It’s been four months since my health adventure. Some of you have asked about what happened, and how I’m doing. It’s taken some time for me to do so, as I’ve navigated through the mental and physical waves of recent weeks, but here goes.
I told you that one of my kidneys went bad. The kidney was not the issue. The mass of cancer that wedged itself inside the kidney was. Both were removed before the cancer was thought to have spread, and my remaining kidney, along with the rest of my system now seems to be doing well. They will photograph me over the next five years perhaps even more than I’ve photographed some of you, to make sure that I remain cancer free.
Sometimes, its not the incident itself that leaves you shaken. It’s the aftermath. Anger and frustration coming up in seemingly unrelated incidents. The overwhelming wave of survivor’s guilt I felt when Eric Lovell, and other friends died. To be honest, I’ve dealt with survivor’s guilt my entire life, for varying reasons. Some days, the best thing you can do is recognize the darkness in the room, recognize it for what it is, and keep going.
Mentally, going back to work as soon as possible was the best thing I could do after that experience. I did one of the best interviews I’ve ever done the day after I got out of the hospital. Physically, that wasn’t always the case. I felt like I was often carrying my own body for the first few weeks. Somehow, I got through spring event season, finished work on several projects, and just kept propelling myself forward. The way I kept myself going is not for everyone, but it helped get me to now.
On the whole, I’m okay. A little battered under the sails, but still floating, and still looking forward. And it means the world that some of you care about this old vessel.
Above all else, it’s good to be here, and continue living this crazy life. As I often say now, it’s good to see you again. And I mean it.
Here’s to more days, and better days. See you soon, and see you on the road.
-Daniel
August 7, 2026
