Update & Guest Blogger

We are going to have a guest blogger today- Dan's friend Serge. A quick update before we get to him.

Dan's WBC (white blood cells) are low, which increases the risk of infection. So new medicine has been ordered to address that issue. The sore throat and cough are still there. Dan's voice is very raspy, so he can't talk as much as normal. And he is still wiped out. However, he is in better spirits and very focused on recovering.

We are gearing up for the Waeger Cup this weekend- rain or shine! Hopefully Dan will able to play a few holes. A lot of people have put in great effort to put the event on, and we're looking forward to raising lots of money for NCCF and young adult cancer survivors.

Ok- here is an email I received from Dan's friend Serge (I am told his real name is Alden, but all of Dan's college friends seem to go by names that have strange backstories)....

Meg wrote a while back about what to say to Dan when you didn’t have the words – concluding in the end you should always say something. After a prolonged period of denial that Dan was battling cancer, I had plenty of questions, only no one to really answer them. I wanted to know the drugs he was on, how it worked, why the radiation kills the body so much, how long it would be before he got his hair (what little he had), back. I never asked Dan any of those questions.

Why I didn’t ask them is simple – if Dan felt like talking to us about the cancer he would, otherwise my questioning would just remind him of the battle he faced. I figured the best thing I could do is treat Dan like I always did before, I would get my answers in due time, as I have. I wouldn’t baby the kid or sit around feeling sorry for him. He’d come stay with the roommates and I – we’d make fun of him, he’d mock us right back. He’d eat all the food, leave without a thanks for the hospitality and be on his way. Though he was sick, I think he was able to best be himself.

After Dan was first diagnosed, I said to a buddy, “Of all the people I know, and if absolutely had to pick someone to battle cancer it would be Dan.” I’m still not sure if it was an appropriate thing to have said, but I said it. I said it because of everyone I know Dan is the person that will not only beat cancer, but turn the battle into an opportunity. He just has the attitude that is needed. It rubs off on people. I think after his first chemo session he was already planning his foundation. Anyone who has ever met Dan, or has even read the blog, likely knows what I am talking about – where he gets that strength I don’t know. His family likely helped, friends possibly, and now Meg certainly helps – or maybe he was just born with it.

Dan switched to a new drug this past week, one that is a bit more severe and may be a bit more taxing on his body. He sees the new drugs as another opportunity to show his strength and another step on the path to being declared NED. Once that happens, Dan will spend more time growing his foundation and continuing the overall war against cancer. As for me, I’m stuck playing golf with Dan this week, but on the plus side that should provide ample opportunities to mock him.