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In the future, Updates to this page will be made when there is significant new information to share! We have created a guestbook for people to be able to send messages of encouragement to the Mercer family.  Click on either of the following links: Sign Guestbook View Guestbook Below are emails from Jeff Mercer (Daniel's Father) May 29   Shortly after midnight on this 29th day of May, Daniel Patrick Mercer touched the face of God.  He drifted off peacefully while surrounded by family, friends, and his caring nurses and doctors.  The past few days have been vintage Daniel.  Knowledge that the end was near has brought scores of friends and family members.  As I observed the scene around us I thought how much Daniel must be enjoying the stories being told about him...the baseball games on TV...and Kenny Chesney in the CD player.  After some initial sadness the conversation inevitably turned to something off the wall that Daniel had said or done during his short life here on earth.  He was a "piece of work".  Like the time when he was 4 or 5 and said "Dad" 86 times in an hour and fifteen minutes on the ride home from Grandma and Grandpa's.  Gaining 16 lbs. in one day after nearly starving himself to make weight in wrestling...probably at Chicago's Pizza while being served by his favorite lady, Petunia Daylilly (a name that of course he had given her).  Or, the time that he got stuck in a ditch backwards, at midnight (after curfew), while trying to shine his truck lights on several deer standing out in a field.  I still remember standing in a pitch black kitchen waiting for him and what was sure to be a creative excuse.   As a good friend reminded me recently, amid all the sadness how very lucky we have been to have had Daniel for 19 years.  Conversely, how lucky he is to have been so loved by so many.  Some people, in a full life, never experience one-tenth of the joy and happiness that Daniel did.   As a family, we have been so fortunate to have been surrounded this past 18 months by so many wonderful friends and family members.  They have given and given and continue to offer help in any way necessary.  Even though we haven't been able to thank each one of you personally...please know that we love you for all you have done.  Our friend Mike Carter once said "you are the richest man in the world if you have five friends you can truly count on".  Mike is probably right, but it occurs to me that his assessment must make us the richest family ever.  I cannot count the number of people whom I know we could have depended upon at any time...day or night.   I encourage each and every one of you who reads this note to always remember Daniel.  Not for him, or for us, but for what the journey had meant to each person it touched.  We have been reminded of what is truly important in life, and it's not winning or losing, making money, or even getting a car on your 16th birthday.  It's about enjoying every day you have with family and friends.  It's about telling those you care about that you love them every chance you get.  It's about giving life everything you have during the time you are here.  Daniel taught us that and more every day for the past year and a half.  Daniel you were one of a kind, you are one of my four best buddies and I will forever love and miss you.   For those that are interested, Daniel's calling hours will be on Thursday, June 1 from 1:00PM - 8:00PM in the Parish Life Center at the St. Rose of Lima Church in Franklin.  His funeral mass will be held on Friday, June 2 at 11:00AM at St. Rose of Lima Church.  In addition, memorial contributions can be made to the Daniel Mercer Fund either at the service or directly to Mutual Savings Bank (80 E. Jefferson St., Franklin, IN. 46131).  All proceeds will assist with funding for Franklin youth sports and the Indiana Bulls baseball May 25   Daniel celebrated his 19th birthday was this past Sunday in Methodist Hospital.  He was surrounded by friends and family, and his nurses made and hung the letters "Happy Birthday Dan" from the ceiling.  It was a very bittersweet day for me.  On the upside, the Archbishop himself came and visited Daniel at the request of Dan's Aunt Ann, cousin Linda, and friend Maria.  In addition, Dan's friends headed up by Emily and Katrina, made a happy birthday video which included well wishes from tons of friends.  All those things were wonderful, but unfortunately about all I could dwell on is the utter and complete unfairness of this entire situation.  Daniel should be at school with his friends, he should be planning his graduation party, he should be finishing finals and enjoying the completion of high school, he should be participating in the terrific season the baseball team is having, he should be looking forward to attending college next year.   I realize that may appear like sour grapes, but I feel so sorry for all that he has missed and will miss.  As strong and determined as he has been I still long for him to return to the activities of a normal teenager, despite the fact that I know it will never happen.   Dan's doctors have told us that the infections in his body are at this point more life threatening than the brain tumor.  I think they believe the liklihood of overcoming those physical challenges are virtually zero.  To complicate things a bit Daniel has been asleep for the past three days straight.  We don't know exactly what is going on, but I am certain it is not good.  In the meantime, we are doing our best to wade through this sense of helplessness and hopelessness.  We continue to have tremendous support from family, friends, and community and for that we are ever so grateful.  Please continue to pray that Daniel is able to sustain himself and his faith through this most difficult time. May 17, 2006 Monday morning at 3:30AM Daniel was returned to Methodist Hospital.  He has severe abdominal pain and just didn't look good.  It was determined upon arrival that he has acquired sepsis once again and that additional bleeding has taken place near his stomach.  As generally accompanies these events his blood pressure dropped low and his heart rate went up.  The medical protocol requires that they treat this with lots of fluids through his pic line.  When they do that it affects his breathing because the fluid fills up his lungs...it'a a vicious cycle which we have repeated frequently.   We hope to stabilize Daniel quickly and then I expect some decisions will have to be made related to surgery to stop the bleeding in his abdomin and remove the collected fluid.  We are reaching a point where something must be done or we won't be able to treat the problem...which continues to be a brain tumor.  Through it all Daniel doesn't complain about his plight other than to tell us that something hurts.  God love him...I don't know how he avoids throwing in the towel.  I guess it's because he wants to live so desperately.  He asked his friend Emily last night if there was anything he had to do for Senior Night.  She of course said no, but I disagree...your job Daniel, should you choose to accept it, is to LIVE...LIVE Daniel LIVE!!! May 8, 2006   Nearly 90 days after this journey started Daniel returned home yesterday afternoon.  He was transported via ambulance to our Sunroom which had been made ready with all the conveniences of Methodist Hospital.  His departure from Methodist was truly a celebration for all.  The nurses and doctors all had noise makers and blew to their heart's content as Daniel was wheeled down the corridor.  Tears flowed everywhere...except for Daniel...I think he was just happy to be going home.   I am happy to report that the first 24 hours have gone well and he seems to be adjusting nicely.  A huge "thanks" to all our kind friends who have provided meals, cards, visits, etc. over the past three months.  God Bless you all. May 2, 2006 We have continued to operate in a holding pattern for the better part of two weeks...one step forward and one step back.    We anticipated getting Daniel home at some point last week but that did not happen.  His liver numbers came back high at one point and there was some concern, but just as quickly as they went up they came back down.  His stomach continues to be the major issue as he just can't eat or even receive tube feedings.  They did order a CT scan of his stomach and it showed large pockets of air in addition to the fluid collection.  This probably accounts for some of his stomach pain.  Also, due to high volumes of morphine his bowels aren't operating normally and that only complicates matters.   We are somewhat hopeful that Dan may come home this week sometime, but who knows?  He continues to be positive and complains only when something hurts.  He still hasn't shown signs of the depression that many would exhibit given his reality.  For that we are grateful and very proud.  He is still convinced that he can get out of the hospital and get himself back in to some sort of shape...at least enough to lead a semi-normal life.  We'll see how things progress.  As soon as he arrives home I will add a post with an update on condition. April 15, 2006 Daniel continues to feel better each day.  His stomach hurts less and he has gotten a little stronger.  These gains are relative however as he is incredibly weak and is virtually incapacitated.  Dan continues to be feed through a tube with an occasional bite of real food.  He still receives quite a lot of pain medication and is now on insulin due to the steroids and tube feedings.   Daniel weight is down to about 140lbs.  His muscles are completely gone as you might expect from someone who has laid flat on his back for 60+ days.  Despite the challenges though he continues to have that same positive attitude.  He regularly makes the nurses laugh hysterically about something he says or does.  I don't know how he stays so upbeat.   It appears as though he will be coming home in the next week or so.  While we are thrilled that he gets to come home he will require constant attention.  We have been undergoing training over the past few days for some of the many things we will be required to do.  The one upside to getting him out is the possibility of taking him to the Proton Institute in Bloomington for treatment.  An MRI was taken this weekend and it shows the tumor has grown again.  We need to get him started in treatment ASAP.    Lots of people continue to hang in there with us, and for that we are truly grateful.  That may seem like such a small thing, but when you've been in the Critical Care Unit as long as we have you see so many kids who have virtually no one there in support of them.  We are very fortunate. March 30, 2006 "Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of men.  Silently and imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or weak; and at last some crisis shows what we have become".  Brooke Foss Westcott   I certainly could not have said it better...so I didn't try.  The events of the past two weeks have demonstrated what Daniel has become.  It seems we take one step forward and two back.  Yet, through it all he remains steadfast in his determination to survive.  He has experienced continued bleeding in his abdomen with a pocket of fluid 8" by 10".  He has another bleed near his left lung.  He has had difficulty breathing.  He has again contracted sepsis (blood infection), and now they tell us he has pneumonia. Tuesday night of this week he was completely incoherent...he could not respond to any stimulus at all.  I really thought that maybe we had reached the end of the line, and I was as close to losing my composure as I have ever been.  By Wednesday morning, after a hefty dose of antibiotics he had again returned to close to normal.  He knew who I was again and began eating a little bit...let's see part of a popsicle, most of a cup of orange sherbet, two bites of a Reese's cup, 1 bite of pizza, and a bowl of Lucky Charms.  I know...I know...where is the nutritional value.  At this point the kid gets whatever he wants and if they need to give him a shot of insulin then so be it.   Our extended family and community continues to keep watch over Daniel, Pam and I and the boys.  We are so grateful for all who have stayed with us.  They are too many to mention for fear of leaving some out, but we are truly blessed.  Father Tom (St. Rose) stopped by at 11:00PM last Friday...how long was his day???  We continue to receive lots of spiritual support from the St. Rose community, Pam's sister Ann, and a whole host of folks...many whom we don't even know.  It certainly provides comfort that everyone is doing all they can to see Daniel through this fight.  Must go for now as I'm off to the hospital.  Please keep Daniel in your prayers! March 15, 2006 Daniel has had a challenging couple of weeks in the Critical Care unit at Methodist.  His blood counts are still very low, his blood sugar is all over the map, and he just isn't eating much at all.  You can just tell he doesn't feel very good.  On the bright side though he has become much more coherent.  Once they were able to regulate his sodium we could carry on a normal conversation, or at least as normal as we were every able to carry on with Daniel.  He does march to the beat of a different drummer, but that's probably been a good thing through this whole ordeal.   God love him...he is still pretty positive and has begun showing signs of his personality returning.  You'd have to see him, but he is skin and bones and yesterday one of the nurses was explaining to Daniel what they were doing (i.e. giving him some insulin, changing his antibiotics), and she finished by saying, "do you have any questions"?  In a voice barely audible, he said, "can you tell me why I am so big and studly".  She burst out laughing and said "now that's the Daniel I know".   My niece, her two kids, and her mother-in-law stopped by to visit yesterday.  Daniel absolutely loves those two little ones and you should have seen him light up.  It certainly made his month.  The doctors believe Daniel's colon is acting up and they will begin treating him with antibiotics.  That means he won't be able to eat for a few days...which is not good.  Dan had a group of ladies visit last week from Terre Haute who were there expressly to pray for him.  They said they had been called to pray for his healing.  The woman who kind of took charge said that is the 24th healing she has performed.  Ladies, thank you so much...and Ma'am I hope you are correct. March 3, 2006 Daniel is like a cat with nine lives.  Forget that he has used up 4 or 5.  He has made remarkable progress on many fronts and they have stopped his ventilator as of this morning.  He is breathing completely on his own and if things continue to go well they will remove the tubes today.  He is alert and is able to communicate with pencil and paper.  He is not in any real discomfort other than he needs to brush his teeth...REAL BAD.  God love him, I can't wait to help him brush his teeth and shave.  He seems to be somewhat down and discouraged...who wouldn't be given all that he has gone through?  He asked Pam and Jeff yesterday if he was going to die.  We've decided that God can't have him yet...how do you like that for an executive decision...God will just have to find another catcher/linebacker/189 pounder...oops make that 152 pounder.   We've received many cards, emails and well-wishes.  We appreciate the continued concern for Daniel and his recovery, and I know it helps keep his spirits up.  Thanks to all of you who continue to hang in there with him and us. February 25 There is no easy or good way to share that Daniel is in very critical condition at Methodist Hospital.  This past Wednesday he his body began to shut down.  His blood pressure dropped to 60/33 and the doctor on call responded with a "Code Blue".  That's a first for me and I hope it's my last.  Fortunately, they were able to stabilize Daniel over the next day.  What we found was that he had contracted a blood infection (sepsis) which is very serious, especially for someone in such a weakened state.  Daniel eventually experienced great difficulty in breathing and Saturday morning they placed him on a ventilator.  Frequently when someone is placed on a ventilator they don't come off.  However, he has responded pretty well and is doing some breathing on his own.  In essence what has occurred is that the infection attacks your internal organs which requires great effort from the organs to fight it off.  Daniel's heart rate shot through the roof and his blood pressure bottomed out.  When that occurs they have to pump huge volumes of fluid into his body to get his heart rate down.  The fluid then results in leakage into the lungs which caused his breathing difficulty. While Daniel's breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure have all stabilized, his platelets (which cause the blood to clot) have dropped to virtually zero.  His is at huge risk for spontaneous bleeding.  If that occurs he, nor the doctors, have any way to stop it.  They are giving him platelets but his body is not doing a good job of accepting them.  We continue to pray for strength and courage as Daniel fights the good fight.  He is a terrific kid and I hope that God has a plan that will allow him to continue to stay with us. February 18 We had to bring Daniel back to the hospital last Tuesday night with severe abdominal pain.  Tests showed that Daniel was bleeding internally.  Initially it was thought to involve his pancreas, which is extremely serious, but it appears to be a "spontaneous bleed".  A spontaneous bleed can be caused by low platelet counts.  In other words, due to all the treatment Daniel has received a hemorrhage that for most people would clot normally, cannot in his case.  Therefore, the bleeding continued until he began showing signs on Tuesday.  They have given him lots of transfusions but his counts are still dropping slowly.  I think they will use a scope today to look for the cause and then attempt to cauterize it. Daniel was really looking forward to attending the wrestling state finals on Friday and Saturday, but unfortunately that could not happen.  The doctors told him that transporting him to Conseco for the event could endanger his life should he begin to bleed internally.  However, the Franklin Athletic Director (Noel Heminger) and the Franklin wrestling coaches (Bob Hasseman and Chris Lynch) saw to it that Daniel was recognized during the Parade of Champions.  There was a two-minute tribute to Daniel at Conseco when the Franklin boys were introduced.  Although Pam and I were unable to attend, our sons Jeff and Joe were there and filmed the highlights from the evening and weekend.  Apparently the entire Fieldhouse (10,000+) gave Daniel a standing ovation as his teammates carried a poster with his picture and his accomplishments were read.  Thanks so much to Noel, Bob, and Chris for including Daniel.  