Merry 'Christ'mas to all...

Seasons Greetings from the Maughan's...

It took some doing - but we finally got a picture of all of us together!!!

After 18 years working at Novell, LaNae has moved on to a new position with ACS (Xerox). She is still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up... Dan, on the other hand, is far more mature as he turned 104 this year (if you don't know, Dan always doubles his age on his birthday... he says that he FEELS that old because he can't walk and has to use a wheelchair). I think as we age, Dan will get better and before long it will be Dan pushing LaNae in her chair... what a thought! Dan is still working hard on improvement and never gives up. He is an inspiration to all who know him.

Nate has been working hard at his studies at the police academy. He finished tying 1st in his class - way to go Nate! He will finish up in June of next year and then we will see what the future brings... Heather J is working as an OR recovery nurse as well as being a great mom to Riley and Gentry. They are growing up so fast - and we are happy to have them with us and enjoy their company.

Another great event of the year was Heather's wedding to Johnny Lui. Johnny is a great guy and we love having him as a part of our family. Exciting news has it that they will be welcoming a new baby girl into their family next year. We are looking forward to having more cute grandchildren!

Jeff and Kallie did a great job and added our first grandson to the mix last February. Jackson is a cutie and we love every opportunity we get to squeeze his chunky little cheeks! He has been a really good baby and is fun to have come visit. We are enjoying watching him do his "army crawl" to get where he wants to go. Jeff is the head coach at Orem High in addition to his other entreprenureal efforts and Kallie is a stay-at-home mom now.

Angie is always on the go -- from working at the Lion House Pantry (yum!) to going to school and keeping up with all her friends, it is amazing we even get to see her! We are always glad when she cheers up our home with a visit... She will be coaching lacrosse again this year and so there isn't much of a break for her! She is our 'angel' and we think she is the greatest!

We are grateful at this time of year for our many blessings, for our wonderful children and family, our relationships with them and our friends. We are especially grateful for the wonderful knowledge that we can be together forever. We are so grateful for the life of our Savior, who without Him, this could not be possible.

We wish you the best at this 'Christ'mas season. May you find the peace that only He can bring and much happiness in the coming year.

With love,
From the Maughan's
[Dan & LaNae, Nathan & HeatherJ, Riley, Gentry, Johnny & Heather, Jeff & Kallie, Jackson, & Angie]

Dan's Therapy Updates ... April 2009

Just wanted to add some of the latest therapy news for Dan...

Dan is working with a personal trainer at our local gym (Gold's Gym). The trainer's name is Dave de Hoyos and he has been a great help to Dan. Dan goes to the gym three days a week, and works out for about 4 hours. Dave provides him with guidance on what to work on, as well as nutritional advice.

Dan has been drinking some fresh vegetable drinks in addition to some fruit smoothies and protein drinks. The veggie drink consists of water, spinach, lettuce, beets, kale, parsley, sprouts, carrots - sweetened with a little acai berry juice, agava nectar, strawberries and blueberries (and flaxseed).

This is Dan arriving at Gold's Gym for a therapy workout...!


Dan with his trainer - Dave... Dan really likes Dave - he pushes him to do more all the time! We would love to get an update from Dave on his perspective of Dan's progress...



Dan doing some push up exercises...


Some pulling type exercises...


Focus Dan!


Another serious workout shot!



Now there's that smile we have come to know and love... go Dan!





Some new "shoes" -- they are called Five Fingers and they allow Dan to have better propioception (feeling where he is in space) and also with using his muscles to balance him better. Kind of a challenge to get on, but he is wearing them diligently!


Thanks Dave - we appreciate all you are doing for Dan...

New Grandbaby!

Today was a great day for the Maughan family! The arrival of Jackson Jeffrey Maughan came early this afternoon at around 1:06 pm. (I got the EXACT time later... )

Details:
Jackson Jeffrey Maughan
8 lbs 2 oz
20 1/2 inches

Proud parents:
Jeffrey Scott & Kallie Marie Wilkins Maughan

Here are some fun photos of the little guy!

The handsome chap!


With the proud Mom and Dad!


Happy Grandparents....


Proud Aunt Angie and Papa Jeff!


Look how alert he is! He is such a cutie...


Grandma is loving her new grandbaby!


Another few precious moments with Daddy Jeff.



It is so fun to see your children grow up and become parents themselves. It is a great time for the entire family. We feel very blessed that all went well with the birth and that little Jackson is here to bless our lives.

