Pray with Dan and Dana: Health Crisis

For the past 6 months, Dan has had many health issues along with unexplained weight loss. The last 4 months, Dan has gone through tons and tons of testing with still no answers. His symptoms include lack of appetite, bloating, huge weight loss, slurred speech, lethargy, extreme sensitivity to light/sound, headaches, and an overall feeling of unwell, along with other symptoms. All of this is preventing him from working, so Dana is working almost every night to help pay the bills.

Dana and Dan are two of the most selfless people I know. They’re always putting everyone before themselves. They’re incredible parents and always spreading God’s light.

Donations would greatly help with doctor/hospital bills along with helping Dana with not having to work so much. But mostly, I’m here asking for prayers.

These are some updates from Dana:

February 18, 2025

I'm asking for prayer warriors, please. We share alot on Facebook because we love the connections we keep but we don't usually post about health related stuff.

Danny has been having health issues for the last 6 months or so off and on. He has been through tons of bloodwork, a cat scan, an MRI (next week), and now a colonoscopy/endoscopy tomorrow.

We aren't really sure what's going on and we are just praying that we get answers soon. We know God knows what's going on so we can at least rest on that.

I'm just posting symptoms in the hopes that maybe we are missing something. Most of it is lack of appetite, bloating, abnormal weight loss, slurred speech, lethargy, extreme sensitivity to light/sound, headaches, overall feeling of unwell. The slurred speech and stumbling/shuffling comes and goes.

We have already ruled out diabetes, celiac, Lyme, and any heart issues. CT scan was normal but with the slurred speech, he is getting an MRI. We are doing a mold test to see if that's a possibility. He hasn't drank alcohol since Christmas Eve. All of his liver stuff on blood work came back very high initially but as of last week, is back to normal.

If you can't offer anything but prayer, that's all we need! But if you have any suggestions of avenues we are missing, please let me know.

February 22, 2025

Monday is his MRI in the morning. We should get the results within 48 hours or so. Also, this week we will get colonoscopy results - although we aren't expecting our answers there.

This week we should also be receiving heart monitors because he is having a low resting heart rate of 40-47ish... that's a newer symptom.

March 10, we go to infectious disease to rule out Lyme, mold, toxicities, and deal with any neurological things if the MRI detects anything.

March 11, there's a echocardiogram.

In April, we have a cardiologist and a neurologist appointment - but these will be moved up much closer if anything is detected.

We are also scheduling a lung function test to rule out lung diseases because of the low heart rate.

Whew!

We are hoping in the next few weeks to have some answers. As blood work, CT scan, more blood work, and results all come back "normal", we feel more and

more discouraged. But a wise friend told me that for every thing we cross off our list, the list of things it COULD be gets smaller and smaller.

Hoping for answers soon

February 25, 2025

MRI came back with some lesions on the brain which could be indicative of Lyme, MS, or something else.

Since it's "non emergent" we are waiting for neurology to see if we can get in earlier than end of April. If anyone has connections with ANYONE in neurology, please message me

Now we are just proceeding with what we can do in the meantime which is monitor his heart stuff with the cardiologist, get more testing through the naturopath doctor, and hopefully detox his body of any toxins or anything to see if it helps his symptoms.

If anyone has been diagnosed with MS or Lyme and can send me idiot-proof protocols please also message me.

And please keep praying! Dan is getting frustrated for sure that we have no definitive diagnosis and nobody seems like they're in a rush for anything. The MRI sort of confirmed our suspicions but we assumed there would then be some urgency as far as treatment goes.

March

On a happier note, the time that Dan has gotten to spend with the kids although he doesn't feel very well, has been time he will never get back. And for that, we praise God every day.

March 26, 2025

Dan has officially lost almost 40 pounds since January we are not much closer to figuring out

what's going on or at least, it doesn't feel like it.

April 21 he has an appointment with neurology.

May 8 he has a 4-hour gastric emptying test.

May 9 he has an MRI of his abdomen and pelvis.

The abdominal CT scan, echocardiogram, endoscopy, and colonoscopy revealed nothing remarkable.

In April, he will likely be referred to get a spinal tap to rule out MS and ALS.

He is home from work and has been since February so please pray that my business continues to stay as busy as it has been. We know God will provide financially but it's still an added stress.

