The Conversing Nurse podcast
Are you a nurse curious about the experiences of other nurses? For 36 years, I have only known the Peds/NICU realm but I am intrigued by the roles of nurse researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs. Through conversations with nurses from various specialties, I aim to bring you valuable insights into their lives. At the end of each episode we play the five-minute snippet, just five minutes of fun as we peek into the 'off-duty' lives of my guests! Listen as we explore the nursing profession, one conversation at a time.
The Conversing Nurse podcast
Advancing Medical Knowledge as a Live Case Presentation, Dan Dry Dock Shockley
Today’s interview is one that I truly enjoy because it focuses on the patient's experience.
Meet Dan Drydock Shockley, a Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the age of 51, after a routine colonoscopy, Dan was diagnosed with Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis—quite a mouthful, indeed.
I will let Dan share the rest of his incredible story, as he is a gifted speaker. He serves as a live case presentation speaker for the Stanford School of Medicine’s Molecular Foundations of Medicine course and the Stanford MS Program in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling. Dan's story has undoubtedly impacted many individuals.
Patient experiences are crucial for healthcare professionals; they are at the heart of why we do what we do. You will hear about the many connections that Dan forged throughout his journey. As I have told him, there are no coincidences in life, only divine interventions, which you will witness today.
Dan is also a master of acronyms and created one based on his experience: Always Forge Ahead with a Purpose. Brilliant.
In the five-minute snippet: Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines? For Dan's bio, visit my website (link below).
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Thanks for listening!
[00:01] Michelle: Today's interview is one that I truly enjoy because it focuses on the patient's experience.
[00:07] Meet the patient, Dan Dry Dock Shockley, a Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
[00:19] At the age of 51, after a routine colonoscopy, Dan was diagnosed with attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis.
[00:29] Quite a mouthful indeed.
[00:32] I will let Dan share the rest of his incredible story as he is a gifted speaker.
[00:38] He serves as a live case presentation speaker for the Stanford School of Medicine's Molecular Foundations of Medicine course and the Stanford Ms. Program in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling.
[00:52] Dan's story has undoubtedly impacted many individuals.
[00:58] Patient experiences are crucial for healthcare professionals.
[01:02] They are at the heart of why we do what we do.
[01:06] You will hear about the many connections that Dan forged throughout his journey.
[01:11] As I told him, there are no coincidences in life, only divine interventions,
[01:17] which you will witness today.
[01:20] Dan is also a master of acronyms and created one based on his experience.
[01:26] Always forge ahead with a purpose.
[01:29] Brilliant.
[01:31] In the five minute snippet:
[01:34] it's the Army.
[01:35] No, wait, it's the Navy.
[01:38] Wait, I think it's the Air Force.
[01:41] It's the Marines.
[01:44] Here is Dan Dry Dock Shockley.
[02:00] Well, good morning, Dan. Welcome to the podcast.
[02:04] Dan: Good morning, Michelle. Thank you for the opportunity.
[02:07] Michelle: Well, I want to thank you for reaching out to me.
[02:10] You completed the bio form and sent me all your information and I really love it when guests do that because they always have a story to tell that is going to be so valuable.
[02:26] So thank you so much for reaching out to me and I know your story will be valuable too. So we're just going to get started. Dan, I'm going to ask you this $64,000 question.
[02:39] Who is Dan Dry Dock Shockley?
[02:44] Dan: Well, that's a great question.
[02:46] I'm retired Navy Operation Desert Storm and during an Iraqi Freedom veteran been deployed to the Persian Gulf four different times and three of those deployments were on ships and I was on the ground in Bahrain when we kicked off Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.
[03:07] I spent the last two years on the island of Bahrain and I completed my, that's my, I was landing my tour after that and retired from the Navy.
[03:21] At the time I was residing in Hawaii and I was actually in Pearl Harbor on 9-11. So you want to talk about a surreal moment, man.
[03:31] I had just come home to Hawaii the August of 2001 and then I had followed orders to Bahrain the end of September of 2001. But as you know, things happen.
[03:45] I got called to go back earlier,
[03:48] which is fine with me.
[03:50] So I retired 2003, I was 43 years old.
[03:55] I registered with the Veterans Administration healthcare system and my primary care said, well you know, when you turn 50,
[04:03] we encourage you to have a colonoscopy. Yep,
[04:07] put it on the schedule, I'll schedule it.
[04:10] So I had turned 50, I scheduled the colonoscopy and the weight loss, there was on a 14 pound unexpected weight loss from the previous year's physical.
[04:24] So my GI doctor said well you know, we want to do a,
[04:27] let's do an upper and a lower GI just to rule out any underlying issues.
[04:33] I felt fine. I've been busy working two full time jobs for the previous seven, eight years. And the results revealed 100 polyps embedded throughout my colon and anus.
[04:48] And one of those polyps was creating 80% blockage in my ascending colon.
[04:54] And of course I said I'm asymptomatic and didn't have any family history,
[04:59] any colon issues. So my GI doctor at the VA there in Hawaii,
[05:06] he wanted to refer me to a certified genetic counselor at Tripler Army Medical Center.
[05:14] The VA medical center is on the same campus as Tripler. So I went over and had DNA sequencing testing to rule out the APC mutation which is in the fifth chromosome.
[05:28] And the results were not scheduled to be back for three weeks.
[05:33] The closest molecular oncology lab was in Pasadena, California.
[05:38] So at the time I asked my genetic counselor, my colorectal surgeon and the chief of surgery and my GI doctor what resources I can read,
[05:50] look at about this mutation you think that I have.
[05:53] And if I did have a mutation, I would have to have a total proctocolectomy with a permanent ileostomy.
[06:01] So I didn't know anything about this. I had to. You know what, I consider going into battle mode. But in a positive way.
[06:11] The military has equipped me to plan for the worst, hope for the best,
[06:15] adapt, improvise and overcome. So I automatically went into that mode and try to gather as much information as possible.
[06:23] Well, the results came back in six weeks and by that time I had already had enough information that I felt comfortable that if I did have the mutation that I wanted to have the permanent ostomy surgery.
[06:40] So had the surgery and I had 35 staples, midline,
[06:49] 13 staples back where my anus used to be. And I mean it took a lot out,
[06:55] It beat me up pretty good. But you know, I rebounded. It took me a few months to get back. I mean I was,
[07:03] I was out of work 12, 12,
[07:06] nine weeks. I was out of week work for nine weeks and I just,
[07:11] nine weeks came by and I got cleared to go back to work. So I went back to both my full time jobs. I had a daytime job as a implementation coordinator for a telecommunication company which I was working on a government contract.
[07:25] Then at nights and weekends I was working at a hardware store.
[07:29] So I mean, you know, it took me a while to get my endurance back up but I just went about my life as if nothing happened. I mean,
[07:38] learn how to,
[07:39] you know, I'm self sufficient. I learned how to take care of myself with the ostomy while I was in the hospital and yeah, just,
[07:46] you know, like I said, take a negative and turn into a positive. And that's been my journey. And then,
[07:53] you know, I just,
[07:54] I just go about every, I just, I'm just thankful every waking moment, you know, that I'm able to be here to share my story on how to overcome adversity.
[08:03] Michelle: Well, that's exactly it. Right? Because we've all been faced with things in our lives that have really shaken us and you know, attitude is everything.
[08:16] And that's what you just proved with your story there.
[08:19] Dan: Absolutely. Yeah. Look at years ago I remember reading an article about attitude is positive, mood is temporary.
[08:27] You can wake up in a bad mood but you know, you'll shake it off. Attitude, you know,
[08:32] that's 100% right there.
[08:34] And my positive attitude has afforded me the opportunity to overcome adversity not just this time, but many other times.
[08:43] Michelle: Well, I love it. I want to go back to your service.
