Dan's Story

This unthinkable chapter in our life began in February around our daughter Tatum(4) and son Tallen's(2) Birthday party. Dan felt like he was coming down with a common cold/flu with some coughing, fever and fatigue. The symptoms came and went, but he just couldn't kick the nagging cough. Dan was really looking forward to a Final Four trip to New Orleans with three of his great friends in March, so he went to the doctor to get an antibiotic for what they thought was bronchitis. He came back from the trip and was completely wiped out (pretty normal for a guys trip to New Orleans).

Well…the fatigue and cough just wouldn't go away and he continued to get fevers and night sweats and started loosing weight. We were starting to realize that something was just not right. In April we were invited to a good friends Birthday Party that involved some bike riding around old town Scottsdale. Dan was really struggling in the heat and when we got home he had a fever of 104 and went straight to bed. He went to urgent care the next day and once again was put on an antibiotic for a bronchial infection. We made an appointment with our primary care doctor and Dan saw him early the next week. Our doctor felt very positive that he might have Valley Fever and did blood work. The blood work came back negative for Valley Fever but positive for anemia, so he ordered Dan to go see a hematologist/oncologist for further blood work and a CAT scan.

We got a call the day after the scan and the Oncologist asked Dan and I both to come in to talk with her because she didn't want to discuss the results over the phone. She told us that they found a mass in his colon and several masses in his liver and she wanted them biopsied right away. Preparing for the biopsies is one of the hardest things Dan has ever gone through. He started fasting for the liver biopsy on Monday night and was in severe pain and nauseated after the biopsy Tuesday morning. He had to continue fasting and cleansing for the colonoscopy that was scheduled for Wednesday.

The results came back that Dan has stage IV colon cancer that has metastasized to the liver. He is scheduled for surgery to have a port put in on May 22nd. Dan will have a PET scan on May 24th, and he starts chemotherapy treatment on May 29th. The chemotherapy treatment will last three months; at that point, the doctors will perform another PET scan to see if they can operate on the masses, which will then be followed by another three months of chemotherapy.

We are so thankful for the support from friends, family, and our work places. Dan will be working from home as necessary and I am thankful to be starting summer break so I can be home with him. The support from our friends and family continues to overwhelm us with love and kindness and we are truly blessed to have such a wonderful team to help us through this journey. If Dan's positive attitude and competitive drive aren't enough, then he will have me and his two beautiful children who adore him and will be cheering him on. We know that this is all part of God's plan and we are putting it in his hands. Your prayers and positive thoughts are heard so please continue them. Dan is determined and strong and he is ready to take on this battle.

Updates:

Sep 2nd 2013

It saddens us to update everyone that Dan's battle ended Friday, August 30th. He was a true warrior until the very end. Thank you so much for all the pictures, emails, visits, prayers and overall love that you have shown our entire family. I hope to see you all Saturday as we celebrate Dan's amazing life.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, 2013 at Cornerstone Christian Church at 1595 S. Alma School Road in Chandler, Arizona.

A Celebration of Life will immediately follow the Memorial Service from 3:00-6:00 p.m at the Ocotillo Golf Resort at 3751 South Clubhouse Drive in Chandler, Arizona.

Contributions can be made, in lieu of flowers, to the Dannenfeldt Warrior Trust:
www.dandannenfeldt.com/donate/.

Aug 24th 2013

It has been a rough couple of weeks since the poker tournament.

First, I want to congratulate Matt Perrotti for being the big winner of the tournament! It was an amazing event with our friends who continue to surround us with love and support. I think the best poker face award should go to Dan. He almost made it through the whole tournament with a smile on his face.

We continue to get comments on how great Dan looks, but unfortunately he doesn't feel as well as he looks. He has been in excruciating pain over the past few weeks and the pain management plan he has been on has failed to help. Dan had two chemo treatments with TGen. Each treatment takes 13 hours, and he toughed it out because he really wanted to give it a good try. Unfortunately we were not getting the results we hoped for.

We have called Hospice to help Dan with his pain management. The Hospice nurse was amazing and has put Dan on a whole new pain regiment. Last night was the first night that Dan has slept in a week, and he can actually lay on the couch comfortably. Now that his pain is a little more under control, he is up for visitors. However, we ask that you please coordinate your visits with me and not show up unexpectedly. We always enjoy seeing old pictures of Dan with his friends and family, so a suggestion would be to send an email that I can share with him. My email address is ajdannenfeldt@gmail.com

This is a difficult time and Dan wants you to know that the warrior inside him is still going strong, we just need to get his body to catch up!

Thank you for your positive thoughts, prayers, and support.

Jul 28th 2013

I am back to work/school and it has been bitter sweet. Tatum has started kindergarten and is loving school at Jacobson (and her PE teacher). It is always great to see my amazing coworkers and students but it is hard to leave Dan after being home and spending so much time together this summer. So far he has been enjoying the quiet time at home and getting a lot of rest. We are waiting to hear back from Tgen (cancer research group) to see if Dan qualifies for a clinical trial. They are doing molecular testing on a tissue sample they took when Dan had his surgery last October and we should hear back from them next week. In order to do a trial study Dan has to be chemo free for 4 weeks. We have gone ahead and started the break so we can start the trial as soon as possible if he qualifies. It has been nice to take a break from chemo but it also comes with a price because the cancer side effects quickly creep in. They are doing some amazing cutting edge treatments at Tgen so we hope to qualify and are very excited for the possibility of more options. We will keep you posted on what we find out next week. Dan is very excited to be flying to Oklahoma tomorrow to surprise our nephew Danny on his Birthday! We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the poker tournament on the 10th!

