Happy Birthday Victoria!

You're 14 Years Old!!!

The End of a Journey

Have you ever found yourself complaining about things that really don't matter? I mean sure, at the time, I suppose they seem significant, but you look back on it afterwards and say to yourself, "Why did I make a big deal about that?" You know the stuff I am talking about: The house being messy, the price of gas, the hard day at work, yada yada yada. We all do it. Just human nature I suppose. More often than we ever should or need to. And it seems the only real time we ever re-evaluate what is truly important is after a tragedy of some sort.

The most recent example being the Virginia Tech shootings. Made you sit back and count your blessings, didn't it? Made you sit back and say, "What the hell am I complaining about?" Made you sit back and look at your friends and family and remember how much you really love them. If not all of the above, I am sure a few similar thoughts went through your head.

Why are we this way? Why do we only cherish what we have when something bad comes along and tries to take it away? Others misfortunes often remind us that it could very easily be us the next time around. If Joe Blow's luck ran out, then ours surely could at any time, right?

I guess these are all rhetorical questions, because I surely do not have the answers. I just know that it is true. It happened to me today. A young boy named Loren died today. I didn't know him. It was a boy my wife learned about through a support site for Infantile Spasms. She sent me an email at work today with the link to his website and I read the most recent entry. It is called "This journey has ended". I read it and my heart sank. So, there I sat wondering what on earth I could complain about, that could match this. Needless to say, nothing could compare.

This child lost his life. These parents lost their son. Can you imagine that?? I can't. The thought of it makes my heart ache. How do you go on? I am not going to insult these parents by trying to imagine I know how they feel. But, it did make me imagine, just for a brief moment, what my life would be like without my own son. I literally instantly got a lump in my throat. I truly can not fathom life without him. It would truly be unbearable.

So, will I continue to complain about less relevant issues? I have no doubt that I will. And the next tragedy, be it someone else's or my own, will bring it all back again. Pretty sad, but unfortunately true.

I love you beyond measure Daniel John-Maxwell Spranger. Please don't ever leave me.

God Bless You, Loren. All of our thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

Good News......then the after thought......how the heck are we going to do that?

We get a phone call from Children's Hopsital VMR to schedule Daniel's Video EEG.
It was originally schedule for May 18th but got pulled up to the 5th. YES!!! is my original thought. Then CRAPO! We have to cancel the "dead people" exhibit that Lonnie and I were going to with Aimee and John.

Next we get a phone call......Ronald McDonald House. YES!!! they have room for Daniel and I to stay there. SO no huge hotel bill. YES!!! We have to check in on Sunday by 4 p.m.

After thought: CRAPO!!! how are we going to do that?? let me explain. We go in at noon for Daniel's test. We are there for 24 hours. We are required to stay awake during the 24 hours to "monitor" Daniel and squash the button whenever he has anything that we think is a seizure. So we will be getting out of the hospital, lets say around noon-ish. It then is Sunday afternoon. It takes 2 1/2 hours to get to Grand Rapids. So after the hospital and not sleeping, we have to come home pack up the car with everything that Daniel and I need for the weeks and drive 2 1/2 hours. YES 2 1/2 hours! Let me say that again 2 1 /2 hours! HOW THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT!?!

First, I'm taking bets on if Lonnie survives the 24 hour EEG without me hurting him at all. I will be taking bets up until Saturday morning at 9 a.m. LOL
Second, anyone want to take a road trip and drive me and Daniel in my car up to Grand Rapids and have someone else follow and drive you back home?!?!? Let me know, you know the phone #! :)

Whirlwind of Activities

Seems like when it rains it pours! Just seems like everything is never ending.

• We have 11 days until we go to Grand Rapids. So excited about this, yet there is so many things to arrange and get ready. Organize Grand Rapids time and here time.
• Daniel went to his Dietitian on 04/20 (Rebecca Sparks) and since she changed in caloric intake about 2 months ago, he has gained 2 pounds (very good) and grew 3 more inches in his height! (Don't ask where his height is coming from cause neither Lonnie nor I are tall!)
• On Sunday (04/22) when we were outside playing, Daniel appeared to have a seizure, very disheartening. Stomach & heart dropped to my toes.....it had been about 14 months since he had a seizure. Just sucks. Anyways, I immediately sent an email to Dr. Chugani (remember its Sunday) and he responded back within an hour. Damn he's good! So we had to up his morning dosage of Vigabatrin to a whole pill, and are now scheduled for another Video EEG (24 hr)
• Besides the seizure which puts your body out of whack (headaches, tummy aches, drains you) Daniel is still teething. I believe he is cutting his back molars and they are big ones!! This also doesn't help with the seizures.

We have multiple reasons why Daniel could have had a breakthrough seizure.

1. He outgrew his dosage because of his weight gain (it hasn't been changed for over a year)
2. Teething lowers your threshold for seizures
3. He seems to be getting a cold/allergies OR
4. The DAMN things just decided to rear their ugly heads again and scare the crap out of us! Reminding us that Daniel will never be safe from this horrible "monster".

Also since our last post....because Daniel will be getting the EEG with all the electrodes cemented to his head again in the very near future we had to cut his hair. So here is a post of what he looked like before and after. WOW! Just remember it grows back quickly, and you woudn't want to have to try to get all that cement out of those curls!

Astro Lanes Bowling Fundraiser

Well, we had Daniel's fundraiser at Astro Bowling Lanes Friday night! Pictures will be posted soon for this, as we are waiting on them to be sent to us from the photo guru at the event (Doug Haynie).

We would like to thank everyone that came to spend their time and hard earned money. Again we are always amazed to see how people open up their hearts to someone that they hardly know.

Lonnie and I didn't have to do any of the set up or organization on this fundraiser and we were pleasantly surprised by all the wonderful prizes that Nicole Bacha was able to get for the event. Nicole, her family and Lonnie's Brother Marty did an outstanding job organizing everything and everyone for the event, despite us bugging the crap out of them constantly inquiring on how it was going! Sorry! :)

There were also many friends and family that donated their time and money buying and selling tickets. Thanks to everyone that made this benefit the absolute best it could be! Thanks for helping us help Daniel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY (OMG......she's 18!!)

Happy 18th Birthday Brittany!

Now just for fun I've gotta put these out there too just so people can see why Daniel is laughing so much! She definitely keeps the humor in the house!

Conductive Education Here We Come!

We just got the phone call from Andrea at Conductive Education and we are in for the May 7th session! YIPEEEEE!!! I am so excited, now to just set everything up and plan it out.

Now the bummer......we have to tell his therapist that he isn't going to be there for 3 weeks. I am hoping that they will be able to hold our spots. Cross your fingers because I would really hate to lose any of them. That is the only draw back of going to CLC.

Very, very exciting news......lets see if this type of learning will work for Daniel.