Daniel Updates

2 Cool Cats

2011-07-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a teeny tiny courthouse wedding next month with a big backyard BBQ to celebrate. Wouldn't do it any other way!

Prints

2010-12-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

All of these prints are on sale! Please email tjoelkman@hotmail.com with any orders and we can mail the print to you in a tube with free shipping and handling. Sorry it took so long to post them!

'catastrophe'
20"x30"
print: $130

'speech is like'
22"x24"
print: $115

'something's wrong...'
20"x24"
print: $100

'seeing everything disasters'
20"x30"
print: $130

'natural disaster'
20"x30"
print: $130

'potential evolutional disaster'
20"x30"
print: $130

'holding breath disaster'
20"x30"
print: $130

'handing out disasters'
24"x24"
print: $120

'GTO disaster'
20"x30"
print: $130

'looking at the disaster'
20"30"
print: $130

'cartoon disaster'
20"x24"
print: $100

'can't speak'
20"x24"
print: $100

'AVM disaster'
24"x40"
print: $200

Ballard Art Walk!

2010-11-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Art Walk went really well! A lot of family, friends, and other people we didn't know stopped by. Gina, the host, said it was the best Art Walk she has had so far. Fantastic! The art will be hanging for about one week. Here are some pictures of the installation, and the event. In another blog, Daniel will post pictures of each of the pieces and list the prices for anyone interested in purchasing a print. Feel free to email tjoelkman@hotmail.com with questions, or orders.

October 27

2010-10-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Two days ago a huge, awesome, amazing thing happened. Daniel ventured out into the world in the truck ALONE! I have been waiting for this moment for oh so long. There were a lot of fears that had to be overcome for this to happen. When I got home from work and Daniel told me he had gone to the store and and library by himself, I jumped with joy. He got a little bit lost in the crazy maze that is this neighborhood, but he made his way back home safe and sound. How life has changed in the past year. It's mind-blowing to think about.

-Lori

October 20

2010-10-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

When we got to Washington and went to get our WA licenses, Daniel found out that he had to take the driver's test again since he had had a stroke. Well, the test was today and...HE PASSED! The tester told him he did much better than some of the people who haven't had strokes. Pretty great!

On my days off of work, we have been getting all of Daniel's prints ready for the Ballard Art Walk next month. The prints look amazing and there are 12 of them altogether now. We have new mounting methods that are working fabulously. It's going to be a great collection for the show.

Work is going well. I'm getting used to the routines and I'm enjoying working with most of the clients. It's great to finally really feel like a nurse!

-Lori

Ballard Art Walk

2010-10-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

WHAT:
The Ballard Art Walk-bussinesses in downtown Ballard host the work of artists for a night. It is FREE for the public to view! Daniel is going to be one of the artists showing his work!!

WHEN:
November 13th, 6-9 PM

WHERE:
Ruby Massage
5227 Ballard Ave NW
Suite 1
Seattle, WA 98107
(It's right between Rudy's Barbershop and King's. Go up the stairs and be surrounded by Daniel's artwork!)

Daniel will be showing a collection made up of about 10 pieces. This is all new artwork that he has created in Seattle. I'm so excited to see his work hanging! The pieces will also be for sale. Please come down and check it out! Tell your friends!

-Lori

September 26

2010-09-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going into my third week of orientation at my new job. It has been overwhelming, and life is a blur to me right now. I'm learning many new skills that I did not get the opportunity to practice during nursing school. That's been great. I'm working at a group home where 6 residents live. Most of them are ventilator-dependent, or have tracheostomies, and require a lot of care. There are 2 registered nurses on staff 24 hours a day, and we are running around the whole shift. It's a busy place!

Daniel and I are very excited that Art Prize has started. It's amazing to see pictures of his work hanging up for the public to see. It's about time! Daniel has been busy working on more artwork. He's done a good handful of fantastic pieces since we arrived in Seattle.

Other than being busy, life is great here. Still loving the weather and the scenery. We had the chance to meet up with one of Daniel's speech therapists from Chicago. She was in Seattle on vacation. It was so fun to talk with her and her husband. Daniel was able to work with some pretty amazing people during his rehab process.

-Lori

September 15

2010-09-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

Roger & I had the honor and pleasure of installing Daniel's art piece for ArtPrize tonight. It was a time of celebration for us in regards to Daniel, his hard work, his fearless fight against this evil AVM, and his unbelievable spirit of hope and determination. It was great to share his story with the people who were there and just stand back in amazement at the beautiful 5 piece, 12 foot submission aptly name "AVM".

ArtPrize officially begins on September 22. Daniel's piece is at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 250 Commerce SW in Grand Rapid's Heartside neighborhood. Please stop and see it if you have a chance and even better, vote for him with code: 44351. You need to register downtown in order to vote. The hours are M-Th 5 - 8pm, F&Sat 12 - 10pm, and Sun 12 - 6pm. A huge 'thank you' to all the people who volunteer at Bethlehem Lutheran to enable this event!!

Lori is BUSY working her first full week as an RN!!! I believe that she works 52 hours this week. We're all eager to hear about it when she comes back up for air. :)

-Cynthia

September 3

2010-09-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On Tuesday I start the orientation for my first nursing job. I'm thrilled beyond belief!

For the past week Daniel and I have been sick. We are both doing MUCH better now, but we haven't been out much.

-Lori

August 27

2010-08-27T17:55:00.001-07:00

One morning this week we got up and it was a perfect, warm day. So, we decided to take a drive. We went up I-5 to Anacortes, and from there crossed Deception Pass onto Whidby Island. We went all the way through the island, making stops along the way. Then took the ferry into Everett and drove back home. It was a perfect day.

Deception Pass

Picnic lunch at Deception Pass State Park. There were a lot of people there!

Justin, we thought of you. Wrong spelling, but pretty close!

Daniel's first time hiking a trail in over a year! This was the view at Fort Ebey State Park. We were entertained by a couple of kids down on the shore trying to surf on some driftwood. They were not successful, I'm sad to report.

We stopped and explored Fort Casey for a while.

From the top of the fort we watched sail boats, tug boats and barges passing through the Puget Sound.

I think we might take it easy this week!
-Lori

August 22

2010-08-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

This past week has been great! Here are some of our adventures:
This is Daniel and Mike's great grandpa who we visited up in Lynden yesterday. He is a whopping 98 years old! It was great to visit with him.

Daniel and Mike's uncle Steve raises alpaca in Mount Vernon. We stopped by to see the farm and squeeze some fuzzy, adorable alpaca. Daniel is feeding one for the first time, and experiencing the aggressive lip action on the palm of his hand!

This little one was my favorite.

Last weekend, Daniel, my parents and I went to my family's cabin in Leavenworth. I'm schooling Daniel at horseshoes here. Just kidding. I think I only beat him one time. He has some mad horseshoeing skillz.

He got the one and only ringer of the weekend!

Happy Birthday Bonnie!!

-Lori

August 13

2010-08-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Life is good in sunny, warm Seattle! The whirlwind of activities continues. Today we stopped by the Ballard Locks after going to the DSHS. We got to see several boats go through the passage, and we also went over to the salmon ladder. Down some stairs is an amazing viewing area where a big group of different types of salmon were hanging out. I learned that they stay in that area for a while to rest up before the last bit of their journey to the streams where they were born. They also need some time to get used to the temperature change of the fresh water after leaving the salt water.

Those are the locks behind us. We got there before the crowds. As we were leaving there were groups of school children crowding in. Also, a lot of bicyclists and runners. It's a popular place!

Last night we drove to Richmond Beach to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful night, and we got to watch a couple's wedding off in the distance.

Daniel has been driving all over town in my parent's truck. It's the perfect fit for him, and he is able to use the pedals without the pedal adapter, since there is more space for him to keep his right foot out of the way. It couldn't be more perfect! No job yet for me. I had a phone interview for a job at a hospital downtown, but they decided to go with the more experienced applicants. Bummer! It's challenging to become a more experienced applicant when no one will let me gain some experience! I'm still hopeful. We'll see what happens...

-Lori

Road Trip

2010-08-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Seattle on the 29th. A day earlier than we had planned. The trip went pretty well. The scenery along the way was very enjoyable. It was the first time either of us had driven across the country, and I wouldn't mind doing it again someday. Here are some of the pictures we took along the way.

Last night in the nearly empty apartment. The computer was the last thing to get packed.

All ready to head out of Chicago. McGuirk sat right there the whole drive, and seemed to enjoy himself. The UHAUL middle seat wasn't big enough, so Roger fit Daniel's coffee table, minus 2 of the legs, right over the middle seat. Perfect!

Road dog!

In South Dakota there were grasshoppers all over the highway. They would jump up right before the truck got close to them. We were getting pelted by hundreds of them! New experience for both of us.

In Montana, 20 miles out from Billings, I drove right into this thunderstorm. It was amazing! Luckily, there was a rest stop 2 miles from where we entered the storm and I pulled over to wait it out. We felt bad for the wet motorcyclists we saw standing under the shelter there.

Welcome to Washington!

Driving the truck was kind of fun. I'm thinking about auditioning for the next season of 'Ice-Road Truckers.' My back did get sore though.

Roll on Columbia.

