On the 22nd of July, 1968, I was born at The former Martin Luther Hospital - Anaheim, California. I was FRANK BREECH and PLACENTA PREVIA. I should have been born via a CESAREAN SECTION, but the doctor in fear that he would not be paid, pushed me back in, turned me around and performed a vaginal birth (my mother stood at the counter in the ER while her "water was breaking" and wrote a check for the entire hospital cost before she was admitted).
In 1973, I was misdiagnosed as HYPERACTIVE by Sidney Jacson Adler, MD (the foremost authority on Hyperactivity at the time, author of "Your Overactive Child: Normal or Not?" © 1972 Medcom Press). At the same time I was in Children's Hospital of Orange County - Orange, California for testing by Dr. Adler, I was diagnosed with severe HYPOGLYCEMIA and severe INSOMNIA. Also, my IQ was tested at its lowest score of 176 (all of my tests since then have been above that amount), while I was at CHOC.
Due to severe abuse from my father, I had over 30 CONCUSSIONS by the time I was 12 years of age and this may be the cause of my severe MIGRAINE headaches.
In 1976, I was diagnosed with MAJOR UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION and a PEPTIC ULCER at University of California Los Angeles Medical Center - Westwood, California.
A number of times between 1977 and 1998 I had MENINGITIS, which was an experience I would never want to repeat. I have had it more than half a dozen times, and nearly died about 2/3rd's of the time. This more than anything was the worse suffering I ever dealt with in my life. Given all that is involved in Meningitis.
In summer 1988, I entered UCLA Medical Center and was diagnosed with CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME.
In late summer of 1988, I entered the Scripps Institute Superclinic - La Jolla, California and I had a complete "head to toe" examination and finally a determination was made as to why I had PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (aka "Nerve Ganglion Damage") , SPASTICITY , NEUROGENIC BLADDER , URINARY INCONTINENCE , FECAL INCONTINENCE , and CHRONIC PAIN. This was determined by examination and by review of my medical history that I had GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME.
In October of 1988, I was admitted to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian - Newport Beach, California with severe ANGINA and it turned out that I was having my first HEART ATTACK (MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION). I spent about 4 weeks in the hospital after this first heart attack for cardiac rehab due to my disabilities. This is contrasted when I had my second Myocardial Infarction when I was admitted to University of California Irvine Medical Center - Orange, California in 1995 when I had my second heart attack and since I was on Medicare and TPA and STREPTOKINASE and I was released about five hours later (I arrived in an ambulance, but had to find my own way home, luckily a nurse who used to work with my mother was getting off of work, and she drive me home from the ER).
I have always had severe PHOTOPHOBIA and it turns out that it was not related to my GLAUCOMA that I was diagnosed at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA Medical Center - Westwood, California around 1990. But it turned out that it was related to my ASPERGER SYNDROME of which I was diagnosed as having in 1994 at Los Angeles County Olive View/UCLA Medical Center - Sylmar, California.
I have had severe ALLERGY problems year-round since a very early age. Involving my eyes and entire upper respiratory system (nose, throat, lungs, et cetera).
I am allergic to the following drugs: GENTAMICIN SULFATE , IMITREX (sumatriptan) [and all other Triptan drugs, such as AXERT (almotriptan), AMERGE (naratriptan), MAXALT (rizatriptan), ZOMIG (zolmitriptan), FROVA (frovatriptan), and RELPAX (eletriptan) for example.] , ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID (AKA Aspirin) , MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (AKA MSG) , and NICOTINE. I am also allergic to LATEX. I have a couple of food allergies as well, to RAW tomatoes and bananas (but I can eat them if they are COOKED, which neutralize the items that I am allergic to in them). I am also EXTREMELY allergic to tobacco smoke. My allergies are so severe that if I do not prevent exposure to them, or treat them immediately, I could require hospitalization.
Closely related to allergies, are triggers that cause me to have migraines, such as CAFFEINE and NITRATES. If I do not avoid these triggers, I am guaranteed to have a migraine headache. If I am certain to be exposed to these items I have to take prophylactic medication to prevent the migraines.
Due to my medical conditions requiring me to use a wheelchair or leg braces and crutches, I have developed OSTEOARTHRITIS in my arms from the shoulders down and in my spine. This has required that I use a power wheelchair over the last few years, after many years of being very active on crutches and in a manual wheelchair. These days the pain is very severe if I use my arms for much more than the effort required to eat. In August of 2005, I was diagnosed with CHRONIC GOUTY ARTHRITIS.
I also have a minor form of IMPOTENCE. I am fully functional, but my endurance, stamina, and quality of my erections are diminished. But the plumbing still works for the most part with little assistance. I do not use drugs or an implant, due to medical prohibitions. But science has given me what I need, whenever I will need it, without drugs or surgery.
Numerous times during my life I have been a patient at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center - Downey, California. This allowed me to become a bit more mobile, and allowed me to develop skills to adapt to my disabilities. For being a Los Angeles County facility, this is one of the best rehab centers I have ever seen.
I am also attended another rehab center that was just a little bit closer to home, but still quite a distance. That rehab center was Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation - Pomona, California. I went there for driving evaluations, as well as general rehabilitation. This is perhaps the best private rehabilitation facility that I have ever seen.
I am also a survivor of numerous forms of ABUSE. If you want any details, please feel free to visit my page that deals specifically with that subject. I have only covered the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to the abuse I endured, but the webpage can give you a bit of an idea of what I have endured.
Due to my severe abuse growing up, I developed CHRONIC POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. I have been in denial of it for many years, but it was recently diagnosed with the help of a Psychiatrist friend who is the head of Psychiatry of a major medical school.
All that I have endured in my life have been things that have allowed me to grow. It has allowed me to learn empathy and compassion for others. Feel free to email me at JBT-DMC@worldnet.att.net if I can ever be of any assistance.
Lescol 40mg QD for cholesterol #30
Baclofen 20mg TID for leg spasms #90
Zantac 150mg BID PRN for ulcer #60
Diphenhydramine HCL 50mg Q4H PRN for allergies #100
HumiBID - DM 30-600CR tab BID PRN for nasal congestion #60
Patanol 0.1% OP instill one drop in each eye BID PRN for eye allergies #5
Cymbalta 30mg 1 cap BID for Major Depression #60
Toprol XL 100mg 1 tab BID for tachycardia #60
Klonopin 2mg TID for hypoglycemic seizures #90
Nitrostat 0.4mg PRN for angina #25
APAP/Codeine #3 2 tabs Q4H PRN for migraine & osteoarthritis pain #80
Allopurinol 100mg 1 tab BID for chronic gouty arthritis #60
Protonix 40mg 1 tab daily for stomach acid #30
Timoptic 0.5% OP instill one drop in each eye BID for Glaucoma #10
I have tried to take the opportunity to write my actual medical "biography" in as much detail as I could, but I am going to continue to be working on it as things progress. The first thing I did was locate all the links from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on each of the conditions I have. These I have embedded in my narrative above. I have the opportunity to write it in detail. As things progress in my life, and as my medical conditions change, I will update this page.
Dr. John Benjamin Tatum, D.D., Ph.D.
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Alfred Granson, M.D. 70 Madison Road Mansfield, OH 44905 Phone: 419-589-9700 FAX: 419-589-2731 PRACTICE: Internal Medicine MEDICAL SCHOOL: Universidad Central del Este, Dominican Republic - 1986 SPECIALTY TRAINING: Canton Medical Foundation, Canton, OH - 1999 |
