roomie visit

A bit tired from the Cleveland fast trip, Dan got a surprise visit from his 06-07 dorm mate, OPE bro, Mexico missions trip and all around great guy Andrew, who was in IL for a post college job interview. [Remember those anxious days of "job search" after college? yikes]

It is always a treat for parents to hear their kids & college friends joke about all the "non-educational" events, that happen during the college years . . . AND they still manage to earn those diplomas. hmmm

Many seniors get side tracked during these last semesters of their college careers.Keep those '08 graduates that you know in your prayers.

Thank you to all Dan's peers, but especially the guys, who have visited him since his accident, Adam, Andrew, Bobby, Brian, Griffin, Jeremy, John, Jordan, Mark, to name a few. [I am forgetting a few... just add your name in the comments] You DO NOT know how Dan's spirits are uplifted when he can talk to his buddies. Thank You, Thank You.

Dan's Room

Cleveland quick visit

Dan, Dad and Aunt Mary Kay are in Cleveland right now at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. This for a 4 month checkup with Dr. Ray Onders of Synapse Biomedical aka "superman's pacer doctor".

Dan is getting a few of his pacer wires "re-routed" and Dad gets to assist this time. ["scalpel please, nurse Bill"] This procedure is with local anesthetics and we expect to be back on the road tonight back to Chicago.

The trip here was really uneventful, with none of the suctioning or emergency stops like the 1st trip in August.

Sometimes you have to look at where you have been to see that life is better in the present.

UPDATE:

Dan went for some blood work
[when at a medical facility, take advantage of all that is there],
then we went down to the cafeteria and ate dinner at the hospital,
rather than trying to do a restaurant. Got back at 1 am.
Thank you to Aunt Mary Kay, for her help with the driving.
No pain or complications with Dan.
Thanks for your prayers.

Giving Dan a Lift

We have needed a lift for Dan since . . . August. A friend of ours, Emily at Silverfox Limo, had a connection with a health care facility, and thought they might be able to help obtain a used lift for Dan.

Well, as blessings do come in many forms, Inspiration Ministries of Walworth, WI came to the rescue and gave Dan, yes, GAVE as in FREE, an Invacare 450 Battery-Powered Hydraulic Lift.
WOO HOO!!!
Thanks to the Schnake's, who help manage the facility, for hearing about and helping get us this much needed piece of equipment. Two of their children are graduates of CU . . . there always seems to be a Cedarville U. connection. :)
As with most used things, there was a bit of tweeking in the past months. The battery needed replacing [which was found and ordered] and the lift sling did not work properly. When lifted, Dan's body folded in half and he slid right out of the sling.
NOT GOOD.
A few weeks later we were at the RIC and took a look at and tried almost every type of available slings. Bingo! We found one, ordered it [no waiting here for Medicare or insurance, to help save our backs] AND it's all working great.

Previously Bill was the only one who could get Dan out of bed, but now Deb, family, nurses and friends are able to use the lift. What a great blessing we wanted to pass on to all of you.

Thanks Inspiration Ministries, Schnake's, & Emily. [Jane too.]

Special Thank-Yous

We know that many people have given anonymously. Thank you 1000 times over. Financial is only one way of helping Dan, and we don't think about or keep track of who helps in that way. Everyone helps as they are able to, in any way they choose. Some organizations are not able to do this anonymously, and we understand both ways of giving. THAT BEING SAID . . .

Thanks to the Tri-Cities Mothers of Twins & Triplets Club [TCMOTTC]. YES, Debbie was a member when Mike & Dan were young. All mothers of twins need everything in their arsenals [support groups] to deal with twins. They heard about Dan's situation, and generously donated a portion of the fall 2007 sale to Dan's needs. BIG Thank you TCMOTTC moms , with fond memories of past ... ahh ... 20+ years ago.

[Anyone with 4 kids under 4 yrs. old like us? LOL]

Thank you to students, teachers, staff & parents of Puebla Christian School, Puebla, Mexico, who dug deep and raised a few thousand dollars by eating PB&J sandwiches and giving their hot lunch money, hosting a hot dog day, a movie night, and a soccer game event, etc. Dare I say that many are MK's with limited funds.

Many of these students were at the camp where Dan aka "Captain Scratch" was injured this past March. He touched many of their lives before and still today after his accident. Thanks to school administrator Joe Blakley (CU '02 and OPE brother) for heading this up.
PCS students, please know that we still have the Mexican flag hanging in Dan's room. It is a constant reminder of our special "south of the border" friends. Separated by distance, but close by love. We see on your website that you also have financial needs. May God multiply your gifts of love to Dan over and over again.

