Ordinary Days and More Good News!

Hello Everyone,

As you know if has been a while since my last post, for no other reason than things have been what we now consider "ordinary".  However, I realized after talking with my friend Amy today that quite a bit has happened over the last two weeks.  First, Dan continues to improve and get stronger everyday.  One of the adjustments that we have had to make is in what we eat.  Dan's system is very sensitive and not able to handle heavy foods with a lot of fat, such as dairy or red meat.  We find that a lot of fruit, vegetables, and fish work best.  Lean proteins can be tolerated too and we are learning to introduce protein powder to help him try to gain muscle back.  So it seems we have jumped on board to the "clean eating" regime, without intention!  Whole Foods is quickly becoming a new favorite, albeit a bit expense, grocery store.  I have to admit, I do feel better myself and Jack seems to be adjusting just fine to the lighter eating. (It also helps that he and mommy trek out for ice cream or pizza now and again!)

Dan started up with his physical therapy again last week. His therapist was happy to see how much strength and stability is returning.  They are working on Dan standing unassisted and walking with a walker.  He was able to walk 75 continuous feet at his last session.  Our hopes are in the next 3-4 weeks Dan will be able to use a walker for mobility, at least part time. He has been getting around the house with no trouble and is pretty self-sufficient.

Another great step forward for Dan is he has returned to work part-time.  He was in the office three days this week for 3-4 hours at a time.  The guys kindly re-arranged his office to make it more wheel-chair friendly.  Dan is really enjoying getting back involved and we both are so thankful that he works for such a great company and such wonderful people. It makes a huge difference in his recovery process.

Finally, I have saved the best news for last.  Yesterday our day was filled with doctor appointments and tests.  It was exhausting, to say the least.  However, one of the tests was a MRI of his brain-the two week follow up to his final radiation treatment.  The test result showed no activity in the remaining two brain tumors, which means that Dan is deemed "tumor free" in his brain. We will have a follow up MRI in 6 weeks to make sure no additional spots have developed.  This is such a blessing, and we thank you all so much for your prayers.  Now, we have to wait another 4 weeks to find out if his targeted chemo therapy is working on his lung tumor.  Always a waiting game! In the meantime, we will just keep moving forward with our "ordinary" days and thank God for each and everyone that he gives us together.