McGuirk finally figured out how to really stretch out and get comfortable :)

It's great to finally be here in Seattle. It has been non-stop action since we arrived. There are so many people to see and errands to do. All is going great so far!

-Lori

July 24

2010-07-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

Goodbye little Artesian Ave Apartment! We have been spending our last few days packing and getting rid of stuff. We are planning to drive off on Monday. Daniel and I went to his old work, Vector, to say goodbye and clean out his locker. Those Vector folks will be missed!

I'll miss this view of the rusty old warehouse across the back alley. I know Daniel likes it too.

I will NOT miss these little, irritating ants. In this photo they are slurping up the tasty poison I left out for them. Sorry to all of the ant lovers.

Many baked goods have come out of this kitchen, including this whole-wheat crusted, get-rid-of-the-freezer-fruit pie. Yum! It was delicious!

We are looking forward to heading out. Recently, someone broke into our car. All they stole was Daniel's screwdriver, but it was still an unpleasant discovery. A couple of weeks ago, the maintenance guy told us he put rat poison in the basement because there was evidence of critters down there. Not 2 days later guess what Daniel found in his bedroom. A GIANT-sized RAT! Not a cute little mouse. After our attempts to trap it in a box, it disappeared and we haven't seen it since. Then, just last night I went down to the basement to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer and there was about 8 inches of water covering the entire floor. Seems like a great time to move!

The past year and a half have been something else! There are many tough memories filled with grief. There has also been healing, and the birth of new hope, which has grown from baby-sized to giant adult-sized hope. :) There are many wonderful, hilarious, and just plain good memories. Can't wait to see what comes next!

-Lori

July 16

2010-07-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

What a great week! As you can see, the packing process is well underway. Everything packing-related is feeling under control at this point. Cindy found a load of free boxes for us on craigslist and we've been working away since we got back from GR.

Last Saturday on the way out to GR we went to the Vector BBQ in Gary. It was the first time Daniel had seen most of the people from his old work since February 22nd. Daniel and I had a fantastic time there. It was great for Daniel to see everyone and feel all of the love and support up close. Hard to describe how wonderful it was to be there.

The time spent in GR was fun and relaxing. There was some socializing with friends, and plenty of hours in the pool, which was perfect. Daniel, Cindy and I had the chance to take a look at the venue where the art prize piece will be shown. The space inside looked great. I can't wait to see photos of it hanging up on the wall where many people will get to see it. Have I mentioned how amazing it is?

This coming week is the last full week we will be spending in Chicago. Hard to believe!

-Lori

July 9

2010-07-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

This week we have been packing up more and more boxes of items to move to Seattle. There are also some items that are being left behind, including this dear, beloved TV. Parting with this TV was sad for Daniel. It has been around since before he was born. It was his parent's first TV and he remembers watching it as a child and all throughout his life. Goodbye TV! You were loved!

Daniel's Grandpa and his wife, Etta, just stopped by for a visit. It was wonderful to spend some time with them, and we hope to have more visits in the future!

As Cindy wrote in the previous post, Daniel is in the Art Prize competition! Cindy is the best art manager anyone could ask for and Daniel and I are beyond thankful for her advocacy in the whole venue/artist matching process.

Looking forward to another weekend in GR, and hanging out with the fam. It will be nice to get out of these stuffy apartments for a few days.

-Lori

July 1, 2010

2010-07-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!!!

Daniel has been selected to display an art piece in the Grand Rapids ArtPrize 2010!!!

This is the world’s largest Art Prize and this is a huge accomplishment!!!

www.artprize.org

More information to follow in August. The contest begins late in September. Daniel’s admission is an amazing five-piece, 12-foot long depiction of hope and tenacity entitled ‘AVM’.

June 25

2010-06-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time in Grand Rapids over the weekend. There was a lot of talking, visiting, relaxing, and some storm-watching. Daniel's confidence continues to increase. It's wonderful to see! Only one more trip to GR is planned before we move, which is hard and sad to say.

No major Art Prize news to report. Still waiting...

Back in Chicago we have continued to work on cleaning, organizing and packing little by little. It's amazing how quickly a box will fill up with stuff while it doesn't look like it's made a dent in the packing process at all. We'll get there. I know it.

By this time next week we'll finally know whether or Daniel's piece will have a venue for Art Prize. I'm hoping to have good news, but whatever the outcome, all will be ok.

-Lori

June 18

2010-06-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sad to say that we have yet to secure a venue for Art Prize. There are about 13 days left for the venue-artist matching process, and we still have high hopes! Daniel's piece is too amazing to not be seen at Art Prize. Come on venues!!

Today we are driving up to Grand Rapids to hang out for the weekend. Looking forward to jumping into Cindy and Roger's pool!

-Lori

June 11

2010-06-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

It has been a week of waiting, which induced a week of insanely crazy dreams for me. Attacking opossums, chainsaws, suicidal grandmas. Not good! Anyways, we are waiting to hear back from the Spectrum Health contact about securing one of their venues for Art Prize. We were hoping to hear back today, but it seems like we may have to wait through the weekend. I am also waiting for a hospital in Seattle to let me know whether or not they want me to interview with them. This waiting is not easy!

As Cindy mentioned, Daniel and I, and McGuirk are moving to Seattle. We are planning on heading out in a UHAUL at the end of July, which is coming up quickly. The nursing school I went to is more well known out there, and I have more contacts. Hopefully, I'll be employed soon. It's going to be a huge change for all of us.

A few days ago Daniel showed me an arm movement using his right pectoral muscle that he can now do more easily. I'm always amazed to see the noticeable improvements. His brain is still making new connections.

Daniel has been doing new artwork, as you can see in this posting. He has not been too keen on posting art on the zhibit website recently. In the future, he would love to have a great website designed specifically for his art. It will happen someday, and I'll be sure to post the address here when it does.

-Lori

June 1, 2010

2010-06-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Roger & I spent another wonderful weekend with Lori and Daniel. We continue to see improvements in Daniel's speech and confidence. It's beautiful and we're thankful. We all went out for dinner; an enormous step and a first!! Lori baked us into a spoiled state of happiness.

Daniel brought his artprize piece to Grand Rapids and we temporarily hung it in our living room. It is beyond amazing! We applied to the contest and this week begins the matching of artist to venue; please pray for us. Our ideal, first choice is a hospital to showcase the hope and recovery evident in the art.

Despite all of our good intentions, we didn't call friends or invite people over to the house. Please don't take it personally; we just were too busy. A lot of thought and energy is going into the planning for Daniel and Lori to move to Seattle. We have a lot on our minds, many decisions to make, and lots of work to accomplish before July.

We continue to pray daily for the journey, the hard journey, that we have in front of us. We pray for lifting of spirits and burdens, brightness on our paths, and that God's will is done ON EARTH (right now, right here would be good) just like it's done in heaven.

Cynthia

May 21

2010-05-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Art prize work is so close to being done now! Today we framed 3 of the 5 pieces, and they look amazing! We are both really happy with how they turned out. Daniel found out that the submission date was extended about a week, so there is more time to take nice pictures of the art and create the online profile. I did my best to try and get Daniel to post a picture of one of the pieces on this blog, but he wants to wait a while longer.

Here's a short video of some one-handed can opening! Daniel is even doing this with a terrible can opener. Woo hoo! Mad skillz.

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I forgot to mention Daniel's reading last week. For the first time in probably a couple of months, Daniel read out loud to me. This is something that has been a major frustration from the beginning. Reading silently is fine. He can understand it all near the same speed as before the stroke. The connections in his brain that take the words on the page to words spoken aloud have taken longer to re-connect. When Daniel read to me recently, I noticed an improvement in the speed and fluidity! He was reading Moby Dick, which isn't exactly the easiest book to read anyways. It was encouraging to hear! It made me flash back to when he would read short, simple sentences and have to painstakingly sound out each word. It often took so long to get to the end of a sentence that the message would be lost. Seriously frustrating work. He has come so far.

-Lori

May 14

2010-05-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken in GR when we were there a week ago. We got to play with the baby pheasants that Cindy got for her classroom. So cute!

Since coming back to Chicago, we have been continuing to work on art prize stuff almost every day. Each piece is now covered in 4 coats of shellac and will receive several more coats before they're done. The shinier the better! The frames that we got at the used furniture store in GR are grand. They are all getting a couple of coats of black gesso. I have to admit it was sad for me to cover up the antique gold color on the frames. I really liked the blinginess of it. The black does look great though and it will go well with the dark lines on the drawings. I'm thinking that all art prize work will be done by sometime next week!

Things are going well. There have been many peaceful, happy moments this week.

-Lori

May 5

2010-05-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Rog and I just enjoyed a week with Daniel and Lori at our house. It's sad to see them go back to Chicago...

Some of the amazing highlights:

1. Daniel's speech has improved substantially. We had tons of conversations and intellectual discussions. :)

2. Lori made some of her amazing deserts and we got to enjoy them (instead of just longingly gazing at the blog).

3. Daniel made countless trips to stores with all of us and it was wonderful!

4. We enjoyed a wonderful evening at the dog park in Grand Rapids.

5. Daniel walked around a huge block at our house without incident and with Durkles. :)

6. We found frames for Daniel's artprize entry and Daniel already has them cleaned up and ready for paint.

.......the list goes on.............