Jul 15th 2013

We are excited for the poker tournament Robb and Wes have organized for August 10th. They have gone all out and it sounds like a blast. It is going to be held at the Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale. We have booked our room for Saturday night and we are looking forward to enjoying pool, spa and poker! See the attached flyer under the events page for more details. Thanks Robb and Wes!!!

Jun 23rd 2013

Dan has been busy enjoying family this June. He has started a new round of chemotherapy which he takes every 14 days and we are hoping to get approved for clinical trial. A big thank you to Todd Watkins for honoring us at his annual golf tournament this June.

Apr 27th 2013

Dan completed his 19th round of chemo last week. We are hopeful that it is working, and we're anxious to get the next scan to see just how well. Earlier this month Dan enjoyed a trip to CA with his Dad. We are going on our family excursion to the Bahamas on May 1-6. Todd Watkins is again honoring us at his annual golf tournament this June. See the Blog for more details.

Mar 19th 2013

Dan has completed 4 rounds of his newest chemo treatments. We have received results from the recent PET scan. The current plan is to complete this chemo treatment through June, and at that time reassess things based on new scans.

Jan 28th 2013

Dan started a new round of chemotherapy and has successfully completed 2 treatments. So far, he is tolerating it well. TWO events THIS weekend: 1. Tallen's teacher is having a yard sale, Feb. 2nd, with proceeds to go to our family. If you have anything to donate she would like them by the 30th - contact Amanda for more information. 2. The Day of Play is also planned for Feb. 2nd at Bright Beginnings School - see the flyer under the events tab.

Dec 12th 2012

Dan has completed chemo treatment #12 of 12. He is so excited to be done with this phase of his treatment as these last few rounds of chemo have really been tough. The plan is to have a PET scan at the end of Dec. and hopefully the administration of the radioactive beads will take place after the first of the year. We wish you all a happy holiday season!

Nov 19th 2012

Dan has completed chemo treatment #10. These last 2 rounds- post surgery- hit him harder than he would have liked and the neuropathy in his hands and feet is becoming more than annoying. He is very thankful that Thanksgiving falls on an off chemo week.

Oct 22nd 2012

Dan came home from the hospital Saturday and is recovering much faster than even we expected. He will return to the doctor this week to begin implementation of the new proposed treatment for his liver. We have been overwhelmed with all the support from our family and friends - Thank you!

Oct 11th 2012

Dan's surgery will be on Wednesday, October 17th at 7:30 AM. He will be at Good Samaritan Medical Center located at 111 East McDowell Road. 602-839-2000. Dan has really enjoyed the time he has had off from chemotherapy and having less appointments to go to. He seems stronger than ever and is ready to take on the next phase of this journey.

While in the hospital we will update the Team Dannenfeldt Warriors Facebook page on Dan's progress as we hear from the doctors. Check there for updates. Once he is settled back home we will resume the web page blog. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

Sep 17th 2012

The Golf Tournament was a huge success. Thanks to everyone involved. Surgery is scheduled for the second week in October. No chemo treatments until after the surgery.

Aug 22nd 2012

The meeting with the liver surgeon went well and an initial surgical plan was developed. Chemo treatment #7 went well. Golf Tourney on Sept 15th-see flyer under "Events" for details. Make sure you reserve your spot - We need a head count.

Aug 8th 2012

Chemo treatment #6 went well. CAT scan scheduled for Wed Aug 15th with results to report to liver surgeon. Golf Tourney set for Sept 15th-see flyer under Events for details.

July 24th 2012

PET scan was a success with great results. The activity levels of the tumors were cut in half and the masses in the colon and liver have both shrunk. Chemo treatment #5 was July 24th. Everyone is very excited about the LaBella fundraiser on Sunday, July 29th.

July 11th 2012

We had a great trip to Colorado. Fourth chemo treatment on July 10th went well with a scheduled PET scan for the week of July 16th. Next chemo treatment is July 24th. Excited about the LaBella event on July 29th.

June 26th 2012

A big thanks to Todd for a successful golf tournament. It is always a great time when this group of guys gets together! We met with a liver specialist on Monday and really felt good about his plan. Dan is having his 3rd chemo treatment today and we are looking forward to a family vacation to Colorado June 30-July 8th. His forth Chemo treatment is July 10th.

June 18th 2012

On Mon. Dan saw the homeopathic Doctor who implemented a naturopath protocol which we are so excited about and have already started. Tuesday was his second round of chemo - which went much quicker this time around. The weekend was fun-filled with Birthday celebrations, Father's Day and watching golf.

June 9th 2012

Dan had a great week and we think that the blood transfusion has a lot to do with it. We celebrated Dan's 37th Birthday yesterday and he really enjoyed his day. Team Dannenfeldt Warriors Invitational and the Labella Salon and Day Spa have been updated on the events page. The bracelet order form is now available here.

June 2nd 2012

Dan is starting to feel better every day. He has a blood transfusion scheduled for Tuesday morning. That should help boost his energy a little bit!

May 29th 2012

Dan began his chemo today. He is home now with a pump that will continue to deliver the chemo for 48 hrs.

May 22nd 2012

Dan had his port put in and is home resting comfortably. Dan is scheduled for a PET scan on 5/24 and will begin chemo on 5/29.