Merry Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas & Feliz Navidad, to all of our CheckInOnDan friends. We trust you are enjoying time with your families and all the festivities of the Christmas Season.



We ask you to be in prayer for a few pressing issues:
1. Dan to continue to have a consistent blood pressure.
2. State of IL, funding/approval for Dan's personal assistant, Garrett.
3. State of OH, to be expedient in approving care for Dan.
(Dan currently has NO support, medical care, etc, from either state)


Dan had an article in the Cedarville University, Alumni Inspire Magazine, His article is on page 16. Enjoy

PS - If you are not able to open this link, email us, for a PDF copy of Dan's article.

Holiday Help

Dan is done with his first semester, post accident. He has hopefully passed all 9 of his credit hours. That being said, Dan could use help, here at home, to replace the 25+ people who help him at school. His care assistant, Garrett, will be gone for a 2 week vacation with his family, for a much deserved rest. Very few people know of intensity in taking care of a person with a high level of injury, such as Dan has. Garrett does, and Dan could not have completed this semester with out him. Thanks Garrett. It's been wild at times ;D

This request for help, is mainly for those who live in the Elgin, Fox Valley area. Below are the areas of help that we could use. Most of these items would only take 1-2 hours of your time. It could be just one time, or weekly. ONLY respond to IF you are able to help.

We ARE looking for regular help when Dan is at home, for now and the future. This is a paid position.

Thanks as always for your prayers & love,

Bill, Debbie & Dan Knudsen


1. Lunch, your left overs, our lunch food, or purchased [feeding Dan is not necessary, but very helpful]
2. Dinner [preparation only]
3. Range of Motion - Exercising Dan's arms and legs [no experience required - Dan will explain as you go]
4. e-Stim [exercising with electric stimulus device] its easier than it sounds.
5. Getting up in the AM - 1.5 to 2 hours
6. Helping into bed in the PM - .5 to 1 hour
7. Visiting or Hanging out with Dan while Bill & Deb get away to do some shopping.

Finals Week

Where has the time gone since Thanksgiving?

4 sleepless nights, 4 days in the hospital, Doctors who tested & monitored, poked and prodded, many consulting with specialists, etc, 3 days recovery at home, and all the while, loads of studying by Dan for his Finals. [pray that he remembers all that he has studied]

Since all systems seem "GO" Dan, Garrett and Bill headed back to CU on Sunday. [Eating pizza most likely right now] Dan has a final exam to complete this Monday, and then say his good-byes for this semester. It's hard to believe that the semester is already over. Lots of major changes and adjustments for Dan, CU staff, professors and Deans, Garrett, OPE guys, dorm buddies, nursing students, physical therapists, etc. It has taken "many hands (to) make light work" as Dan's Grandma K. would say.

Oh Yes, you want to know ALL of Dan's medical issues? [what about those HIPPA laws?] His high blood pressure and AD episode were from the usual irritating issues, except his toes, which got a very clean bill of health. His bladder, surbra pubic continue to be an irritant, so a new med was prescribed.

Why did all of this happen at this time? Only God knows. We are thankful to Dan's SCI Dr. Khim Yin. We had access to her at 2am, to talk us through unstable moments, saw Dan at the hospital daily, with many other phone updates, and orchastrated all of Dan's care, tests, with the 5 other specialists. Spinal Cord injuries are different from person to person, and so we continue to learn for the future.

We continue to give Dan to God, knowing that he is still with us "for His purpose".
Thanks for your continues prayers, even when "all seems okay".

hospital visit

After 4 restless nights, Dan checked into our local hospital today. EVERYTHING is being checked by his SCI doctor, urologist, podiatrist, cardiologist, and internal doctor. He should be back at CU this week for final projects and exams.
we will keep you posted.

Happy Thanksgiving

Many things happen so slowly around here, then much happens in the blink of an eye.

Dan is home for a week of Thanksgiving break, and it is good to have him around here. We have been able to let Garrett off for a few days of much needed rest, and are quickly reminded of the care Dan needs on an hourly basis.

