by Dan | Mar 15, 2026 | Etc.
How many times have I said none of us are guaranteed tomorrow? Too many to count! This time though it was not about me, but Sarah. It has been a very stressful 6 weeks. Sarah started having pain and pressure in her pelvis, and long story short, after scans and evaluations, we found out she had a 12 cm mass on her uterus. She was going to have to have surgery for this, and it was too big to have done here, so we were set up to go to SF. We did not know if it was benign or malignant, but we were playing the odds. By far and away the majority of masses on the uterus are fibroids, and they are benign. We were told we would not know for sure until it was removed. She had surgery Wednesday March 4. The mass was now 15 cm in size, and it was not on her uterus, but it was on her left ovary! I am glad I did not know this ahead of time. The odds are much higher that a mass on the ovary is malignant more than it is benign. It was all able to be removed. It came back benign!!! I can’t tell you what a relief this has become. Same thing for her…we try to be active and improve our health, but we cannot control all things. She is recovering and doing well. We went for a 2 mile walk yesterday and she did great! We have built back up from starting at 1/2 mile, now up to 2 miles. She is making great progress!
We have a lot more things we want to do yet in this lifetime. When she retires, we plan of doing more traveling. We will do more hiking, and exploring, and traveling to other states so that we can keep building on the number of states that we have run in. The goal is to hit all 50 states! Time is precious, and short. Do not take anything for granted. I never have to buy a lottery ticket in the future…we just won the lottery with this news!
I want a lot more years together with my best friend. We have a lot of things to do yet…places to see…time to spend with the kids and grandkids…I have not really had a chance to figure out what retirement is really like yet with all of this going on. But one thing is for sure, we will be doing things together later! I thank God every day for this news! Don’t ever take anything for granted. Because, again, we are not guaranteed tomorrow! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 746
by Dan | Mar 8, 2026 | Etc.
Well, one week has gone by. It does not seem like retirement yet. There have been some other issues going on this last week that I will eventually talk about. But for now, I am working on trying to stay healthy myself. I always exercise each day, but I am concentrating a little more on the resistance side of exercise. I need to plan for the Senior Games come August in Huron! I have been spending more time out in the Reiflex Center. Also, now that I have recovered from my blood clot, I can do more things with my legs, including lifting, walking, and running. Now that I have more time, not only to fit it into my schedule easier, but also allow more time for recovery.
There is almost an unlimited number of different exercises to work on, and you feel different muscles being used all of the time. I can also now slow down some and not have to be in as big of a hurry to get through it as well. It really is fun, and it does not take long to see improvement.
I have also gotten to be much more flexible in the time I can go out for taking pictures of sunsets and sunrises. I don’t have to worry about still being in clinic and working or not. There have been some interesting ones already this week.
For right now, I am going to take it as it comes. I have a long list of projects to work on, and I have to figure out where and how I want to start first. It still feels like every day is a Saturday, so I need to get my calendar figured out. It will get there. I just need to relax and enjoy, and remember I don’t have to be in as big of a hurry for most things…at least for now! Maybe things going forward will change this. I see traveling into the future. Overall plan is still to run in every state in the U.S. I have 15 states left to hit! Strive to Survive…right? Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 739
by Dan | Mar 1, 2026 | Etc.
This past week has been a whirlwind at clinic…”my last week as a doctor in practice”. I thought I was ready, and then as each day went, it was then “my last Monday”, “my last Wednesday”, and then, “my last patient!”. I came in Thursday to wrap paper work up, make sure labs or tests were being taken care of, and then it truly became “my last day working as a doctor”. Where did all of the time go? There were times when I did not think it would ever end, and now that is has, I can’t believe how fast it truly went. Chris had a celebration on Monday for her 50 years of service…as a nurse in primary care her entire career!
Then Wednesday she gave me some gifts…
Since I am now going to be doing the cooking, I got an apron to wear for “my first time”. It says “Retired. Under new management. See wife for details!” How fitting. I have now been under “Chris” management for “my last time”, and the baton has been turned officially over to Sarah. She gave me an incredible clock to have on my desk at home. Then the hugs starting happening for “my last time”, well at least at work anyway! Chris made me another M and M cake for the celebration on Saturday!
The planning was all done by Stef and Bonnie—years of working with them for “my last time”…they made for a great retirement beginning for “my first time.”
Many celebrations over the last several weeks from my physician partners, and former Brown clinic employees. Seems like only yesterday were were working together for “my first time”, and now we are celebrating work “for my last time”. It is time to bring on the new era…for “my first time!”
My family was there to help celebrate, and my table of memories of them, and from my patients…to recognize also my patients for “my last time”, and to new adventures and memory making with my family for “the first time”.
It has been a great career! I appreciate all the celebrations…all the memories…both for “my last time..and my first times!” Keep moving everybody. I still want to see everybody being healthy! To life’s next adventures…for “my first times” coming up!
Thank you for everything!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of newest streak: # 732
by Dan | Feb 22, 2026 | Etc.
With retirement fast approaching, I have been giving suggestions and ideas of what I can do with my time. My cousin, Kathy Kruiter, gave me this Walmart greeter uniform that I could use to fall back on! How did she know that is what I always wanted to do!!! Hilarious! But, I will say, I have some things on my own list.
I got back to running last Sunday. I had issues with my feet, then had the blood clot, so I have not been able to run for about 5 months. I managed a 5k last Sunday, and was very sore the next few days. I will take that anytime! It was great to be able to go out and run again. We decided to stay in this Sunday. My brother John from Rapid City is visiting, and it is incredibly cold out. Let’s just say the main reason we did not run today was because we wanted to spend more time visiting with my brother!!
I will be planning on spending more time as a grandpa. We had spent some days with them a couple of weeks ago helping to watch them when my other grandson was having surgery for his cleft lip. We got Connor ready for school and taking down the driveway to get on the bus.
It is crazy to think he is old enough for this already! Of course, we spent some time at the park later, and then went and got ice cream. I think it is safe to say they had a ball…and so did we!
I will always be taking pictures, and now I will be able to have more time, and will be able to get in on more sunrise and sunsets as well.
It will be different, but I am ready! I will always still be learning…just different things now. That is also what is exciting about this retirement…I will have more time to learn other things besides medicine. Wow! I am looking forward to some exciting times. I will also have more time to work on my exercise as well, and will have some flexibility as to when I can do it as well. Time to fasten the seat belt and enjoy the next adventures! I will keep writing as well, and will be working on some books. I will let you know when they get done. Just remember everybody…keep moving, and strive to survive!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 725
by Dan | Feb 15, 2026 | Etc.
In a few weeks, a new chapter in my life begins. I will officially be retired. This sounds very strange. 35 total years of being a physician. I look back on this and at times it seems like time goes very slow, but in reality, these 35 years went very fast! These years have brought about many changes, advances in medicine, technology, new medications, new tests and scans, and new thoughts of caring for patients. Medicine is always advancing, and you have to keep up with the pace. We are always learning. Lifelong learning. I plan on continuing to learn when I am officially retired, but it will be in other areas besides medicine. It will involve some things I never had a chance to learn before. It is both exciting and scary! The new adventures will keep coming. I hope to see you help celebrate my retirement. I hope I have made a lot of positive changes in my patients, because they have made changes in me. Thank you for the honor of taking care of you! Keep moving everybody, and do what you can to help improve, and maintain, your own health!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of Newest Streak: # 718
