Dan’s Story
Approximately the middle of November 2012 (while we were having dinner), Dan told me that when he eats, he gets the "hiccups" and it feels like something is stuck. I really wasn't sure what to think of it, so I asked him to speak to his doctor at his next appointment (which was in 2 weeks).
Based on his symptoms, the doctor suspected Dan had "reflux" and scheduled an endoscopy for December 12 to confirm the diagnosis. On December 12th, the doctor communicated to us that either the Crohn's disease had spread to his esophagus or there was a growth (tumor). He immediately took a biopsy of the targeted area.
On December 18, 2012, our world was turned upside down when the doctor told us that Dan had a tumor in his esophagus that was cancerous. The doctors believe that this cancer developed as a result of years of acid reflux that went untreated. After his diagnosis, we have spent the last few weeks in appointments with various specialists; including a surgical oncologist, pulmonologist, radiation oncologist, and medical oncologist. In addition, Dan has undergone several diagnostic tests including a PET/CT scan an EDG with ultrasound.
The PET/CT scan revealed that the cancer is localized to his esophagus. The EDG with ultrasound was conducted to "stage" the cancer. Dan's cancer is categorized as T2 (stage 2) because a section of the tumor extends into the muscle.
The treatment plan is that Dan will undergo radiation (5 days a week for 28 days) and chemotherapy (1 time per week for approximately 6 weeks). After radiation and chemotherapy he will have surgery to remove the tumor and resection his esophagus. Due to the possibility that he may experience swelling in his throat/esophagus (making it difficult to swallow), Dan will have a feeding tube. He will also receive a port for his chemotherapy. These procedures will take place on January 15 and 16.
Love Conquers All
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — December 4, 2021
9 years. December 18, 2012 was one of the worst days of our lives. On that day, Dan was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. So much has happened in the last 9 years. We celebrated each milestone of being cancer free. We come to you now, asking for prayers. On July 2, 2021 Dan received his second Pfizer covid vaccine. He began having adverse effects within 12 hours, which consisted of swelling and pain in his left arm. By July 4, his arm was twice the size as his other arm and bluish in color, prompting an ER visit. After over 8 hours in the ER, he was told he would be fine and ultimately sent home. On July 6, he had an ultrasound to determine the cause of the swelling (which was supposed to be done at the ER). Results of that test indicated he had blood clots in his neck, chest, and arm. He started on blood thinners immediately and has been under the care of a vascular doctor since. During a follow up visit this past October, the doctor felt a lump and ordered a CT scan. That scan revealed a tumor. On November 12, Dan had a biopsy. The biopsy results concluded that Dan has cancer. A recent PET scan indicated that the cancer is localized, which is great news. Dan will have 30 radiation treatments and 5-7 rounds of chemotherapy. We never thought we would go through this again. It’s scary. Please pray for Dan’s complete healing. Pray for our family and all those affected by cancer and other serious illnesses. Our love and faith in God will carry us through and we will be stronger. After all, Love Conquers All!
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — April 4, 2022
I know it’s been awhile since I’ve updated this page, so here it goes… Dan needs prayers. He was admitted to the ICU at Toledo Hospital Saturday evening. He is battling severe pneumonia. Please pray that his lungs heal and that future scans are clear of disease. Pray for Isabella and Grace-we know they are scared and just want their dad home. We truly appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts.
Hands Folded
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — May 3, 2022
Quick update-
We are heading to the Cleveland Clinic tomorrow (5/4/22) for scans (CT & PET). Please pray that they show the tumor is shrinking and that there is no sign of disease anywhere else in Dan’s body.
Dan is still recovering from pneumonia; his lungs are clear but unfortunately, he is very weak. He is receiving home-based nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Please continue to pray for his strength.
We also want to thank you all for your continued prayers, love, and support. We are so appreciative of the yummy meals being delivered, the gift cards, thoughtful gifts, and for keeping our girls occupied. During some of the darkest days, you have put a smile on our faces. We feel so loved
Pray Hard 🙏🏻
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — May 5, 2022
It’s been a long 2 days…
Unfortunately, we never made it to Cleveland Clinic. Dan woke up in the middle of the night restless, in pain, and agitated. He became quite confused and was unable to formulate coherent thoughts or respond appropriately to questions. As a result, he was rushed to the hospital. An MRI revealed that Dan has meningitis. He is in the ICU at Flower Hospital. Please pray hard that the treatment is effective. I know he is in good hands. I know that with God nothing is impossible.
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
FAITH
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — May 11, 2022
The past week has been absolute hell. A lot has happened since the last update. Dan was exhibiting significant neurological changes Monday morning that concerned the medical staff at Flower Hospital. As a result, they did another CT scan which was negative for anything that might explain the changes. I won’t go into all the details, but the options provided for our next steps were not acceptable and I had Dan transferred to Toledo Hospital. He was admitted to Neuro ICU and a team of doctors immediately sprung into action. Dan had a bedside lumbar puncture shortly after arrival to TH and the results of that test indicated that Dan has cryptococcal meningitis, which is a very rare fungal infection. They started new meds and Dan has made huge improvements. He is extremely tired and weak, but he is on the road to recovery. His care team at TH is phenomenal. They saved Dan’s life and I’m forever thankful ♥️
STRENGTH
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — June 15, 2022
I know it’s been awhile since my last update, so here you go…
6 weeks. That is how long Dan has been in the hospital. He has definitely made great progress in the past few weeks, but still has a long way to go. Next step is a step down hospital and then hopefully, inpatient rehab. Dan has undergone lots of scans and procedures. He recently had a feeding tube placed to help with nutrition. Dan also had another lumbar puncture, which showed the infection has cleared from his spinal fluid!