We just have so much to be thankful for and every day, I remind myself of all the blessings heaped on us. This journey is not for the faint of heart, but we are rewarded with riches beyond compare.

At this point, Lori has been unable to find a nursing position in the midwest and it feels very disappointing. Today she told me the most beautiful thing that her Mom said: "Maybe your time taking care of Daniel is not finished yet." Yes, I work to readjust my view of life every day and I am surrounded by friends and people who constantly help me.

Cynthia

P.S. Next update will be May 14.

April 23

2010-04-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

My mom was here for the past week and she noticed many improvements in Daniel since she saw him in October. Most notably, his speech. She mentioned how fluid it is now. He does not pause before speaking like he did just six months ago. Fantastic! It was a fun week with my mom.

Yesterday, Daniel and I took McGuirk to the dog beach for the first time. It was so nice to be out and about together! I had never seen McGuirk socializing with groups of dogs, and he was hilarious. First of all, when we got down to the sand I was going to make him sit and stay for a while after I took off his leash, but he had other ideas in mind. The second the leash was unclipped he took off running and jumping around in the sand. So funny! He knew it was playtime. Daniel didn't make it down into the soft sand, but he stood above watching all of the action.

Today we worked more on the art prize work. It has been changing. Parts have been eliminated and new parts are going to be included. It's quite a process, and I'm glad I'm not the one making the decisions. Daniel is always thinking of new ideas, and it's hard for a perfectionist like him to ever be satisfied.

Continuing thoughts and prayers towards increasing confidence are always appreciated.

At the dog beach!

-Lori

April 9

2010-04-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a little picture of Underdog that Daniel drew and I water colored for my nephew's birthday.

Well, it's been one of those weeks where just being awake and out of bed feels like a chore. I know this funk will pass, just like it has in the past. Hopefully soon!

Oh! This week Daniel figured out that he no longer needs to use the shower chair! A huge accomplishment. Now we don't have to lug it back and forth to Grand Rapids anymore. It was a goal that he was working on for a while. Success!

Daniel fit in a couple of workouts this week, and continued with that Art Prize submission. The submission date is open from April 19th until sometime in May. It's coming up fast and it looks like it will be ready to submit soon. The rules state that it doesn't have to be completed, but the artist has to have something to show the venues to give them an idea of what the finished work is going to be.

A few tiny kale seeds have sprouted through the dirt!

Looking forward to a visit from my mom next Friday! Also looking forward to having Cindy and Roger back in the US and home from vacation. Although, I'm sure they will miss the warm Caribbean sun.

-Lori

April 2

2010-04-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

Cookie mania this week! On Monday I baked these amazing (not trying to toot my own horn...the recipe is the thing to be praised) peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. They came out of the oven as flat as can be, but they were chewy, crispy on the edges, and just plain perfect by my cookie standards. As the days went by they became more and more chewy and irresistible. It only took us four days to eat them all. I'll include the recipe in this post.

We took advantage of this amazing 80 degree temperatures we've been having to plant some seeds in the garden. So far we have kale, spinach, yellow peppers, and peas. I noticed this morning that there are some little bunny holes dug into the dirt, so we are going to have to solve that problem very soon.

Daniel and I worked a lot on the art prize submission this week and it's really coming together. Half of it is almost complete and it looks so great. My role is the cutter and gluer of various pieces of paper that Daniel has drawn out. It has been fun to be involved. There were some frightening moments during the glueing process though. Some of the pieces he had me cut out were on huge pieces of fragile, thin paper. The glue is then spread out evenly on the entire piece and then placed in the exact spot on the drawing. So much pressure to place it in the exact designated spot on the drawing without messing everything up! We worked well as a team and it all turned out well...whew.

Here's the cookie recipe:
1 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. peanut butter
6 oz. chocolate chips
bake: 375 degress F, 10-12 minutes

-Lori

March 26

2010-03-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

If you have checked the zhibit site recently, you will have noticed that there is still only one drawing posted for March. Daniel has still been so busy with the art prize drawing that little time has been spent on any other drawings. Maybe he'll get something else up on zhibit before the end of this month. We'll see!

This has been a good week. On the warmer sunny days we spent some time outside, which is always nice. A couple of times we sat on the back porch in the sun with cups of coffee and nutty bars, watching Durkles sniff around the yard. It was nice to just take some deep breaths and feel content and happy with everything in that moment.

Daniel was walking around one day, cleaning up the yard, when he mentioned that it is much easier to walk on the grass now. Before, he struggled more to maintain his balance on the uneven surface. How great!

I didn't get around to making any cookies this week, which means no cookie pictures. Maybe next week...
Looking forward to planting some seeds in the garden in a few weeks. Hopefully the warm spring weather will stick around.

-Lori

March 20

2010-03-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty good week. Daniel did more drawing/painting, as usual. Still working on that Art Prize submission piece. I hope it works out because it will be huge and amazing. I am thrilled to report that Daniel and I went grocery shopping again this week, and it was another good experience. The weather here has been warm and springy...until today. Yesterday we were sitting in the sun in short sleeves and enjoying the cool breeze. Today, it's 32 degrees and snowing!

I was going to post a picture of Daniel or McGuirk this week, but didn't get around to taking a picture and fixing it up for the blog. So...here's another picture of delicious cookies! I made these from a recipe from allrecipes.com. Seriously amazing chocolate chip cookies.

This week Daniel submitted a drawing to an online contest, and you may be able to help him win with your vote! Go to this website and give him 5 monkeys:)

http://www.paulfrank.com/art_attack/rate/entry/94

Here's the drawing that he submitted:

-Lori

March 12

2010-03-12T18:10:00.000-08:00

It's Friday night and everything is going well here. There is a batch of cookies in the oven and the whole apartment smells delicious. We finished the eggs and milk earlier today, but I was craving some cookies of some kind. So, I made some vegan peanut butter cookies from a recipe I found online. They are pretty good. A little crumbly, but full of peanut butter flavor.

Here's the recipe just in case anyone is interested:
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup oil or butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
bake: 350 degrees for 10-12 min. (When I baked them for 15 min they stayed together better)

Well, you know things are going well when Daniel's Updates Blog turns into Lori's Food Blog.

All week Daniel has been working on his Art Prize submission. He has a couple of ideas going. One idea didn't quite work out like he'd hoped so he's still in the planning process. Art Prize is an international art competition in Grand Rapids. I think the first year of it was last year. Daniel is hoping to get one of his works submitted for the upcoming competition.

Some encouraging news to report is increased ease of movement in Daniel's right arm. I haven't reported on physical changes of any kind in a while because the day-to-day progress is so minimal it is hard to notice much change. Today Daniel told me that his right triceps muscle is activating more than before. He's on his back on the hard foam tube he uses for exercises, and he has his arm above his head. He is able to extend his arm from a bent to a straight position, which was SO difficult before. It was wonderful to see. He also said that walking seems to be slightly easier and his tone in his foot is fractionally better than in the near past. Still no wrist or hand movement. There's still a lot of hope for these to improve in the future.

March 6, 2010

2010-03-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Roger and I just enjoyed almost a week with Daniel & Lori. Lori needed to be in Grand Rapids to continue her search for a nursing position and get her state of MI fingerprints completed. She had better not consider a life a crime having been fingerprinted in so many places...... :) We are open to any leads. She should have her MI license soon.

Daniel continued his battle to heal and conquer daily life. There were some amazing "1sts" this week. One of the sweetest: Although it took some time, Daniel laced up his boots and tied them. Yes, with one hand!! Yep!! Every little step is an achievement.

I continue to feel the love and support from friends and co-workers. I ran into Kris at the g-store and she told me that her Bible Study still holds Daniel up in prayer every Thursday morning. What more can I hope for?? Jo brought me a book on Friday that lifted me. Brian brought me the stations of the cross. Jamie & Martha & Abby continue to support me and there are so many more people..... We could not walk this journey alone. Thank you!!!

February 26

2010-02-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

Friday again!

It was a good week here. It's always so nice to spend time with Cindy and Roger. They bring much hope and love and encouragement. So nice! They also bring so much food:) Our freezer is now packed with dinners, and delicious things.

We are looking forward to a trip up to Grand Rapids this Sunday. I'm not sure how long we will be staying. A few days at least. Hopefully the weather will be nice and the roads will be clear for the drive in both directions.

-Lori

February 22

2010-02-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is a spectacular day for Daniel, Lori, our family, friends etc......!!!! This is the one year anniversary of conquering the evil AVM! Yes, we are celebrating this difficult year of life and yet, we are still grieving for what we lost. I am so thankful for the life of Daniel and I rejoice in it every single day. I am equally thankful for the love and devotion of Lori without whom life would not be as beautiful. We are celebrating the fact that so many people have cared for us and loved us in so many ways over this past year. We are celebrating the amazing progress that Daniel has made from unconscious, unable to speak, and unable to walk to speaking and walking. Our gains have been gigantic, but our pain has also been gigantic. It is difficult for me to express how every gain in ability and confidence also comes at a price. We still have huge hurdles that we need to leap: Daniel needs increased confidence, increased agility and balance, and increased ability to communicate comfortably. All of these take terribly hard work and tons of time with rewards that are almost so small that it seems useless. So, with honesty, I ask for continued encouragement, prayers, love, understanding,and healing. We typically just report the bright spots, but there are dips and valleys in nearly every day that would scratch away at anyone's sense of happiness and life. Please help us in this recovery. I'm not someone to give up very easily, so I'm setting my sights on healing of the right side, healing in the right foot to make walking comfortable, and greatest of all: complete healing of the mind and soul.