[08:46] First of all, I want to say that I value and appreciate my freedom. And so I thank you for your service and that point Dan, that you got the diagnosis.
[08:59] what was going through your mind?
[09:03] Just take us back to sitting with the doctor and hearing that you have this and what's ahead for you.
[09:11] Dan: Well, you know, my GI doctor, he came into the, because I was sedated for the colonoscopy and the upper GI.
[09:20] And he came in by my bedside and recovery room.
[09:26] I had just woken up and I was drinking some guava juice and eating animal crackers and he was standing there showing me pictures that he took and I said,
[09:35] what's going on? What are you talking about?
[09:38] What is this you know,
[09:39] well, you're a little groggy right now and I would like to have you come into my office.
[09:46] This was on a Tuesday,
[09:48] May 8th of 2012, so Tuesday.
[09:52] So I had to go into his office on the Friday.
[09:56] So I was, you know, coherent. I could, you know,
[09:59] kind of take in what he was saying.
[10:01] Didn't understand a lot. So. But yeah, so I just, it was all new to me. I mean, I just, I figured, you know,
[10:10] I just go in and ask questions. What do I do?
[10:13] Well, I want to get you over to the certified genetic counselor. And I said, okay, what, what's that gonna entail? He goes, well, they'll do,
[10:21] some DNA sequencing testing to rule out this mutation that I think you have based on the results of your colonoscopy. I said, well, I just don't understand.
[10:30] It's kind of interesting that I had all these polyps, but I made symptomatic. And then we have no family history. So he goes, well, that's the important of early detection. I said, okay.
[10:41] So my genetic counselor appointment was the following Tuesday.
[10:46] And I went in to see her and we sat down and talked. And she said that,
[10:53] you know, we want to do this DNA sequencing testing, we take some blood and saliva samples. And I said, okay,
[11:01] let me know where I need to go. She said, oh, you don't go anywhere. You just sit right there. The nurse is going to come in and draw your labs and then I'm going to bring a colorectal surgeon in.
[11:09] Then we're going to talk to you and you know what we think you have, and if you have what we think you have, then it's in the best practice of medicine to have this surgery.
[11:20] So I said, okay, now let me back up just a little bit.
[11:25] So earlier I mentioned that I had two full time jobs and one of them was at a hardware store nights and weekends. Well,
[11:33] there's been a couple that come in that through the years from 2004 to 2012,
[11:41] and they knew I was retired Navy. Now, I didn't know who they were.
[11:46] Well, when I went to see my GI doctor on that Friday, after my colonoscopy,
[11:55] he set me up for that appointment with the genetic counselor the following Tuesday. Well,
[12:00] I went over to Tripler to find out where the genetic counselor worked out of which was the general surgery clinic.
[12:09] And I had no idea where it was. So I found it. And I'm walking through the double doors into the waiting room.
[12:15] And in the military we have the pictures, the Chain of Command.
[12:19] Where the very first picture was the chief of surgery.
[12:23] And I looked at the face and I said, I know this guy.
[12:27] And I looked at the name, and here he was a Colonel,
[12:31] and here he's been one of my customers, him and his wife.
[12:35] And come to find out, his wife is the leading pathologist at trip, or so, no pun intended. They know me inside and out.
[12:43] So as soon as I saw his picture, his name, and I knew his first name was Ian,
[12:48] and I said, oh, my gosh. And I just turn around and I walked out and I went back,
[12:53] you know, I went back to my day job and,
[12:56] and I said, this is good.
[12:58] This is perfect.
[13:00] Now I go in during the weekend. I went in, I go in early,
[13:04] and Sunday morning I'm going in and I see Ian and his wife there. I walked by him, I went up to him.
[13:12] I didn't, I didn't start my shift yet.
[13:16] And I said, Ian, because he always comes up to me and says, where's Daniel? How's Daniel doing today? Shakes my hand.
[13:23] A little small talk about whatever,
[13:26] you know, project he's working on. And so this time I walked up to him and I said,Ian,
[13:32] for all these years, you've been one of my loyal customers. Now let me let you know who I am to you. And he goes, what do you mean? He goes, well, I'm going to be one of your patients.
[13:41] He goes, what?
[13:42] So, yeah, I got to come in and see the,
[13:44] this genetic counselor on Tuesday.
[13:47] And he goes, hold on a second. So he called his wife, she was an ear shot away. She came over. So I told her both what happened.
[13:55] And they, they looked at me. He looked at me and says, daniel, you're, you're going to be, you're in good hands. Okay, well,
[14:00] we'll take care of this.
[14:01] Nothing, nothing to worry about.
[14:03] And he goes, now when's your appointment? I said, It's Tuesday morning, 8 o' clock.
[14:09] And he looks up in the, up in the air and he goes, okay, let me see, today's Sunday. I tell you what, Daniel, I'm going to go in tomorrow morning, I'm going to nose around a little bit,
[14:18] so everything will be fine. So I go in Tuesday morning, he called back,
[14:23] Jenna, counselor goes, Daniel,
[14:25] Ian came up to me yesterday and said, one of my buddies from the hardware store is coming in, take care of them.
[14:30] And I raised my hands in the air. I said, oh,
[14:33] this is good. She goes, now,
[14:35] by the way, Daniel, we do not have any confidentiality back here. I say, even better.
[14:41] Then I sat down with a genetic counselor. She brought in a colorectal surgeon.
[14:47] And he knew a little bit about what was going on,
[14:50] and he set me down, talked to me for a couple of minutes. And he goes, Daniel,
[14:54] I'm going to be honest with you. Your case is too complicated for me.
[14:58] I'm going to turn you over to the chief colorectal surgeon. He'll be back next week because you don't need emergency surgery,
[15:06] and we really need to wait for the DNA test results to come back. So I'm gonna have to take a pass on this.
[15:14] I said, he was a Major in the Army, colorectal surgeon, board certified by the medical clinic, as well as the chief colorectal surgeon.
[15:22] And I said, thank you. I appreciate your honesty and appreciate your time.
[15:27] And then we sat with genetic counselor for about another,
[15:32] I don't know, half hour, 45 minutes.
[15:35] Talked about different things.
[15:37] She gave me some resources. And as I left the exam room, we'll go down the hallway, and then there's Ian on the way. And we ended up standing in the hallway talking.
[15:49] Here's the chief of surgery, and
[15:52] I have an audience with him for at least 25 minutes.
[15:58] We're just standing there talking about all this.
[16:00] He's giving me, you know, a good friend, some information about, you know, just.
[16:05] We'll take care of this now. Let's wait till the results come in.
[16:10] So I had open door with my genetic counselor, my GI doctor,
[16:15] my primary care, the chief colorectal surgeon and the chief of surgery. I mean, I was asking every opportunity I had, I was asking questions. And of course,
[16:26] the results didn't come back for six weeks. So just about every weekend, sometimes twice a weekend, I was seeing Ian and his wife at the hardware store so I could talk to them a little bit, you know, and so I felt very,
[16:39] I mean, I didn't know what was what,
[16:41] what the results, I mean,
[16:44] when they were going to come back. I mean,
[16:46] so I knew this was a big deal.
[16:48] But once again, I was in the battle mode in a positive way this time. So I was gathering as much information as I could that I can make a logical decision based on what I'd read about and based on what my medical team has shared with me.
[17:04] So when the results came in,
[17:07] I had already made my mind up. Well,
[17:09] if it's a mutation,
[17:11] if it's the APC mutation,
[17:14] then I'm going to have the surgery, because I don't want to wait because any of those polyps have 100% chance of developing a colorectal cancer.
[17:25] And so results came in.
[17:28] I was summoned to the CMI genetic counselor and chief colorectal surgeon. We talked about it,
[17:34] and they said, well, you need the surgery. You don't have to have it, but you need it, because any of those polyps, like I mentioned before,
[17:41] left unattended, have 100% chance of turning developing into colon cancer.