Please pray that we find some sort of lead soon - because this feels ridiculous at this point. Every door closed makes us feel crazy - like theres nothing wrong, when clearly with his symptoms, there is.

Other symptoms: extreme muscle weakness, extreme exhaustion, no muscle tone, no appetite, occasional slurred speech.

April 11, 2025

Monday we had a neurology appointment and we are awaiting some blood work that should hopefully tell us some things. They are checking Dan's b1/thiamine level to rule out Wernicke syndrome. It's a pretty serious vitamin deficiency that is a lifelong thing to deal with unfortunately.

Thursday, he had an abdominal MRI. Unfortunately, after this imaging, they weren't able to see if they're viewing a mass/tumor or a blockage. We are praying that it's just an obstruction/blockage that can be removed and not require additional treatment.

Next Wednesday, we have a follow up with Gl where Dan will likely be scheduled for more imaging / colonoscopy to rule out a tumor or mass.

Please pray that whatever it is dissolves or is not serious.

April

Dans main symptoms are GI related, no appetite, stomach pain, extreme constipation, occasional slurred speech episodes, muscle weakness, exhaustion, and a newer symptom: feeling absolutely awful/hungover in the morning. (He hasn't had alcohol since December).

He's getting extremely low in spirits and feeling defeated. I'm worried about him, to be honest, and not physically as much as I am worried about his mental health. We keep walking away with more tests and no answers. More doctors just scratching their heads and saying they've never seen this before.

Dan jokes that they're going to name a new disease after him, and at this point, they just might

April 17, 2025

We had a follow up with Gl. And while the abdominal

MRI showed distension due to either fecal impaction or an unidentified mass, the Gl doc would prefer to not to a repeat colonoscopy unless absolutely needed. He said he would be SHOCKED if it was a mass considering nothing showed up on a CT scan and nothing showed up on the colonoscopy. He said for a mass to grow that quickly (6-8 weeks), he would just be absolutely shocked. Our fears obviously, would be some sort of colon cancer but he assured us that cancer doesn't act THAT quickly even in the most aggressive forms. He still ordered a repeat abdominal MRI after Dan takes laxatives for a week prior to the imaging, but we should be able to assume it's likely not some sort of colon cancer.

We ruled out the Wernicke-Korsakoffs syndrome/B1 deficiency which would have been pretty scary.

But we have some puzzling symptoms still.

AST/ALT were super high in January, normal in February, super high again in March. The doctor reordered liver function tests to see what they are now. He said that's the most puzzling part is that his liver stuff is coming up whacky. He ordered a urine copper test (to rule out Wilson's disease), other tests to rule out liver diseases, and a blood test for ammonia to rule out another liver disease.

April 28, 2025

Nothing new other than he lost 10 more pounds. The only thing we have to possibly explore is high ALT, AST, and high ferritin levels. We feel like we are our own advocates, our own doctors, and our own researchers at this point.

April 30 he has an EEG to see if there's any seizures I guess - which we aren't hopeful about that since if he IS having seizures.... we still don't know what's causing it.

May 8 he has a gastric emptying test which might give us some answers but again.... is not explaining the root cause of this.

I'm trying to push for more liver testing since that's the only consistent thing that's been high. And from previous alcohol use - more than the average person

- it's the only other thing I know to explore. His symptoms mimic liver failure/liver disease so I don't know why doctors won't order a liver biopsy or ultrasound. Just very annoying and stressful.

We have ruled out:

Lyme, Lyme again, and lyme again

Diabetes

Heart conditions

Stomach and/or brain cancer

Celiac, RA, lupus, thyroidisms, hashimotos

Hepatitis (all of them)

Aids/HIV

Tuberculosis

Wilsons Disease

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

MS/ALS (hypothetically - the neurologist isn't doing any additional tests which I'm not sure I agree with)

IBS/Crohns +more I'm sure I'm forgetting

If anyone knows of any liver disorders / diseases that have some specific testing to be ordered that wouldn't show in a normal metabolic panel, please let me know.

We are discouraged and it's definitely a constant wearing on our minds and hearts. I'm working every night to compensate for him being out of work and although we are blessed immensely with my business, we have such minimal time (just me and him) together. We are clinging to the good days, or sometimes only good moments, and praying that at some point God will put the right doctors in motion to diagnose him.