He, and we, were very touched.  Jeff is going to bring the film to the hospital today for Daniel to see.  He can't wait to see the matches his teammates wrestled in, and he was ecstatic that 3 of the Franklin kids finished in the top 4 in the state. We expect Daniel to be in the hospital most of this next week.  They have to stop the bleeding and he has to start manufacturing his own platelets.  For his sake I hope that is soon.  He is very weak and his body just needs a break.  Today Daniel's personal prayer team again swung into action as Pam and two of her sisters attended church services where Daniel is being recognized.  They each have an incredible amount of faith and are totally convinced that Daniel will recover and will serve as a testament to the power of faith and prayer.  I am confident that if anyone can overcome the myriad of challenges that this young man has been faced with...it is Daniel.  Thanks so much to all who continue to support Daniel and our family with prayer and best wishes. February 4, 2006 Daniel continues to feel better and better.  He is now walking with and without the aid of his walker.  We have pretty much done away with the wheelchair.  It has been a struggle for him to get stronger as the heavy doses of steroids decrease bone density throughout his body.  His oncologist describes his body as that of an 80 year old woman.  Fortunately, as they wean him off the steroids his bone density will return and his ability to regain strength will too.  For now, he is doing his stretching and flexibility work as well as walking and riding his stationary bike.   As far as his attitude is concerned I think it is as good as I have seen it for quite some time.  He has begun talking about what he thinks he might like to pursue as a career, and we really haven't talked about that in a long while.  He is very interested in getting out now and attending events.  He is going to the wrestling regionals today and is really looking forward to seeing the "good matches".  He has begun to talk about hunting again and how he really looks forward to getting started.  All these things add up to a real change in approach...I guess that's what a little good news will do for a person.   We met with his oncologist yesterday.  They have taken Dan out of the experimental study due to his low platelet counts.  However, there is a counterpart drug that is available and they have started Dan on that.  According to the doctor it is the same type of agent but is taken as an oral medication rather that IV.  Actually, we feel fortunate that he was taken out of the study because we have just been sitting idle.  This new medication will not be impacted by platelet counts so we can start immediately.  Join us in saying a prayer or two that this works as well or better than the last treatment.  It was interesting yesterday...Pam asked the oncologist if he was surprised that the tumor had decreased so significantly in size when the previous treatment was only designed as a blocker and not a curative agent.  He said, "yes...very surprised".  Maybe we all have a few more surprises in store? January 28, 2006 Daniel is improving slowly following his return from the hospital last Thursday.  He can now walk with the aid of a walker and is much more mobile and coordinated since the surgery.  He is still somewhat loopy and forgetful due to the pain medication and seven surgeries.  I am hopeful that this will lessen with time and a decrease in medication.  He is nearly free of pain in his head, but has replaced that (to a lesser degree) with muscle aches and pains due to inactivity.  Dan has regained 10 lbs. since one week ago.  It's good to see him eating normally again.  His brother Jeff is of course staying home with Daniel and playing Physical Terrorist...I mean Therapist.  He is putting Dan through the paces.  Daniel legs were so sore and weak this morning that he collapsed three times.  Ever try to catch 170 lbs. of dead weight in a free fall?  Shortly I may be the one in need of a Physical Therapist.  Daniel did not receive chemo last week because his platelets were too low.  We are praying that they will be up this coming week and we can get started again. January 22, 2006 Daniel's surgery went as planned on Thursday.  It took about an hour and fifteen minutes.  They replaced his shunt with a new programmable type, and they drilled two holes in the upper front of his skull to dissipate pressure.  While he was in significant pain after the surgery he has steadily improved the past two days.  His left side which was virtually non-functioning prior to the surgery has begun to work again.  This was a real blessing as he was so worried that he would be paralyzed and unable to be the active, vibrant young man that all know him to be.  I called Pam from the hospital last night to give her the news about his left side...she cried...I would have too, but I was too busy devising his workout plan for how we might get full strength back.  Always the coach.  It appears as though we might keep him in the hospital for the time being as we hope to have the physical therapists work with him prior to returning home.  We'll see how things go. January 18, 2006 Stop the presses...hold the phone...we're not done yet.  Given the tone of my January 17th posting one could conclude that we were pretty discouraged, and one would be right.  We anticipated that Daniel would go to Riley for his chemo only to be told that his blood counts were too low for him to continue in the study.  Unfortunately, that did occur.  However, as a conclusion to the study that had to do an MRI on his brain.  When the doctor returned to discuss the MRI he did so with a big smile because the tumor has in fact decreased significantly in size.  Don't ask how given that Daniel hasn't had any chemotherapy treatment in nearly a month.  Attribute it to prayer, attribute it to the right chemo, at this point I don't really care.  Nonetheless, Daniel still has some very real physical issues so we met with the surgeon today and he explained that in essence the tumor has decreased so significantly that the brain has collapsed on top of Dan's shunt thereby prohibiting it from working properly.  This has caused a fluid build up that could result in his left side not working properly.  So, tomorrow (Thursday) Dan will have surgery to install a new shunt and have two small holes drilled in his head to allow excess fluid drainage.  We are hopeful that this will decrease his head pain and allow the left side of his body to begin functioning normally again.   This is the first bit of good news we have received in nearly a year.  Thank you to all who continue to include Daniel in your prayers.  I honestly believe it has made a difference.  I cannot explain why this has happened, and quite truthfully I believe it even has the doctors at a loss. January 17, 2006 For all of you who continue to check the website for updates I want to thank you for thinking of Daniel and to apologize for the lack of new/recent information.  No excuse other than these are harder and harder for me to write.  This forces me to reflect on the hand that Daniel has been dealt, and if seeing it everyday isn't enough, having to write about it has only made it more difficult.  In the past few weeks we have been faced with numerous obstacles.  Daniel has been unable to take his chemo because his blood counts have been too low, he has battled some serious depression issues (although medication has helped tremendously), and as of this past weekend he has basically lost the use of his legs.    It just seems that everything that could have gone wrong has.  The worst part is the feeling of helplessness that accompanies our reality.  When Dan asks, "Dad can you help me"?  What can I say?  Trade my life for his...do it in a minute.  Take away the pain?  Make his legs work?  Allow him to return to being a normal kid?  We have prayed for miracles, we have prayed for strength, we have prayed for skilled doctors and surgeons.  I guess we just need to pray that we can do our level best to be good parents to Daniel and the other boys, and trust that God will provide the answers for us all...in his time.  In the meantime, please continue to keep Daniel in your prayers as he goes through this battle.  I will leave you with a vintage Daniel.  The other night Pam and I helped Daniel into the restroom and after 40 minutes he still hadn't finished.  Pam said to him, "are you done yet"? To which he replied "No".  She said, "well I thought you might be ready to quit"?  He said, "Mom, this is Daniel and I never quit".  Buddy, how right you are...We love you "D". December 28, 2005 The past week was a mixed bag of emotions.  Thursday night found us back in the hospital with severe head pain.  Daniel and I were up until nearly 6:00AM when they transferred us into a room.  We slept until about 9:00AM, and I can promise you that 3 hours sleep at my age just doesn't cut it.  However, I'll live and I was happy see Daniel's pain under control.  Dan spent the night at the hospital again on Friday as Jeffrey went out to join him.  The doctors were terrific in trying to find something that would work so that we could get him home for Christmas Eve.  Fortunately, we struck on a combination of three types of morphine that seemed to do a pretty good job, and they released us to go home at about 12:30.  We made it home just in time for my family's arrival to celebrate the holiday.  Dan, although very groggy, enjoyed himself immensely.  On Christmas we traveled to Pam's parents and Daniel made it through Christmas and an additional day.  Again, he had a great time playing cards, eating his Grandma's good food, and spending time with his family.  He even slipped outside long enough to down a squirrel with his .22 rifle.  Took him three shots using his Dad's shoulder as a rest and his brother acting as his dog, but by golly, he got the job done.   We have been fortunate that his doctors have now armed us with the medication to keep him comfortable.  Pam and I keep a constant vigil surrounding his medication times and doses, and thus far it has worked pretty well.  Daniel has continued his experimental chemo in hopes that we find something to stop the growth of his tumor.  We continue to pray and ask for strength, and our spirits are ever lifted by the many cards, calls, and visits from our friends and family members.  Here's hoping that everyone who takes time to read this message had a wonderful holiday, and please accept our best wishes for a joyous new year. December 14, 2005 Daniel's day went from bad to worse yesterday.  He began his experimental chemo on Monday, but during the day he began having severe head pains so he was admitted to Riley Hospital.  They grew progressively worse through Monday night and Tuesday, and were nearly uncontrollable by Tuesday late morning.  The lack of attention shown to him at Riley was very disappointing and prompted us to transfer him to Methodist in the afternoon.  They quickly stablized him and he rested pretty comfortably Tuesday night.  Unfortunately, swelling in his brain has forced us to begin steroids which disqualifies him from the experimental chemo program.  We are nearly out of treatment options.  Daniel continues to be a trooper through all of this.  I don't know that I have ever seen anyone in so much pain, except for Pam and I as we feel totally helpless.  Many of Dan's friends came to visit yesterday, and that provides him much pleasure and a momentary release.  We should know later today if the steroids are helping much.  I am confident they can't make anything worse.    There was an unfounded rumor on Monday night that Daniel had passed away.  It is interesting how things like that take on a life of their own.  While we were quite distressed that so many friends had to go through that we are thankful that Daniel and our family is so loved. December 11, 2005 We brought Daniel home from the hospital yesterday.  It was good to get him back where he belongs.  The surgery to add to his shunt is minor in comparison to some of his other surgeries, but it's not minor anytime they open your head.  We have noticed significant weakness in his left side.  He has lost a lot of feeling and is having a hard time holding on to things.  I hope some of this will dissipate with time.  By and large he isn't feeling too bad.  His head pain is level 1 or 2 on a scale of 10, and that is much improved from last week when it was 8 or 9.  He continues to be nauseated and that makes it hard for him to keep up his strength and hydration.  I really don't know why he is sick other than he has so much medication still running through his system.   Tomorrow, Daniel begins an experimental chemotherapy.  It is not designed as curative, but rather as a blocker.  Which means that hopefully the treatment will block his tumor from growing further.  He will go in on Monday and Tuesday this week and then every Monday for another five weeks.  At the end of that time they will do another MRI to check results.   As you might expect, Daniel is discouraged but he continues to exhibit great strength and determination.  This is a time that we hope his friends will make the effort to be around him, call, and/or visit.  He needs to stay connected since he won't be able to return to school before Christmas.  I hope he will get to feeling better through the holidays.  He so enjoys seeing his family and spending time eating and playing cards.  Let's keep our fingers crossed and say a little prayer that he will be able to enjoy the month.  December 8, 2005 Daniel had a tough couple of days.  He has been in and out of the hospital with several "midnight runs" to the Methodist Hospital Emergency Room.  The pressure has returned to his head due to the growth of the tumor.  Last night at about 6:00PM they did surgery to modify his existing shunt to assist in the drainage of spinal fluid.  It went well and he is pretty comfortable today.  No pressure headaches, just the normal surgery pain.  Daniel has been selected as the last trail patient on a new experimental chemo designed to block the growth of anaplastic astrocytomas.  It has shown some success in other cases.  We begin on Monday.  It is comforting to know that at least we have an additional option.  Thanks so much to all who have called, sent emails or cards.  Your support is so appreciated.  Please keep Daniel in your prayers. December 5, 2005 We have had a rough couple of weeks with Daniel.  First, he had an intestinal virus which caused severe stomach cramps and illness.  Then, he contracted a bacterial virus which is a blood disorder.  He has been in the hospital three times in the last week.  Finally, we received the results from his latest MRI.  The film of his spine is inconclusive...it appears in one dimension that the cancer has returned, but it does not appear in the second dimension.  This means that he will have another MRI in a couple weeks to try to determine the status of the spine.  The initial tumor in his head appears to be better, but now there is a new growth.  It appears the new growth is an outcropping of the original tumor.   The status of future treatment is as follows...we have asked that he be accepted into the Proton Therapy program in Bloomington.  This is similar to radiation, but not completely.  He is not eligible for any more radiation so we hope the Proton Therapy will be an option.  If that is out then we are looking at experimental chemotherapy and/or surgery.  We certainly want to avoid surgery if possible.  Daniel continues to face this with much courage.  He's one tough kid.  Please keep him in your prayers as we search for a solution to this situation. November 30, 2005 We received preliminary results from Daniel's MRI yesterday.  The MRI of the spine was not clear and will have to be redone tonight.  The MRI of the brain showed the following: The original tumor appears to be more "cystic" which means it is less dense and that is good news, but the bad news is that there is another growth.  We go in tomorrow to get the details as well as charting the plan for how we proceed.   Needless to say, we are very disappointed.  However, Daniel handled the news remarkably well, and continues to display courage well beyond the level at which I currently operate.  I am so very proud of the man he has become.  Jeff is staying home from school this week to be with Daniel, and that has been comforting to all.  In the meantime, we will continue to forge on, undaunted by life's challenges.  As I stated early on, "cancer will have no competitor any tougher than this kid and our family". November 8th   I have been somewhat negligent in forwarding updates, I suppose in part because I hope it signals a return to normal.  In part it also means that Daniel is just busy living life to its fullest.  He has made it through another round of chemo.  He was more fatigued this time, and I expect that is a reflection of the volume of treatment that is beginning to add up.  He has felt better in the past several days, and in fact, he and I played catch last night which was a first in the last six months or so.  Dan continues to make it to school nearly every day, and he has again done well in his classes with a great deal of help from his teachers and Mrs. Hopper, his guidance counselor.   A couple highlights in the last month.  Daniel shot a deer on a trip with his friend Michael and his Dad.  Unfortunately, the deer was never found.  Which leads one to wonder what exactly he did shoot...he swears it was a deer.  I do know that after he shot and went to look for his arrow another deer (8 pointer) walked by and Daniel hugged a tree to try to disguise himself...yeah fat chance.  Also, Daniel received a huge honor last Saturday night at the Scott Rolen Foundation Dinner.  Scott annually presents a "Hero" award to a child who has exhibited strength, courage, and integrity in the face of a serious illness.  Daniel received that award, and by the way, was completely shocked and very humbled.  He received a really cool trophy complete with one of Scott's game used gloves.  In addition, the Indiana Bulls retired his number 54 jersey and presented it to him in a beautiful framed enclosure.  Dave Taylor (Indiana Bulls) and Scott Rolen have done so much to keep Daniel's spirits high, and it has made a huge impact.  They are wonderful people who truly care about others.  We feel blessed to know them.   Daniel has another MRI on the 28th of this month.  We will get an idea at that time for what the tumor is doing.  Please join us in praying that it is gone, or at least substantially reduced. October 10th Daniel continues to persevere through treatment and side effects.  He is attempting to conduct life as normally as possible, and for the most part he has been successful.  Aside from fatigue and the accomodations that comes with it he is doing pretty well.  