[17:46] And I said, well, I want the surgery.
[17:49] My colorectal surgeon looks at me, he goes, Daniel, that's what I thought you'd say, I've already scheduled your surgery. It's two weeks from today.
[17:56] Michelle: Wow.
[17:58] Dan: Yeah. I mean, but it was all new to me. I've been through many surgeries in the Navy. But, this was, I was rather. I'm very intrigued. I still am, you know, even,
[18:10] you know, because now the mutation I have is, I mentioned before, the acronym is APC,
[18:18] Adenomatous polyposis coli. It's in the fifth chromosome.
[18:23] Now, that gene mutation is directly associated with familial adenomatous polyposis,
[18:31] which will impact individuals 50 years and younger.
[18:36] And there's another. There's a sub variant of FAP known as attenuated FAP,
[18:42] and that if you get diagnosed with APC mutation between 50 and 55 years old,
[18:48] then you're diagnosed with attenuated FAP.
[18:53] So I was 51, right there in that window.
[18:58] Now, it's important to note that attenuated FAP was discovered by the late Dr. Henry T. Lynch.
[19:07] And Dr. Lynch is the founding father of hereditary cancer research.
[19:12] If you're familiar with Lynch syndrome, well, that's named after Dr. Henry T. Lynch.
[19:17] And little did I know that my genetic counselor and colorectal surgeon were colleagues of Dr. Lynch through the decades.
[19:28] At the time, he was 86 years old.
[19:31] He was the director of preventative medicine at Creighton University, among other things.
[19:38] And he's been tracking my journey. My genetic counselor and colorectal surgeon, then communicating with him through the then,
[19:45] So I'm in Hawaii, right on Oahu.
[19:50] So seven months after my surgery, guess who shows up in Hawaii to do academic lectures?
[19:55] Dr. Lynch.
[19:57] So my genetic counselor invited me to one of his lectures at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center.
[20:05] She introduced me to Dr. Lynch in private, personally, before the lecture.
[20:11] And then afterwards, we sat down, and for an hour and 50 minutes, my genetic counselor and a few other colleagues from Tripler, we all sat down.
[20:21] There was like, six of us, we huddled around Dr. Lynch as we talked. And I,
[20:26] I carry a binder with me. I started that,
[20:29] This journey I started, and it was a very small binder. But I have my DNA test results, my pathology report, and my discharge summary.
[20:38] And my genetic counselor goes, Daniel, you have your DNA test results with you, don't you? I go, yeah, yeah.
[20:44] And she goes, why don't you give them to Dr. Lynch? You have them read them right here in Provost.
[20:49] So he said, well, Daniel, you have a unique case of AFAP.
[20:53] And based on you being asymptomatic with no family history,
[20:57] I recommend you undergo surveillance.
[21:01] And if you'd like, I'll give you my email address. You can send me your pathology reports and I can review your results and provide my feedback and insight.
[21:11] So I did that.
[21:13] 2018 was the last time I communicated with him.
[21:17] He passed away on June 2nd of 2019 at 91 and a half years old, still going in, doing his research up until a month before he passed away.
[21:27] Michelle: And incredible.
[21:28] Dan: So, yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, I couldn't have scripted anything like this his whole journey. So once he passed away,
[21:37] I'm thinking, you know, he was 91 and a half years old. He started his research,
[21:42] hereditary cancer research, back in the very early 60s, if not late 50s.
[21:48] So I was born in 1960s at the time that he passed away.
[21:54] My entire life he's been devoted to hereditary cancer research. So the least I can do is educate the medical students specifically. So this way they have the information for the rest of their medical careers and the rest of their lives.
[22:13] And so what I do is I've been doing live case presentations for medical students in person. And virtually the virtually part I can do globally. So I have lots of interaction with different medical students, medical professionals, organizations globally.
[22:33] And so that being said,
[22:36] in 2020, I had my surveillance. And by the way,
[22:40] I relocated to Northern California from Hawaii because there's one endoscopic surveillance that I need to undergo that's not available in Hawaii, and it's a single or a double blind arthroscopy.
[22:56] There's no clinic in Hawaii that was credited to have that particular endoscopic surveillance performed. So I had flown the VA format of San Jose to go to Palo Alto VA.
[23:12] The director of the GI clinic performed a double blind arthroscopy along with three other scopes. They used every scope they had, if they had a periscope, they would have used it.
[23:23] So just, just have fun with this.
[23:26] And so he was okay?
[23:28] No cause for alarm, pathology report will be in in about,
[23:32] you know, seven to ten days.
[23:34] And they recommend you come back in two years. Now this is 2014.
[23:38] So in Hawaii I was still undergoing EGD inside view scope every year.
[23:42] So 2016 came along and I've been sending Dr. Lynch my results and he says, just continue with your surveillance.
[23:51] There's nothing to be alarmed about.
[23:54] So 2016 came along and I said, you know, I'm just going to move, I'm going to move to Northern California to be closer to Palo Alto.
[24:04] Because the director of the GI clinic, he's the one that, he's the only one that can touch me.
[24:08] And I know because I've been communicating with Dr. Lynch and the older I got the, it'd be inevitable that I'd end up having to go do another surgery.
[24:18] And sure enough, in 2020,
[24:22] I had my surveillance that revealed a 3 centimeter adenoma in my jejunum.
[24:28] Now it hadn't been there the previous year.
[24:32] So my director of the GI clinic, says Daniel, and we talk for my procedure and we talk afterwards. So even though I'm the day that I wake up, I know where I am.
[24:41] He's got all the pictures. I have my binder, which now is a 3 inch binder,
[24:47] 100 pages, double-sided pathology reports, images from the scopes he found,
[24:54] he recommended that I have surgery. And I said, well, what, what are we talking about, the Whipple procedure? He goes, well,
[25:01] there's a newer medical technology for individuals with the APC mutation. And the surgery is known as a pancreas-sparing duodenectomy resection. I know that's a lot to digest, no pun intended.
[25:16] And it's similar to the Whipple, but it's more specific for individuals with the APC mutation, like I mentioned.
[25:24] So I said, well, okay.
[25:27] I knew this was going to be, you know, the older I got the,
[25:31] I'd be waiting for the day to hear about this, you know, be recommended for surgery.
[25:36] So what are, what are my options?
[25:38] He goes, well, Johns Hopkins,
[25:40] Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Andy Anderson.
[25:45] And he mentioned Stanford. I said, well, Stanford's two miles up the road here. Palo Alto, I like that option.
[25:53] Would you happen to know a surgeon at Stanford that can perform this procedure? He goes, there's a surgeon that's done this on two of my patients and they're fine. I said, I want his name.
[26:04] So I got a name and I had the VA refer me.
[26:08] He accepted and I went to see him the following month.
[26:13] And as soon as he walks into the room,
[26:17] the examiner, he goes, Daniel,
[26:19] I know you know a lot about your mutation. I'm just going to cut to the chase. This is what we need to do.
[26:24] And I, you know, I said, yeah, let's do it.
[26:28] So however, this was October, now 2020. Okay?
[26:33] I said, I asked my surgeon, I said, listen,
[26:36] we've already had enough excitement for the year 2020. How about we do the surgery in the end of March, beginning of April,
[26:45] you know, six months from now? He goes, okay, I don't see why that wouldn't be a problem.
[26:50] I said, you know, I'm a big baseball fan and if I'm going to be laid up for, you know, recovering from surgery, I want to be able to watch baseball.
[26:58] So that's why I'm doing that.
[27:00] And I shared with him what, what does life in baseball have?
[27:05] They both do not have a time limit. So when the baseball game goes in the next innings, I think of that as free baseball. Well,
[27:13] I consider myself beating colorectal cancer. So I think of my life as the next inning. So I'm enjoying free baseball.