Some Miracles Take Time....

I am going to start blogging again! It has been a while since I posted and mostly it is because life has been super busy lately. Since Thanksgiving, we have done the following --

-LaNae got released from her Young Women's calling in her church. (miss the YW!!)
-Dan / LaNae helped Heather get into her own home
-Heather's house needed a LOT of work, so we have been in remodel mode with her and with Jeff / Kallie and their home. Lot's of painting and handyman work going on. It seemed to take every weekend and free moment, but things are looking up for both homes! :-)
-Christmas was wonderful!
-LaNae is super busy at work with a project that needs to go live in the next two weeks.

I am thinking the tone of this blog will change a bit - from Help Dan Heal to Life With Dan... we are doing great, and I want others to know that life with a disabled guy can be good. We are still working to help Dan have a better life, but that is not an event, it is a process. Like the title of the blog says.. some miracles take time.

Over the last few months, we have had several experiences that have reinforced this concept. On Christmas Eve (or thereabout) Dan and I met Angie at a car shop as she was having problems with her brakes. While waiting for the repairs to be completed, we shared the waiting room with a person that knew Dan from working with him over 10 years ago. We didn't make the connection right away, because she kept thinking - that looks like Dan, but it can't be - because he would be much older than this guy! (Dan is amazing in that he doesn't show his true age...) Also, Dan was pretty much wheelchair bound when she knew him and he had walked into the car shop, so this was another thing that made her think it wasn't the same guy. In a nutshell, she was amazed at the progress Dan had made over the last 10 years!!

Then we ran into some other friends that we knew from the WordPerfect Magazine days at the movie theater. The reaction was similar as Dan got out of his wheelchair and walked for them... they were amazed at the progress that he has made over the years.

Another highlight was when Dan was asked to give an opening prayer in our church congregation. As all who know Dan can attest that his speech has been hard to understand, when he gave the prayer, every word was understandable! We know that he has some extra Help that day...! I have had many people come up to me and say how much his speech has improved. I think it still fluctuates a bit, but I do think there are times when I have noticed this as well.

The point is... don't give up if things don't seem to be progressing!! The miracles we see can be realized over a period of time, and we know that we have been blessed, and CONTINUE to be blessed as time passes by. The Lord helps us carry our burdens through the dark times, and He also blesses us with continued progress, even if it is a little at a time. We are told that there is no progress after the first couple of years post-injury. I believe that is mostly because people give up hope and stop trying...

I am not saying it is not hard to keep believing in progress when it is so slow in coming... I am saying that giving up doesn't help anyone. Being bitter about what has happened to you in life only makes you a miserable person. I have found that as I give my pain to the Lord that He blesses me and helps me cope with the day to day challenges, and indeed find joy and peace in the journey. The journey may be a continual climb up a steep mountain slope, but there are stop points along the way where the scenery is breath taking and well worth the effort to get there.

Dan has made some progress over the last year - all the efforts that we have done to help him progress have not been in vain. ...and I believe there is more progress to come. We just need to keep moving forward and putting our trust in the Lord that the best things possible (and the best things for our good /growth) will happen to us. We don't know what the end story looks like, but God does. We trust that He knows best for us, and we are happy to travel the journey together.

There is still hope on the horizon for continued medical breakthroughs that will help Dan and others who suffer from brain / spinal cord injuries.

-- a side note --- (several years ago, our daughter, Heather was injured at a youth activity where she broke her jaw and mashed up her foot. The reaction that I had when the person came to inform us of Heather's injuries can only be understood by someone who has been closely associated to a loved one that has had a traumatic brain injury. They came to my door, and said "Heather has been involved in an accident, and you better come quick." They told me a little specifics of the accident and that Heather was on her way to the hospital. I asked "was she conscious?" They said, "Yes" - and after that I was fine. I knew that if there was no head injury that it was easy! Broken bones take about 6-8 weeks, but it is not life changing, so nothing to worry about! Just a really interesting way to assess an accident / injury situation...)

I read just the other day about research that is going on at the University of Utah and also a recent news article about stem cell research on KSL(local channel). There is still much to hope for... time will show us that in God's great plan, He is still watching over those who suffer, and will provide a means for their recovery soon. We must still have faith to believe and to hope that inspired researchers will find the way soon. Our test is to continue on with happiness for the things we are blessed with now, but look forward with bright optimism for what the future may hold in store for us. We are not alone in our journey, and that is the greatest insight of all...