He received his grades this past week and he has amazed even himself.  He had 5 "A's" and 1 "B+".  I told him that maybe Dr. Turner didn't tweak the "school part of his brain" completely hence the B+.  He didn't think that was too funny.  We were really proud of him, and very appreciative of all the help he received from his teachers and Mrs. Hopper (his guidance counselor).   Dan has been deer hunting recently and has gotten up on his own at 3:45AM to get into his stand.  Thanks to Joe Fox and Dennis Henderson he has a terrific set-up and any failure at this point will be because Daniel can't shoot straight with his crossbow.  He is really excited to get back into the woods and he looks forward to every opportunity.   Tomorrow he begins his second round of the new Chemotherapy.  It takes about 15 days to work through the entire process, and probably will result in some difficult days.  He is scheduled for another brain/spine MRI in about 6 weeks.  We will know at that point, or before, if this treatment is working.  Please keep him in your prayers. September 13th   Daniel began his newest round of Chemotherapy on August 30th.  It involves 3 separate medicines, 2 of which are administered intervenously and 1 which is oral.  He has completed fifteen days and has handled it relatively well.  As Dr. Goldman put it, we have brought out the big guns for this round.  Interestingly enough, one of the side effects of one of the medicines is that "if" it leaks out of the intervenous line it will burn your skin.  Imagine what that's doing on the inside.   Daniel has had some jaw pain, as well as a sore throat, but other than that he has responded pretty well.  In fact, the last three or four days he has felt about as well as he has for several months.  I hope that is a good sign.   Dan has been nominated for homecoming king this Friday night.  He is looking forward to the parade and dance.  He has even indicated that it might be time for him to display his acumen on the dance floor...that should be a sight to behold.   For now we are just approaching one day at a time, enjoying the good days, taking the bad days in stride, and praying for a solution to our life's greatest challenge. August 25th Daniel is about to complete his second full week of school.  Aside from our trip to his oncologist on Tuesday he has made it everyday.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that Dan's tumor is growing again.  It is not significantly bigger, but it is bigger.  His treatment is being changed starting next Tuesday.  This treatment is more aggressive and we pray will arrest the development of the tumor.  Daniel's surgeon has indicated that surgery is not an option at this time, so obviously we hope this treatment works. Dan, as usual is handling this with tremendous strength and courage.  After Dr. Goldman (oncologist) told Daniel of the situation this Tuesday he began his standard check-up...testing his strength, sight, and movement.  Part of the routine is to have Daniel smile in order to check the muscle control in his face.  As Dr. Goldman finished the check on his face Dan said, "I'll bet you've never seen anyone so good looking"?  It even made Dr. Goldman laugh.  That is indicative of the way in which Dan has handled every bit of bad news.  I continue to be so proud. We were able to put off the start of his new treatment until next Tuesday so that Daniel could enjoy his first ever concert...Kenny Chesney (his favorite), and the Dodge ball Tournament that the Fox's are hosting in his honor at Franklin High School.  He is quite excited for the weekend, and I am excited for him.  Please continue to pray that the treatment works and Dan can continue to spread his positive message across our community. August 12 We returned from Daniel's "Make a Wish" trip to Boston late Tuesday afternoon.  What a wonderful time.  My business background truly appreciates the level of efficiency in the Make a Wish organization.  Every "i" was dotted and "t" was crossed.  For a family from little Bargersville, Indiana to be able to navigate Boston so smoothly it is really a testament to how well prepared the Make a Wish folks were. Daniel had a great time.  He felt good the whole weekend, and aside from a muscle problem he has in his hip which makes sitting for extended periods difficult, everything went very well.  We arrived late Saturday night and checked into the Marriott in downtown Boston (near Chinatown).  Sunday was our day to explore Boston, and explore we did.  We took the "Duck" tour around Boston.  The Ducks are WWII amphibious vehicles that run on land and water, so we took the land tour and then splashed into Boston Harbor.  Anthony, and Daniel were invited to drive the Duck in Boston Harbor.  Captain Foghorn made the ride very enjoyable and was one of the highlights of Dan's trip.  We also rode the "T" which is the subway.  The boys either hadn't ever ridden on one, or it had been many years.  We also went to the aquarium where they a really neat display with sharks and barracuda's, etc. Monday was our big day.  At 1:30 a limo arrived at our hotel and took us to the Hard Rock Cafe.  The Hard Rock picked up the entire tab and allowed us to order whatever we wanted from the menu.  The entire group at the Hard Rock could not have been nicer, our server was terrific, and they even gave Daniel two Hard Rock shirts to commemorate his experience.  At 3:30 the limo delivered us to Fenway Park for the 7:05 game.  Julie from Make a Wish, and Jennifer from the Red Sox organization were there to meet us.  We took a tour of the Green Monster, and the Hall of Fame Club and then we went to the field to watch batting practice.  Vanessa with the Red Sox took all the boys into the dugout to meet the players and watch BP.  All of the players were incredibly gracious with their time.  Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, Johnny Damon, John Olerud and several others came over and spent time talking with Dan and his brothers.  Dan had all of them sign a ball, and Anthony was so excited that Johnny Damon signed his "Johnny Damon" shirt.  David Ortiz came out and sat with the boys for several minutes, and as you may remember, that was Dan's wish...to meet David Ortiz.  He was as delightful in person as he is on TV.  As Pam and I stood and watched the boys it occurred to both of us just how lucky we are.  People care enough to make this sort of experience possible for a kid from Bargersville, Indiana.  This trip coupled with our trip to see Scott Rolen in St. Louis had made for a memorable summer. Aside from the fact that the Red Sox won the game and we all had a great time, I have to share just one more of those "goose bump" moments that we have experienced through this ordeal.  Of course Daniel was just thrilled with meeting David Ortiz and the rest of the guys, but in the bottom of the first David Ortiz came to the plate with a runner on.  In retrospect, I think of the Babe Ruth story where he promised to hit a home run for the sick child.  Well, David didn't promise to hit a home run, but on the first pitch that he swung at in his first at bat he deposited a home run deep into the seats in right.  As luck or fate would have it I turned the video camera on just before he swung, and I thought as he was rounding the bases how symbolic the home run was of the support that has been offered to Daniel and our family.  A great ending to a great experience. July 30 Daniel has responded well to his port installation.  He went in this week to have blood drawn and fluids injected.  His port worked fine.  It hurt a little bit, but nothing major.  He is into his 3rd month of chemotherapy.  He was a little sick on day 1, but has done really well that last couple of days.  I think we are getting a handle on what needs to be done. Dan continues to work out, lift, ride his stationary bike, walk, etc.  He has lost 25 pounds since May.  He is nearly down to his presurgery weight.  Some of it is located in the wrong spots, but he is working to redistribute it.  Daniel went swimming twice this week, and I think he is enjoying his new found freedom due to his port. We were notified this week that the "Make a Wish" foundation has scheduled our Boston trip for August 6-9.  We will be attending the Red Sox vs. Rangers game on the 8th.  Dan will also get to meet David Ortiz, which is a big part of his wish.  Our most heart felt thanks to the Make a Wish Foundation for making this a reality.  Beyond that, Daniel continues to work hard and exhibit a terrific attitude..."one day at a time". July 21 Daniel had surgery this week to install his port.  The port will allow him to get rid of the pic line in his arm, become much more mobile (throw a ball, swim, etc.).  The surgery went fine and Dan came home the same day.  He is a little sore but otherwise is progressing nicely.  Daniel continues to work out as much as possible given his limitations this week due to surgery.  He is very fatigued and is hoping to have more energy soon.  I think the fatigue is due in part to his no longer taking steroids. Pam, Dan, and the other boys are off to Holiday World on Sunday and Monday.  They should have a great time, and I know they are all looking forward to it.  We are still working on a date for the Make a Wish trip to Boston.  In the meantime, we are happy to take one day at a time and be thankful to be pain free. July 16 Daniel continues to do well.  Aside from a short spell this week when he was really tired, he continues to increase his activity level.  He lifts, rides his stationary bike, and walks about an hour a day.  He threw a baseball a little bit on Thursday, and I think is looking forward to getting his "pic" line out of his right arm so that he can begin throwing and swinging a bat.  Dan has surgery on Tuesday to insert a port into his chest, and this will allow him a great deal more freedom (showers without getting his arm wrapped up, swimming, etc.).  While the surgery is considered minor, he isn't looking forward to being back in the hospital. We have been discussing trip dates to Fenway Park (Boston) with the "Make a Wish" Foundation.  They are a wonderful organization and have worked very hard on Daniel's behalf.  Dan would very much like to meet David Ortiz while attending a Red Sox game.  Hopefully, we can get things worked out.  In the meantime, we just live one day at a time and thank God that Dan feels good and can conduct life fairly close to normal. July 6 Daniel completed his second round of chemotherapy last Saturday night.  As you may recall he was very ill the first time, and as you might expect we were braced for the worst.  One thing we have learned through all of this is that through observation you can make a difference in the outcome related to medication.  When is he taking too much, not enough?  What works well and what doesn't?  This time we asked the doctor to double his antinausea medication in hopes of avoiding the illness.  We also asked for fluids just in case he became dehydrated.  Our preparations seem to have paid off as Dan did not get ill a single time.  He has been fatigued from the chemo, but he has felt really good and is eating normally. Daniel continues to lift, walk, and ride his stationary bike.  He is increasing his workouts with regard to maximums, which is a very good sign.  I know he very much wants to get back into shape and he feels like he is moving in that direction.  Jeff has been a big motivator and takes Daniel to workout when he is home.  We had a big weekend over the 4th and Daniel was the biggest duck in the puddle...staying up til all hours of the night playing euchre at his Grandma and Grandpa's house.  He still gets beat regularly, so I guess practice isn't making perfect, at least in his case. His blood counts came back very good yesterday.  In fact, they were higher than they have been for the past couple of months.  He, as well as Pam and I are very pleased with his progress at this point.  I think he is even looking forward to starting school in August...boy did I really say that!  He has met with our new football coach and discussed briefly ways in which he can stay involved in a non-playing capacity.  I think it would be good for him to stay around it.  Who knows, maybe he can be a kicker some day?  Kick the ball and sprint off the field...yeah right...he would have to lay a hit on some poor unsuspecting soul.  Ah, just like old times. June 29   As Knute Rockne once said, "we've got to get em on the run boys, and then we've got to keep em on the run".  Our meeting with Dr. Goldman (Daniel's oncologist) yesterday confirmed what you, and we, had been praying for.  We've got the cancer on the run.  The swelling in Daniel's brain has decreased, and while the tumor size is roughly the same as before there are 3 or 4 spots in the tumor which appear to be black (dead).  While this is not quite an affirmation that the tumor is gone, it is a step in the right direction.  Daniel picks up cycle 2 of his chemo this week, and the positive part of that is the fact that they are leaving his treatment the same.  In effect, it is an indication that they think this treatment is working.  We hope that Dan will not experience the nausea that he had with chemo cycle 1.  However, we are prepared in the event that he does.  We have fluids on hand to keep him from becoming dehydrated, and we had asked to double his anti-nausea medication.   Daniel has decided to have a port installed in his upper left chest.  That will take place on July 19th.  The port will allow blood to be drawn, intervenes fluids to be given, etc., and all without any restriction to physical activities.  Currently he has a pic line which is a tube inserted into his right arm.  The pic line prevents swimming, aggressive contact, and it makes showers difficult as well.  Needless to say we are happy he has made this decision.  It is a surgical procedure, but a minor one.  Daniel is continuing to progress.  He has been to lifting three days a week, and he is riding his stationary bike or walking twice a day.  He is visibly stronger, more agile, and walking with a more normal gait.  We have a big weekend planned with lots of activity.  Hopefully, Dan will feel up to participating. June 24 I have learned through all of this that you never take anything for granted, you never assume, that nothing is ever as good as it seems...nor as bad...but somewhere in between reality falls.  However, with all that said, Daniel feels really good.  This is the best he has felt since this all began.  He has more energy, he is more alert, he is more committed to recovery.  He has been lifting with the football team on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  He is getting out of bed, on his own, at 7:15AM to get he and his brother Joe to the workouts.  In addition, he has been riding his Aerodyne bike 20-30 minutes a day.  This is incredible progress given the fact that two weeks ago he couldn't even get out of bed.  We are really proud of him.  The past week was filled with activity and we are so thankful that Dan felt up to participating.  He threw out the first pitch at the Indians game last Saturday...strike by the way...albeit 40 mph.  Thanks so much to all who took part in setting that up.  Dan was thrilled to see so many friends and supporters from Franklin, as well as, his teammates and families from the Indiana Bulls who made the trip to be with him.   Also, our family took a couple days and went to Monroe Reservoir.  We went fishing, swimming, and eating...not necessarily in that order.  We had a great time, and Daniel took part in all of it as he felt really good.  I must admit that his fishing acumen was called into question a few times.  He caught the first fish of the trip, which ended up being his last fish of the trip.  That's OK, we had fun nontheless.  Dan goes on Monday for his brain MRI.  They will be checking the status of his tumor and swelling.  It may mean nothing, but he feels so good that we are hoping that is a good sign.  He will begin his chemo next week, and his MRI will determine which type.  It could be that we continue on Temodar or change to something else.  At this point we are just thankful for all the good days recently, and we will keep praying for good news. June 16 Last week was not good. Daniel was very ill and was eating virtually nothing. It seemed as though whenever he ate or drank anything he would immediately get sick. Of course, every time he got sick it made his head hurt. We finally took him to Riley on Friday night to see if they could provide any solutions. They took a CT scan and found that there was nothing going on with his shunt or tumor that should be causing him to be ill. They  determined two things, first, they put him back on a small dose of steroids to reduce the swelling in his brain, and they also decided that the morphine injections designed to reduce bodily aches and pains could be making him sick. So, bring on the steroids and so long to the morphine. Within two days Daniel was a new kid. By Sunday he had begun eating again without getting ill, and by Monday he was back in the weight room with Jeffrey and Joe. On Wednesday when I came out of the shower at 6:30AM there sat "pumpkin head" at the breakfast table. I said, "Daniel what in the world are you doing up at this hour", and he replied, "I wanted to get my lifting in before my doctors appointment at Noon". I can safely say that this is a first. He hasn't been up that early, nor felt compelled to lift since last November. He ended up having a really good day. He drove over to football lifting, met the new coach, and did his workout. He also rode his stationary bike at home...twice. Hopefully, today will bring similar results. Dan is looking forward to Saturday when he gets to throw out the first pitch at the Indianapolis Indians game. It's Franklin Night at the ballpark so I'm sure lots of our friends will be there to cheer him on. It should be fun.  June 6 Daniel completed his first round of secondary chemotherapy on Saturday night.  His dosage level has doubled from before since he will only take it for 5 days at a time.  He hasn't responded very well this time. After the first day he began feeling sick and began vomiting multiple times daily.  In addition, he has been unable to eat or drink much of anything.  One complicating factor is that every time he gets sick it makes his head hurt.  Fortunately, the pain seems to be short lived and is controlled with Tylenol.  So, right now pretty much everything in our lives is controlled by how Daniel feels, and making sure that one of us are always present.  Daniel was able to go lift with his brother Jeff a couple times last week, but both times were followed by him getting sick.  He also made it to one graduation party over the weekend but that was all he could do.  Yesterday was spent totally in the bathroom or on the couch.  