[27:22] And he got a kick out of that. So I go,
[27:25] I have to go two weeks prior to the surgery down to Stanford, or down, sorry, down. I'm a GI doctor who is going to tattoo the 3 centimeter adenoma.
[27:36] So my surgeon performs the procedure. He's going to go 30 centimeters beyond that 3 centimeter added up.
[27:45] Now, I didn't share this before, but my GI doctor,
[27:49] I found out, is actually faculty at Stanford. He's on loan to the VA. So my GI doctor and my surgeon at Stanford,
[28:00] they know me inside and out. And
[28:03] I was assigned one of the nation's leading pancreatic surgeons. He just happens to be at Stanford.
[28:09] So we had the surgery.
[28:12] They removed my gallbladder 60 centimeters of my duoden. We're doing dam. That's how you talk to what day and week it is.
[28:19] And he inserted a five French pancreatic stent.
[28:24] And oh, this surgery really beat me up. It was a big one,
[28:28] you know, but,
[28:29] you know, the surgery went fine. It's just the way you, you know, the older you get, have major surgeries, your body responds differently. And yeah,
[28:38] but I asked lots of questions and I still, to this day, I'm asking lots of questions.
[28:44] Now the million dollar question is, what's next?
[28:48] No one knows,
[28:50] you know, and so I just keep asking questions. I keep going.
[28:54] Now I don't have to go through surveillance now, but every two years. So in August,
[28:59] I'll actually be calling here in the next couple of weeks to schedule my surveillance for August time frame because that would be my two year mark,
[29:08] unless I need me there earlier.
[29:10] And we'll go from there and see what happens.
[29:13] So I mean, I'm just,
[29:15] you know, I'm learning as I go. I mean, 13 years seems like a long time, but it really isn't.
[29:22] You know, medical technology is continues to advance and it's just amazing.
[29:29] The medical students I communicate with, the medical professionals,
[29:33] you know, locally, nationally and internationally,
[29:37] it just, it blows my mind, you know,
[29:41] how many times I end up explaining what I have,
[29:46] just a mutation alone and then about the total proctocolectomy surgery and then the last surgery, the pancreas.
[29:55] I can't remember the last time I talked to somebody that actually knew all three of those, you know, and so I was like, this is perfect.
[30:05] So the rest of my life I'm going to be sharing with as many medical students, medical professionals as I can because it's going to help them out.
[30:13] And by the way my GI doctor who performed my only, my first and only colonoscopy, he was 70 years old.
[30:23] And after I had my diagnosis and my surgery, I had a follow up with him and he said, Daniel, you know, I was going to retire six years ago.
[30:33] And I said, well Doc, you know why you didn't retire? Because you needed to save my life. Oh he got a big kick out of that.
[30:38] So he's retired now, his son's a GI doctor, so how cool that is. Wow.
[30:45] But through the years, through the decades, these, you know, doctors, medical professionals go to conferences.
[30:51] This was way back before the virtual stuff. So my GI doctor in Hawaii has gone to these conferences and somewhere along the line he may have probably met Dr. Lynch, I don't know. And he heard about
[31:06] the APC mutation and it was things for him to look at. Whether you're asymptomatic family history or not. He suspected something that he was spot on.
[31:15] And here I am to share that. That's a success story.
[31:22] Michelle: Yeah, it really is. And it's an incredible story.
[31:26] And so many of the stars aligned in your story, Daniel,
[31:32] to get you to where you are today,
[31:35] I was particularly taken with your story about,
[31:40] you know, working in the hardware store and having this connection with the couple.
[31:45] And, and you know, I feel like there's no coincidences in life.
[31:50] It's like there's divine intervention at play there.
[31:55] And knowing, you know, Dr. Lynch and you getting to meet him and just everything aligned to get you to where you are today.
[32:06] I want to go back to your surgeries and tell me what stood out in terms of your care during those probably weeks in the hospital.
[32:17] Dan: Yeah, the first surgery, the total proctocolectomy with permanent ileostomy. I was in for 12 days and you know my wound nurse,
[32:27] I had a WCN there at Tripler where she came in and bless her heart, she was amazing. She had, they used Hollister appliances
[32:37] So she brought in,
[32:40] we talked about this and I was, I was beat up. I mean I was just, they did everything. I just laid there and just, you know,
[32:47] I was down to like 145 pounds. I'm not that big. Well, I wasn't that big then anyway,
[32:54] six foot one. And so she says, Daniel, I just want you to rest. What I'm going to do is I'm going to bring in a DVD player and I have a DVD from Hollister Secure Start and I'm going to show that to you.
[33:07] You just watch it, you know, as you want to and I'll leave it here for a couple days and by your bedside until I watched it. Then she came in, she'd come in and see me and change out the,
[33:20] the barrier and the appliances as I,
[33:24] that's the terminology they use.
[33:28] So I didn't do a whole lot while I was in the hospital other than just rest because you know I had, I had 35 staples midline for.
[33:37] And then 13 staples where my anus used to be. So it was really,
[33:41] you know, I want to be careful not to move around too much and I had staples from previous surgeries and, but not, not the anus area size like yeah, I'm just going to take these.
[33:52] And so when I did get discharged to go home,
[33:58] I was self sufficient. I started taking care of myself. I had visits with my wound nurse of course with my,
[34:06] medical team there at Tripler where I am as well as the VA.
[34:10] But yeah, the care was, was amazing. You know at that stage I was learning is like I said earlier my very early in with the diagnosis. So I was just,
[34:25] and I was keeping my mind busy back then I had a BlackBerry, my job and so I was using the BlackBerry to,
[34:32] to send emails and reach out to different,
[34:35] you know, the United Ostomy Associations of America, the colorectal cancer alliance,
[34:43] even, you know, lots of other organizations to start my journey, like I said, mentally prepare myself for this.
[34:51] It's one thing to read theory is one thing, but practical applications another.
[34:56] So that's where the positive attitude,
[34:59] you know, I was able to overcome adversity just to keep up my mind.
[35:03] And actually, I created an acronym for the word ADAPT based on my experience there at Tripler.
[35:12] Months later,
[35:14] I created Adaptive Attitude Determines the Ability for a Positive Transformation.
[35:20] And that's what my body's up and I've transformed into a permanent ostomy. And you know, my attitude
[35:28] allowed me, afforded me the opportunity to overcome this adversity.
[35:33] Michelle: That's incredible.
[35:35] I think acronyms. I'm a big fan. I think that's such
[35:39] An easy way to keep things in perspective.
[35:43] I recently created an acronym for hope because I have recently kind of been in a negative headspace, which is really not typical for me.
[35:55] So I needed something to kind of bring me out of that. So I,
[36:01] I took the word hope and I created Harboring Only Positive Energy.
[36:07] Dan: Nice. You know, I've been trying to figure out word for hope for, for 13 years.
[36:13] Michelle: There you go.
[36:16] Dan: That's brilliant.
[36:20] Michelle: Absolutely awesome.
[36:22] Dan: I created an acronym for the word FAITH,
[36:25] and that's based just, you know, what is faith just in general?
[36:30] Faith is you look outside and you see the tree branches swaying in the breeze. You don't see the breeze. You see the effect of the breeze. So I thought of FAITH is Full Assurance Influence Through Hope.
[36:46] Because that to me. Right.
[36:48] Michelle: Yeah.
[36:48] Dan: So then that's when I started thinking about the word hope. And I try not to plan these acronyms. They just come so face. That was right in that window.
[37:01] That actually was before adapt.
[37:03] And then there was one morning, about a year,
[37:09] year and a half after my surgery, I woke up in the middle of the night and there were two words on my mind. Forge ahead.
[37:18] So I quickly turned on the night light. I wrote down forge ahead was on a little piece of paper.
[37:24] And I said, forge ahead, forge ahead. Why is Forge ahead with a purpose.
