July 19, 2019

Greetings from Mayo’s

This will be my last email on my Stem Cell Transplant.  I got released from the hospital at 7:00 pm on Wednesday and returned to The Gabriel House. My numbers are continuing to rise which is good news.  After 22 days, they removed my main line on Wednesday, and I cannot tell you how nice it is to have the 3 lines out of my chest and neck.  I will be at The Gabriel House for another 2 weeks as I continue to go through therapy and make sure my numbers continue to rise.  Hopefully I will be able to go home on August 3. Once home, I will have to be confined to my house for a while but at least I will be home.  At the end of 100 days I hope to have 30% of my immune system back and should have 100% back at the end of one year.  Connie is doing great and was a saint the whole time I was in the hospital.

I hope the rest of this email does not offend any of you and, if so, I am sorry.  As most of you know, I am a Christian and take my religion seriously. From the time I was diagnosed with cancer, went through 12 weeks of chemo, the recovery from the chemo and now the stem cell transplant, I have been at peace.  God has always been with me and continues to be so on this entire journey.  From the beginning He has watched over me and, no matter what my body threw at me, He made sure I could cope with it.   I know firsthand what the power of prayer is as I have felt the many prayers you have sent up.  That is how I could keep a positive attitude knowing God was with me. Thank you all so much for those prayers. I do not know what the future holds for us or what other complications may arise from my cancer, but I am at peace with whatever happens as it is a win win for me.  If my time is up, then I get to be with God. If not, then I get to be with all of you.  I am happy either way.

Some of you have seen my new look with my awesome new hair style and have shared your comments. They have ranged from Kojak, Yul Brynner, Bruce Willis and Tim Conway (not my favorite).  When we got back to Gabriel House Wednesday night, I was happy to see the people we had spent so much time with prior to going into the hospital.  Not one of them recognized me.  Therefore, I am sending this picture to all of you so you will recognize me when I get home if my hair is not back. (Yes, they made me stop wearing my contacts.)

Thank you for sharing this journey with Connie and me and for all of your prayers, words of encouragement and cards.  Each of you is very important in our lives and we look forward too many more years together.

God Bless You All

Dan & Connie