Most of the money that has come in recently is being put aside in a special fund to make the new home handicap accessible. Infrared controlled lighting, shades [his room only], ventilator alarms and lights, door openers, that can be controlled by a Environmental Control Unit [ECU] on Dan's power chair. Additional modifications are a bathroom with a roll-in shower, a sink in Dan's room, wood floors for better wheelchair mobility, 2-way voice monitors, ventilator alarms, ramps outside the house, and the list goes on.

On one of those tough nights recently, Dan lamented that he just want to "use his hands". He sees them just lying at his side, says they are "flat and funny looking". How do you respond to that?
While only a break-through in regeneration of the spinal cord nerves would allow Dan to use his hands once more, it is important to give him as much "hand" usage via current technology, thus allowing him to do normal things on his own. We continue to understand that SCI injuries are more about mental challenges than the physical.

Thanks for your prayers, and your help in whatever form it comes to us.
YOU overwhelm us more than you can ever know.
God Bless !!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

We were blessed to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends. It was especially good to have Mike in for a couple of days. (We were introduced to "Guitar Hero"!) Our weekend was very relaxing, which was much needed!

< Mike, Adam, Jordan & Dan


We continually run into someone who lets us know that they faithfully check this site each day. Thank you for your support for our family. We are thankful for all of you.

Megan, Rachel, Emma & Kristi

Thank you to Dan's friends who spent time with him this weekend. Thank you for caring and for praying for us. Dan is going through a hard time right now and needs you more than ever.

We're glad our God is bigger than our biggest struggle. Keep him, keep us in your prayers.

8th month recap

where did last week go? where did the past 8 months go?

We were on a roll. Dan was up using his power chair, on his computer and working on pacing while in the chair [a bit more difficult]. He was scheduled to see 2 new doctors, a Urologist, and a Pulmonologist, and also had some minor surgery for an SUPRAPUBIC CATHETER on Thursday. [I'll let you parents explain that one]

BUT ...

Nothing is minor around here. Surgery went long, recovery longer, we took him home, but he should have stayed the night at the hospital. Thus, Dan has been feeling lousy and out of commission since last Thursday. There have been a few other related complications too, so the Pulmonologist is rescheduled for this Friday.

We

keep hearing from doctors and quad people that we meet that the first year is the hardest. Dan seems to be experiencing all of that "hard year" right now. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Some European countries would keep a patient with a severe injury like Dan in the hospitals and rehabilitation clinics for a full year until all of these issues are worked out. Not a bad idea in our book. It just hits all at once, all the time.

We know there is a "commencement" of sorts, where most of these doctors, surgeries, sores, severe headaches, general discomfort, lack of appetite, listlessness, drastic swings in body temperatures [97.1 to 102.6 in a few hours] will be past Dan and us. Bring it on, sooner than later.

Thanks

to those who continue to help Dan with meals, feeding & exercising him, general care for Dan, cards, emails, comments, house cleaning, financially, phone calls that show you care ["are you okay? haven't seen a blog since last week"], AND prayers. We know that Dan is on your minds more that we will ever know. Thanks for letting us share, but more importantly for how you have held us up and loved us day to day these past 8 months.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Doctor Week

Dan continues to make the round to new doctors that might be needed in the future for his care. Monday was a visit to his Urologist, and Friday he will see a Pulmonologist. Ventilator and lung issues, including pneumonia, can be life-threatening to quads.

Monday's visit has led to a second visit this Thursday, which includes a minor outpatient surgery to clear up an infection.

We are thankful for the expertise of these doctors as some medical issues leave us feeling a bit inadequate.

After a few weeks of great pacing, Dan's title volume has been lack-luster this past week, staying at 500 or lower. 2 steps forward 5 backward. Back to the drawing boards with his diaphragm pacing doctor.

Thanks to 2 nurses who have been helping us on a regular basis and the prospect of a few more. Their weekly care and help with Dan's ongoing issues is invaluable to Dan's long well-being.

Thanks to you who keep Dan and us in our prayers. All of us, Dan included, have had a few weeks of up and down emotions with regards to his future plans, health and care.



A photo from our weekly Thursday TV nights .... "The Office".

Some younger ones only come for the snacks from grandpa.

Can you identify that OPE guy in the background?
Mark Hershey is right. Now attending Trinity Inter and a frequent guest.