[37:29] Forge ahead with a purpose. Well, that's FAP but I, I have attenuated FAP. What am I always doing? Oh, I'm always forging ahead with a purpose.
[37:37] My mantra.
[37:39] It's a positive spin on a one diagnosis.
[37:42] Michelle: Yeah, I just love it.
[37:43] Dan: That's my mantra.
[37:45] That's my, you know, I use that every opportunity.
[37:49] I get to share my journey with,
[37:51] talk to people and that. That's my life. And here's the key that it's kind of like I grew up, you know,
[38:00] reading, you know, way early in the teenage years,
[38:05] Edgar Allan Poe.
[38:07] And Edgar Allan Poe had a unique style.
[38:11] And he would actually write.
[38:16] There's one article once, one story he wrote, short story. And the first letter of the line for each sentence, if you looked at it going vertically, it's spelled.
[38:29] I forget who it was now, but they spelled a name,
[38:32] a female's name.
[38:33] So here's what happens is I put that decades of. In my mind of how I could do something like that.
[38:42] If you take the first letter of always forge ahead purpose.
[38:49] And you. You spell. It spells AFAP.
[38:53] And I didn't plan that. I said that was an epiphany. But you see, there's things that go on and everybody has these ideas. You know, there's. I have ideas floating around in my brain just in the middle of the night, boom,
[39:06] write it down. Or, you know,
[39:08] so, yeah, yours is, give me hope again.
[39:13] Michelle: Harboring only positive energy.
[39:18] I love that word. You know, I love that word harbor because it connotates such like. I don't know, for me, like comfort.
[39:27] Yeah, a harbor is a place that's protected,
[39:32] that's tranquil.
[39:35] So, yeah, you got to do what works for you.
[39:38] I want to ask you some questions about your work with Stanford. Talk about some of the feedback that you've gotten from medical students.
[39:47] Dan: Oh, my gosh. Oh, it's incredible.
[39:50] Well, what happened? I was at Stanford.
[39:54] It started back in October of 2020,
[39:58] and then my surgery was April 8th of 2021,
[40:03] and I was inpatient for 20 days.
[40:07] Well, I'd asked my surgeon for a referral to a certified genetic counselor at Tripler. I mean, at Stanford.
[40:14] Now, Stanford has eight CGCS's. Okay.
[40:19] The entire state of Hawaii only has five.
[40:24] When I was there,
[40:26] and one of them was assigned to the Army Hospital Tripler, the flagship hospital for the military in the Pacific Theater.
[40:33] So I was assigned to a certified genetic counselor,
[40:38] and I asked her if it would be possible to be a live case presentation for the Stanford Master of Science in Human Genetics genetic Counseling program.
[40:52] So it took, I kept asking, and I've been doing a lot of other things,
[40:57] so I give her, I continue to share my updates with her.
[41:03] And a year ago this month, probably a year ago this week,
[41:07] I received a.
[41:09] I was contacted by her. She says,
[41:12] Daniel, you mentioned this live case presentation. You're still interested? I said, absolutely. She goes, well, I got an idea. How about if we do a,
[41:21] a 10 minute recording. You do a 10 minute presentation, we'll record it.
[41:26] Have you signed a release, a consent form for Stanford and your presentation, your recorded presentation will be an addendum to the online curriculum for this Stanford Ms. Program in human genetics for genetic counseling.
[41:44] I said, let's do it.
[41:46] And she said, well, you know, also I have a medical geneticist here at Stanford who's been asking me if I have a,
[41:54] a patient with a mutation that would be interested in being a live case presentation for her Molecular Foundations of Medicine course.
[42:03] And I said, well, I do hope you shared my information.
[42:06] Well, I mentioned your name, however,
[42:08] I wanted your consent. I said,
[42:10] you know, to give her your email, phone number. I said, yep, please.
[42:14] So I got contacted by her and she requested that I be on campus.
[42:22] Walker class.
[42:24] And it was 90 students in their first year of this school and it was a two hour class.
[42:35] So she invited me down there, she gave me over, she had my own parking spot. They escorted me into the, she had the badge again, all at the classroom there was like a ________
[42:46] You walk down to the bottom where the podium is and they had a big 10 by 20 foot screen.
[42:53] Well, I had been communicating with her for the previous four to five weeks,
[43:00] sending her information about my journey.
[43:03] Well, I hadn't met her until that day. And she prepared a 24 present, a PowerPoint presentation, 24 slides.
[43:15] So she opened up, she introduced me to the class,
[43:18] she talked a little bit about the molecular part of the class, which is what she would always be talking about.
[43:28] And then she went through a couple slides and then she says, well, Daniel, I'm going to turn the class over to you.
[43:34] Michelle: Oh my God.
[43:36] Dan: And yeah, so an hour and 45 to an hour and 50 minutes,
[43:41] I was answering questions from the students and I said, by the way,
[43:47] there's no, I have no barriers, I have no boundaries. You ask whatever you want.
[43:51] And I was there. I was fielded questions for a good hour, 45 minutes.
[43:56] It just amazing, just absolutely amazing. I loved it.
[44:00] Michelle: That's incredible.
[44:01] Dan: Oh, so if, as long as the curriculum doesn't change, I'll be back down there again. Now,
[44:07] the medical geneticist, she's actually the professor for this class.
[44:12] She has her own stem cell research lab there at Stanford.
[44:16] And so that's just, you know,
[44:20] that's exactly what my journey, what I want it to be like, is to come across medical,
[44:26] you know, professionals. I have,
[44:28] I have an audience with the medical.
[44:30] Michelle: I mean that's so valuable to the medical community to hear from someone with your story, with your experiences and I mean there's just no better teacher. Right. Than somebody that's actually walked the walk and talked the talk.
[44:49] Dan: I'm trying, I'm trying, you know, I'm trying to walk the talk.
[44:53] Yeah. So, you know, the patient's perspective is, is invaluable because the medical community, they hear this and it, you know, I like to think of the medical laboratory professional as the unsung heroes in the medical community.
[45:09] You know, going back to the Tripler experience.
[45:13] The leading pathologist happened to, you know,
[45:19] since I knew her,
[45:21] she brought me into her lab and she showed me the frozen section slides from that surgery.
[45:28] Michelle: Wow.
[45:29] Dan: And she actually copied it. I have photo, I have photographs. I have 8 by 10 photographs of some of the. And by the way, then that polyp that was creating an 80% blockage turned out to be an 8 centimeter high grade dysplasia tumor.
[45:48] They were able. My colorectal surgeon was able to successfully remove all the associated lymphoma.
[45:56] So that, that part of the journey was intriguing to me.
[46:00] I have in the photographs, the frozen section slide photographs, images of that 8 centimeter high grade dysplasia tumor. So I shared that with my Stanford colleagues, genetic counselor and geneticists.
[46:18] And so that PowerPoint presentation,
[46:21] about 16 of those slides were.
[46:25] Was information.
[46:26] It was my material that I had sent to the geneticist. And she put them together, the slide deck.
[46:33] And so one of those was the actual.
[46:37] One slide was the actual image of the 8 centimeter tumor. And then right next to it,
[46:47] she had the image of the frozen section of it.
[46:50] So I got to share that as part of that presentation.
[46:54] Well, last year in the mail, I received the 25 frozen section slides.
[47:04] I actually have them in my possession. I have a little box I put in my.
[47:08] Michelle: Wow.
[47:09] Dan: So now I'm trying to find a pathology lab that I can have these slides scan so I can have images. I only have eight images. I have 25 slides. So I want images of all the slides so I can,
[47:25] I can hang them up in my
[47:29] Michelle: I love it. I love it. I want to go back. Yeah.
[47:34] Dan: It's like I said, it's. It's not a coincidence. This is divine intervention that.
[47:38] Michelle: Yeah.