And.......since I get to write the blog today, I'm asking for help for Lori in finding a nursing position. I'm asking anyone in Chicago or Grand Rapids who has any connections or contacts in either GR or Chitown to email or post so that she can get a job. Does anyone know of any positions in GR?? (I could greatly benefit from having Lori & Daniel closer!) I mean, seriously, she is an amazing nurse and any hospital would be lucky to have such a devoted professional on their staff.

Roger and I enjoyed a wonderful, but very short, weekend in Chicago with Lori and Daniel. We enjoyed every second of their company. Yes, we got slaughtered at Settlers once again! We saw some Olympics, perused through Daniel's art (wow), and took a few walks with McG! We missed the snow storm perfectly!! Jamie, thanks so much for everything!

-Cynthia

February 12

2010-02-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

So much snow! McGuirk had fun running around in it as you can see in the picture above. I never thought I'd be someone who posts so many pictures of a dog online! He's a very special part of this family, so what can I say?

We had another great week here. Daniel has continued with his exercise regimen every other day. He walks the stairs, rides the stationary bike, works with the exercise ball, uses the e-stim machine, does arm exercises, washes dishes, and more. It's inspiring to see how hard he works. Watching him makes me want to get up and go for a walk, or jump on the bike myself.

Daniel has been working on the black hole series of drawings and has posted some of them on zhibt. I'm crazy about all of those colorful dots he does. Great stuff! I went to the art store this week and bought more paper and pens. He's working right through them quickly. It's going to be fun when we start mounting all of the drawings onto wood and applying shellac. That finished look is so satisfying.

In the picture below you can see McGuirk had to put up with us putting glasses on his little face. Poor Durkles:)

Thanks for following!
-Lori

February 5

2010-02-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

This was a productive week! Every morning Daniel got up around 6 AM and got right to work on drawings. He posted a couple of the new drawings on zhibit tonight. They are so great!

A few nights ago we listened to an interesting interview on the Brain Science Podcast online. Here is a little snippet describing the podcast: "Episode 28 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Dr. Edward Taub who for the last 20+ years has been pioneering the use of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy in the rehabilitation of stroke and other neurological disabilities." We would both recommend giving it a listen. His therapy methods have produced results even many years post-stroke for people. He talks about "learned non-use" of a limb after having a stroke. The brain adapts to only using one arm and the other arm is often neglected. Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CI therapy) focuses on re-training the brain to use the affected arm. It can be incredibly intense hard work. Daniel has been trying to do some CI therapy work at home. He spent a long time swirling his right hand round and round, washing some dirty pots. Another day he put the hand-held vacuum cleaner into his right hand (the hand grips automatically) and vacuumed the bathroom floor. It was exhausting, and the movements were not smooth, but what a great start! Here's the link to the podcast:

http://brainsciencpodcast.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/brain-science-28-edward-taubs-revolutionary-approach-to-stroke-rehabilitation/

Daniel also did his other exercises every other day this week. It's nice to have the upstairs apartment because it means the only people using the back stairs are the two of us. So, he is able to go up and down the stairs as part of his workout. This week Daniel took McGuirk out for a walk almost every day. Durkles was happy about that I'm sure.

We've been thinking a lot about Cindy's good friend, Mary. She is in the hospital with end stage cancer and kidney failure. Thinking of her and her family and friends.

-Lori

January 29

2010-01-29T17:51:00.000-08:00

The temperatures have dropped again. It's been freezing cold out there! Glad to be inside and warm.

I say this a lot, but again, this week went by so quickly. Daniel worked on more new drawings, and posted a couple of them on zhibit. These have been productive days. Every other day he works up a sweat doing exercises at home. His tone continues to be more relaxed than it used to be. This is always encouraging.

We watched the presentation about the new ipad online yesterday, and wow, it looks amazing! However, I think I'll hold out for the ipatch which is scheduled to come out in a few years. He he:)

This week I made biscotti to celebrate reaching 1,000 views on zhibit! Happy Grand! Thanks for checking up on the website...and thanks Larry and Joy for the biscotti recipe.

There were some low moments this week, but everything is going great now. There isn't much more to report currently. Thanks, as always for thinking of us!

-Lori

January 22

2010-01-22T16:51:00.000-08:00

Good evening! It's been another marvelous week. As you can see, we've spiffed up the blog a bit, adding some new pictures on the side, changing around some colors and whatnot. The title photo is a view of the rusty old warehouse behind the apartment.

Daniel has been busy doing more drawings this week, and has posted a couple of them on zhibit. The scanner arrived a few days ago and most of the drawings can now be scanned into the computer for posting, instead of taking photographs of them. There are some drawings that have not been posted on zhibit because Daniel is wanting to save some to be seen for the first time at a possible future viewing at an art gallery of some sort. No set dates or venues yet...just in the planning process.

This week Daniel tried on his good old steel-toed engineer boots for the first time since February 22nd. He put it off for so long because of the tone in his ankle. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get them on, or even more importantly, get them off. It was a success (although it was a two-person effort) and he enjoyed tromping around in them again. He used to wear them all the time everywhere, and now he can again. He says they feel great, and give a lot of support for walking around.

I saved the best report for last! Today, we went to the library! Hooray for going out in public yet again! It was the first time he's been to the library since February 22nd. It took some convincing to get out the door, but it happened. We got the library and went up to the second floor to browse in the cd section. Then we went back down and picked up a cd that was on hold. We got home, walked inside, and Daniel said (referring to going out), "It wasn't that bad." I started jumping around and hooting! That is the most positive comment he as ever made about being out in public. It's going to get better and better, I know.

McGuirk has been good. He was not thrilled about his photo shoot to get the picture of him on the stoop, which is now posted on the sidebar. The flash from the camera still freaks him out.

As for me, this week I continued my RN job search, went to a knitting group gathering, and attended my first Spanish for Healthcare Professionals class. Que te trae por la clinica hoy!

Thanks for following and for all the support!

-Lori

January 15

2010-01-15T18:15:00.000-08:00

This week has gone by fast! Daniel has decided to take a break from formal therapy sessions for an undetermined amount of time. This has left more time during the day for doing drawings, and at-home work outs. He has posted much of what he has been drawing on the zhibit website. Some of the painting process is done in his tiny little studio/closet as is shown in the picture. It's a great space for making messes and getting paint on paper.

The highlight of the week took place this afternoon. We went out and about Chicago! First we stopped at the eye glass shop where he had his brand new glasses fitted. Daniel no longer needs to squint when he's trying to see the computer screen, or anything else. I tried on his glasses and was surprised how strong the prescription is. It's hard to believe he went as long as he did without them. Anyways, we walked right into that shop and Daniel took control of all communication. How great! After that we stopped at Best Buy to look for a scanner. Although they did not have what he is looking for, it was great to be there. He questioned a friendly employee about their scanners, and his (Daniel's) confidence was apparent (even if he was faking it). It was a tiring, draining, but fantastic trip out. I'm sure there will be more to come.

McGuirk has been amazing this week. He continues to go for walks with me every night. On the colder nights it takes a little more coaxing to get him down the path to the front gate, but he comes. One night we were inside and he saw me putting on my boots and jumped off of the couch. When I looked up he was gone. I then saw him lying on the ground in the corner of the room shaking a little bit. It is still taking some effort for him to work through his fears:)

We read the blog of a young girl who is sailing around the world. She had over 1,000 comments on one of her posts! Wow! We are now going to try working towards the goal of 1,001 comments in one post. Please help us reach our goal...

Just kidding, but it is always fun to hear how people are doing.

Thanks!

-Lori

January 8

2010-01-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve written in this blog. The plan is to write an update once a week on Fridays. We’ll see how that goes for now.

There is some exciting and encouraging news to report.

Daniel drove for the first time since February 2009! He used this amazing portable left-foot accelerator. It works really well, and easily fits into most cars. He drove me around Grand Rapids showing me where he used to hang out with friends when he was younger. It was thrilling to sit in the passenger seat with him in control of the car. It took a few starts and stops for him to get used to using his left foot for accelerating and stopping. Now he can go anywhere!

Going out in public is still a great mental and physical challenge. While in GR, Roger took all of us out to Avatar at the IMAX theater. The theater was packed. Daniel made his way up all of the stairs to the top row, then squeezed passed a bunch of people to get to the middle of the row where our seats were saved. This was a great accomplishment! The whole experience, although challenging, was positive. Daniel's confidence is building, and the world will be seeing more and more of him.

Physically, Daniel is still progressing slowly, but there have been noticeable improvements in his tone. He no longer wears the ankle brace that helped prevent his ankle from turning inward each time he tried to take a step. His ankle is more relaxed all on its own! I was amazed to see this change after only 2 weeks of being away. Hopefully, his tone will continue to decrease.