We hope that he will begin to feel better in the next couple of days. May 27   It's difficult to describe the emotions that precede a single conversation where your child's life hangs in the balance. I think maybe I have matured as a father and person through this, but I still didn't handle the waiting and worrying very well as we were summoned by Dr. Goldman. Daniel tried to keep things light by making several funny comments. God love him...I don't know how he did it knowing what was at stake. Pam, as usual, was a rock. For a person who has spent most of her life as an emotional wreck during trying situations, she has been unbelievable. Mother bear syndrome I think. Whatever it is, it has sure made handling this much more manageable. Dr. Goldman asked Dan how he was feeling, and Dan responded "really well but that might depend on what you are about to tell me". Dr. Goldman after what seemed like an hour of agonizing suspense and 20 questions said, "the cancer in the spine is gone...completely, the tumor in the brain is tough to read because the spot is actually larger than before, but often when radiation is recently completed the area swells. It appears that there are cysts in the mass and often they accompany the tumor dying". While Dr. Goldman can't be sure that the tumor in the brain isn't growing he was encouraged by the fact that Daniel feels good, and that his hair is still falling out. The loss of hair indicates that the radiation is still present and burning the tumor. One additional positive is that radiation to the spine finished two weeks prior to finishing the brain.  So it is quite possible that the tumor is still reacting to the radiation. Daniel was his normal stoic self...very little emotion.  When Dr. Goldman left the room I gave it a loud "Yessss" while pumping my fists in the air, and Dan sat quietly although he did crack a smile at Dad making a fool of himself. So the plan now is that Daniel will begin his oral chemotherapy this coming week. He will go for 5 days and then take 23 off, and repeat that for 6 months if all goes well. We will have another MRI in five weeks of his head only, and that will let us know how the tumor is responding.  All along I have just been praying that God would give Daniel a glimmer of hope, because I know that his toughness and resolve will kick in and we can give this cancer a run for its money. My prayers and the prayers of thousands of our friends, family, and supporters were answered in part yesterday. While we are far from beating this thing altogether, I know that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step".  Yesterday was the first step and the first confirmed bit of good news we have received since this ordeal began on November 4th. Oh, we've had the misdiagnosis of a benign tumor and things we had hoped were positive, but none that truly were...until now. God bless all of you who have continued to pray on behalf of Daniel and our family. I believe it has made a huge difference in yesterday's report, but I know it has made a huge difference in our ability to push on with a positive and determined attitude.   May 23 Quite a weekend for Dan. On Saturday, Daniel and Jeffrey were able to sit in the dugout as the Franklin baseball team won the Johnson County Tourney for the first time in 32 years. What a great day for all involved. Daniel was given a Johnson County medal to represent the championship, and he immediately pinned it to his letter jacket and proudly pointed it out to me. If we have to wait 32 more years I hope Daniel has the chance to be in attendance...maybe to watch his son play.  On Saturday night we held a surprise 18th birthday party for Dan. Joe and Michelle Fox were kind enough to let us use their lovely property for the event as it was just too big for us to host at our house. Dan was totally in the dark. I have no idea how we were able to keep it from him...luck I guess, and the fact that we didn't tell Anthony.  Everyone had a great time, especially Dan who didn't get home until about 11:30PM. Daniel scared Jeffrey by riding four-wheelers in the dark and weaving in and out of the trees. I have to admit it's probably best I didn't know, but on the other hand you have to be pleased that he's trying to return to normalcy. Dan, Jeff and I went shopping on Sunday at Gander Mountain for his birthday. Dan had a bit of a headache and was worn out but enjoyed it very much. Of course, we have the MRI on Thursday about which we are praying mightily. On Saturday we leave for St. Louis to spend the day with the Cardinals. Scott Rolen has been kind enough to invite us, and although Dan is disappointed that he won't be playing (due to injury) he is really looking forward to going. Also, from the "very cool" column, Daniel has been invited to throw out the first pitch at the Indianapolis Indians game on Saturday, June 18th.  While he thought that was pretty cool, he wonders if he can get the ball to the plate. Don't worry "D" the catcher can block your 57 footer if need be just like you have thousands of times before. May 18 Daniel has responded very well during his initial post-treatment phase.  His back pain is completely gone. He has no pain in his head at this point, and the difficulty in swallowing is now gone. The only visible remnants of treatment continue to be a loss of appetite and fatigue.  His spirits have been good and he seems ready to return to some of his normal activities like hanging out with his friends. He has been to several ballgames both at Dayton and Franklin recently. Last night the Beech Grove team honored Dan with a post-game prayer joined by the Franklin team. Nearly all of Franklin's opponents this season have done something special for Daniel, and we are very grateful. Dan had a big day this past Sunday. His Uncle Bob took him turkey hunting early on Sunday morning. I'm not sure how he did it, but Bob managed to coax 3 toms into gun range for Daniel. As you can imagine, Dan is not mobile at all, and therefore it makes hunting a wary turkey very difficult.  Nonetheless, as if it was almost meant to be Dan killed his first turkey that morning. The tom weighed 17 lbs. and had an 8" beard. Not a great big one, but a real trophy anyway. Many thanks to Bob for going way beyond the call of duty and making that day a very special one for an excited kid.  Last Wednesday Daniel and our family were honored to be the guests of the Indianapolis Colts at their training facility on 56th Street. The Colts sent a limo to collect our group, and the boys thought that was really cool. Tom Zupancic coordinated the visit and was incredibly kind to take time from his busy day to spend with us. Bob Potter, and Kevin Kirkhoff also played a key role in pulling this off. For those who may question the financial value of having an NFL team in our city, let me confirm that there are many ways to play a significant role in being a good community participant. The Colts are the epitome of a class organization with class people, and there are none better than Tom Zupancic. Tom allowed us access to the training room, meeting rooms, video and radio studios, the weight room, locker room, and the indoor training facility. Along the way the boys met Gary Brackett, Jason David, and Cato June. These players took time from their workouts to say hello and sign autographs. Tom said he had never seen players do that before, because the players view this as their office and they really don't want to lose their focus. These guys were great representatives of the Colts organization, and we appreciate them very much. Our next big event takes place on May 26th as Daniel has his MRI.  This will tell us how he has responded to treatment. Believe me, we have cranked up the prayers in anticipation of that day, but regardless we are committed to battling this with everything we have. May 9 Daniel had quite a weekend. First, the concert that the community hosted was held on Friday night. There was a terrific show of support for Daniel and our family, and we are humbled and tremendously appreciative. Both bands were excellent, and the Blind Side Band featuring Coach Pieper played several of their own songs, four of which will be featured in films in the near future. So many people spent so much time putting this special evening together that I can't begin to thank everyone, however a special thanks goes out to Gretchen and Greg Robinson, Ann Gordon, and the Franklin Baseball Team. For all those who worked behind the scenes...a huge thank you as well. Daniel joined the band to play the tambourine during one number, and then later spoke to the crowd. Daniel's brother Jeff accompanied him onto the stage for a few remarks and thanks, and at one point it looked like Jeff might have to take over, but Daniel composed himself and finished nicely. His last comment says a great deal about the man Daniel has become. After he thanked his friends, family, and community he concluded by saying, "I can promise you this, I won't be down for long". I guess at this point I wouldn't bet against him. Dan rested up on Saturday as he was completely spent from the night before. Michael and Ashley did come and spend the evening with Dan as they so often do. On Sunday, Daniel, Pam, and Anthony took off for Dayton to watch Jeff play baseball. Jeff managed to win the starting first base job this past week so it was nice for them to see him play.  Jeff contributed a double and an RBI as Dayton rolled to a 14-2 win over Duquesne. It took Dan about 15 minutes to fall asleep once they returned home, and I'm sure today will be spent resting. Our family has been invited to be the guest of the Colts this week at their complex and we are very grateful, and very much ooking forward to that. In the meantime, Daniel is exercising a little more each day and is trying his best to build up his stamina. He continues to be relatively pain free and very upbeat. May 2 Daniel had an exciting end of the week last week. First, he attended the National Honor Society induction and enjoyed it very much. Although as a 17 year old male you are not allowed to show emotion connected to academic achievement, I know he was excited to have earned this award.  Secondly, he had a great time attending the Prom on Friday. He and twenty other kids went to dinner and the dance together. He had a wonderful meal made more enjoyable by the company. Pam went to the Prom for a short while to take pictures and stayed long enough to see Daniel named Prom King. A tremendous honor indeed. I wish I could have been there, but I was hanging out with Anthony, in the rain, at the ballpark. All was not lost however as Anthony's team played very well.  Dan ventured out a little on Saturday to watch Joe play baseball against Whiteland, but he quickly tired and I took him home. He feels really good except that he is tired constantly. He could sleep for 15 hours and wake up just as tired as when he went to bed. We knew this would happen as a result of massive amounts of treatment, but it has reached its peak. Thankfully, round one of his treatment ended on Friday and his body will have a chance to recover somewhat. Dan checks in with his oncologist on Tuesday to see what his blood counts look like.  Hopefully, they will be decent and we can avoid any additional transfusions...well see. Time for rest and healing for a month. We're all looking forward to that. April 29 Today is Dan's last treatment day...hurrah!! Pam and I took him out to breakfast to celebrate. He is in good spirits and feels relatively well except for the fatigue. He is resting up today to save his energy for the Prom tonight. He is going to the Prom in style...he and 19 other kids are riding in a stretch Expedition to dinner and the dance. Heaven help that restaurant, it may never be the same (Ha!). Thanks to the family who is providing the limo...you are the best!!! Dan is pretty excited about the whole deal. Oh, to be 17 again. The doctors are going to give Dan's body some time to recover, and therefore he will have very little done for the next month (we hope anyway). He will have a follow-up MRI toward the end of May and then we will know our next steps. We'll put that on the back burner for awhile and enjoy the next month. He's got all kinds of neat stuff coming up between the concert next Friday, the trip to St. Louis, trips to Dayton to watch his brother, a trip to the Colts complex, and any other trouble we might get into. Life is good...and we plan on it staying that way, because as an ancient poet once said, "While there's life, there's hope".  April 26 Daniel has made steady progress since coming home last week. The soreness in his chest and throat is all but gone thanks to Dr. Goldman who suggested that hydrating Daniel with fluids might have a positive impact on his throat. He couldn't have been more correct. For the past 4 days Dan has been hooked up to an IV at night for 10 hours. The two liters of fluid daily have made a world of difference. Although his appetite isn't back to normal, he is now able to eat without pain. He has been resting a lot as I think the radiation has just caught up with him. Friday is his final day of the initial treatment period. We will be happy to leave the radiation behind, but pray that it has done its job. The doctors will do an MRI in about a month and make a determination regarding next steps. If the treatment has not been effective then they will change his chemotherapy. If it has been effective then they will put him on a maintenance plan. Dan is looking forward to tomorrow when he will be inducted into the National Honor Society at Franklin High School. He may be the first kid ever to repeat his Junior year and still be inducted into NHS? In addition, he has Prom on Friday so this will be a big week for him. It will probably result in him collapsing into his bed for the entire weekend, but what the heck. It's great to see him feel well enough to attend normal 17 year old activities. April 22 Daniel came home late Wednesday afternoon. It was actually quite a surprise, but his ANC reading (infection fighting count) went from 40 on Tuesday to 380 on Wednesday. In general he has been very tired and if he is not sleeping he is certainly laying around. It's great to have him home. He continues to be very weak, for obvious reasons, but the soreness in his throat is keeping him from eating which doesn't help in regaining strength. It does seem to be getting better, but very slowly. Dan's brother Jeff gets to come home this weekend as the University of Dayton cancelled their baseball games due to inclement weather. Coach Vittorio is allowing Jeff a couple days off to spend with Daniel and our family. We are very appreciative as I think this is the first time he has been home since Dan's surgery on February 18th. Dan is excited to see Jeff, as is everyone else. Daniel is really looking forward to prom next Friday. I hope he will be up to it. He has been nominated for Prom Court, and while he doesn't say anything about it I think he is really honored to be considered. Daniel has just 6 more radiation days, and if his blood counts continue to move up they may restart the chemotherapy. While we will be happy to have this phase concluded we are certainly apprehensive to see how the treatment has gone. It will probably be the end of May before we know. Continued thanks to all who remember Daniel and our family in their prayers, or with cards and letters. A special thanks to the Perry Meridian baseball team for an awesome poster signed by the team and sent to Daniel in the hospital.  We wish he could have been at the game, but the poster was the next best thing. April 18 We made another midnight run early Friday morning, 1:30AM to be exact.  Dan had a fever and severe head pain so I took him to Riley Hospital.  By about 5:30AM or 6:00AM they were able to get his pain under control.  He is really over this pain, and I don't blame him. His blood counts came back even lower than the day before and he is very susceptible to any type of infection. On Saturday they inserted a "pic" line in Dan's arm so they could quit sticking him all the time. They also tapped his shunt to look for infection in his brain. This is normally a very painful process, but this time the doctor retrieved the fluid in one stick, for which Dan is eternally grateful. The preliminary results show no infection, which is good news. They gave Dan three more units of blood on Saturday in hopes of raising his blood counts. By Sunday his counts were coming up slowly and he was feeling a little better. I even took him outside in a wheel chair just so he could smell the fresh air. He is unable to eat much right now as the low blood counts and stray radiation have irritated his throat. The doctor said it is called "thrush", and should go away as his body is better able to heal itself.  Poor little Anthony wasn't allowed in to see Dan yesterday because he recently had strep throat...he cried as he so wanted to see Daniel. But they spoke on the phone from 100 ft. away and that seemed to help Anthony. Pam has decided to take the rest of the school year off as it has just been too much on her and her students at Whiteland, with all the on again - off again. A huge thanks to Mrs. Harlow and Mrs. Dunn for coordinating the absences and making sure that Pam's classes ran smoothly. We expect Dan will get to come home sometime this week but it will really depend on how his immune system responds. We'll keep our fingers crossed. April 14 Daniel went in for radiation today at 8:00AM, he arrived home at 6:30PM.  The minute he walked in for his blood draw the doctor ordered a blood transfusion. Dan was very weak and pale. His blood count was down again, and his immune system is at zero. They hope to improve his strength before tomorrow's surgery to install his port. Dan will be very limited in what he can do until the blood counts improve. He has to wear a mask when he goes out, and any unprotected contact with someone who is sick can create real problems for him. This is not totally uncommon for someone who has gone through so much, but it is scary nonetheless. I can't believe how quickly this hit him. Just last night he seemed good, a little tired, but good. Today when he arrived home he was shaking (cold) and barely able to hold his eyes open. I hope tomorrow is a better day. April 13 Good news and bad news for Daniel today. The good news is that today is Daniel's last day for radiation on the spine. While the radiation itself is not painful, the position and face mask he wears are. For the next two weeks he will be in a different position while they radiate the brain only. The bad news is that Dan's blood counts are low and as a result the oncologist has temporarily halted the chemo. Dan goes back in Friday morning for further blood tests. In addition, the nurses were unable yesterday to start an IV for the drip treatment on his knees.  