Please continue to pray for Dan - prayers that he can overcome some of the challenges with food intake, his physical strength, and his voice (he speaks in a very low voice volume which affects his ability to communicate). Pray that Dan gets stronger so that he can come back home. The girls miss their daddy so much and he misses them.
It has been an emotional roller coaster the past few weeks. Sometimes it feels like it’s never ending. But, the amount of love and support we have received reminds us how blessed we are to be surrounded by the most giving, kind, and loving people. Here’s something that I read in the church bulletin that hit me hard….
”When everything seems like it’s falling apart - that’s when God is putting things together just the way he wants it!”
Thank you all for your continued prayers! ♥️
Detours
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — August 4, 2022
3 months…that’s how long Dan has been in the hospital. Dan started at Flower Hospital on May 4, then transferred to Toledo Hospital to Inpatient Rehab at Flower back to Toledo Hospital to Regency Hospital to Toledo Hospital and then back to Regency Hospital. I started noticing big changes in his mentation on July 22 that continued through the weekend and caused a great deal of concern. As a result, Dan went to St. Vincent Hospital on July 26 for a few outpatient procedures-chest tube and lumbar puncture. Apparently this crypto infection is a tough one to fight but Dan is strong and fighting hard. The LP showed the infection is still present in his body and as a result, he is back on the stronger anti fungal meds. These medications are necessary, but have wicked side effects. Our goal is to continue to help him gain strength both physically and mentally, so we can finally have him home. When Dan left our house 3 months ago, the lawn didn’t need cut, the corn wasn’t planted and our daughters were still in school. Please continue to pray for him and his medical team, as we navigate through this incredibly bumpy road. We are so thankful for the prayers, positive thoughts, meals, and care packages. We feel so loved and supported!!
Love,
The Moellers ♥️
Be Courageous
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — August 9, 2022
"Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
-Joshua 1:9
Dan was transferred back to Toledo Hospital due to a complication with his JTube. After addressing this, it was discovered that his chest tube had migrated and he had fluid in his lung. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of a much larger setback.
Yesterday, he had a needle aspiration on his elbow, due to on going swelling and pain. The fluid was definitely infected and lab results indicate it’s a fungal infection. After further imaging was done, Dan was boarded for what we believed to be a simple, “wash out”. Unfortunately, little did we know that the imaging prior to surgery did not show the magnitude of what was ahead. The surgeon removed a significant amount of the infection, but due to the severity of it, the incision is not closed and he may need additional wash outs and a wound vac at a later time.
Dan is an incredible fighter and his steadfast faith and strength is what will bring him home. Please continue to pray for him, as he faces another difficult setback.
Be Not Afraid
Journal Entry by Marie Moeller — September 17, 2022
I know it’s been some time since I’ve updated D
an’s Caringbridge page, so here it goes….
Today is day 44 at Toledo Hospital and 138 days since Dan has been home. A lot has happened since my last update. Since August 5th, Dan has had 4 debridements of his left arm. He’s battled various bacterial infections resulting in ongoing antibiotics. Unfortunately, we were not winning with his arm. We made the very difficult decision to amputate his left arm this past Thursday. He also required a washout of some areas in his right arm. Dan did amazing! I’m beyond proud of him and I tell him that every single day.
Please continue to pray for Dan. We are so grateful for all of you! I’m often asked, “What can I do for you?” That’s such a hard question for me to answer (besides requesting continued prayers). Truthfully, just knowing that all of you are praying for us is all I need. I appreciate the texts/messages letting me know you’re thinking of us. We are grateful for the meals, special deliveries for the girls, and the love we have been given.
We are forever grateful to be surrounded by the most amazing family and friends. All of you give us strength and remind us that we are not alone. We know God is with us always.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Love Conquers All
DJM
September 22, 2022-Grace and I visited Dan in the MICU before her scheduled surgery to repair her fractured elbow. I could tell he was uncomfortable and off from his baseline. In fact, I shared my concerns with his nurse who agreed that Dan did seem off. Grace and I gave Dan kisses, said I love you’s, and headed to the surgical floor to check in for Grace’s surgery. While we were in pre-op, the MICU attempted to call me (since I did not have reception, I was not able to receive a voicemail until I walked out of pre-op). They had to emergency intubate Dan. I ran as fast as I could to get to his side. I didn’t care who was in my way, I just wanted to get to him. Little did I know, this was the beginning of his transition to heaven.
Dan fought so incredibly hard but his body was tired. Sometimes I wonder if Dan had a taste of Heaven and decided that he was ready to meet Jesus, and live the rest of his life in eternity. I continued to remain positive and hopeful. I knew our lives would be different, but I was up for the challenge. After all, I promised to love him and honor him, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for the rest of my life. From September 22 on we had lots of ups and downs, but Dan really started to decline in October. I noticed a large bump on Dan’s right lower leg and mentioned it to his weekend nurse, who wasn’t concerned because she said it wasn’t red or warm. Days later, the bump was still there and I was growing even more concerned.
On October 26 the orthopedic team aspirated fluid and results suggested the fungal infection was in his leg. On October 27, he underwent another debridement, which revealed the infection was extensive. On the morning of October 30, I received news that the fungal infection was virtually everywhere in his body. They talked about the likelihood of amputating both of his right leg and right arm. I knew that if I made this decision, he would never come off the ventilator. This was not the life Dan wanted, so I had to make the most difficult decision to stop further treatment. No more poking and prodding.
Dan peacefully transitioned to his forever home on All Souls Day-November 2, 2023 at 11:54 PM.
When I said “I do” on July 15, 2006, I truly believed I would spend forever with the love of my life, but I realize now that Dan spent the rest of his life with me. Dan is forever mine and his beautiful daughters.
