Welcome friends and family of Alex and Dane!




This Blog has been created by friends and family of Alex and Dane as they make their way down the road to recovery, after being struck by lightning 10/5/2010. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as this road will likely be a long one. Feel free to check back often for status updates on both Alex and Dane, and be sure and leave your well-wishes when you visit. The boys will be shown this blog when they are awake.

We sincerely Thank You for your concern and friendship. Alex and Dane will always remember the support of friends and family like you.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

..."Back to the old grind"...

Well, here it is January of the new year and I have not posted anything on this blog since November…I have no excuses, if Kaleen can post during the Holidays & with her and Alex’s hectic schedule…anyone can, am I right?!?!

But really, Dane IS still alive and doing very well :)!!! He went back to SCHS today, somehow all of his classes were dropped for the third quarter and the lines for the counselors were out the door (as you can imagine), so Dane just went to his B.S. classes and we hope to resolve this tomorrow (in case any of you didn’t get the memo, B.S. is lingo for “before strike”).

As we were getting the teenagers geared up for going back to school after the Holidays and Dane’s long sabbatical, Dane actually said …“back to the old grind”… I said, “Do you have any idea how lucky you are and how blessed we are that you are able to get back to the old grind”? He has always tried to downplay his injuries but I couldn’t believe he said that!!! He then agreed and he is very thankful (and amazed) that he is still with us.

So the update for Dane;
Weight - He has gained about 12 pounds, at least 20 more & I’ll be happy…
Pancreas – His levels were still high in the beginning of December and we are still waiting for labs to come back from last week (what is it with doctors & holidays...?).
Strength – He is still week, it is hard for him to stand for long periods of time, and his Physical Therapy sessions kicked his butt, but he actually graduated from P.T. on Thursday, December 30th (Yeah!!!) He will start Weight Training at school this semester so that will help (his therapist said not to overdo it, but the timing is perfect).
Concern for Alex – This is Dane’s biggest challenge…it’s almost like he can’t move on completely until Alex is ready also :( . I have been following the blog with the rest of you getting the highs (and lows) of Alex’s progress. Dane has been getting the updates first hand by spending time with Alex (like B.S.).

This is the main reason we haven’t posted on the blog lately. It is difficult to report on how well Dane is doing when we hear of the struggles & the pain that Alex still endures. We can empathize with Alex and his family and we are sending prayers their way EVERYDAY!!!
We have faith that Alex will soon be back to his old self and “back to the old grind” again too! We love you guys!

Happy New Year everyone, may it be the best one yet!

3 comments:

  1. It is so good to read about you, Dane, and your improvements. I love the 12 pounds! Keep stacking it on! Also, I’m happy to read that you are back in school and getting into the regular rhythm of life – whatever “regular” is. (My son refers to some of his classes as BS, too. However, I think it means something different considering he has never been struck by lightning. I’ll have to check into this and maybe wash his mouth out with soap.)

    Be extra careful when weight training! Start slowly and be cautious. Working with someone who has been massively electrocuted is not a scenario many trainers and/or teachers are accustomed to. They will be learning how to train your body just as you will. It’s different – trust me. Sometimes they will need to be reminded that although you appear to be the same as you were “B.S.”, you are not. Your insides are different and might be much more fragile than they or you think. Just be careful, Dane. I am hoping your muscles will respond positively and do what they are supposed to do.

    Concern for Alex ….yeah, I hear you. My heart literally aches when I read about him enduring so much pain. I feel the muscles in my body begin to constrict as my sorrow sets in for him and his family. I can understand COMPLETELY why you would feel badly about writing down your triumphs and successes. However, those reports can be a source of hope for Alex – an indication that the same milestones can be reached for him! I felt utterly hopeless until I watched a documentary about a woman from Florida who had been struck. The video showed her walking on a beach, playing tennis, and spending time with her children. It made me feel badly for an instant, (envious and angry because I was still stuck by my injuries) but I managed to turn it into an inspiration to get up and get as well as possible!

    It is fantastic to read about you! I am sending nothing but good thoughts your way!

    Love from Idaho,
    Lara

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  2. Thanks Lara - you are the best - We have all learned so much from you. Thank you!

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  3. Thank you for the update! Keep them coming.

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Alex on Wednesday, Oct.6

Alex on Wednesday, Oct.6

Dane Thursday Oct 7th

Dane Thursday Oct 7th
Before Life Support was removed

Alex's Room

Alex's Room
Thanks for all the love