Dan was stuck five times with no success. Therefore, it looks like he will have a port placed in his upper chest to accommodate blood draws, IV's, treatment if necessary, etc. He is a bit discouraged at this point as I think he was hoping to make it through without significant complications. However, as we shared with him last night he really has been pretty fortunate with regard to treatment. To date, he has not been sick a single time, and the back and knee pain are manageable at this point. So, it could be considerably worse. But, try telling that to a kid that has been through as much as he has been through. We are trying very hard to focus on things he can look forward to. Prom is at the top of the list, although as Dan suggests, his dancing prowess will be greatly diminished this year with his vision and balance issues (kids beware...of a runaway truck). . In addition, he is looking forward to a planned trip to St. Louis to watch Scott Rolen and the Cardinals. We find that giving him something to point toward helps him to take his mind off the present. One other thing that has been noticeable is Dan's competitive fire creeping back into his life. He has been a reading machine lately. He has finished a book given to him by Doug Feyerabend, and is nearly done with the new Jose Canseco book, and is planning on several other baseball books. This may not seem significant, but for Dan to read a book is like the sky falling in, and furthermore he is relishing in the volume of pages he is reading daily. I know in his own way he is competing against an imaginary opponent. That's good...we need that fighting spirit to remain alive and well.  April 11 Daniel continues to persevere through his treatment. His knees and back are aching a bit, but small doses of pain medication have helped a great deal. He will begin treatment for his knees tomorrow. The interveneous fluid is designed to counteract the effects of the steroids which have caused the problem. His blood work continues to be good, so no transfusions or other remedies are needed at this time. Dan was able to get out to some of the Franklin ballgames last week. Center Grove and Franklin Central baseball teams both took time to recognize Daniel before the games. It means a great deal to him to have the support of kids he has played against for so many years. We went to Dayton on Sunday to watch Jeff and the Flyers play Temple Univ. It was a great day all the way around. First, the Dayton Daily News ran an article on Jeffrey and Daniel on Sunday morning. It was a terrific article that really focused on what is important, relationships and living, and how these two boys have handled this challenge. If you can navigate the registration process it really is a terrific article (written by Tom Archdeacon). Secondly, Pam's Mom and Dad, two sisters and a nephew were able to come see Jeff play. It was has become another of those "it was almost meant to be" moments, Dayton was trailing 5-1 going into the bottom of the 6th inning. Up to that point the Flyers had only three hits and it looked like it was going to be an "off" day. Lo and behold, and off the same pitcher, Dayton gets 8 hits in a row and takes a 10-5 lead. Aside from the fact that we want Dayton to win, a large lead in a conference game also increases the chances that Jeff will get into the game. So, in the bottom of the 8th inning Jeff is scheduled to be the 5th hitter. With two outs and an 0-2 count on Joe McSoley (Cathedral H.S.), the hitter just before Jeff, Joe grounded a single up the middle.  Then, Jeff on a 2-1 count lined a single to left-center. After another hit and Jeff advancing from first to third, Coach Vittorio seemed more excited than anyone when he told Jeff "it was meant to be, it was meant to be." It was a perfect ending to a perfect day. April 4 Daniel's lack of reaction related to treatment is unfortunately disappearing. As of the middle of last week several things have cropped up; his hair officially started falling out, and his back has been giving him moderate to serious pain as have his knees. So, we have just dealt with those realities by shaving his head and making sure he has a soft chair to sit in virtually all the time. As for the knees, we are scheduling an MRI to determine the problem. Daniel has been blessed that he has not been ill and his blood/platelet count has been good thus far. In a weird sort of way you almost hope for the treatment to show some signs of working (ie. hair falling out, etc.). In reality, those symptoms actually have no relation to the success or failure of the prescribed treatment.  This past weekend we took the family to Dayton to spend Friday evening with Jeff and watch the University of Dayton games on Saturday. Daniel can only take so much riding in one day so we had to split it up. While we enjoyed spending a couple days with Jeff we didn't get to see any baseball because the games with Rhode Island were rained out. It was fun though...or as fun as 5 people in a motel room can be. I think Daniel visiting Dayton also took his mind off of the fact that he couldn't travel with the high school team. He sure missed not being with his teammates, but radiation Monday thru Friday prohibited that as did the long drive. Mike Carter, Coach Luse, and his buddies kept him posted on how things were going. Dan hopes to attend the Franklin vs. Center Grove game tomorrow if his knees feel up to it. It should be a good game, but more importantly it will be nice to see some of the kids from Center Grove who have been very supportive of Daniel throughout this ordeal. Of course, he is really hoping to sit in the dugout with his teammates and make some sort of a contribution...like chewing sunflower seeds and saying dumb baseball stuff. Daniel has the ability to add a new dimension to a dugout atmosphere. He is one of a kind...and I realize that more and more all the time. March 29 Daniel had a really enjoyable Easter weekend.  He went to Dayton to watch his brother play baseball and then on to his Grandma and Grandpa's house for Easter.  He played Euchre for hours on end and relished in the fact that he only lost twice.  He and Uncle Bob made a pretty good team, though I have serious questions about the level of competition (Ha!). Dan continues to respond well to treatment.  He has yet to be sick and he still has his appetite.  We have noticed that his throat is beginning to get a little sore, and that is probably from the radiation.  His back is giving him some trouble as well.  I think that is a combination of things;  tumors in his spine, extra weight, lack of activity, etc.  It seems as though his back is fine until he sits in a hard chair for an extended period, and generally every evening he has some discomfort.  But, by the next morning it feels fine again and then we start the process all over.  Today is an especially tough day for Dan and all of us really.  The baseball team leaves for Kentucky this morning on their Spring Break trip.  Daniel can't go.  He has radiation every day this week and the 7 hour round trip drive is more than his back can take in 1 day.  I don't think things would be quite as bad if he could just make the trip.  However, not being able to play nor make the trip is really difficult.  We certainly wish the team the best of luck as they take on the boys from Kentucky.  Dan's heart and spirit will be with you even if his body can't. March 24 Daniel continues to progress well through treatment. He has some fatigue but no nausea thus far. They have made some adjustments to his radiation treatment as they are treating three separate sections of his spine. Dan is settling into his daily routine which includes X-rays, radiation, chemo, blood work, and physical activity. He is prepared to add school back into the mix after Spring Break. We have decided as a family that it would be best for Daniel to repeat his junior year. Pam and Dan met with Mrs. Hopper yesterday and worked out a schedule that will allow him to attend ½ days for the rest of the year, and then hopefully he will be set to return full time next August. We just don't feel that he will be academically prepared to begin college after next school year. You just can't miss 60% of Algebra, Chemistry, English, etc. and expect to move on normally. Daniel was very interested in graduating with his class, but he decided that this new direction would be best. In addition, he holds out hope, as do we, that he will someday be able to play baseball. This extra year will allow his body and vision a chance to recover to the point that he can compete. If not, that's OK, but it is something to shoot for. Life's priorities have had a way of taking on a decidedly different emphasis. Dan is just happy at this point to be here and pain free...anything beyond that is a bonus. Have a wonderful Easter, and take time to remember the many blessings that have been bestowed upon each of us. March 22 Daniel has completed one week of treatment. He currently has not experienced any significant side effects other than some fatigue. For that we are extremely grateful. As I have said to Daniel, "for every day you aren't sick it's one day closer to being done, so be thankful for every good day." Dan has been driving himself to town and attending baseball practice almost every day. He is increasing his workload daily and seems to be handling it pretty well. His vision prevents him from catching or hitting a moving object, but he has been throwing a bucket of balls each day. We are working on his schooling options for this year and beyond, and should be making some decisions soon with the help of Mrs. Hopper (Guidance Director). Daniel continues to be very upbeat and positive, and it's good to see him returning slowly to his normal activities. He is quite excited about Easter and spending time with his family. It's amazing what you are grateful for when things aren't guaranteed. Daniel was disappointed to see Coach Coudret (football coach) was leaving for Beech Grove at year's end. He, like most other kids has a great respect for Coach Coudret and will miss his positive approach to life. Hopefully, the new coach will allow Daniel to be around the team next season in some capacity. For now, we are taking one day at a time and enjoying the journey along the way.  March 17 Daniel continues to be a source of great strength for me and our entire family. Despite long and very arduous sessions this week to prepare for radiation treatment, he continues to be very positive and courageous.  Treatment, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, was postponed until Tuesday. The radiologist wasn't comfortable with the alignment of radiation to the treatment area. Therefore, Daniel spent 3+ hours on Monday and Tuesday strapped to a table in what is called a CT simulation. It requires a body mold which holds one in place. It was not fun, but we do realize the importance of aligning the treatment to the affected area. Radiation and chemotherapy began on Tuesday. Thus far, and we do realize it is early in the game, Daniel has experienced little to no side affects. As I share with him, for every one day that you don't feel poorly, it's one day closer to being done (2 down and 40 to go). Yesterday, Daniel asked if he could drive his truck, to which I replied "absolutely". So, we took a test drive to pick up Anthony.  Daniel did very well so we let him drive to baseball practice last night. He used only back roads all the way to Franklin. I mention that in case any who reads this might be concerned that we need to blockade St. Rd. 144 while he drives into town. Actually, I think with a good "tail wind" I could have outrun him to town in his truck, but I would much rather he exercise a good deal of caution. It was great to see him exert a little bit of independence. He really feels pretty good right now. He had a great time at practice while stretching, doing his arm exercises, throwing, and walking. Coach Luse has been terrific in welcoming Dan back into the mix. In fact, he even made Dan go help the young catchers during their specialty practice period. I was happy to see him push Daniel to find a way to help out and be a contributor to the team. I don't know what we would do without the wrestling and baseball programs providing encouragement for Daniel to stay involved and active. We have had several discussions with Dan regarding what he controls, and what the doctor's control. Dan understands that he controls his attitude, and keeping his body as fit as possible through exercise and nutrition. The doctors control the treatment which will allow us to beat this disease. So, Dan worries about what he can control and he's leaving the rest to the trained professionals. I would conclude by saying this, "the doctors better do their job, because Daniel will most certainly do his." March 14 We received a phone call last Thursday that the cancer has spread down Daniel's spine. He went back to the hospital on Thursday to prep for his new radiation treatment. They will now have to treat his spine in addition to his brain. Obviously, this is not the news we were hoping for. No one, especially a kid, should have to go through this.  However, it is the hand we've been dealt so we will deal with it the best we can. We left town on Friday for Nashville, Tennessee to watch Jeff play baseball. It came at a good time and allowed us to briefly take our minds off our problem. We had a terrific time. It was so much fun to spend time together laughing and watching baseball. I have to share one story that is vintage Daniel. We went to Ryan's dinner buffet last night in Bowling Green, Kentucky on our way home. Daniel, due to the steroids, has been eating a great deal, and as we were about done with dinner Daniel walks across the restaurant and finds our waitress.  We asked him what he had said to her, and he responded that he had asked for more dinner rolls. His Mom got on him because he had already eaten about ten. In a matter of seconds we realized what he had done, because here came the waitresses to sing "happy birthday" to Anthony, despite the fact that it wasn't his birthday! The weekend was made better by the fact that Dayton won all four games. Daniel got a kick out of spending time with his brother and the team. As always, Coach Vittorio (Dayton head coach) was terrific with him and continues to encourage Daniel to be strong through this process. Only once since last Thursday has Daniel given in to his feelings. His Mom and I took him to lunch on Thursday and he made the statement that "I don't think I have much longer to live." All of our parenting skills were put to the test at that moment. I don't know that I have ever faced a single tougher moment in my life. Despite the hope that we continue to have, there are no guarantees at this point. The best we can do now is to have faith that God has a plan for Daniel, and maybe that plan allows him to continue in this life. We hope he can continue to bring joy to those that know and love him, continue to be an inspiration to his family, friends, and his community, and continue to be a son that any Mom and Dad would be proud to call their own. We so appreciate your prayers, and ask that you continue to ask for God's blessing.  March 8 Daniel is getting stronger every day. He is awake and alert for the better part of the day now. He has even begun exercising some. We tend to forget, at least I do, that he is less than 3 weeks removed from major brain surgery. His attitude and demeanor have improved in the past few days. He is returning to the "happy go lucky" kid we are used to. Daniel even made a list of all his activities scheduled for this week - Mrs. Hopper you would be proud. He is looking forward to a bunch of fun events and activities. He went on Monday to be fitted for his radiation body mold, and is set to begin that at 1:00PM next Monday. He will begin his chemotherapy that day as well. It should make for an interesting week as we observe how he reacts to the treatment. We are hopeful that he will be able to return to school very soon, but much of that will depend on his tolerance of the medication. On Friday of this week, Daniel and I are going to visit the University of Dayton, hopefully to watch Jeff play baseball. The weather doesn't look too good but regardless, we will have fun spending time with Jeff and the team. This may be the last time Daniel sees Jeff for awhile depending on how he feels. So, at minimum, we wanted to take a couple days to visit. This past weekend our family attended the county Middle School wrestling tournament at Greenwood Middle School. Daniel and the rest of us were pleased to be able to watch Joe and the Custer Baker team compete. Beyond the fact that we won, which was great, a really special thing happened. Five young boys, 4 from Franklin and 1 from Indian Creek spent the better part of the day selling "Daniel bracelets". More than the very caring act of helping Daniel in his hour of need was the fact that Daniel was able to see it first hand. These boys sold 225 bracelets over the course of the day, and they did it for no other reason than to help Daniel. They donated their entire day to this cause. It was all I could do to hold it together as I came back from lunch to see these boys outside the gymnasium, bracelets in hand, selling them for Dan. I think its further evidence of the terrific young people we have in this community. Thank you boys!!! March 4 Daniel has been improving slowly. He has ventured out to some basketball games and wrestling matches recently, and he seems to be getting more alert daily. He has been a little down and discouraged lately, but appears to be improving in that area as well. We visited the oncologist and radiologist on Wednesday and received our treatment plan. On March 14th Daniel will begin 42 consecutive days of chemotherapy in addition to 6 weeks of radiation (5 days per week). He will then get a month off, and do 5 days of chemotherapy every month for 10 more months. The radiology guy wasn't overly promising, and that bothered Daniel a great deal. I explained to Dan that they have to share the worst and hope for the best. I do wish that they would speak to the parents first before dropping a bombshell on a 17 year old kid.  