Production of artwork has continued. The art website address has now been posted on the upper right side of the blog for easy access (thanks brother Mike!). There is a new 2010 gallery listed on the website where you can see the new works of art he has made.

McGuirk has moved on in his life as well. His new year's resolution must have been to go on walks with me. Since I got back from Seattle, he WILLINGLY goes on walks with me alone! I'm so proud of that little dude.

That is all for this week. Thank you for the comments, and support.

-Lori

January 3 2010

2010-01-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I am so happy to leave 2009 behind and move on.

We have decided to keep the blog, but to enter updates less often. This is a difficult decision because comments from you help and encourage us tremendously. The blog also is a way for us to share our pain and lessen our burden. I know that I can ask for help and people are out there reading, caring, praying, and helping us.

Here are some of my 2010 prayers:

1. Continued healing for Daniel's right side; walking more powerfully and being able to bike.

2. Continued healing for Daniel's spirits and confidence. Reality is still painful.

3. Ability to move to a brighter future with hopes and dreams.

4. Strength for Lori and Daniel's family (especially me!!).

--Cynthia

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

We've had a day of family, games (Blockus & Settlers of Catan), and good food. We wish everyone an equally wonderful day. Thanks for the emails, blog comments, and mail.

--Cynthia

December 23

2009-12-23T12:04:00.001-08:00

It's almost Christmas!! I just got home from spending some time in Chicago with Daniel and I have to say that things are looking great! Daniel is creating the most wonderful art; the living area is really just a mini studio at this point. I stayed upstairs in Lori's apartment (Thanks, Lori!) as she is in Seattle with her family. Daniel made breakfast for me, which kept me full until past dinner. :) He is living on his own and doing very well....... a huge thanks to Lori for leaving food and to Jamie for sending food! Wow.

I also had the "pleasure" of spending time at the DHS office. It's a good thing they are there, but the system is broken. Don't get me started on health care needs or little mini rules that cannot be understood. :) I'm not going to get all political on you right now.......

Mike will be flying to Chicago and driving Daniel to Grand Rapids for Christmas in the next couple days. It will be wonderful to have both kids home.

Please pray for us and keep us in your thoughts. I believe in an all-powerful God and I'm boldly asking for continued hope, healing, recovery, and strength. Daniel is a living testament to courage and hard work. I eagerly anticipate the next step of healing.

--Cynthia

December 13

2009-12-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

December 11

2009-12-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

Daniel wanted to mention that he will probably take a little break from posting art on his webpage. He is working on some secret Christmas stuff and will have to wait to put it up until after Christmas. So, look for it in early January sometime. I'll let you know if he posts anything up in the meantime.

Daniel didn't do much today. It has been a bonanza of relaxing and movies. He hasn't been outside doing much walking these days because the cold temperatures cause the tone in his arm and leg to act up. It makes walking more difficult. Hibernating for winter is sounding very appealing. Actually, Daniel is taking some time to rest, which is also an important part of healing (thanks for the reminder Bonnie).

-Lori

December 9

2009-12-09T15:55:00.001-08:00

December 7

2009-12-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

It has been several amazing wonderful weeks full of energy and motivation in all areas of life. There have been some low moments, frustrations, and tiredness in the past couple of days. We could use some encouragement and prayers to get that motivation back.

Daniel had PT and OT at RIC today. Afterward we went to the gym to get in some more workout time. That gym is a fantastic place to work out. It's a very supportive environment.

Thanks for thinking of us and for following along with this blog. It means a lot!

-Lori

December 3

2009-12-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

Life is good here. Yesterday Daniel had a long day of therapy at RIC. He had speech, OT, and PT. It went very well.

The weather is starting to change. We had our first few snow flurries of the season today.

Daniel super appreciated all of the birthday messages. Thanks!

-Lori

Daniel's Birthday!

2009-12-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday Daniel! 28 years old and going strong.

Daniel has been busy working on his zhibit webpage. He posted a couple of new drawings last night. They are amazing.

Yesterday was a therapy day. He had OT and PT and worked really hard. After therapy Daniel was more tired than usual. Since it was just Thanksgiving, there were many questions about how his holiday was, on top of doing all the usual exercises. All the talking and exercising at the same time was a real brain workout!

Today Daniel is going to do therapy at home.

Thanks for all of the love and encouragement!

-Lori

Thanksgiving Weekend!!

2009-11-29T08:49:00.000-08:00

I only hope that I am able to fully convey this weekend in writing.......

We were the most thankful people in Chicago this past Thursday. Little sparkles of hope and thanks were emitting from 458 Artesian. :) Rog & I saw increased and amazing new steps in Daniel's walking, talking, balance, strength, and right arm!! I felt the promise of "good plans; plans to prosper; plans for the future." Amazing, unbelievable, & wonderful things are happening. I can't believe that people weren't knocking on the door asking for some of what we have!!!

Rog and I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with Lori, Daniel, & McG. Great food & conversation. Rog completed building projects & computer setups around the apartments that were totally satisfying. Art is flourishing!! There are plans for the future.....oh, wow, just wait!!! There is happiness and hope.

On Friday, Rog and I went to therapy with Daniel. He toured us through the 12th floor, his new zone at RIC. We "accidently" (I don't believe in accidents.) ran into Katie, Daniel's physical therapist from his inpatient days at RIC! Just another beautiful person walking around this earth. :)

It would be a one-sided email not to speak of the brittle confrontation of memories this trip forced on me. Driving past the exit for UIC, driving up to RIC, getting a visitor's pass for RIC, walking McG around the hood, searching through the basement filled with Daniel's bike work, and the list goes on..... Thankfully the contrast is so stark!! Those days of just surviving the next minute, hour, day... We are still navigating through difficult choices that are uncharted and uncertain, so keep us in your prayers, thoughts, blessings, love, or whatever you practice.

Cynthia

November 24

2009-11-24T21:10:00.000-08:00

Daniel had a very early morning of speech therapy. I guess 8 AM isn't considered early to everyone, but for one who stays up until 2 AM and gets up at noon, it is. Therapy went well. After that was the second appointment at the RIC gym. We are now offically members (I get to be a member too!) and will start working out there tomorrow.

I went to the hardware store and bought another stack of wood for Daniel to use for his paintings. Then I stopped at the art store and bought more paper and pens for new drawings. Justin and Sumona honored Daniel at their wedding reception by taking donations that went towards the American Stroke Association, and towards Daniel for purchasing art supplies. It's hard to express how much this means to Daniel that they would devote part of their wedding to him. Thank you both so much!

-Lori

LONG caneless walk!

2009-11-22T21:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight Daniel, McGuirk, and I went out for a caneless walk to the mailbox. None of us had canes. On the way back Daniel said, "let's go around the block." When we got to the far corner of the block Daniel said, "Let's go around the park." Really? OK! We walked the ENTIRE way around Smith Park! This is the first time Daniel has set foot in that park since before February 22nd. We got back home after 50 minutes of walking!! That is way beyond the longest amount of time that he has walked. Once around Smith Park is 0.5 miles, plus down to the mailbox and back...according to mapmyrun.com we went about 0.9 miles total. Amazing, right? Whoo hoo!!!!!

-Lori

November 20

2009-11-20T21:46:00.000-08:00

More therapy reports:

Yesterday was speech therapy. It went well, and Daniel came home with more activities to work on before his next session. That was the only therapy session yesterday.

Today was PT with Suzanne. He did more walking and balance exercises. She packs a lot into the 45 minutes she has with him, and he always comes out exhausted. After PT there was an appointment with the RIC gym down the street from RIC. It's a gym designed for people with disabilities. There is a lot of exercise equipment adapted to meet the needs of people with physical limitations. There are trainers there to assist as needed. Daniel is looking forward to being able to work out there soon. He really wants to get on the treadmills and start increasing his endurance walking.

McGuirk has been doing well, as usual. With the colder weather, the heater has been on more. When McGuirk hears the heat come on, he likes to sit in front of the fan to get warmed up. I felt his little head when he was down there once, and it's really HOT! He loves it though.

November 18

2009-11-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

Daniel had OT with Marc and PT with Suzanne today. Marc did some measuring of his arm movements, and almost every active range-of-motion measurement has increased by about 10 degrees!! How great is that!? Daniel is able to bend and straighten his arm at the elbow with much more ease now. It doesn't take all his concentrated effort like it used to. He is also able to more easily relax his arm on command.

There have been a lot of encouraging improvements recently. Today Daniel was reading from a book of poems that he hasn't read from in quite a while. He was on the couch. I was in the kitchen with the water running, and I could hear his clear, loud voice. That never would have happened before. His voice is much stronger that the whisper is used to be.

The therapy continues! Daniel is doing some exercises as I write.

-Lori

November 16

2009-11-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

Things are running along smoothly over here. Daniel has taken two more caneless walks since that first one, and they went well. The most recent walk was the most difficult, but he was still able to do it. He was already tired out before he went out, so that made a difference.

A lot of drawing going on here at night. Daniel has been busy updating his webpage with drawings and captions. Thanks again for checking it out and for all of the comments!

-Lori

Caneless Walk!

