state of pain. Never to be comfortable again standing, sitting, or even lying down. I could never get a good night’s sleep. I was irritable, and my family suffered from my irritability. If my child or my wife touched me, I would jump violently. I had no control over this.

I met Dr Young in November of 2010. Thankfully, Dr Young, after my initial consultation, started an electro therapy right away, called Frequency Specific Microcurrent. I did have concerns and questioned this type of therapy, but was willing to try anything. About a month into seeing Dr Young three times a week, I could tell it was working.

Dr. Young used an analogy to better help me understand how my body had become, progressively WORSE, over the last two and a half years, to the condition it was now in. He taught me that when the body gets injured, and is not healed correctly, “layers” of worsening health conditions, begin to bury over the previous conditions. Like layers of an onion, with the core of the onion the original condition, and each subsequent layer of the onion, a new, and worsening condition. He teaches me all the time, how the body works, and how all things relate one to another. Sometimes I tell him this weird thing, of that weird thing, almost embarrassed at how naive I must sound. Whenever I would tell the Allopathic Doctors these strange symptoms, they would never believe me and thought I was making it all up. Thankfully, Dr. Young would listen, then repeat back to me what I had told him, and then tell me how all my weird symptoms related, one to another. Now I understood, and it made sense. Finally. He told me something of great importance: If my body is given the correct microcurrent frequencies, in their proper order, for my conditions; if my correct nutritional needs are met; and if the “bad things” are avoided: then my body now has a chance to “heal itself.” Not through drugs, but naturally.

Because my body had built up so many “layers” of ill health conditions, my healing process is slow. Each layer of ill health must be identified, then the appropriate frequencies applied for that particular condition. Kinda like going backwards in time. Remove one layer, then go backwards to the next older layer. Removing each layer, one at a time. There are many ups and downs. Dr. Young described this as the “healing crisis.”

I am not pain free yet. There are times after a therapy that can I drop my car keys, then I can bend right over and pick them up again, with very little struggle. I can become so excited that I can bend over and pick things up off the floor, that I frequently would drop things on purpose, just to experience the joy of this accomplishment. This doesn’t last very long yet, but I gives me hope for a brighter future, as I continue to heal further.

This may sound silly, but after two and a half years of not being able to do simple tasks, even when taking pain medications, now I have hope and can see that things can only get better.

I have NOT used any prescriptions for “pain management” since December 26th 2010. All I take at this time is strict use of vitamins, and therapy from Dr Young.

I regret I waited so long to see Dr young. The more “layers of the onion” that has accumulated, the longer it takes to peel back your onion. Often, while he is working on me, the pain subsides enough for me to feel the simple feeling of hunger. Or I will get off his table and be able to see. The colors I see are brighter and the haze has lifted, and I was not even aware I had a haze! Dr. Young said: “This is how the rest of the world sees color and light. You lost that ability, and now it is starting to return enough, to give you hope.

(Patient ID) “C. E.”

Doctor’s comments for “C. E.”

This patient nearly died. He was working on bridge, wearing a very heavy three point harness carrying all his tools. The catwalk broke under his feet. He was falling to a sure death in the river below. He caught himself. His physical injuries were severe. He was treated appropriately for his physical injuries, but only for “those” injuries. He developed what is called: “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” or “PTSD”.

When he was driving with his family anywhere, if they had to cross a bridge, he began to shake severely. Doctors told him that his pain, and his reactions, were “all in his head”. He was prescribed both narcotic pain medications, and psychiatric medications. (To his credit, he never took the psychiatric medications. He knew his body better then that.) He had been to several types of doctors, but never improved. His symptoms: Severe muscle spasms of all back muscles, unpredictable for occurrences. (Could occur at any time.) He was always in some degree of pain: sometimes significant, sometimes severe. He had suffered like this for over three years, without any relief. (The pain meds did NOT relieve his pain.)

I diagnosed him with PTSD. His therapy would be Frequency Specific Microcurrent, (FSM). Within about two months, he stated he felt close to being healed. I pointed out to him, how much “further” he could heal. He began to experience “new” levels of heath he had forgotten were “normal” for the rest of the population. With additional therapy, his recovery is now at about 95% of what should be considered “normal” ( which is lot higher than he first thought possible.) FSM was not able to completely cure him, but 95% is a level that brings him a lot of satisfaction, and a normal life again.

PESTICIDE POISONING

This 40 year-old male patient had a knee which kept collapsing for no apparent reason. He had to walk with a cane because it could collapse, without warning, at any time. This had gone on since his youth. Over the years he had sought what seemed, endless medical help from physicians and clinics at many locations: No one could help him. He never went out into the public because he was afraid of falling down and being embarrassed. He was overweight and had a bad case of dandruff. He did not care what other people thought of him, because he lived life as a hermit. He always wore black clothing. To have some excitement in his life, he authored three, kids computer games; the type of gaming that kids love to do now days. He made up a name he would use as the “author” of these games. His author name became quite famous, enough that if any kids got a hold of this author, they would try hard to get an autograph. He had lived with his parents his entire life. The only friends he had were “internet friends” that he never met face-to-face.

I did my usual intake interview and elected Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) as the best treatment of choice for him. I treated his affected knee for all the normal conditions of knee failure. Progress was slow / mildly effective. I encourage my patients to talk, to tell me about themselves. On the fifth visit, he told me about an incident that occurred when he was only ten years old. He was out in her parent’s corn field when a crop dusting bi-plane flew overhead, spraying pesticides. The spray from the bi-plane, literally soaked his clothing with the insecticide poison. He walked home, drenched to the bone, to change clothing. With this new information, I changed the focus of my FSM treatment plan, to insecticide poisoning for all the anatomical parts of the knee.

Progress started to occur rapidly. One day I asked him if he would consider going out, leaving his cane at home. He asked me to look in the corner where he usually placed his cane prior to treatment. No cane. He had left it at home. Shortly thereafter, he started walking around a two mile, bark dust covered walking trail, through a local golf course. This was, and is, a very popular walking trail in northeast Portland. He and his parents lived only blocks away from the golf course. He had never walked that trial, up until now. He was taking walks with his mother, leaving his cane at home. Eventually he got brave and took a bus to a very large, and well known, shopping mall in southeast Portland. He left his cane at home. Eventually he finally decided to meet his internet friends, in person. He purchased an Amtrak passenger train ticket, and traveled alone without his cane, from Portland Oregon, to Seattle Washington.

When he returned he asked me, “what do I do now? I responded: “Well, I think you should take dance lessons and meet a girl.” For thirty years, he suffered both humiliation and trauma from frequent and uncontrollable falls. When I last saw him, he was still walking normally and without a cane. He was now venturing away from his parents house, in search of his own life.

B.B.’s father flew P-38 Lightening photo intelligence missions in WWII. His father was so happy with is son’s progress, that he leant me a treasured video of his squadron’s documentaries. Though I have lost contact with this family for years now, every time we tour the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville Oregon, and I look at the P-38 in that Aviation Museum, and think about BB and his father.

“B. B.”