[47:39] Dan: Cross paths with so many incredible. I mean it all started with Dr. Lynch,
[47:45] my colorectal surgeon and my genetic counselor being colleagues of him. And, and that's what it's like. Okay. I'm just, I'm just gathering Information.
[47:54] You know, I'm 13 years into this and there's not a week that goes by that I'm not communicating with someone,
[48:02] that I can either share my journey or I learned something from them.
[48:07] But yeah, the medical students, it's just incredible. Oh my gosh.
[48:11] And I don't know if you know this, but during the holidays I was communicating with a pathology professor at the National University of Singapore.
[48:22] And about a month and a half ago she,
[48:26] two months ago we did an interview and bless her heart,
[48:33] it was 11 o' clock at night, her time, a 16 hour time difference between California and Singapore.
[48:39] And bless her heart, she's a night owl. She says, well, I don't want you to be up late, so I'm gonna do,
[48:45] let's schedule it for 11 o' clock tonight my time and then whatever time was the afternoon or whatever morning my time.
[48:53] so now I don't know if you saw it or not, but
[48:57] she posted it. It's on the National University of Singapore's website for everybody in the world. See, it's on YouTube.
[49:06] So if you haven't seen it,
[49:08] I can email you the link and you could, it's amazing. Now she's going to do a case study but that's going to be probably later in the summer but she'll do a case study.
[49:18] So yeah, she was totally amazed that I had the power the frozen section slides and I said, you know, this is just, hey, it's me, you know,
[49:27] and so I have, I have fun with it but the main thing is it helps,
[49:34] the medical students. And so she said her pathology students are really,
[49:41] they're really excited to hear about this.
[49:43] Michelle: Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned the YouTube video. I did watch that and it was incredible and I learned so much and I will put that link in the show notes and I highly recommend it because it's so informative and it's done just in your style.
[50:01] You know, you are, you're light hearted and I think that's a real gift considering everything that you've been through.
[50:11] But I want to talk about your binder for a second because when you mentioned that that brought back so many memories, Daniel,
[50:19] from my pediatric days.
[50:21] So we, you know, we, we lived. Well, I live in a small community. It was very small at the time.
[50:29] This was the 1980s, so mid-1980s.
[50:33] And we would have kids that would come in that had really rare diagnoses, whether it was genetic or other rare conditions.
[50:45] And I just remember these kids, there's just a handful of them,
[50:50] but their parents would bring in these huge binders and they were so good at keeping every printout of every imaging study, every lab study,
[51:04] every doctor's discharge note from the hospital.
[51:08] And they toted these huge binders around with them.
[51:13] But they helped the nursing staff and the medical staff because we had not heard of so many of these things.
[51:22] And at that time, there was no Google, you know, so we couldn't go Google it.
[51:27] And if there was a textbook that had it in there, you know, we were lucky. But some of them,
[51:34] you know, the textbooks are,
[51:36] not up to date. And so for the parents to bring this valuable information was so great that they could bring us up to speed in such a short amount of time.
[51:50] And it sounds like you've kind of done the same thing with your binder. You carry it with you when you go to different medical facilities so that people can just look at it and know exactly what.
[52:06] Where you've been and where you're going.
[52:08] And I think I just had to mention that. I think that's.
[52:12] I think that's so valuable and so special.
[52:15] Dan: Yeah, it is.
[52:17] You know, thank you for mentioning that.
[52:20] Yeah, I look at it, you know, I mean, I have fun with it. It's like that show a tell time. What's Danny have to show us today?
[52:27] You know, have fun with it. But, you know,
[52:30] once again, let's get back to knowing Dr. Lynch and, you know, him having an open door or medication,
[52:38] pathology reports and then,
[52:40] you know, the knowing the leading pathologist having the frozen section, slides, the images and. Yeah, you know.
[52:49] Now speaking of the binder, while I was at Stanford,
[52:53] my genetic counselor asked me if I would want to undergo a comprehensive DNA test. I said, well,
[53:02] what does that entail? I mean, I already have the mutation, so. Well,
[53:06] they were just looking for one mutation.
[53:08] We can do a comprehensive DNA test,
[53:11] sequencing testing that will look for 148 gene mutations. And I said,
[53:18] okay, sure, let's do it.
[53:20] So this one was only a saliva sample. So they actually mailed me the kit and I fedexed it back. And it was with a company known as,
[53:32] if you're familiar with them, right out of San Francisco. Okay.
[53:36] And they have a partnership with ______
[53:39] So the results came back in less than two weeks. Okay.
[53:44] Not only. And I had a phone call with my genetic Counsel, we had video calls and she says, Daniel, normally I would have the patient come in when the results come in to have a sit down first, face to face, but I know you're, you're totally fine with everything,
[53:58] so I'm just gonna,
[54:00] I'm just gonna cut to the chase.
[54:02] Your results came back and you have a second gene mutation in your 22nd chromosome known as schwannomatosis.
[54:12] And I said, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but do tell. So she gave me some information.
[54:19] And so the DNA test results from MVP, I have a copy of them. It's 10 pages.
[54:27] So yeah, it was amazing. I was like, okay, what do I need to do? So I got referred to a neurosurgeon at Stanford and I have to undergo testing and, and I'm at the time and I still am a full time caregiver, care provider, caretaker for my wife.
[54:47] So I'm limited on going and she's pretty much immobile. So I just can't go down to Stanford any, you know, an hour,
[54:56] two hours away.
[54:58] So the first thing my neurosurgeon at Stanford said, well, I'll tell you what, let's just do,
[55:04] let's have an MRI. You can have an MRI done at your, of your brain at your local VA and then just get the imaging on disk and mail to me and I'll review it.
[55:15] So I did that.
[55:17] She says, yeah, no, you don't need to come down for that.
[55:20] We can, let's do that first. And then there are other, there's two other tests we need to do, but you'll have to be here at Stanford because we're the only ones that can do it.
[55:28] I said, okay, we'll work on that.
[55:31] So I mailed her the imaging and we had a video call. She goes, well, Daniel, the results are in and your results are unimpressive.
[55:43] So I pointed to my head, I said, oh, so it's true. There is nothing there.
[55:48] So, hey, sense of your humor is the best medicine.
[55:51] Michelle: It is.
[55:52] Dan: And hey, I can make fun of myself because it's my life, you know, but it's an impossible way because once again, this helps the medical community,
[56:01] you know, it helps other folks to hear my story.
[56:05] Yeah, you know, hope would be a source of inspiration, encouragement, but everybody's going to have a different take. You know,
[56:12] I learned a long time ago that we have two choices in life. We can react,
[56:17] but we can respond.
[56:19] And by responding, you gather information. So you can make a logical decision by reacting. You make a decision,
[56:25] you know, shoot from the hip.
[56:27] A decision you may later regret. So I like to gather information.
[56:32] There's a reason why they call the first responders, because they're responding. You know, they're not first reactors. Right.
[56:39] Michelle: Yeah. Wow.
[56:40] Dan: Oh, you know, so the little things I pick up on
[56:43] And I say, you know, I think to myself when I hear this,
[56:47] whether it be, you know, last year or, you know,
[56:50] 30 years ago,
[56:51] I said, you know, there's something about that I'm going to remember.
[56:58] Michelle: Wow, man, this has been fantastic.
[57:02] Dan: So now I like to consider myself the international man of mutation.
[57:08] Michelle: Oh, my gosh,
[57:13] You're amazing. And you know how you mentioned, like, the unsung heroes in the lab?
[57:19] I think that's why, another reason why getting your story out there is so valuable, Dan, because they are looking at slides, they're looking at cells.
[57:32] They don't know you. They don't know Dan Dry Dock Shockley as a person.
[57:38] And so there's this disconnect.
[57:43] And I just think, again, it's so valuable for you to
[57:48] tell the world your story and. And especially to medical professionals who every day,
[57:56] you know, they're striving to improve people's lives.
