Mar 7th 2016, 17:06:53
Heh, I've known Dan a long while now, long enough we can talk to each other about family members and say "Tell them to stop growing, they're making us old!", and I didn't know he went by another name on AT.
I spoke with him Friday for a little bit, he was having an up day so he gave me a call to talk and let me know how things were going. He asked that I update "everyone", which I took to mean LaF, but I just discovered this thread so I wanted to post here as well.
He is in a hospice ward currently, I apologize I am not certain where exactly, between the weakened voice and me being half deaf and in the boonies with a spotty signal I just couldn't pick up where. He has his up days and his down days. Up days he is able to be up wandering, and talking to people (he said the population of the ward is 75% hispanic with little to no english, so conversations are tough since his spanish is limited to yes, no, beer, and a few of the more colorful words, it doesn't stop him from trying to talk to people though, so I figure his spanish vocabulary can't help but be growing a bit ;-) ), and on the down days being awake and talking are about the extent of it, at best.
I will say this, no matter what he sounds like, he is still Dan, still the same guy, still made Dan style jokes, still open to the fact that while the outcome appears undeniable, there is always the possibility for change. He said he's taking it one day at a time, and that's all there is to it. As he put it, only two real outcomes at this point: Either it will go into remission, or it won't, until one or the other happens, there is no point in worrying, he's just happy that he has been able to do with his life so far what he has.
As for Calvary, that plan has changed a bit. Insurance is not approving it yet because he "isn't in enough pain yet". I view it as a positive and a negative. The negative is that he would likely get a higher level of care there, however the positive is that Calvary is more or less a "one week left" destination and he isn't there yet! I'm holding onto the hope that things will change, and he won't need to be there at all. You never can tell, especially when Dan is in the picture ;-)
I honestly don't know a great deal of the specifics of his past, we generally discussed the present, the future and hobbies/interests/whatever adventure he was currently on. Some suitable for the boards, some maybe not so much. After he retired he had more than a few of those to discuss. I know the man, and the general path that lead him where he is, but not the full step by step history. My hope is that he will be along when things take a turn up and finish this off. No one tells a story quite like Dan does!
As I hear from him, I will certainly swing through and keep everyone updated as best I can. I will also be relaying along the prayers and well wishes. He thinks quite fondly of his earth friends and family that he has gathered over the years and looks forward to getting back to us and stirring up trouble again!
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