Happy 45th Birthday, Dan!

Happy 45th Birthday, Dan!
October 29th was Dan's 45th birthday. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart! We kind of had a blue Monday - he came on a brochure about Parkinson's Disease at the hospital and it wasn't good news to him. Parkinson's Disease is a VERY cruel disease that involves a LOT more than trembling hands. Dan's been robbed of a normal life at a VERY young age.

Dan courageously fights the disease, volunteering three mornings a week (as he's able) at our hospital as a volunteer chaplain. The rest of his time he tediously reads and studies for classes he's taking at GBS. He purposes to graduate from there ASAP. His body aches with an aching numbness- like when you wake up and your arm has fallen asleep? - All over his body. Still he studies. One of the first signs of Parkinsons is the TINY handwriting - remember all the notes one must write in college? He tries to take all his notes on the computer but it's still very time consuming with his disablity. I had so many people tell me when Dan was diagnosed about their loved ones who basically just sat down and let the disease run its course - not Dan, he's fighting with a vengeance. He reads alot to Benji - they've just about completed 30 of the Bobbsey Twins books. He listens to DJ and all of his dreams (believe it or not DJ's a nonstop talker at home ;) ). He listens to music with Lorna and they visit.

We're thankful we still have our Daddy - we nearly lost him three years ago when he had a heart attack due to a study drug he was on. The left side of his heart was 100% blocked for over an hour and a half. Thanks to many prayers and an awesome cardiologist, there was NO damage! Life is so precious! Even though things aren't like we thought they would be and definitely not like they used to be, we're together and we have God to help us through every situation we'll ever face. "Strength for today and BRIGHT HOPE for Tomorrow (Heaven)... Blessings all mine with ten thousand besides!" It brings me SO much comfort to know that Dan won't suffer for eternity. There's coming a day when the man who used to work circles around every man I know, the man who did so much for others, it bugged me, the man who had a beautiful smile with no effort, the man who drove every where we needed to go (and loved it), the man who had a bottomless energy to play volley ball, basket ball or whatever with young people, the man who provided so handsomely for his family, and on and on it goes ... that man, my husband Dan, will be back. "Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." II Corinthians 4:16-18