One of the many things we would have preferred to NOT experience throughout this process. One of the things that we continue to be appreciative of is the support that Daniel receives daily. His friends continue to call and make it a point to touch base regularly, he receives cards and well wishes every day, and so many family members and friends continue to make themselves a part of Daniel's life. A huge thanks needs to go to Mike Carter, Chris Lynch, Joe, Michelle, and Emily Fox for going way above and beyond the call of duty. We continue to feel really blessed by all the support. One item from the really cool column, thanks to Maria Coudret, the Archbishop himself is wearing a pink Daniel bracelet. Move over Scott Rolen, now we're calling in the really heavy hitters!! February 28 Daniel arrived home last Thursday. He attended pieces of the home basketball game Friday and the Wrestling State Finals on Saturday. He is feeling fine, but is sleeping a good portion of the time. Some of that, I am sure, is from the trauma of the surgery, and some is from the medication. Hopefully, he will begin to become a little more active soon. We meet with the oncologist and radiologist on Wednesday, and I would expect treatment to begin early next week. While Daniel's situation has consumed most of our attention for obvious reasons, the other boys had a terrific week. Anthony's basketball team finished their season 9-1, Joe won his 2nd varsity wrestling match at Custer Baker, and Jeff had the game winning hit on Sunday against 19th ranked Notre Dame. I just have to include an exerpt from an email Jeffrey sent home last week. He reminds us that there are positives all around...we just need to take the time to see them. Just to let you know I am sending you this from Arizona. We just got in a little bit ago and grabbed some food from Waffle and Steak. Flying out here was an incredible site, we flew over mountains the entire way.  It was beautiful, just like you said it would be. It's in the 70's here, which is nice because it just snowed 6 inches in Dayton last night; and we are supposed to have a home game on Tuesday. This is all so unbelievable that it's almost surreal. Notre Dame is so good. There will be so many pro scouts there that it's not even funny. If I get to play I might swing at every pitch they throw (ha ha). All the endless hours I've spent working out, and all the sacrifices I've made are starting to pay off. Knock on wood, but I don't think I could ask for much more at this point in my life. Daniel is doing great and came home today; I'm in Arizona playing against Notre Dame on the Cubs spring training field, and I might actually get to play. This is what life is all about. Jeff's email reminds me of a quote by Jorge Luis Borges, "Any life, no matter how long and complex it may be, is made up of a single moment...the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is." Just like Jeff, I think a lot of us have had that moment in the past 4 months. February 24 Daniel continues to make outstanding progress. He is down to oral pain medication now and is generally taking that only as a precaution. He is eating well...as if that was ever a problem, his motor skills are excellent, and he has begun physical therapy. He even went down to the play room yesterday and baked cookies with the little kids on his floor. It is cute to see this big, hulking guy surrounded by 5-10 year olds. The kids really like Daniel, and it seems as though he has a renewed interest in little ones as a result of his ordeal. Daniel continues to be one of the nurse favorites. I think in part because he can actually carry on adult like conversations...at least sometimes. I expect he will probably be released from the hospital today if all continues to go well. He actually needs to come home to get some rest. In addition to the regular nurses coming in, he has been part of the student nurse program this week. Let's just say they have made sure he has been attended to...like every 15 minutes. As I try to tell Daniel, that's the way they learn. However, it will be nice for him to piece together more than ½ hour of sleep at a time. Especially since I fully intend to get his big carcass moving as quickly as I can. One thing I have really enjoyed watching since November is his transformation to a young adult. He tells me he loves me 10 times a day, and he constantly reminds me to be "very careful" as I traverse to Methodist and back. The other night he told me to be "very careful" before I left the hospital, he called to tell me again before I got out of the parking garage, and he called two other times before I got home. Who says miracles don't happen? February 21 Daniel had a rough start to the weekend. He hadn't eaten anything since last Wednesday, and his pain level until noon Sunday was 8 or 9 (on a scale of 10). He had slept virtually non-stop, and I was convinced that his shunt was not working properly therefore causing tremendous pressure in his head. I had all but resigned myself to another surgery this week to repair his shunt. I went in to spend a few minutes with him about 3:00PM, at which time he was unresponsive. Pam went in at 3:30 to find him wide awake. His first words were, "I'm hungry, can I have a grilled cheese"? He went on to eat two, watch the Indiana game with his brother and I, and request a Playstation. When the nurse asked him his pain level at 6:00PM he said, "I don't really have any pain right now", and this was in spite of not having pain medication for over 2 hours. I can't really explain what happened. To go from hurting so bad to virtually no pain, from being too nauseated to eat to eating grilled cheese all in the span of a couple hours. Incredible, when you consider that he had major brain surgery less than 2 days before. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions one thing has remained constant. Prayers, and lots of them. We were especially touched by the students, faculty and staff at St. Rose. During the day on Friday, all of the children were taken, by class, to the church where they prayed for Daniel. In addition, I have received countless emails and calls indicating that Daniel is being lifted up in prayer. I asked Pam last night if she believed the prayers had played a part in his turn around, and she said "I've learned that nothing is impossible". I think I agree with her.  As of Monday morning, Daniel is scheduled be moved to the 7th floor, they have removed his catheter, he has been up sitting in a chair, and he was highly agitated that they forgot part of his breakfast. They left off his Rice Krispies and orange sherbet from a menu that included a sausage biscuit, 6 pieces of bacon, and 3 pieces of toast. Sounds like the breakfast of champions, but at this point the boy can have what he wants...he has earned it. February 19 After a very poor start to the week things are beginning to look up a bit. Daniel's condition declined steadily from Monday to Thursday. From Wednesday at about 6:00PM until his surgery on Friday he didn't eat anything. He was asleep most of the time, and continued to have substantial pain issues. He did come around a bit on Friday morning and was pretty coherent prior to surgery. Dr. Turner estimated the surgery would take about 6 hours. They took him back at about 1:00PM and after all prepping was complete they began surgery at 2:10PM. At 4:15 Dr. Turner came out into the waiting area. My heart sank as I expected him to say something had gone terribly wrong. Instead, he said everything went great. They was no scar tissue to work through, the tumor was very soft and they were able to suck it out easily. In addition, there was minimal blood loss. Dr. Turner indicated that they were able to remove the tumor down to clear margins except for the piece of tumor attached to an artery. At about 6:00PM they took Dan to his room on the Critical Care floor. Pam and I expected to see Daniel like he was after the first surgery, which included, poor motor skills, eyes gone haywire, and virtual incoherence. Instead, we found his eyes were the same as before surgery, excellent motor skills, and he was able to carry on a conversation. He is in a great deal of pain as was expected, but we hope that his shunt will take care of the fluid pressure issue so that all we have to worry about will be the pain from the surgery. If the shunt does not work properly they will have to insert a temporary drain, and that is no fun. When I went in to see Dan at 5:00AM this morning he said two things, "My head hurts, and I'm starving", the latter being a good sign. I know I have said it many times before, but I am so proud of my son. He is the toughest kid I know. Yesterday, prior to surgery as we were saying our goodbyes I was quite upset. I stood there not knowing if that would be the last time I ever see my son alive. I keep seeing images of Dan as a little boy full of energy and mischief, and what I wouldn't give to return to those days, without the pain, without the cancer. After I hugged him and told him that I loved him I stood up to leave, and he said "don't worry Dad - I'll be alright". I thought to myself, here goes my kid...whose life hangs in the balance, and he is more worried about me than he is himself. Incredible! My kid is incredible! February 16 Daniel felt pretty good last night as they wound down his medication.  Unfortunately, he did not feel well when he woke this morning. They had to start him on a morphine pump, and he has gotten some relief from the pain in his head. He is very tired but is having difficulty resting.  He will need to get as much rest as possible prior to Friday as the surgery will really take it out of him. Dan's oncologist is now suggesting that radiation begin as soon as possible, and that he start oral chemotherapy at the same time. The next month or two could be a real challenge. We will need his competitive nature to be in full bloom as he approaches the most difficult few months of his life. I pray that he has the strength and determination to see this through. February 15 Yesterday morning Daniel woke up with a severe headache and began vomiting shortly thereafter. I brought him to the emergency room at Methodist at about 9:30AM. We spent the better part of the day in emergency while they tried to get his pain and nausea under control. By last evening Daniel was feeling better and began eating. Dr. Turner put him on steroids to reduce any swelling in his brain. Apparently, the tumor has caused some swelling and therefore it was prohibiting his shunt from working properly. According to the CT scan they did yesterday, the tumor has not grown any from last week, and Dan's ventricles are about the same. Dr. Turner said the tumor has pushed his shunt up a bit which is causing the problem. Dan is feeling better today and there has been some discussion about sending him home tomorrow if he has the pain under control. If not, he will stay in the hospital until surgery on Friday, which is scheduled for 12:30PM. Daniel is upbeat, playing lots of Playstation, and eating and eating and eating.... (steroids will do that to you). Dan is really disappointed that he will be unable to attend the wrestling state finals this weekend. He is so proud of the fact that we are sending 5 guys to state, and he wishes each one the best of luck. Please know that his heart will be with the team even though his body can't. For Wes, Michael, D.J., Philip, and Cody...carry his strength with you, and give it everything you have, as we know you will. Providing everything goes well on Friday, Dan should be in the hospital for 6-7 days. I will keep everyone posted on his progress over the next several days. Thanks so much for your continued prayers and support. February 11 Daniel's tumor is back...and bigger than before. He will have surgery next week to remove as much of the tumor as possible. After about one week of recovery he will begin radiation, followed by chemotherapy. Dr. Turner says that while the tumor is bigger it actually makes it easier for him to get to. In addition, he suggests that radiation seems to work pretty well on tumors multiplying at this rate. Dan, to his credit, is doing very well. He was his normal chipper self last night despite the discouraging news. He even went to school today, which in my mind is incredible given the number of times he will be faced with his reality via questions, etc.. In case you haven't been able to tell through other updates, I am very proud of my son. He is the toughest person I know and a heck of a lot tougher than me right now. It looks like surgery will be next Thursday followed by 6-7 days in the hospital and then on to radiation. We're planning on spending a lot of time with Dan over the next several days. We want to do some things that he will enjoy. That may include a trip to Grandma and Grandpa Kieffer's, a visit to see his brother at the University of Dayton, spending time with the Mercer family, and maybe some other "special" activities. A number of people have said to me, "this is God's way of testing you". I don't believe that. God would have no part of something that hurts so many.  Instead, in my minds-eye I see some little gremlin at work here. And, let me promise you this, if I ever catch him, I will pinch his head off (So let it be written, so let it be done). God will, however, be there to help us put Daniel and our family back together. On one of my morning walks last week I asked God for strength to guide Daniel and my family through this ordeal. The following message came to my mind, "worry not my son, for the Lord thy God will bring peace unto you."  Maybe I dreamt it, maybe I made it up. I don't know. I do know this; however, God will be with Daniel and our family regardless of the outcome. Many, many thanks to all of our friends and our community who have continued to support us either in person, or through messages, cards, etc.. A huge thank you to all the students and teachers in Franklin Community Schools who have been incredible in their support for Daniel. He has drawn such strength from the wristbands, comments, hugs, and extra help that you have provided. God Bless you all!!! Monday, February 07 Last week was a roller coaster for Dan. He had some really great moments, and some moments of real reflection. I think Daniel has done remarkably well for someone who has had to face all that he has. As was expected, some of the tough questions are being faced now. This is a time to ask for strength via your faith, your family, and your network of friends. His faith is strong, his family is determined, and his friends are committed. On a positive note, Dan was named Snowcoming King at the basketball game on Saturday night. He received a standing ovation when his name was announced. He thought that was pretty awesome...so did his Mom and I. His Grandma and Grandpa, Aunts, and cousins were all there to share in the excitement. He had a great day yesterday as his family came over for a Super Bowl party. Dan had more energy than I have seen since November. We did some skeet shooting in the afternoon, and as per usual, Dan beat everyone...impaired vision and all. We go to Riley tomorrow night for an MRI. The pictures will give the radiologist and the oncologist a baseline for beginning treatment.  My thought is that maybe the tumor will be gone...dissolved by all the prayers which have gone out on Daniel's behalf. Here's hoping! Tuesday, February 01 Emory Austin (motivational speaker) once said, "Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway." That's kind of the way I feel about the last couple of weeks. We have tried, sometimes unsuccessfully, to be upbeat and positive regarding Daniel's unknown prognosis. It's really a challenge, the not knowing, the constant worrying, the inability to control anything.....except your attitude, and sometimes not even that. Therefore, I have decided to commit to copy my resolution to "Sing anyway". For Daniel to be strong of faith, body, and mind he will need our family and each of you to reinforce his terrifically positive attitude. I ask that every single person that reads this, sees Daniel, or has a moment to offer a thought or prayer, do so with a song in your heart.  Yesterday we met with Dr. Jeffrey Goldman (oncologist). As has been noted before, Daniel's diagnosis was changed from an ependymoma to a central neurocytoma. Dr. Goldman felt we should get a second opinion and we agreed. Daniel's tumor specimen was sent to St. Jude in Memphis.  St. Jude was unwilling to make a call on the tumor type, so they sent it to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The doctors at Johns Hopkins have determined that Daniel has a tumor referred to as a high grade glioma.  If that is the case, which we believe it probably is, then the tumor is malignant and will require appropriate treatment. Because of my baseball background and the fact that I don't like ties, we have asked to play best two out of three with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Dan's tumor will be sent out tomorrow and we will wait for confirmation. In the meantime, we intend to get Daniel started on his treatment. The plan calls for radiation 5 days per week for 6 weeks. They tell us the treatment daily will last about 15 minutes. He will then have 4 weeks to recover before starting chemotherapy. The chemo, which will be taken orally, will consist of 5 consecutive days every 28 days, and this will last for 1 year.  On a more positive note, Daniel feels good. His strength is coming back little by little. He continues to be the strongest member of our family mentally, except for maybe his Mother. If his approach is any indication of what's to come.....strap in big "C" you're in for a heck of a fight! Wednesday, January 26th Daniel visited his surgeon yesterday. Dr. Turner drew fluid off Daniel's brain to check for any existing infection. If there is infection then Dan will have to undergo surgery to replace the plastics in his shunt. He is feeling really good so Dr. Turner was hopeful that maybe there is no infection and that procedure can be avoided. We should know by Friday. A bit of news that we did not want to receive is that Dr. Turner believes the pathology report is going to revert back to the Ependymoma diagnosis. You may recall that the Indianapolis pathologist changed his diagnosis to a Central Neurocytoma. However, just to get a second opinion, we had his specimen sent to St. Jude in Memphis. They were unwilling to make a call, so the specimen was sent to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Their preliminary report is leaning toward an Ependymoma. We should know officially in the next few days.  This has been an emotional rollercoaster of epic proportions. We will continue to hope for the best. Wednesday, January 19 Daniel has continued to progress very well. He attended school every day last week, and made it through the full day - every day. He has some short term memory issues that will require him to be a good list maker, and his vision continues to frustrate him although it is perfectly normal given the procedures performed on him.  Daniel enjoyed spending last Saturday with the wrestling team as they won the Mid-State Conference tourney. Coach Hasseman even let him sit next to him for a few matches to provide some additional karma. Must have worked since we won, but I'm not sure that coaching is in the cards for Dan. He didn't appear to be offering much good advice, at least as far as I could tell. Daniel worked out with the baseball team Monday and Tuesday night. He ran, did sit-ups, modified pushups, leg lifts, and even played boredom ball. Last night he threw with one of the coaches, fielded some ground balls and took some short hops. It's just nice to see him back out with the guys again, and I could see the competitive juices flowing when it came time for him to run and try to keep up.  