May God bless you and yours in your daily struggles in life.
All the best from Dan and LaNae

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we spent the day in Idaho with my Mother and some of our family. It was a small crowd, but we had a great day together. Our children are spread from Arizona to Boise, Idaho today and so it was Dan, Angie and I representing our family at Grandma's house. The food was wonderfully delicious - my Mom is an awesome cook. I especially love the homemade rolls...!

Dan and I are thankful for many things this year. It has been exactly one year since returning home from China. We flew home last year, and then traveled up to Idaho the next day for the Thanksgiving holiday. I remember that I came down with a cold and was sick the whole weekend....

What an amazing experience we have had this year! It has been one of great hope for improvement for Dan -- and also one of some disappointment that we have not been able to realize the progress that we had hoped for. It has also been a year that we have connected with others that share the same hopes for their loved ones, and we have been touched by their examples. We have fond memories of our friends that we met in China and those whose stories we have followed. In many ways, we are different people as we have a deeper appreciation of the struggles of others and the burdens they carry. We have connected to a community of people that has blessed our lives for good.

We have also been forever changed by the outpouring of love and support shown to us by family and friends alike. We were amazed at all the people that stepped forward and donated to our cause... it made us realize that we have a great group of people that care for us and have been willing to give of their means so that we could have this great opportunity for Dan. It was a risk that none of us knew if it would work, but the support came freely from so many sources that it humbled us to know how many others cared for us. We thank you again for your goodness to us and for believing in us!! Someday -- we want to be the kind of people that can see a need of others and be the ones to reach out and help. We want to give back to others as others have given so generously to us.

More than anything, we have a renewed hope and determination to keep going, even if the progress is slow. The things that we strive for in life do not always come instantly or overnight, but that does not mean they are unworthy of the effort. There are many lessons to learn on the journey and we are thankful to be traveling the road together.

Dan got a "reworked" leg brace back on Tuesday this week and so he is able to walk much better now. We are going to switch our insurance back at the first of the year - the carrier that we have been with this year has denied on many items. We hope to get Dan a new brace next year, but this one is better than not having one at all. We are working on not trying to slip back into old habits (of rotating the hip to move the leg...) I have it easy - I say "Dan, why don't you just stand there and practice transferring your weight from side to side... after you do that for about 30 minutes -- let me know how it is going..." He looks at me like I am crazy, but I think if he would listen more to his wife (therapist) that he would do much better! ;-)

We wish you all a great Thanksgiving time, and want to again thank everyone for their prayers and support in our behalf! YOU have made a great difference for us and we love and appreciate you all! Happy Thanksgiving!

More updates on Dan...

It seems challenging to keep updating the blog when the progress is so slow with Dan's therapy. Many people who see him say that they think his speech has improved... that would be good. I am hoping that is the case, but it is hard to tell when you live with him everyday. It is like watching your kids grow... you don't really notice a change from day to day, but when you look back over a period of time, you can see the changes.

Dan continues to work on his improvement. We have applied for a Bioness device that can help stimulate his right arm. We are waiting to see if insurance approves this... it has been frustrating as my insurance quit paying for any therapy as they don't believe it is "medically necessary" for him to continue on in therapy. It is hard enough to stay motivated to work on therapy when the progress seems so slow.. but when you can't get the help of the insurance to back you, it becomes a situation that requires even more self motivation. Dan has been riding his bike down to Gold's gym and working out there...

He also went in for a brace evaluation - we are trying to get a leg brace that will work. Since going to China, he has been walking without the leg brace - and does ok if he goes really slow. But his right leg is still not stable, and so he has the potential to fall and thus we are looking for a brace that will work for him. We did have one made earlier in the year, but after use in therapy, it became apparent that it was not very functional for day to day use. The brace restricted him from bending his leg fully, and this made it hard for him to go from a sitting to standing position. He couldn't get the leg bent enough to get under him to lift him into a standing position. He also couldn't ride his bike due to the brace getting in the way... it seems like such a simple thing... get a brace to stabilize his knee hyperextension, but it becomes a very complicated, custom operation to get one that really works well. We are still working on it - we went back to the company that made him the best brace he has ever had. The orthotist there wears a brace himself, and so he seems a little more in tune with what is really needed to create a workable solution...