[58:02] And so I. Yeah, I thank you so much for telling your story.
[58:07] Dan: Absolutely. You know, I reached out to Invitae, you know.
[58:13] Dan: I reached out to them and I said, you know,
[58:15] I had my latest DNA test conducted by
[58:19] Your team, and I would like to offer my services,
[58:23] being a patient advocate for you. And everything I do is gratis. I'm not compensated. I don't want to be compensated. This is my way of giving back. Just look at what Dr. Lynch has done for the hereditary cancer research globally. Right.
[58:37] Michelle: Yeah.
[58:38] Dan: Renowned leader.
[58:39] And so I was contacted by Invitae to be a patient advocate for them.
[58:47] So they did a story. I don't know if you saw it.
[58:50] And LabCorp, actually,
[58:53] LabCorp and Invitae are, they did a story there.
[58:57] They're together.
[58:58] And so InVitae posted it first in March, I believe it was. And at the beginning of March and the end of March, LabCorp posted the same story.
[59:10] And so, remember, I mentioned we went down to the.
[59:15] To Pismo beach weekend before last?
[59:18] Michelle: Yeah.
[59:20] Dan: Well, I just happened to be communicating with the medical officer for Invitae
[59:27] and he's, among other things,
[59:29] has a Ph.D. in medical genetics. Genetics and where he's medical geneticist. So we communicated with him for a while and I said, hey,
[59:38] Where did this test take place?
[59:41] And he goes in San Francisco. And I go, really?
[59:44] Actually, could I visit the lab?
[59:47] So I went and actually visited the lab. They took me for a tour.
[59:51] Michelle: Wow.
[59:53] Dan: While we're on our way down
[59:55] Oceano. Yeah, we went for a tour. My wife and I went for a tour and I got to meet the
[01:00:02] I got to see the individuals and the lab technicians.
[01:00:08] And as I'm going around on a tour,
[01:00:12] I didn't talk to any of the technicians. I had the director of the lab took us on a personal tour and another colleague from the front office from Invitae and they said, you know, everybody here knows who you are because your story went out not only for LabCorp, but it went on Invitae.
[01:00:36] And before that, April 25, I was invited to be on town meeting, InVitae town meeting.
[01:00:49] I was a guest speaker. So it was 900 InVitae employees were on this phone call.
[01:00:54] Michelle: Wow.
[01:00:55] Dan: And I got to share my journey. About 10 minute portion of that call.
[01:01:01] And so, yeah, then it goes back to when we were there two weeks ago and,
[01:01:08] and being told that everybody here knows who I am.
[01:01:12] Okay, this is pretty tall.
[01:01:14] Michelle: That's incredible.
[01:01:16] Dan: So, you know, once again, it's the medical laboratory professionals or the unsung heroes. And, you know, here they are,
[01:01:24] you know, doing their due diligence, you know, with their job and,
[01:01:29] and then you have an actual patient, you know, so, yeah, I was in the actual lab where the test was, and they showed me the, oh, it was incredible.
[01:01:42] Michelle: Yeah, that's fantastic. What an opportunity for you and for them, right?
[01:01:47] Dan: Yeah, yeah. But I have fun with it. You know, I just like to know stuff, you know.
[01:01:51] Michelle: Yeah.
[01:01:52] Dan: And how cool that is. So there'll be other opportunities coming up and whatever they have planned.
[01:01:58] But just, you know, any updates here. I put them on my social.
[01:02:03] LinkedIn and Instagram are the big ones. I put on my updates.
[01:02:09] Michelle: Yes. Well,
[01:02:10] I want to get more contact information before we close,
[01:02:14] but I know you know a lot of people, Dan,
[01:02:16] so is there someone that you would recommend as a guest on this podcast?
[01:02:23] Dan: Yeah, actually, I can get you one in the FAP community. I have a couple close colleagues that I've been collaborating with for decades.
[01:02:32] Yeah, I would love it.
[01:02:34] There's one in Oklahoma and there's another one up in Michigan. Okay, well, real close.
[01:02:41] Michelle: Connect us.
[01:02:41] Dan: Oh, by the way. Yeah, both of them.
[01:02:44] The one in Michigan, he,
[01:02:46] he has FAP. He's about a year older than I am.
[01:02:50] And FAP runs in the family.
[01:02:53] His dad just passed away a couple years ago at 95.
[01:02:57] And if my memory serves me, he said his dad was the oldest FAP patient in the country.
[01:03:03] Well, he started a FAP Awareness Week campaign there in Michigan with the University of Michigan Hereditary Genetic Testing Advisory Board. I actually was a member of that board for a couple years.
[01:03:17] And so he's got the governor of Michigan to issue a proclamation the third week of June.
[01:03:24] He's been doing this for about six years now that the third week of June, every year is FAP Awareness Week.
[01:03:33] Then my colleague, our colleague in Oklahoma did the same thing for the governor of Oklahoma. Then he's got some representation in Wisconsin.
[01:03:45] So about a year and a half ago, I reached out to him. I said, hey, you know, I'd like to piggyback on your campaign out here in California.
[01:03:52] And I said, I can ask Senator Roger Neal. I reside in his district. He's done an ostomy awareness day and colorectal cancer awareness.
[01:04:03] He sponsored my request for a campaign here in California.
[01:04:07] He authored Senate concurrent resolutions for both of those campaigns. I said, well,
[01:04:13] let me reach out to him, ask him if he would be available,
[01:04:17] interested in authoring a Senate concurrent resolution for FAP Awareness Week and for the third week of June. So I reached out to him during the holidays last year and I said, okay, let's circle back after the new year so we can get the, the wording and we could get the,
[01:04:38] get it on the agenda for the session.
[01:04:41] So guess where I'm going to be today at 2:00 clock?
[01:04:45] I'm going to be at the Capitol here in Sacramento.
[01:04:48] Michelle: Wow.
[01:04:49] Dan: I'm going to be escorted up to the gallery and Senate Senator Nelo is going to introduce the measure on the Senate floor. It's going to go up and vote.
[01:04:58] Then he's going to read my bio and then it's going to be a done deal.
[01:05:03] Michelle: That is fantastic.
[01:05:05] Dan: And those, according to my colleagues in Michigan and Oklahoma, California is going to have the first Senate concurrent resolution designating the third week of June as FFP Awareness Week in the entire nation.
[01:05:23] How about that?
[01:05:25] Michelle: Phenomenal.
[01:05:26] Dan: Yeah. So I will meet up with his staff this afternoon at a quarter to one outside capital, take a couple of photos and we'll go in. And now I won't have the resolution.
[01:05:38] The frame resolution until probably a couple weeks from now.
[01:05:42] Yeah, it's just gonna be incredible.
[01:05:46] Michelle: Well, you've got a busy day ahead of you.
[01:05:56] Exactly.
[01:05:58] Dan, I thank you so much for those connections and definitely introduce us, Dan and I thank you again for coming on and sharing your story with my audience.
[01:06:10] And it's just so valuable again. And I love your delivery. I love your humor.
[01:06:17] I love that you also shared your positivity because I think that is also so, so important in any journey is to stay positive.
[01:06:28] And I know that people are going to have questions for you and want to reach out. So how can they find you?
[01:06:36] Dan: On LinkedIn, Dan Drydock, Shockley.
[01:06:39] My Instagram is Dan Drydock.
[01:06:42] I'm on Twitter and for some reason they put it as Dry Shockley. So I don't know, maybe some of my dry humor. I don't know.
[01:06:49] And then my email address is dandrydock@gmail.com so anybody can, they're more than welcome to,
[01:06:56] to reach out. You can Google my name. There's a boatload of articles.
[01:07:02] Michelle: There is. I, I did that. Yeah, yeah.
[01:07:05] Dan: Podcast guest appearances and we're talking globally.
