NEWS
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
A17
Surviving a housefi re: Moving Evaluating some
COVID-19 drugs
onto the future, part three
This is the fi nal install-
ment of what it’s like to lose
your home to a fi re.
This may be the fi nal
installment of this saga for
the Chieftain, but it’s far
from the end of the story.
We now must rebuild our
lives from the ashes of the
April 13 fi re that destroyed
our garage and damaged
our home on Lime Quarry
Road above Enterprise.
We’re still trying to fi nd
a long-term rental that will
house us all — four adults,
four kids, four dogs and
two cats — for about a
year. That’s the estimate
on how long it will take
to get the house habitable
again.
We’re
particularly
eager to fi nd a rental, to
regain some semblance of
a normal life and to get
our animals out of lockup.
They’ve been at Lin-Lee
Kennels in Joseph since
the week of the fi re.
Don and Pam Kiser
there
were
gracious
enough to take the cats
within hours of the fi re and
the dogs within a couple
days. They heard about the
fi re and actually contacted
us fi rst and are giving our
animals excellent care. But
have the critters forgotten
us?
In addition to the
Kisers, we’re quite grate-
ful to Andy and Lindsey
Marcum, who came to get
the dogs the morning of
the fi re and kept our two
beagles for two days, as
well as Andy’s mom and
Patrick and Amy Patterson
who took Zak and Lynn’s
three dogs.
We know it was a bur-
den and we appreciate
these friends. We also can’t
thank Andy and Vanessa
McKee enough for letting
us use their bed and break-
fast since the fi re. Now it’s
time to fi nd a rental.
We’ve
pretty
well
found everything salvage-
able from the fi re. We’ve
sent clothing, furniture
and other household items
off to companies that will
do their best to restore
them. That which can’t be
made smoke-free will be
replaced.
It seems the insurance
company wants to restore
the house to, as Zak, says,
“what it was 30 seconds
before the fi re.”
That’s only fair, and we
don’t want to see a classic
1904 farmhouse replaced
with something modern-
istic. From what I under-
stand — I’m no construc-
tion guru — they plan to
strip the house down to
studs; seal smoke-tainted
wood to keep the odor in;
replace insulation, sheet-
rock, ceiling and some
walls and fl ooring; and at
least portions — maybe all
— of the roof.
The garage, its adja-
cent rooms and the shop,
of course, will have to be
entirely rebuilt.
Even though there’s
light at the end of the tun-
nel, the fi re has changed
us. As the fi re inspector
told Zak, “You’ll never be
the same. It’ll change the
way you think about many
Finding effec-
tive treatments for
COVID-19 infec-
tion is an inter-
national priority.
Ron Polk
Today’s
Moun-
tain
Medicine
reviews two drugs recently of HCQ, “What do you
reported to be effective have to lose? Take it.”
We now know what you
for treatment of COVID-
19 infections: hydroxy- have to lose is possibly
chloroquine (HCQ) and your life. Since the presi-
remdesivir. The goal is to dent’s comments at least 3
describe how treatments studies have documented
for COVID-19 will be that a majority of patients
evaluated so you will bet- receiving HCQ, with or
ter understand reports of without azithromycin, will
clinical trial results in the develop cardiac rhythm
aberrations that place them
coming months.
Evaluating new treat- at high risk for potentially
ments requires knowledge fatal arrhythmias.
The fi rst good evi-
of a framework that helps
us sort out good data from dence that there may be
bad. Note that the follow- an effective drug to treat
ing are not considered evi- COVID-19 infections was
dence: “I read on the inter- announced by Fauci one
net..”, or “A friend told week ago: remdesivir “will
me...” or “Why not try be the standard of care.”
injecting bleach into the He provided summary
results of an unpublished
body?”
Until recently there clinical trial conducted
has been little evidence by the National Institutes
of an effective therapy of Allergy and Infectious
for COVID-19 infections. Diseases. The study treated
A randomized controlled 1,063 hospitalized patients
trial can establish whether with remdesivir or placebo
a causal relationship exists and reported that patients
between a therapeutic treated with remdesivir had
intervention and an effect. an average recovery time
What have we learned of 11 days compared to
by applying this evalua- 15 days for placebo recip-
tion framework to new evi- ients. Mortality was lower
dence regarding COVID- in the remdesivir group,
but the difference was not
19 treatments?