We are continuing to support Dan in his effort to make improvements. He is such a good guy, and if there is any chance of a better life for him, we want to help him realize it. We will keep you posted....

Summer Updates

Just wanted to catch up on some of the activities of the summer. It seems that time flies by so fast and I don't always get the blog updated. We are doing well... Dan is actively pursuing his therapy and travels to SLC 2-3 times a week. He has been going to a therapy center that specializes in spinal cord injuries (Neuroworx http://www.neuroworx.org). He has now started going to LDS Hospital for occupational therapy... he also got a gym pass at a local gym that he works out at on the days that he is not going to Salt Lake City. He is truly "giving it his all..."

We have had some fun this summer -- here is Dan on his bike up Provo canyon. Dan rode up the canyon and met Angie and I (we threw our bikes in a trailer and rode up the canyon - we only wanted to ride DOWN the canyon and we weren't as energetic as Dan. We did bring some food and had a nice picnic in the canyon park before we made the trek down the mountain...


This canyon is very close to our home... in just a matter of minutes we can enjoy beautiful scenery like this! There is a bike trail that is very close to our house that you can bike up the canyon, next to the Provo river... very nice to get a quick get-away!



Here is Dan with his brother, Bill at Lagoon (a local amusement park). We went there for a family get together in August... (do they look like twins or what?!)



Jeff and Riley enjoying an exciting ride...



Jeff and Cody (cousin) on the Sky Coaster ride... this was quite the thrill!



This is a very high ride where they harness you up and lift you up between two tall metal towers. They then drop you and you swing down and back up -- a little too much adrenalin rush for me!




Angie, Mckayla (friend) and Keyanee (cousin) get suited up to ride on the sky coaster!


Back to earth safe and sound after the BIG ride...!



Dan gets LOST....
(ok - so maybe we left him... oops!)

This is my excuse... when my kids are with me, I get the opportunity to relax a little as they help push Dan about on the wheelchair. Well, we decided to go ride the "Rattlesnake Rapids" ride, a very fun river rafting simulation.. and I (being the wise woman that I am...) brought rain ponchos for everyone to wear on this ride. But no, everyone was too macho to have a rain poncho, so I was the only chicken of the bunch. I got to carry all of the cell phones under my poncho (apparently the group was all smart enough to let me protect their phones..!).

Well, this is what Dan looked like after a couple of times through on the ride...
This is what you call "See Dan Drenched!"


We all had a good laugh and then decided to walk around to the other side of the park for some more adventures. After we had almost reached our destination... I said "where is Dan?!" I thought that one of the boys was pushing his wheelchair, but he was not with the crowd. We had all walked off and left him! (our bad...) The worst part was that I still had his cell phone from the river rafting trip, and so he couldn't even call us and tell us how stupid we were! I hurried back to see if I could find him.. and at the same time, called Jeff and he came from another direction. Jeff found him about where we had left him... just smiling like "I wondered how long it would take you guys to wake up... duh!" We are grateful that Dan gets some "watching over and protection from Above" when we are such idiots!

Next story.... Bear Lake!
Bear Lake is a beautiful lake that is about 2 1/2 hours from our home. We were fortunate enough to get to go up there this summer and spend a couple of days relaxing... one day we went out on the lake and rented a wave runner to have some fun on. Here is Dan and Angie on the wave runner...



The funny part of the story was getting Dan out to the wave runner and up on it... it was just Angie and I, so I walked with him out to the water. We then proceeded to push and pull to get him up on the wave runner. I decided to run back to the shore to get the camera (can't miss this photo opportunity!) and so I jumped off the one side. Apparently.... Dan was not holding on and the rock of the wave runner caused by my sudden departure sent him flying into the water. It was kind of like a catapult effect... off goes LaNae on one side and there goes Dan off the other side! Luckily, Angie was still there on that side and caught her father in her arms! So... back to square one... tug and pull and get him back up on the water craft! (The things we do for a fun time... !)

It was worth it though... we got to "See Dan DRIVE" as he drove me all around the lake for a ride. It was fun, and when we got back, Dan said "I'm going to get me one of these..."

Here is Angie and her friend Kika enjoying the wave runner!



Dan "chillin" in the lake...


The water is really not very deep here....


Walking back to shore after our fun day of adventure!


Now we are back in the grind of daily living... job, therapy, etc. It was nice to have a few bright spots this summer to "recharge our batteries" and help us keep on keepin' on!