I apologize that I haven‚t sent an update in so long. We‚ve been overwhelmed trying to juggle home building, basketball season, and a trip to Tucson over Christmas Break. In the meantime, I ended up working two jobs for about 2 months; my boss got pulled to a new job unexpectedly and short notice, so I had to stand in as Chief of Wing Safety and do my own job until after the New Year, when they assigned a new Chief of Safety. Long hours at work, a sweet wife and two little guys to spend time with means I neglect my e-mail; don‚t get me wrong, I read it, I just don‚t answer it very often; so for those of you that have e-mailed and I haven‚t replied, I apologize a second time. Everyone‚s e-mails and phone calls are so appreciated and truly keep my spirits and positive attitude peaked out. I promise I‚ll do better replying in the future. No pics this time; I‚m trying to see if hotmail will actually work for a strictly text message; later I‚ll put it through it‚s paces.

Over those two months I also continued my chemo regimen and physical therapy to improve overall strength and my balance — continue to struggle with both. I‚ve lost about 20 pounds since surgery in June; docs tell me it is normal, especially on chemo, simply because I don‚t eat enough. I‚m on anti-nausea meds, but still feel nauseous all the time when on chemo. Thankfully, I‚m not a puker, but it would be nice to get some action, instead of the incessant salivating mouth and cramps all day∑this lasts all the way through the week after a chemo week (getting payback for what Sheila had to go through during pregnancy). That is why I‚ve lost weight; hence, I don‚t feel stronger and haven‚t gotten more “fit;” I‚m working on it though. I‚m taking physical therapy a little more serious now that I‚m getting some balance back.

I just finished my 4th week of chemo on Friday, 12 Jan. As you know the cycle is 5 days on, 23 days off, for a 28 day cycle; so I started the day after the full moon and I guess that I am the alpha female! HA.

All the work Sheila has put in for our new home is nearly complete. We got stalled out after Thanksgiving when the interior was being built. There are so many details; it just got further and further behind (I‚m sure any of you that have built a house are chuckling). We were supposed to be out of our rental 15 Dec 06, then 15 Jan 07, now our lease expires 31 Jan 07 and we should make it. Final cleaning and painting are going on this week (the painter has been here so long and there are so many things wrong, I‚m beginning to wonder if we‚ll have to have our own “Eldon” the live in painter, like Murphy Brown did!). We plan on moving a little bit each day over the next two weeks, moving big stuff on the weekends with a little help from our friends.

I‚m heading up for my second big check-up at NIH and WRAMC in D.C. in the first week of Feb. Appointment times are still pending but I know I have two at NIH on 6 & 7 Feb, and maybe another nerve clinic with possible lumpectomy and biopsy for my right arm atrophy problem at WRAMC. They need a new spinal and an upper humorous MRI to try and get to the bottom of this right arm atrophy thing, and I‚m really anxious to get “fixed up” and building my arm strength back. We had a blessed Christmas in Tucson — it snowed on the Santa Catalina Mts. the day before we came home; so my tropic-raised boys (born in Okinawa and direct to FLA) got to see snow for the first time — obviously, real snow was much colder than it looks on TV and movies. HA!!

Let me ask you to remember all those around us with their own crosses to bear and help where you can (most are far heavier than mine; and I have all of you helping me bear the load to boot!). There are opportunities everywhere. My friends, Mike and Laura Duffy, decided to run a marathon on 14 Jan to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; I haven‚t talked to them yet (I figured I‚d let them recover a day or two and get home), but I do know that they surpassed their pledge monetary goal through gifts pledged by family and friends. Thanks Mike and Laura!

I don‚t know if you saw Adam West (AKA the REAL Batman) on the game show 1 vs. 100, but the charity he played for was the Wounded Warrior Project — way to go Mayor West!!! The link is below again with stories that are very inspiring and enlightening. Our soldiers need support after they‚ve sacrificed so much for our country, and I‚m afraid it will only get worse with the new push in Iraq. These folks are supporting them. Like I mentioned before, you can also see which companies and celebrities have stepped up and in turn reward them for their loyalty to our soldiers.

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org

All our love,
Dan and Sheila