On March 21, Presi- statistically signifi cant.
This study used a supe-
dent Trump tweeted that
hydroxychloroquine and rior design, enrolled a large
azithromycin have “a real number of patients and
chance to be one of the therefore its observations
biggest game changers in and conclusions are far
the history of medicine.” more reliable. It is possi-
This comment followed ble that defi ciencies in the
a French research report study may appear during
from the previous day. Dr. the peer-review process,
Fauci was unimpressed; but at this time remdesivir
he referred to the study as is the only drug “proven”
to be effective for COVID-
“anecdotal.”
Why this difference in 19. It is likely to be widely
interpretation?
Because used until superior thera-
Fauci is an expert in assess- pies are found.
There are hundreds of
ing the quality of clinical
trials, and the president ongoing clinical trials for
is a real estate developer. treatment of COVID-19
The French study reported infection.
Assessing the quality
that 26 adult patients with
COVID-19
infection of evidence for new ther-
received HCQ; six also apies and separating good
received
azithromycin. science from bad is criti-
The authors recommend cal for identifying effective
that COVID-19 patients treatments.
I am optimistic that
be treated with hydroxy-
chloroquine and azithro- good science will prevail,
mycin to cure infection. but fi nding the truth takes
There was no valid control time. Meanwhile, listen to
group and it is impossible scientists and doctors, not
to determine if HCQ had a politicians.
Ron Polk is the editor of
real effect.
On April 2, Trump said Mountain Medicine.
MOUNTAIN
MEDICINE
By Bill Bradshaw
Wallowa County Chieftain
Bill Bradshaw
Crews from One Call Restoration of La Grande begin cleaning up around the Lime Quarry Road
house of Zak and Lynn Bradshaw that was partially burned April 13 when a fi re destroyed the
garage.
Bill Bradshaw
Tanner Krewson, left, lead technician for One Call Restoration of La Grande, cuts a post
holding a beam while Max Hickey, also of One Call, pushes it away Tuesday, April 28. One Call
was at the Zak and Lynn Bradshaw house on Lime Quarry Road to begin the work of cleaning,
demolishing and restoring the house where the garage caught fi re April 13.
things.”
How true! Within days,
Zak and Lynn said they no
longer want wood heat,
even though it had nothing
to do with causing the fi re.
I think my wife, Marga-
ret, agrees, but I’m an old
curmudgeon and wouldn’t
mind another wood stove
— carefully tended.
While we’re still dev-
astated by the loss of our
things and damage to our
home, we remain hope-
ful. Our hope and joy are
rooted in our faith and how
God has used His people.
I can’t begin to list all
the people God has put
in our lives to help us
through this tragedy —
and the Chieftain doesn’t
have the space.
But I will thank the
many on the “meal train”
who fed us delicious din-
ners since the fi re (I’m get-
ting fatter); our elder son,
Seth, and daughter, Amber,
who set up a GoFundMe
account for us; certainly
the fi refi ghters who saved
as much as possible; and
other community mem-
bers, family, friends and
fellow believers who have
been there.
God bless you all.
Appointment Types Available
Bill Bradshaw
Lynn Bradshaw shows Tanner Krewson, lead technician for
One Call Restoration of La Grande, her daughter’s jewelry
box that she wants cleaned. It’s covered with soot — like
everything in the Alder Slope home that burned April 13.
One call was at the Zak and Lynn Bradshaw house on Lime
Quarry Road to begin the work of cleaning, demolishing and
restoring the house where the garage caught fi re.
- Traditional Clinic
Appointments
- Telehealth
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- Home Visits
- Phone Consultation
To Schedule an Appointment Call 541.426.7900
603 Medical Parkway, Enterprise, Oregon 97828
Wallowa County
Conatact Elaine at 541-263-1189
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No meeting until further notice
but look forward to seeing you soon!
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“Play golf for your body. Play chess for your mind.”
JOSEPHY CENTER FOR
THE ARTS AND CULTURE
403 Main Street Joseph, Oregon
For the safety of our drivers & passengers,we are
following the current CDC recommendations for wearing
face masks and ask that all of our patrons do the same.
We are also sanitizing our vehicles before, during and after
transports. Call Community Connection at:
541-426-3840 for more information