2009-11-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

I'm overwhelmed with joy at this moment! We just got back from a walk to the mailbox and Daniel did the whole thing without his cane. He didn't even bring it along at all! He was able to hold McGuirk's leash easily. In the past he had tried to walk McGuirk, but the cane freaked him out causing him to pull every other step. It was just too frustrating for Daniel to do. No cane means free hand for leash carrying! At the end Daniel was still feeling great and was not too tired out. I'm seeing a lot more of this cane-free walking in his future. Had to share the good news!

-Lori

November 13

2009-11-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

Therapy was great today. Daniel had one session of PT with Suzanne. She had him walking all over the place without his cane. He was working on speed and balance. One time around the place she had him carrying a small cup of water and trying not to spill it. Another time she had him bouncing a big ball while walking. After the session Daniel said he felt like it was very productive. It was really hard work that left his leg trembling with exhaustion. It will be nice to have a few days off from therapy now.

-Lori

November 11

2009-11-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

Daniel is very touched and appreciates the comments that have been left on his artwork website. The encouragement is helping to spur him onward. He's been working on drawings for many hours each night.

Two days of therapy down, two to go for this week. Yesterday was speech therapy, which went well. Speech therapy seems to wear Daniel out the most. He comes out exhausted. His homework was to continue with his angry voice and singing. It's going well. Today he had OT with Marc, and PT with Suzanne. Daniel was happy to report that Marc said he saw some really good progress in his arm movement. In PT he did more treadmill walking. He also did the 6 minute walk to measure how far he can go. He was wearing the new ankle brace, which he thinks helped him out, but he was able to go almost 800 feet this time!

-Lori

Daniel's Artwork Webpage

2009-11-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.zhibit.org/tjoelker

Here is a link to the website where Daniel is starting to post some of his drawings and paintings. There are some from before and after his stroke. Feel free to leave comments on the webpage. It will be updated soon. He's going to add more artwork from both pre and post stroke.

November 8

2009-11-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

AMAZING weather the past couple of days. Windows open and sweatshirts off. Loving it. Yesterday, Daniel was outside clearing out the dead plants in the garden, and there were a couple of confused bees flying around. One of them landed on McGuirk, then, after some jumping around and screeching (from me I'm ashamed to say), the bee flew off of him and landed on Daniel's head. From his head, it came back up towards me and was within striking distance. I killed it. I'm feeling bad about this now. Anyways, another bee was crawling around in the grass, and it seems that McGuirk stepped on it. He started limping and licking the bottom of his paw. Poor little guy. He seemed really distressed. When he came inside, I iced it. He sure was looking at me funny as I was forcing him to sit still while I held the ice against his little paw. Sometimes I really wonder what he's thinking.

Daniel has been working a lot of drawings this weekend. He's really on a roll with them right now. It's great!

This evening Daniel was moving his right arm around and he realized he was able to lift his elbow up so that it was almost at the level of his shoulder. It was a surprise to him and me. Good to see it!

Thanks for following along, and for all the support.
-Lori

November 6

2009-11-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

Speech therapy went well yesterday. The therapist was different that the one who did the evaluation, and he enjoyed working with her. He will have her again at the next speech therapy session. Daniel told me the therapist asked him if he gets angry a lot, if he is sarcastic much, and if he does any singing at home. Apparently, theses things will help him strengthen his voice and improve his inflection. Oh great! Now I get to be yelled at all day in a sarcastic tone, with interludes of song! It is actually amazing how great Daniel sounds when he yells. His voice becomes strong and powerful.

Thank you for the encouraging comments! Feeling the love and support over here.

-Lori

November 4

2009-11-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

This morning was a couple of early sessions of therapy. Daniel had OT with Marc. He said it went well, and he did a few new exercises with him. I followed him in for PT with Suzanne. She had him up on the treadmill walking at a pretty fast pace. She also had him stepping up on boxes, stepping over cones, walking sidways, and doing other exercises to improve his balance. The 45 minutes really wore him out. Tomorrow Daniel has his first actual session of speech therapy that isn't just an evaluation. Hoping it goes really well, and that he is given some useful tips that can help him work on his speech at home.

I just talked to Daniel more about his OT session today. Marc told him he was noticing some progress in the active movement of his deltoid. That was encouraging to hear. Daniel even does therapy in his dreams. He just woke up from an OT session with Obama. Obama was very impressed by the movement in Daniel's arm! Daniel said that moving his arm was so much easier in his dream. Maybe this is part of the process his brain is taking to heal. First in his dreams, then in real life!

-Lori

November 2

2009-11-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the extra boost of love and prayers. Today was a much better day than the past few have been. Daniel did a lot of exercising today. The exercise ball is still working well for doing various strengthening routines.

One suggestion given by a therapist at RIC was to try an ankle brace to help keep his ankle more straight while walking. His tone still makes his foot turn in. I got a brace from a sports store today and it's working really well! It has sturdy supports that fit on the inside and the outside of his ankle, while leaving the space in the front and back of his leg free to move. I'll have to post a picture to show it more clearly than I can explain it.

-Lori

October 30

2009-10-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the bike that Daniel and I finished putting together in the basement. I took it for a quick spin around the block last night in the pouring rain because I was so excited to try it out. The frame is one that Daniel painted himself last year. I love the look of it. It has a brand spankin' new chain, and rides nice and smoothly. Working on this project together was fun, and certainly challenging at times. In the basement, Daniel has many various bike parts, bolts and screws, and tools all around. While assembling the bike, we had to search through all of this to find just the right screw, bolt, and part to fit the bike. Most of what we needed was right there in his supply. There is one more thing to add, and that is the front brakes. After that is done, I'll be cruising all around the city on my new ride.

-Lori

October 29

2009-10-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an intense day of at-home therapy. I got one of those big exercise balls because the therapists at RIC showed him some arm and leg exercises that can be done with one. Daniel was busy doing many new exercises with the ball. He also did the bike, and e-stim. By dinner time, he was exhausted!

Today was the speech evaluation at RIC. I didn't make it into the appointment because of traffic and construction in the RIC driveway/valet parking area. Bummer. Daniel said it went ok. Some of the goals for speech therapy are for him to work on re-training the pitch of his voice to get back to where is was pre-stroke, and to improve the fluidity of his speech. He is working with fill-in speech therapists until mid November when the staff therapists get back from a conference.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers!
-Lori

October 26

2009-10-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today was a therapy day. Daniel had OT and PT today. I went in with him for the PT session. The focus today was on strengthening his hamstring. He demonstrated how he walks up and down stairs to show the therapist what exercises to hone in on. Andrea is great, and Daniel enjoys working with her. He now has a couple of new exercises to work his hamstring in different ways. She said he actually has a lot of strength in his hamstring, but something more is needed to make the functionality of it more effecient. For example, he can bend his knee against resistance while sitting down, but bending his knee while walking up stairs is still very difficult.

We left with a couple of other tips for things he can do at home. He was shown different sites to place the e-stim electrodes on his leg to flex the muscles that cause his foot to flex up and extend down. Another trick he is going to try to deal with the tone in his foot is an ankle brace like the kind that is used for sprained ankles. The idea is that it will help pull his ankle straight and prevent his foot from turning under him. We'll see if it works.

Daniel has his speech therapy evaluation on Thursday, so hopefully that will go well, and he will get a lot out of it.

Oh, today while we were in the therapy room, up walks Abaas, a therapist who worked with daniel at day rehab. He was so glad to see Daniel walking around like he is now. He noticed a significant improvement in his tone and walking ability. Very encouraging to hear!

-Lori

October 23

2009-10-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at therapy, Daniel learned some new exercises that work on voluntarily relaxing his bicep. His therapist explained that he needs to be able to easily relax his arm before he can begin to really work effectively on strengthening his arm muscles. Although it was good to get some more information about how his body works, it was also somewhat discouraging. We celebrate every new arm movement, no matter how small, but progress is VERY slow.

It has been a good crafting and drawing evening. I've started a little mini quilt for McGuirk to sleep on. Daniel has been working on a large drawing that's been in progress for a few weeks now. It's going to be pretty amazing!

Please send positive thoughts, energy, and prayers towards Daniel's brain-arm connection, and for patience and hope. Thank you!

-Lori

October 21

2009-10-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the promised posting of another of Daniel's drawings/paintings!

We're back at home in Chicago after another brief visit in Grand Rapids. I think all sickness is gone from here for now. Daniel is feeling much better. Yesterday Daniel had a check-up with Dr. Hogstrom, and he's as healthy as ever. The Dr. was pleased to see the increased right arm movement.

Tomorrow Daniel has a session of OT at RIC with one of his favorite therapists. Looking forward to that.

-Lori

October 19

2009-10-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's almost been 8 months since Daniel's AVM and we have come a long, long way! We've grown so much closer as a family and this weekend we even got to share a nasty little virus. Daniel's taken the brunt of it with his weakened immune system, but things are starting to look up. He has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and thankfully, Lori seems to be feeling healthy and able to get him there.

Please pray for Lori as she attends another job fair tomorrow. Please pray that Daniel feels 100% again soon. As always, we depend on everyone's prayers for Daniel's spirit and his hope for the future. We have continued hope for the healing of Daniel's right arm; this weekend he showed us that he could, with enormous effort, pull his right arm straight!!!