This was the first Thanksgiving in this home. And the final count was 15.(smallest Knudsen holiday on record!) Absent this year was Dan's cousin Cory, who went home to Heaven this past spring, after many years of battling Muscular Dystrophy. His quick whit and innocent smile were missed.

We had a quiet evening, but were awakened at 1 AM Friday, by Dan, who complained of a pounding headache. Within minutes, he was in the middle of his 2nd ever, Autonomic dysreflexia [AD] Episode. [For those who helped out with the first one in August, this was not as long lasting or intense.] Thus began a flurry of events including, a 911 call, nitro paste, 170+ BP, low oxygen level, holding up a non responsive son, ambulance ride, ER, informing Drs. and nurses of AD, and waiting. We got home about 5AM. and had a sleep-in day.

Dan's subra pubic was the probable cause, and it was replaced by the ER Dr. It was something a nurse was scheduled to do last week at CU, but the insurance cut all of Dan's nursing care, as he is considered "stable" and not in need of any skilled nursing care. Please pray with us that those denying this need, would reverse their decision and grant this crucial need in Dan's weekly care.

All seemed okay on Friday, except dizziness from a new med for his UTI, but at 1:30 AM, Dan woke us up again with the beginnings of a headache. This time we applied 2 applications of nitro paste, called his SCI dr., gave him a few extra meds, and put him in his chair, to keep him more upright. His BP dropped to under 130 and we breathed a slight sigh of relief. Dan slept in his chair the rest of the night.

We continue to search for answers, and fight for Dan's medical needs. We were glad this happened when Bill was around, but it's not a good event to see your child go through. It's definitely not good for Dan, or anything that he can control.

It's events like this that we realize our inability to control, or know everything there is to know about this complex injury. Continue to pray that doctors, medical people, care givers, insurance companies, IL & OH state aide agencies would be able to address and meet, Dan's physical care.

Bill, Deb * Dan

"Let It Snow .. Let It Snow .. Let It Snow .."

"Oh the weather at CU turned frightful"

Finally, the long awaited posting from Dan about his being back at Cedarville U. "now that the semester is a few weeks from being over ...

How's life at the ville? "It's been great being back at Cedarville, connecting with friends old and new. There are about 25 people, local nurses, students, and others, who help Garrett with my daily care. Not to mention the McKinney [dorm] girls who help out with my 3-4 loads of laundry each week. "

How many classes are you taking? "3: Christian Worldview Integration [classroom], US History II [online CU], and Managerial Accounting [online - community college]

How are they going? "Very good. It's been a lot of work, but being back and doing classes sort of make me feel somewhat back to normal"

How is it getting around campus? "not too bad as CU is intentionally wheel chair accessible. i put on about 2 miles a day, and charge my chair almost nightly. I am not looking forward to the cold weather. It takes more time to go anywhere outside"

How is the food at Chucks? "MEH" "It tastes like I never left" "i always eat breakfast in my room, and the dorm fridge is stocked with food, for when i can't get out.

How is dorm life? "CU has set up a "suite" for me to live in McChesney Hall. 2 bedrooms, a large handicap bathroom and direct outside access, for the nurses who help out daily." [Thank you again Class of '08]

If you want to ask a questions about life back at college, leave it below in the comments, and i will answer you. ~ Dan

Mini update

Dan was home last weekend for fall break. He looks great and is still enjoying school. As Dan and Garrett were planning to leave Monday morning, Dan's wheelchair broke. A very specialized part was needed, had to be ordered, and so they were not able to leave until Wednesday night.

Dan has made it through the first half of a semester! His work load is heavy, but he's plodding away. Doing assignments takes more than double the time as before his accident, so we are extremely proud of him for working so hard.

Dan has an amazing attitude. He shared some ministry ideas when he was home. I can never forget that Dan should not be alive, so we know that the Most High God has spared him for some purpose.

Please pray for him: lack of sleep, work load, all 3 wound sites cause pain (trach, pacer, supra pubic). I always tell him that it doesn't seem quite right that he can't move or "feel", yet he has pain.

Thank you, faithful ones, for continuing to check on Dan, especially since we don't update often enough.