[01:07:10] There's a few articles that I have to email them to individuals. The early on articles.
[01:07:18] In fact, the last article draft that I sent to Dr. Lynch was in 2018.
[01:07:25] June, the end of June of 2018, actually about this time.
[01:07:29] And it was for the Ostomy Canada Society magazine out of Toronto.
[01:07:34] And the editor of the magazine asked if I would write my own article based on my experience.
[01:07:44] So I wrote it and I sent the draft to Dr. Lynch and he came back with some feedback and insight.
[01:07:50] And that was July of 2018. That was the last draft that I sent to, back to Lynch. And you know, that was just, I, I remember that like it was like it happened yesterday, you know, but yeah, so those, that type of, that article there, I'd have to email it to someone because it's not available.
[01:08:10] I haven't got it online.
[01:08:13] But yeah, anybody can reach out. They can ask any question. I mean my mind's going a million miles an hour. So you know, I don't a sleep pattern, I don't, I don't have a sleep pattern.
[01:08:25] I need if I'm, I'm wired different, you know, I'm, you know, like this morning I woke up, I don't know, like 2:30 I think. And I've been up ever since.
[01:08:34] Michelle: Sounds familiar. Yeah, sounds familiar.
[01:08:38] Dan: I mean there's, there's so many times there's 24. Actually the one at 24 time zones I'm finding I got colleagues in,
[01:08:44] in Australia and India that they're on the half hour increment.
[01:08:48] You know, so there's so many time zones out there. And so some of them, I mean, I've been communicating with Dr. in India for the last, you know, many weeks just.
[01:09:01] And different time zones. So you get.
[01:09:04] Michelle: Exactly. Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing your contact information.
[01:09:09] Dan: Well, thank you. I appreciate it. I'm honored for the opportunity. And yeah, just there'll be updates.
[01:09:16] I'm not sure. Oh, by the way, today's session is going to be.
[01:09:20] I'll get the link.
[01:09:22] The actual introduction.
[01:09:24] They vote. It'll be on the senate floor. They'll vote. And then Senator Neal will read my bio and introduce me and I'll stand up at the gallery.
[01:09:35] Michelle: Send it to me when you get it. I would love to include that as well.
[01:09:39] Dan: Absolutely. That's it.
[01:09:40] Michelle: Okay. Well, you're not off the hook yet, Dan. We're at the last five minutes. So at the last five minutes I do this fun segment called the five minute snippet.
[01:09:51] Yeah, it's fun. Okay.
[01:10:33] Convince me to live in your hometown.
[01:10:36] Dan: Oh my gosh. Galt. The acronym for Galt is Great American Little Town. How about that?
[01:10:44] Michelle: I love it.
[01:10:46] Dan: Now if I could have coined that, I would have loved it.
[01:10:49] Oh my gosh. It's incredible. I'm glad I dropped anchor in Galt.
[01:10:53] It is absolutely incredible. It's just above Lodi and it's just below Elk Grove. We're tucked in here.
[01:11:02] It's been established in the 1860s.
[01:11:06] It's named after town in Galt,
[01:11:09] up in Ontario, up in Canada. There's a town named Galt. It used to be McFarland's farm. Back in the 1860s, they changed the name to Galt. I love it.
[01:11:20] Oh my gosh. It's rural America.
[01:11:22] Michelle: Wow. It sounds amazing. Okay, tell me about your favorite childhood game.
[01:11:28] Dan: Oh, my gosh. My favorite childhood game. We're talking, like, what board game or what?
[01:11:35] Michelle: Anything.
[01:11:37] Dan: Yeah. Probably between Monopoly and Game of Life.
[01:11:43] Michelle: Game of Life. I never liked that one, but I did like Monopoly.
[01:11:46] Dan: Monopoly, yeah. Game of Life. I just like it because the board was different than the Monopoly.
[01:11:52] Michelle: That's true.
[01:11:54] Dan: Operation.
[01:11:55] Michelle: Now, that was fun. I loved Operation.
[01:11:59] Dan: Yeah. That's my body now.
[01:12:03] Michelle: Right.
[01:12:04] Dan: Okay.
[01:12:04] Michelle: Okay. Which branch of the military is superior to the others?
[01:12:10] Dan: Oh, my gosh. Oh, boy. I'm gonna. I'm gonna change it to this, right? It's the Army.
[01:12:19] Michelle: Oh, it's the Army. Okay.
[01:12:21] Dan: Then the Navy. Well, no, the Air Force. It was the Air Department for them. For the Army.
[01:12:27] Marines. Oh, you know, I'm gonna take the Marines. The Marines.
[01:12:33] Michelle: You're great.
[01:12:35] Dan: Oh, my gosh.
[01:12:37] Michelle: You're the most diplomatic person ever. That's great.
[01:12:42] Dan: I'll take heat for. For, say, in the army. For. That's okay. You know, we're. It's all.
[01:12:49] Michelle: You're all in the same boat, right?
[01:12:51] Dan: On the same boat.
[01:12:55] Michelle: What's the most popular song from your high school days?
[01:13:00] Dan: Oh, my gosh. From the high school days. It has to be from that era, huh?
[01:13:09] Michelle: Yep. That's hard, huh?
[01:13:12] Dan: That one you got me. Because I like the 60s psychedelia music.
[01:13:17] Michelle: Well, that's okay.
[01:13:18] Dan: Yeah. I'm just gonna say Tuesday afternoon, the Moody Blues.
[01:13:23] Michelle: Oh, I love the Moody Blues. It's great.
[01:13:27] Dan: I'm a die hard Moody Blues fan. 50 years ago, I was introduced to their music. Oh, my gosh.
[01:13:34] Michelle: Yep.
[01:13:35] Dan: I've seen them at concert three times. Iv'e even seen Justin Hayward at Napa Opera House.
[01:13:39] Michelle: Oh, wow. Well, on that same note, what was the first concert you ever went to?
[01:13:48] Dan: Moody Blues. It was September of 1978. I was senior in high school.
[01:13:55] Michelle: Wow. Great.
[01:13:59] Dan: Yep. And I saw them in San Diego in '86. And I saw him in Vienna, Virginia, in '89.
[01:14:05] Michelle: All right. How about your movie snack? Favorite movie snack?
[01:14:10] Dan: Oh, my gosh. The Fault in Our Stars.
[01:14:14] Michelle: Oh, okay. You love that movie, huh? I know.
[01:14:19] Dan: It is.
[01:14:21] Michelle: Yeah. Yeah, I agree that that's a, I cried a lot during that movie.
[01:14:28] Dan: Wow. I love that one. That was awesome.
[01:14:35] Michelle: Okay, last one.
[01:14:36] Dan: While I binge watching.
[01:14:39] Michelle: Last question. What would you change if you were king for a day?
[01:14:45] Dan: Gosh. King for a day.
[01:14:47] Michelle: Yeah.
[01:14:48] Dan: Oh, gosh. Which country?
[01:14:53] Michelle: King of the world. King of the world.
[01:14:58] Dan: Wow. You got me. You stumped me. Free ice cream.
[01:15:04] Michelle: Oh, wow. That'd be worth it.
[01:15:07] You'd get my vote. You'd get my vote.
[01:15:10] I love it. Dan, thank you so much for all your,
[01:15:14] These are thought provoking questions.
[01:15:16] Dan: You gotta have fun with it. That's why I said ice cream. Everybody loves ice cream.
[01:15:20] Michelle: Everybody. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Dan.
[01:15:24] My recorder ran out of batteries. But I just want to thank him again for being my guest.
[01:15:29] I learned a great deal from him, and I know you will too.
[01:15:33] Patient experiences guide our care.
[01:15:36] They are why we do what we do. So thank you, Dan, again, for sharing your journey. And may we as healthcare professionals,
[01:15:45] always forge ahead with a purpose.