October 12

2009-10-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Today Daniel had PT and OT at RIC. He said it went really well. He worked with two different therapists and they were great. It seems like all of the therapists there are top notch. He did the usual arm exercises, and used the treadmill today. They worked him so hard that his right foot was trembling when he was done. Now that's a good workout!

Thank you for all the encouragement. It's always nice to hear from people.

-Lori

October 10

2009-10-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a relaxing day. Daniel's been working on some drawings, and we've been watching tv and just taking it easy. We sat down to watch a movie and didn't realize until 15 minutes into it that it was called, "Transmorphers" and not "Transformers." This was one of the worst movies I have ever seen! The acting was downright comical.

Last night Daniel was sitting on the edge of the couch and he was putting most of his weight on his right arm and then bending it up and down to move his upper body. I was surprised to see the strength he had! I was thinking, I'm so used to seeing his right arm still/unmoving. It is a noticable change to see his arm as a moving limb again. Still, the movement is limited, but any amount of movement is encouraging.

-Lori

October 8

2009-10-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Daniel had therapy today. He had a session of OT, and his first PT evaluation. It went really well. For PT the therapist had him walk as fast as he could for 6 minutes. He was able to walk 700 feet in those six minutes. For the next appointment, the goal is for him to get to 1000 feet. The therapist talked about some tricks that can be done to fight the tone in his foot/ankle. It sounds like there is a lot that they can do to guide Daniel's recovery. It will be good to see what they do each week.

Everything else has been going well here since the last blog entry. My friend, Christy, is in town and I'm enjoying spending some time with her.

-Lori

October 5

2009-10-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

I have just enjoyed such a relaxed and fabulous weekend with Daniel, Lori, McG, & my sister, Ame. What an absolute pleasure to have a house full of so much happiness, junk food, TV, games, & laughter. It feels too quiet right now.

There is a wonderful, new hope towards the future. Daniel is busy with therapy, exercising, & creating. I'm so thankful that he is in a good program....finally!!! We are getting past day-to-day survival and it feels amazing! When I look at Daniel's smile and accomplishments, I am so thankful to everyone for their prayers, for God's grace, and for Daniel's determination. I'm so thankful for Lori who surpasses understanding. I'm so thankful that my heart can feel, not just know, that "He has plans, good plans," for us and for Daniel. Please keep us in your prayers. Please pray for Daniel's continued recovery and his right arm.

---Cynthia

October 1

2009-10-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's October already!

We spent some more time with Sarah today. It was so great to see you Sarah and we'll miss you! Hope that the rest of your stay in Chicago is good. See you in the spring.

Daniel's Aunt Amy is here and we've had a really nice evening talking together, eating together and watching tv shows. Tomorrow night we are driving up to Grand Rapids for the weekend. Looking forward to it!

-Lori

September 30

2009-09-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Today Daniel had another OT appointment at RIC with Marc. It was great! Marc had him using the hand bicycle, which Daniel says is a good workout for his arm. At the end of his appointment Marc showed me a couple of new exercises that I can help Daniel do at home.

Both exercises will help with the winging of his right shoulder blade. This, we learned, happens because of the tight pectoral muscle that pulls his shoulder blade up/out. The muscles that hold the shoulder blade close into the back are weaker than the force of the pectoral muscle. These muscles need some extra strengthening.

Next week physical therapy will be added to the schedule. Hopefully Daniel will get lots of information on how to futher improve his gait, and leg strengthening progress.

Looking forward to another visit from Sarah tomorrow, and the arrival of Daniel's Aunt Amy!

-Lori

September 29

2009-09-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

It was so great to see Sarah H this evening! She came by for a visit. McGuirk was beyond excited to see her. It was so adorable to see them interacting. It was obvious that McGuirk remembers her well.

Looking forward to another therapy session tomorrow at RIC with Marc. It should be good.

Everything else is going well. Daniel has been exercising during the day and drawing at night. Hopes remain high.

Thank you for thinking of us!
-Lori

September 27

2009-09-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Everything is going well over here still. It has been an exciting couple of days of improved arm movement. Daniel showed me that he is now more easily able to swing his right arm back and forth while standing. I was very excited to see this!

A while ago Daniel realized he was able to straighten out his right arm while lying down, but not when he was sitting or standing. Today, I saw him do this while he was sitting on the couch, and then again when he was standing!! This seems like new movement that was not there before! I don't know all that is happening in his arm, but there must be additional muscle cells activating in there. Still slow progress, but it's great to see improvements, no matter how small.

Today we were in the kitchen getting ready to fix lunch. I did a random kick in the air, rocker style. Then Daniel did the same thing with his left leg while putting all of his weight on his right leg! It was great! He never would have been able to do this a couple of months ago. His right leg is getting stronger and stronger.

-Lori

September 24

2009-09-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

Today was Daniel’s second therapy appointment at the downtown RIC. Last week was cancelled due to a sick therapist. The appointment went really well! The therapist who worked with Daniel this week, Marc, remembered working with him once when he was a patient at RIC. So, he was able to observe how far Daniel has come since his days at inpatient RIC, and he has come so far!

Daniel said that Marc had him work his shoulder down to his hand. Marc pointed out to him which specific muscles are used to do specific arm movements. I wasn’t in there with them, so I don’t know all of the details, but it sounds like Marc was very informative and helpful, giving Daniel variations of the exercises he does on his arm at home.

It is such a wonderful relief that this therapy setting is working out so well! Thank you for the thoughts and prayers.

-Lori

September 22

2009-09-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Rog&I just waved goodbye to Daniel, Lori, Lori's parents, & McGuirk. We had a fabulous visit and our house will seem empty again.

Daniel and I spent a lot of time looking at pictures from Sam&Nicole's wedding and Justin&Sumona's wedding. We shed some tears together, but they were good tears - healing tears - and very short-lived. We had a lot to talk about. We enjoyed looking at the online wedding pictures from J&S!! Wow!! What a beautiful couple. We're waiting for yours, S&N.

Before they left, Daniel squashed Lori & I at SkipBo. (Sorry, Lori, the truth hurts.) We gave her a little gift bag as a consolation prize. :) Lori has decided to rent out the apartment right above Daniel's apartment! What a blessing that she will still be so close. I cringe to think of what Daniel would be eating otherwise. :) What a blessing that Daniel is ready to be alone more often!

Thank you again for your prayers. I know that God has good plans.......I'm just inpatient!

----Cynthia

September 20

2009-09-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Roger & I feel so blessed to have Daniel in Grand Rapids with us this weekend. It's been fabulous to see some beautiful improvements, talk through all the events of the past month, and feel a new kernel of hope for the future. Daniel, Lori, & Lori's parents arrived here on Thursday. On Saturday, Lori & her parents left for a family weekend on the lake; the weather has been fabulous!

Daniel is now able to walk with bare feet and no cane for short distances in the morning!! It's huge!! My heart lept with joy when I saw it. Think about getting up in the morning and walking to the bathroom vs. putting on a splint/shoe first and using a cane!!

Thank you so much, Catherine, for your time & care of Daniel!! We talked a lot about your time with him following his angiogram. You are such a blessing to our family.

Thank you for stopping in, Kim & Caroline. Daniel said that he didn't get enough time with you, but hopefully there will be more time in the future. Again, you are both blessings to our family.

Lori continues to be the most amazing angel on this earth!! "A true saint", as Mary aptly said.

We continue to ask for prayers and wait expectantly for the blessings of God. We are so thankful for the improvements and good results of the angiogram. We are blessed constantly by the people around us.

--Cynthia

September 16

2009-09-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Everything is going well here. We are looking forward to heading up to Grand Rapids tomorrow after Daniel's therapy appointment. It's been great having my parents here. We had a couple of days of touring around Chicago and eating plenty of good food. Daniel has been busy at home doing all of his exercises.

-Lori

September 13

2009-09-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of taking it easy went well. Daniel's puncture site on his leg is healing up nicely. It is significantly less tender today than it was yesterday. While resting, Daniel has been spending some time working on logic problems from a book of them that he has.

McGuirk is as goofy as ever. He just had half his face shoved between the cushions near the back of the couch sniffing with all his might! He cracks me up every day. It's so nice to have that dog around.

I'm eagerly looking forward to a visit from my parents. They are flying in tomorrow night and will be with us for a little over a week!

-Lori

September 11

2009-09-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

GOOD ANGIOGRAM RESULTS! The blood vessels in Daniel's brain all look fantastic! What a wonderful relief. The procedure itself took about an hour and a half. Recovery took about 4 hours during which time Daniel had to remain flat on his back without bending his right leg. By the end of it he was really ready to get up and get out of there. Thank you so much Caroline, Kim, and Catherine for stopping by to visit. It really meant a lot to Daniel to see you again.

More good news: Daniel's first day of out-patient therapy at RIC was great! The therapist who worked with him was amazing. It was clear she knew what she was talking about. She did many different measurements of Daniel's passive and active ranges of motion in his arm and hand. Hopefully by the end of OP therapy these measurements will show great improvement from the initial ones.

Daniel is now looking forward to a few days of taking it easy, as was ordered by the nurse practitioner.

Thank you so much for all of the thoughts and prayers!

-Lori

September 9

2009-09-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

This week Daniel has really gotten back into his home therapy schedule. It can be difficult maintaining a high level of motivation every single day, which I'm sure is natural considering he is doing most of his therapy on his own.