We go back to see Dr. Turner next Tuesday to check on Dan's infection, or hopefully, lack thereof. Dan can hardly wait to have his "shunt tapped" again. St. Jude Hospital has sent Dan's tumor specimen to Johns Hopkins Univ. for a second opinion on diagnosis and suggested treatment. Wednesday, January 05 We met yesterday with Daniel's surgeon (Dr. Turner). We were there as a follow up to the infection that Daniel is being treated for. The jury will be out for another 2-3 weeks on the infection in order to give the antibiotics a chance to work, and the infection a chance to gain strength. At that point we will know whether another procedure will be required. Basically, it will involve replacing Dan's shunt if they can't control the infection. In addition, and more importantly, Dr. Turner informed us that the pathology report on Daniel's diagnosis has been changed. As a result of the tissue sample taken during the surgery on November 26th the report is now suggesting that Daniel has a Central Neurocytoma, and not an Ependymoma. A Central Neurocytoma is a benign tumor fairly common in young adults. The initial treatment involves resection (removal), which has been done. Follow up treatment could include simply monitoring future growth, or potentially radiation.  Chemotherapy is used very little to not at all with this type of tumor.  The following direct quote from Dr. Turner was prophetic, "I don't know if you guys have been praying or what, but this diagnosis is about 1000 times better than what we had before". My initial thought was, "as a matter of fact we have been praying....by the hour, and so have thousands of other people in Franklin and across the country". I will repeat a statement I made in an earlier update, "Behold the hand of God at work". I know no other way to explain it. Every single event that has occurred since we received the initial gloomy diagnosis has shown improvement. We thought they couldn't remove the tumor...yet they did.  We couldn't resolve the intracranial pressure/pain issue...yet they did.  The diagnosis of an Ependymoma, even after a biopsy, is changed to a Central Neurocytoma. Maybe it's just coincidence, maybe it's just luck, or maybe it's the consistent prayer and support of literally thousands and thousands of people, and an outstanding medical team who have combined to make a significant contribution to the recovery of this young man. Tuesday, January 04 Daniel continues to get stronger. He feels good. He's taking no pain medication, and hasn't for three weeks. Daniel and his mother met with Mrs. Hopper (guidance director at Franklin High School) yesterday to discuss his return to school. Mrs. Hopper has been extremely helpful in facilitating this whole process. Dan's schedule has been altered slightly to provide some accommodation for his challenges (fatigue, vision, etc.). He starts today for a brief period of time, and will probably increase as the week goes on. We expect that he will resume a nearly full day of classes as early as next week. We meet with his surgeon at lunch time today to check on his infection and possible next steps related to that. Hopefully, there won't be any next steps. We anticipate a call from his Oncologist in the next week or so to schedule a meeting to discuss treatment. We have placed that reality far from our minds for the past couple of weeks so that we can get Dan's strength and spirits up. That has happened, so I think we're ready for the next step. Huge "thanks" to all for your continued support, especially through the holidays. It has meant a great deal to all of us. Dan has written a "Heart" which will appear in next weeks "Hearts and Darts" section in the Daily Journal. It really captures the feeling that our entire family has toward our family, friends and community. Wednesday, December 29 Daniel had a terrific holiday.  He enjoyed spending Christmas Eve with the Mercer side of the family, and had a great time on Christmas Day with the Kieffer side of the family.  The Christmas Day trip to his Grandparents house was the first extended trip away from home in months, but he felt fine, ate an inordinate amount, and in general had a wonderful day.  On Sunday, December 26th he attended the Colts game with Coach Lynch, Michael and Bart.  Coach Lynch had field passes for the boys and they were really excited about being close to the action.  What a great game!  Dan was somewhat shocked that the lady sitting next to him, whom he did not know, asked if he was the boy with the brain tumor that she had been reading about.  He has touched more lives than he realizes.  On Monday he attended the Pacers game, thanks to Dean Abplanalp.  He was right behind the Pacer bench, and was stunned by the whole experience.  He didn’t arrive home until nearly 11:00PM, and was more interested in talking about the game than going to bed…..now there’s a change.  Dan went to his first physical therapy session and has been given a series of exercises designed to strengthen his core areas.  He has been doing them religiously as I think he is becoming more determined to regain his strength.  Yesterday, Jeff brought Daniel to LTD (Baseball Facility).  Dan hit off the tee for a little bit, and played catch with his Dad.  He can’t see to catch very well yet, but his arm strength was fine.  I felt kind of like Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams” when he was able to “Have a Catch” with his Dad.  It’s something that we tend to take for granted…..not anymore. Wednesday, December 22 Daniel is continuing to progress.  On Monday he worked out at Franklin College with his brothers Jeff and Joe, and family friend Levi Smythe.  He rode a stationary bike for 10 minutes, walked for 10 minutes, shot baskets, and even did some light bench presses.  I think he may have overdone it a bit as he crashed in the evening. He is getting out of the house every day now to go eat or go shopping.  He looks and sounds so much better.  On Tuesday evening Coach Vittorio (baseball coach at the University of Dayton) and his wife Heather stopped by for a visit.  We laughed and laughed at Daniel describing the 15 needles to the head ordeal that he went through last week.  It’s great that he can laugh about it now, because it was no laughing matter when he was going through it.  Dan is really looking forward to having his family over for Christmas Eve, and traveling to his Grandma and Grandpa Kieffer’s on Christmas Day.  It will be the first time since this began that his cousins will see him while he is feeling well.  I’m sure they will notice a big difference.  Pam has informed all of us that tonight is reserved for the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  That picture takes on a new meaning this year, and for the first time I don’t think the boys will even complain about having to watch it. Monday, December 20 Well, we made it through Saturday without having to make a trip to the hospital.  I'm sure Methodist had brought in an extra crew in anticipation as we have kept them quite busy on the weekend.  Daniel had a terrific end to the week.  He has really done well.  He is virtually pain free and getting stronger each day.  On Thursday he went shopping with his Mom for a bit (he must have had surgery or something for that to have ever happened).  Friday we went to the high school basketball game.  As we were standing in the hallway ready to go into the gym someone came running out and told Daniel they had just announced his name, and that he needed to go in.  The entire gymnasium gave Daniel a standing ovation.  He walked to the scorer’s bench and stood there while they played the national anthem.  What an unbelievable show of support, and one of the first he has had the opportunity to witness.  He was really touched, and so were we.  Anthony, our 9 year old, said afterwards "Mom cried the whole time", and I said "she wasn't alone". Daniel got really tired, but just had to stay to the end of what was an exciting game.  On Saturday Daniel went to the Johnson County Wrestling meet.  It was great for him to see all of his wrestling buddies, teammates and opponents.  He went to the locker room with the team for the pre-meet "pep talk", Coach Hasseman let him go out for the captains meeting, and John Rigney (AD at Indian Creek and family friend) had a nice presentation for him prior to the start of the meet.  It was a huge poster signed by the different wrestling teams.  On Sunday, Daniel went out with some of his friends for awhile, and went to Emily's to watch some of the Colts game.  It's great to see him slowly returning to his regular activities.  We were somewhat thrilled that Peyton didn't break the record against the Ravens, because Coach Lynch has tickets for Daniel to attend next Sunday's game against the Chargers.  He even has field passes for Daniel.  The Dome will never be the same!  His mother and I have been so pleased to see Daniel's personality returning as well.  He was upbeat and funny this weekend, and that's really the first time since November 4th that he has been that way.  This will be our best Christmas ever.  It certainly brings to light "the true meaning of Christmas".  One of the boys asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I said I already received my present.  It weighs 200 lbs. and has a funny haircut.  Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Wednesday, December 15 We're back on the rollercoaster, but hopefully the downhill side this time. The doctors have indicated that Daniel has a late stage infection in his shunt/head, however they decided against drawing fluid off Daniel's brain, for which Daniel is eternally grateful. 10-15 needles to the head is enough for a lifetime, much less 3 days. They have chosen to place Daniel on oral antibiotics in hopes that it will take care of the infection. Daniel's spirits and attitude were lifted on Tuesday night as Scott and Nikki Rolen, Dave Taylor, and John Thiel stopped by. Scott brought Dan a game jersey with the inscription "Small Victories". Scott coaxed Daniel out of bed, took him on a four lap jaunt (the most he had ever done), and shared with him the meaning of "Small Victories". He told Daniel that being scared was OK, but to hold on to all those around him who love and support him in this situation.  He also told him to be proud of his small victories, whether that was walking the ward for four laps, or going outside, or whatever. I had the good fortune to push the IV cart while Scott worked his magic with Dan. It meant a lot to both of us. Scott is a terrific ballplayer, but more importantly, a terrific person. It could be coincidence, but Daniel was released from the hospital on Wednesday morning, insisted that we go straight to Chicago's Pizza before we went home, and in general had the best day at home probably since this ordeal began. He ate dinner at the table with his family, enjoyed seeing Emily, Ashley, and Michael, and even played Madden 2005 with his brother Joe. Thank goodness for "small victories". His pain, at the moment, is limited to the area on his head where they performed the needle "tap dance". That is to be expected, and should go away soon. The real positive is that there are no pressure headaches, and we are praying that it stays that way. If things continue to go well we hope that Daniel can stop by the basketball game on Friday and the County wrestling on Saturday. He is cautiously optimistic, but very excited to see all his friends. We hope to see many of you there. Keep your fingers crossed. Tuesday, December 14 Daniel spent less than one day at home before we had to return to Methodist. Severe headaches were the culprit. We were in the emergency room from 8:30AM until about 6:00PM on Saturday while they ran tests and tried to get his pain under control. If I haven't said it before, the emergency room is not a fun place to be, especially on a weekend. Those folks earn their money. I'm glad they do what they do, because this is the third time we have put them to work on a weekend. Daniel was transferred to the 7th floor on Sunday. There is some concern about a possible infection in his brain, so they continue to read the cultures from his tests. He is actually feeling pretty well physically. Last night he took a shower by himself, and took three laps around the ward.  His vision seems to be improving as well. The challenge now is not physical. He seems to have reached his hospital tolerance level, and then some. He is discouraged. As parents, we struggle knowing when to pat him on the back, and when to give him a swift kick. We sympathize with all that he has gone through, and we wouldn't wish it upon anyone.  However, lying around worrying about the next procedure, needle stick or whatever else isn't getting us any closer to normal life. I hope Pam or I come up with a bright idea in the next day or two. Although, I feel the "Coach" in me beginning to emerge. It's much like I used to tell my players, "If you're waiting for tomorrow to start competing...mistake...tomorrow has already arrived." Daniel needs to see firsthand the way that his family, friends, and community have been competing on his behalf. When that happens I believe we will begin to see that "Grizzly Spirit" that he has always exhibited. Unfortunately, he has spent so much time in a hospital bed that he is not fully aware of the incredible level of support that has surrounded him since this all began. I could be misjudging his character, but I don't think it will be long before he begins to kick this illness in the teeth. Behold the hand of God at work. Friday, December 10, 2004 Thirty-five of the past thirty-seven days have seen Daniel lying in a bed in Methodist Hospital. Today, he comes home. Dr. Turner stopped in early this morning, indicated that Daniel is doing very well, and that it was time to get him out of here. I can't even begin to express the emotional rollercoaster that has accompanied this ordeal. From the lowest of the lows, to the jubilation of the past few days culminating with the "good news" phone call from Pam at 6:50AM this morning. We do realize that this is merely step one in what will certainly be a multi-step process. However, I think I will enjoy this one for a few days. Life holds many realities for the Mercer family. First, Daniel faces radiation and chemotherapy beginning in the next couple of weeks.  He also has vision challenges, and will for awhile. He is extremely weak and will require months to regain an acceptable level of conditioning. In addition, we have his "reverse mullet" to contend with for the next several weeks while his hair grows back. A contrasting set of realities have become evident as well. If there was ever a question as to where Pam and I should have chosen to raise our children, it has been forever answered in the past five weeks. To contemplate the amount of time, energy, and money our community has committed on behalf of Daniel and our family would be staggering indeed. We cannot begin to repay the kindness and generosity that has been shown to our family. We do however, have the opportunity to use this experience for the benefit of others. Daniel can, and will, exhibit strength, courage and determination to stand as a shining example for what can be achieved through faith, family, and community. And, when it comes down to it, we may have needed to remind ourselves of that in this holiday season anyway. God Bless everyone, and on behalf of the Mercer family we wish you all a most joyous holiday season. Wednesday, December 8 Daniel underwent surgery last night to install the shunt. He was in a great deal of pain when he arrived back in his room in critical care. I went home last night to pick up the little boys and came back first thing this morning. Needless to say I didn't know what I would find. It was with much trepidation that his brother Jeff and I peeked into his room. What I found was that "my kid was back". Aside from the soreness of multiple incisions he feels so much better. He has been out of his bed this morning, sat in a chair and ate breakfast, and is intending to walk around the ward this morning. This is one of the happiest days of my life. I am so excited to see him feeling better! This has been the greatest challenge our family has ever faced, but all of us are so appreciative that we have not traveled this path alone. Our faith, family, friends and community have made this past month bearable. While we have a long way to go, I believe we have taken the first big step. We expect to bring Daniel home this Friday. He can't wait to see everyone. He even looks forward to being around his younger brothers....miracles do happen. Thanks to you all!!! Monday, December 06 Daniel's doctor returned from Mexico City today and stopped in this morning. He has determined that Daniel will need to have a shunt installed. The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. If everything goes well we can think about getting Daniel home toward the end of the week. Keep your fingers crossed. Daniel is not excited about another surgical procedure, but he understands that the intercranial pressure issue is not going away on its own. His motor skills have improved greatly in the past few days. He is now able to use his left hand pretty well, which was not the case earlier in the week. His eyes have gotten better, but he has a long way to go. I think this will serve as a source of great frustration before were done.  While Daniel is improving physically we need some work on the mental side of things. He has had enough of the hospital and the pain. I must say, I don't blame him. However, that is our reality, so we can sit and complain about it, or we can focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. For now, that will be a return home to celebrate Christmas. Friday, December 03 Daniel has gone 29 hours with his drainage tube clamped, and his intercranial pressure down which is terrific news. Maybe we can avoid having the permanent shunt? According to his Mother and nurse, he is much more coherent today. He was awake for five hours this morning, ate normally, watched TV, and played a football video game. It is so nice to see him returning to his normal disposition. He has begun his exercise routine to prepare him to move around normally. If all goes well today they may take out his drainage tube tomorrow. At that point Dad will become his worst nightmare. If I have to physically carry him up and down that hallway, we're going to get him moving. His eyes appear to be moving together for the first time in a week. Knock on wood, but this has been our best day in a week, maybe in a month. I truly believe all the prayers are continuing to work as his body comes back together. Here's one from the really cool column, Don Fischer (voice of IU athletics) sent an email to Daniel and indicated that he will recognize him tomorrow on the radio just before tipoff of the IU vs. Connecticut basketball. We will make sure we have a radio in his room at game time. This has been such a "great" day!!! Thursday, December 2nd Daniel has been resting comfortably for the past several days.  He spends most of the day sleeping which the doctor has indicated is fine right now. They did an MRI on Tuesday and found that he has some bleeding on his brain, which apparently is normal, but it is causing substantial pain. The bleeding should dissipate over the next several days. Daniel's intercranial pressure was registering 24-25 as of Tuesday, but was down to 8-12 by Wednesday afternoon. A decision on whether to place a shunt in Daniel's head should be made today or tomorrow. The shunt is a tube placed in his skull and runs to his abdomen. The purpose of the shunt is to drain excess spinal fluid. It is a permanent device which is housed internally. If it has to be done it will be the 5th surgical procedure for Daniel this month. His head has taken a pounding, and I know he is ready for a break. He has not eaten much lately and is pretty weak, but has retained his sense of humor and even chastised his Mom for eating some of his bacon yesterday.  More news to come as we have it. Monday, November 29th Pam spent the night with Daniel. She called this morning to say that the surgeon came by. He is very pleased with Daniel's progress. Daniel ate breakfast and went back to sleep. That's all for now. Thanks to all for your continued thoughts and prayers. Sunday, November 28th He woke up, with help, at about 10:00AM, and actually spoke pretty coherently. He brushed his teeth by himself although he missed the mark a bit. He also had 2 cups of orange sherbet. About 10 minutes later he asked for food....good sign. He ate a little bit and then went back to sleep. Later in the evening he ate a grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and an orange sherbet. The nurses and doctors are very pleased with his progress. Saturday, November 27th They kept Daniel very sedated the entire day. He did come around long enough to tell me he was in a lot of pain, and that "I want out of here". He took no visitors today, and even seemed agitated when the nurse or I came into his room. So, I would check in on him every 30 minutes or so, but I didn't go into the room. About 2:00AM or 3:00AM they became a bit concerned that he was sleeping too much and they began to cut back on his pain medication.  Friday, November 26th Reflecting back on the news we received one week earlier, today is a blessing. Just knowing we have a chance to remove part or all of the tumor gives us hope. Complete removal of an ependymoma improves chances greatly. Partial removal gives us a better chance than we had one week ago. Daniel is scared to death, as we all are. He read Sherri Coner's article about himself this morning....he cried....so did we. Sherri did a really nice job, but I think the reality of the situation is now upon him. As they took him to surgery several of his nurses from the past two weeks came in to wish him well. They have been so kind. Coach Pieper and Mike Carter joined us and our family as we took him to surgery. It was great to have them there for support, and to lighten the moment. As they were shaving electrode circles on Daniel's head, Mike Carter reminded Daniel "not to pay for that haircut". His hairstyle is sure to be quite unique for a while.  They took Daniel to surgery at 8:35AM. It took them until 10:00AM to get him prepped. At 10:05AM they began work. As you might expect it was highly computerized and the technicians later gave us a CD of what the doctor used to guide his progress. Every hour they called to update us. I have never been more nervous in my entire life. Sectional championships are a piece of cake compared to this. At about 1:20 they called to let us know the procedure was complete and they were just finishing up. At about 2:00PM the surgeon, Dr. Michael Turner came out and informed us that he was able to get the vast majority, or all of the tumor. He would know more after the next MRI. He said it went as smoothly as possible. Daniel remained in recovery until about 4:30PM.  He arrived back in critical care a short time later, and I must admit he didn't look very good. However, he could see and he could move his arms and legs....Thank God! He was sick most of the evening. Primarily from all the medication I expect. They were a bit concerned at about 9:00PM however, and took him for a CT scan to check for internal bleeding. It came back clean. He rested pretty well the rest of the night.  Thursday, November 25th Daniel enjoyed having his entire family join him for Thanksgiving in the 7th floor conference room at Methodist Hospital. We took the place over for several hours. I think it served as a good distraction from his impending surgery tomorrow.  Tuesday, November 23, 2004 After being given little hope for surgical removal of Daniel's tumor at our meeting last Wednesday, Dr. Turner informed us yesterday that upon further study of his MRI"s and CT scans that they believe they can get to it. It will involve entering Daniel's brain from the back as opposed to the top. While Daniel isn't particularly excited about the prospect of having his head opened up again, this is GREAT news for us. Dr. Turner feels good about the chances of getting the tumor out, which as you may recall was necessary in order for a positive prognosis.  Surgery is tentatively scheduled for this Friday. Daniel will get to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with his family, albeit at the hospital, but we have much to be thankful for. The surgery will take about 4 hours, and while there is always risk involved, it isn't a huge concern for the doctor. The normal recuperation period is 4-5 days if all goes well.  He will be back in critical care for a few days until he feels well enough to be moved.  We wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope to have a "good news" update next Monday. Sunday, November 21st Today was the best day Daniel has had for awhile. He felt really good, took another bath, had Chicago's Pizza, had numerous visitors. Just a good day all the way around. Saturday, November 20th It's never good when the phone rings at 2:00AM. Daniel's drainage tube stopped working, and the pressure in his brain went back up. His neurosurgeon happened to be on call this weekend, which was sheer luck, so he came in about 8:00AM and replaced the entire apparatus. It is a very painful process, but Daniel handled it well. He was quite sore all day, but by evening he was in less pain.  We did receive some encouraging news from the neurosurgeon today. He and his partners have been looking at the MRI, and they believe it might be possible to access the tumor from another direction. As you may recall, this type of tumor really needs to be removed. So, maybe they will be able to get to it after all. We will continue to pray that the doctors will develop a plan that will include successful removal.  Friday, November 19th More of the same. We continue to fight the infection in his brain. He did take a bath today...which was good news for all who have been visiting. His vision is slowly coming back, which is also good news because we want to get him started on his school work. I know he can't wait (Ha!). Thursday, November 18th Today began as a bit of a "downer" given our news from yesterday.  However, as has been the case all along Daniel bounced back with a remarkably good attitude. His spirits were further lifted with a nice package from the Butler baseball team, as well as, a personal note from Bobby Bowden (football coach from Florida State). Daniel is feeling pretty good. He continues to eat well. In fact, Methodist may have to undergo a complete re-stocking of food products once he leaves. Coach Hasseman will have his work cut out trying to get him back to 189 again. Wednesday, November 17th Daniel continues to feel better as he fights infection. He is eating well and tired of laying in bed.  Pam and I met with Daniel's neurosurgeon today regarding his pathology report. We did not get the news we wanted. Daniel has an ependymoma.  This type of tumor responds to treatment if it can be removed completely. If not, the odds go way down. Daniel's tumor is located so deeply in the brain that the likelihood of taking all of it out is slim.  His doctor is sending his results to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, TN. for further study. St. Jude is the foremost expert on pediatric tumors in the world. Daniel, as per usual, is handling this news with great courage. His faith and determination were evident yesterday as we began to deal with the reality of our situation. Pam and I are incredibly proud of our son. He is a special young man.  Now on to better thoughts. At this moment Daniel doesn't need our sympathy, he needs our love, support, encouragement and prayers. He will not give up, and neither can any of you. Your calls, notes, and visits will continue to lift his spirits. We hope to have him home by Thanksgiving where he can enjoy his family, the outdoors, and most importantly, the food! As always, thanks so much for all that each of you has done and continues to do. Tuesday, November 16th Daniel felt great today. He is 100% more coherent than before. He has begun to remember specific assignments from school, and has started to worry about how he will get caught up. His vision appears to be improving as well, which is a good sign. Daniel had quite a few visitors tonight. He was in the height of his glory. He is still unable to move around as he is limited by the tube in his brain, but they have indicated that they will hook him up to a pump soon that will allow him to get up and move around. Hopefully, to a shower.....and soon! We meet with the neurosurgeon Wednesday at Noon to go through the pathology report. We will learn of the type of tumor we are dealing with and how we intend to proceed. Pam called me at home last night and said she had stopped by the Chapel (at the hospital) for a moment. As she approached the altar she noticed an open bible. It was open to "The Book of Daniel". Coincidence.....maybe.....or maybe not. Monday, November 15th Daniel has begun to feel better. The pain is beginning to subside a bit, and he has been allowed to eat again which is great news for him.  He even managed to choke down the White Castle's which he requested, and I brought him. I'm beginning to think that we should hold out for some sort of endorsement deal with White Castle like Jared did with Subway.  If the White Castle's cure the tumor, you can bet my first call will be to the White Castle corporate office (Ha!). The doctors have started antibiotics that will fight the infection in Daniel's brain. Once the infection is gone, the doctors will decide if Daniel is going to receive a shunt to divert fluid from his brain to his abdomen. He had a few visitors this evening, and he was very happy to see some of his friends. I even think he is beginning to miss school a bit.....this brain surgery is having a more profound impact than I thought. Is there a "school" section in the brain? If so, we may need to consider tweaking it again. Sunday, November 14 Sunday began with more of Saturday. Daniel had intense pain followed be vomiting, which in turn made the pain worse. His incision was swollen from the pressure and you could track his heartbeat in the swollen area.  Each beat produced a pulsating action. He had a terrific nurse who worked all day to control his pain. However, about 9:00AM further complications appeared. His temperature began rising about 1 degree per hour due to what they suspect is infection. He topped out at 103.1 in combination with the pain. At a time when things couldn't have gotten much worse, a ray of sunshine peeked through the clouds. All the work of his nurse began to pay off. His temperature began dropping, his pain level went way down, his blood pressure become much better.....thank God. By 5:00PM he was resting comfortably, and he was hungry.....a good sign. His neurosurgeon came in, on his day off, to check on Daniel. He inserted a tube through the side of his head to drain fluid and relieve some of the pressure. He also told us that they would have to insert a shunt once Daniel fought off the infection. The shunt is a tube inserted internally that diverts fluid from the brain into the abdomen.  His body is just producing more spinal fluid that it can absorb.  It looks like Daniel will be there most of the week as we get him squared away. We expect to receive our pathology results this Wednesday and that will tell us what we are dealing with and how it will be treated.  In the meantime, our sincere appreciation and gratitude to all that have done so much to assist us.  Saturday, November 13 Saturday is a day we hope to forget.....quickly. Daniel's incision began leaking from the other side so we took him to the emergency room at Methodist where they stitched the remainder of the opening. He almost instantly began getting sick as the pressure in his brain became unbearable. No sooner than we got him home we had to rush him back to the emergency room. He spent nearly 5 hours in the emergency room and was then transferred to the critical care unit. I don't know that I have ever seen someone in so much pain. My admiration for the way Daniel handles this continues to grow. He never once cried or yelled out, it's like he just kind of went to another place in his mind. The pain medication was virtually useless, and so were we as parents. We have never felt so helpless in our entire lives. So frustrating and heartbreaking. Friday, November 12 Today Daniel began leaking spinal fluid from his incision, an indication that pressure is beginning to build in his brain. We took him to his doctor in the afternoon where he re-stitched half of his incision.  Daniel was in moderate pain the rest of the evening and pretty much laid around. He was pleased to have several friends visit Friday night. November 11th What started as a pretty good day for Daniel ended up being a terrific day. Dave Taylor (founder of the Indiana Bulls baseball organization), and Scott Rolen (St. Louis Cardinals) visited the house to provide well-wishes and encouragement to Daniel. Fortunately, a number of Dan's friends were there and had the opportunity to meet and talk to Scott.  What a great evening.      *****     *****     *****     *****     ***** 11/9/04 Newest update: We received word yesterday from Daniel's surgeon that his upper torso MRI came back clear. That is a minor miracle in itself given that the type of tumor they believe he has tends to spread quickly to the spinal column. So, for now we are only dealing with a tumor in one spot...which is a blessing. We meet next Wednesday with his surgeon to get his pathology report and to begin to chart a course of action. Until then, we are working to get Daniel back up to strength. Daniel came home yesterday, and although he was a little tired, he had a great day. He is getting more mobile by the minute. He has several things planned for today, not the least of which is a trip to Chicago's for the lunch buffet. Chicago's is second only to White Castle on his list of favorites. His Mom will then take him by the high school for a few minutes to visit, and his day will culminate by visiting his brother Anthony's classroom at Creekside. Daniel and I had a long talk yesterday before the surgeon came in with MRI results. He has had a terrific attitude all along given the circumstances, and we talked about turning this experience into a positive for our family and community. It has been mentioned several times that this is so unfair for the Mercer family. Daniel and I spoke yesterday that in some strange way we might have been the right choice for something like this for a couple reasons. First, cancer will have no tougher opponent than Daniel and his family. Second, we must use this unfortunate event to exhibit Daniel's faith, strength, and determination. We hope as a result, that our entire community can draw strength from observing, praying, and supporting us in this battle. Again, many thanks to all who have lent their support, prayers and assistance. It is appreciated more than you know. 11/7/04 Daniel spent the better part of Saturday and Sunday virtually incoherent. Medicine and the stress of surgery had been more than he could physically handle. He was so weak from lying around that he was moving backward in his recovery process. So, yesterday morning I determined it was time to get him moving. His older brother Jeff and I got him out of bed, sat him up, dragged him down the hallway and back. By last night, he walked to the waiting room in critical care, sat with his many visiting friends, and ate White Castle - typical teenager. We anticipate that he will come home tomorrow or Thursday.  As of this morning we are waiting on results of an extensive MRI and his biopsy. While we are braced for the worst, we are hoping for the best.  Regardless, we intend to go to battle like we never have before. It will take much faith, strength, and determination, but we are full of all of that and more.  We truly appreciate all of the cards, emails, and calls wishing us well.  It's times like this when you understand why you live in a community like Franklin. Keep Daniel in your prayers. 11/4/04 Last Thursday my son, Daniel, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Quite a shock given that we thought he had benn fighting a concussion from playing football.  He was operated on on Friday to relieve pressure in his brain and to take a biopsy.   Thanks to you and the entire high school for your support through all of this. We are still waiting for the results of his MRI and biopsy. To be honest, I am braced for the worst. However, cancer has seen few opponents as tough as the one it will face with Daniel our family, and this entire community. He made great strides yesterday. Jeff and I drug him out of  bed, madehim walk up and down the hallway, and by last night he was sitting in the waiting room with all his friends - eating White Castle. We think he will come home probably tomorrow. You know, it's times like this that I thank God we live in a place like Franklin. You have allbeen incredibly supportive. Please do me one favor.....tell the students who have made the trek to Methodist over the last several days "thank you"!!! Daniel lights up when he sees them, and they will be his best medicine over the next several months. Jeff Mercer Director of Operations Franklin Community School Corporation 998 Grizzly Cub Drive Franklin, IN. 46131 (317) 738-5800 mercerj@fcsc.k12.in.us
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