Tomorrow is the first day of outpatient rehab at the downtown RIC location. Hoping it is a positive experience. Positive thoughts and prayers towards that would be really appreciated.

On Friday Daniel is having a follow-up angiogram to make sure the original surgery removed all of the AVM (cluster of malformed blood vessels) from his brain. It is most likely that everything is fine, but there is always that little bit of doubt.

-Lori

September 6

2009-09-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Thinking of Justin and Sumona as they are getting married today. Congrats!

The past couple of days have been great. Andy Weaver came by yesterday, and Mrs. Weaver came by today. It was great to spend time with both of them. They brought a lot of much needed hope and positive energy directed towards Daniel. Thank you both!

This evening something wonderful happened that I must share...I BEAT Daniel at Skip-Bo for the FIRST time! What a great evening this has been.

-Lori

September 3

2009-09-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day in Chicago. Daniel kept busy with exercises today. He focused on his strengthening his leg by doing some e-stim, biking, and other leg exercises. That e-stim machine has sure come in handy. On the three hour drive to Grand Rapids, Daniel will often spend part of that time with the machine zapping his leg every minute or so.

I think that's all from here for now!

-Lori

September 1

2009-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, September is here already! Thinking of Cindy, Mrs. Weaver, and the many other teachers that went back to work today, or will soon. All is going well over here. Daniel is liking this cooler weather for doing exercises. It makes it a more pleasant experience. Daniel's right arm has been frustrating him the past couple of days. The progress there seems so slow. Sometimes Daniel feels like there is no progress there at all. It would be nice to know exactly what his brain is doing to create the connections to his arm/hand. I'm sure something must be happening, even if the results aren't clear yet. Please focus some prayers on movement in his right arm/hand. Thank you!

-Lori

August 29

2009-08-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Sam (Daniel's cousin) and Nicolle! We heard that the wedding was great!

It sure is feeling like fall around here today. Cool, sunny, socks and sweatshirt required. It's lovely! It has been a relaxing Saturday. Sleeping in, watching some tv, reading, and napping are some of the activites of the day. Daniel has been reading Still Me, by Christopher Reeve and is really liking it. Thanks for sending it along with us Mrs. Weaver! McGuirk got his walk today. He is still tentative about going with me, so the routine is for Daniel to walk with us to the front gate. Then Durkles is willing to go with me alone. I may have said this before, I can't remember. Poor dog. He's still in need of a session with the dog whisperer.

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers! The bits of encouragement here and there make such a difference.

-Lori

August 27

2009-08-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today was Daniel's scheduled check up with the wonderful Dr. Hogstrom, his PCP. Dr. H. was struck by the improvement in Daniel's speech. He described it as more fluid and natural, which was encouraging to hear. Everything else check out. Daniel is healthy and recovering well.

-Lori

August 26

2009-08-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a productive couple of days since we got back from Michigan. Daniel has been busy with his exercise routine, and is still working on drawings each day. He was talking to me about his recovery, and it was interesting to hear his perspective. To Daniel, the past couple of months felt like a plateau in the recovery process. With a lot of effort, little progress was made, in his opinion. In the past couple of weeks, Daniel feels like recovery is taking off again. His increased leg strength and his improved speech are noticeable to him, and to all of us as well. I hope that this increase in the rate of recovery sticks around for a while. It’s so great to see Daniel encouraged by the progress he is making.

Thank you for the continued support and prayers. I’ll post a picture of another drawing as soon as I get permission from the artist.

-Lori

August 23

2009-08-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

You can only imagine the joy in my heart when Daniel presented the (below) pictured drawing to Roger & I as a gift. There are no words for it.

Daniel's walking has reached a new, improved, smoooooth high. It's so beautiful to watch him doing laps around the pool. He said that he is getting increased control of the right leg in that he can straighten it while walking and WOW, it shows.

Lori & Daniel have been in Grand Rapids since Tuesday and of course, we would love to have them a lot longer, but they will probably head back to Chicago soon.

Does anyone have access to a rowing machine?? Daniel is quite sure that he is ready to start using something like that because he wants to work on his right arm holding and pulling etc. on its own. God is good!!!!

Please continue to pray, comment, send love etc. because we cherish it. Thanks!

---Cynthia

August 19

2009-08-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here it is! Daniel's first large left-handed drawing! I love it.

-Lori

August 18

2009-08-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Dr Kaydanova’s and Daniel’s EEG showed he is seizure free! This is what we expected to hear, but it was still a relief. The doctor also said that there was noticeably less “slow waves” (she says these are common after a stroke) on his EEG results as well. The doctor and medical student who did an examination before Dr. K came in were impressed with Daniel’s speech and right-sided strength.

No follow-ups necessary! Dr. K is checked off the list of doctors! It was an encouraging appointment.

Now we are off to Michigan for the last horse therapy session of the summer. Looking forward to seeing Cindy and Roger.

Thank you for all of the comments. It's always encouraging to hear from folks.

-Lori

August 16

2009-08-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Daniel has been doing more drawing this weekend. His left hand is becoming quite proficient at drawing very detailed designs. The first big piece Daniel drew was a challenge. He was having difficulty keeping his left hand from shaking and trembling as he drew. It was also difficult to control the amount of pressure he used with the pen on the paper, so when he would color designs in, the colors would easily bleed outside of the lines. Several drawings later, the trembling is decreased and his lines are beautiful. He also has more control over the amount of pressure he uses. It’s amazing how the brain and body adapts with determination and practice. There are a few things left to do on Daniel’s first big drawing. By the end of the week I’ll post a picture of the finished product.

-Lori

August 13

2009-08-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

No amazing new discoveries to report from today or yesterday, but they were still good productive days. There is still more organizing going on around this apartment. It seems like everyday Daniel finds a new shelf or drawer to clean out and spiff up. I love it!

Insurance issues, small and HUGE, are still with us. Please pray for/ send positive thoughts towards Cindy as she fights against them almost every day.

Larry and Joy, Daniel says to say thank you for the postcard and emails. The encouragement means a lot.

Thank you for the thoughts/prayers/comments.

-Lori

August 11

2009-08-11T19:56:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Daniel on his stubborn horse, Cleo.

Today was a great day. Exercises, reading, drawing, biking, and enjoying the cooler weather.

In the June 16th blog entry, I described an exercise that Daniel does where he stretches out prone on his bed and bends his right leg up 90 degrees. It was exciting then because Daniel was able to do the exercise on his own power without my help assisting the leg up. This exercise took all of his concentration and effort. I could see his whole body working to get that leg bent. Today he called me into his room and said, “look at this.” I watched as he did this same exercise, but with so much less effort required. We were both surprised and pleased! Hooray for the neuroplasticity of the brain (and of course the work that Daniel does to strengthen his muscles as they become activated)!

-Lori

August 9

2009-08-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been busy with exercises and apartment organizing while trying to keep cool. It’s been a couple of warm humid days in Chicago, but I hear it’s supposed to be cooling off a bit soon.

Today, while riding the stationary bike, Daniel was able to keep his right hand on the right handle bar without using his left hand to hold it there. He told he me was able to do this for about 10 minutes while riding. This shows some great progress. It can be so painfully slow at times, but it’s always encouraging to see small steps forward.

Thank you for all the encouragement and support.

-Lori

August 7

2009-08-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

'Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar with wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not be tired.' I am reminded of Isaiah's words this week; they are my prayer for myself as well as Daniel&Lori. I daily ask God for more strength and healing and I'm waiting expectantly.

I think of the meaning of one of Daniel's tattoo: creation, destruction, and new life. Or, the Phoenix rising from the ashes. The symbols are everywhere. So, out of this evil that struck Daniel, we are looking for the new strength and new self.

Daniel, Lori, and McG are driving back to Chicago today. The house is already a little too quiet.

Grandpa Nyland, thank you for that letter!! It resonated with Daniel. This was all new information for us, and, yes, we are no strangers to suffering. Thank you.

- - Cynthia

August 6

2009-08-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you everyone for the comments, emails, & phone calls. Daniel has weathered another tough time and he is up and fighting again. I realize it is inevitable for him to grieve, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Yesterday was noticeably better and horse therapy in the evening was a huge boost. Daniel got a new horse (Mikie): a younger, naughtier, more spirited version of Cleo. This gave him more challenges and more successes. He can balance himself so well on the horse and move into a trot very well. Daniel is more than half way through Level 1 Horsemanship (for those of you who know). He only has one more lesson left this summer.

I can't say enough for the strong, cheerful presence of Lori. She is absolutely amazing. Please pray for her as well.

Daniel is planning for his future again and with that he is walking and talking again with renewed strength. The journey to recovery is definitely a positive slope, but there are some huge dips along the way.

Thank you for continued prayers and concern.

--Cynthia

August 4

2009-08-04T09:44:00.001-07:00

We're asking for prayers for hope and continued energy. Daniel is pretty much despondent; reality can hit like a ton of bricks. We appreciate everyone's love and concern.

-Cynthia

August 3, 2009

2009-08-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

We are back at Cindy and Roger's this week for horse therapy.

It's been a difficult few days since the last blog I posted. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

-Lori