08/22/2025
What a battle, brothers. You deserve to know!
One everyone should be aware of: **ATTR Amyloidosis.** For a few years now, I’ve put everything physical on hold that I could. My body simply doesn’t tolerate activity, or now, stress. I suffer from endless sore joints, often ending up in physical therapy, MRI machines, CT scans, or surgeries. When I hit my late 40s, things really began to change. Wood cutting for our financial project to save Ionic was a labor of love—but also very painful. It just didn’t feel normal.
When I became highway foreman, things really started to shift. Typing was a big part of my job. I noticed pain in my hands which led to locking fingers and severe wrist pain. Dr. Lamey and the Boise Hand Institute became frequent companions. He performed several trigger finger releases (six in total), carpal tunnel releases in both wrists, even an ulnar nerve re-route procedure. Still, no clear reason why. The explanations given were “aging” or “fibromyalgia.” In total, I’ve had 12 procedures on my arms from the shoulders down.
The past couple of years, I’ve had to give up a lot. Working with my friends at the Masonic lodge, cooking, cleaning, keeping the sidewalks clear, golf, fishing, hunting—I had to walk away from them all. A couple of years ago, my left arm became hard to use. Pain in the hand, elbow, and even shoulder became intense. Tests revealed a detached bicep muscle between the shoulder and arm. Dr. Lynch repaired a fully torn rotator cuff and the detached bicep. Still, no real answers as to why.
Then last year, working on a simple project holding a pipe—no weight, just steadying—it suddenly happened. My right elbow popped. I thought I had been shot. Back into surgery!
This was the turning point where years of frustration and pain finally began to find an answer. Before surgery, they performed an ECG. I was cleared, but advised to follow up with a physician about the readings. One trunk line—the nerves from the brain—was damaged. I made an appointment with a cardiologist in Boise. After another ECG and later discovering I’d suffered a heart attack at some point, Dr. Johnson ordered an echocardiogram, bloodwork, and a nuclear scan of the heart for protein buildup.
That led me to Dr. Seethala, who gathered the data, ordered further tests, and diagnosed me with a rare condition now becoming more recognized: **ATTR Amyloidosis.** Thankfully mine is the wild type—not hereditary.
There is no real cure yet, though research is progressing. Right now, the only treatment is to lessen the amyloids my body produces. The medicine is unbelievably expensive—about \$20,000 per month. Thank God for insurance and a grant I received! Without it, I would not survive.
I write this not to bore you, and not for sympathy, but to raise awareness. If hereditary, this disease can affect your children and grandchildren. For years I sought answers from the medical profession, but no one suspected amyloidosis. *It’s extremely hard to diagnose.*
**Be aware of symptoms:** spinal stenosis, carpal tunnel, trigger finger, neuropathy in the feet and lower legs, detached biceps, fatigue, shortness of breath, and slow recovery after activity—all signs I experienced, and all of which worsened with time. Pay attention as you age; you may be the only one who recognizes what is happening in your own body.
For me, it’s been a journey of constant frustration—feeling lazy, unable to enjoy life, and dismissed as a hypochondriac. The relief of knowing what I face is real is both sobering and grounding. The next chapter will be shorter, but at least now I know.
As for you, my brothers: stop by, call, or message, but that’s as far as I want to go now. And if you do stop by, I’ll probably put you to work! I’ve got a lot to catch up on with family, with time, and with my bucket list. The lodge will always be in my heart, but another chapter is being written.
I wish you the best. Remember your by-laws. Keep Masonry alive in Valley County as we intended—forever. You are the Grand Lodge, not the September party group that drains finances without return. Change is hard, but it only happens through you, my brothers. “If it’s good enough for me, it’s good enough for you” is not the answer. Resolution is the way forward. Ritual is important to the candidate, but it doesn’t make a leader.
Myself and a small group of friends—Steve, Archie, Duane Peterson, Bob Marion, Warren Mount, and a few others—rolled up our sleeves and saved Ionic. We did that on our own. McCall has been a great partner, but Ionic’s members saved this lodge, and I will never forget the friendships we made in doing so. Payette Lakes has helped ensure we don’t have to be loggers forever, and that’s a good thing. But never forget: a small group rolling up its sleeves can achieve a lot.
I wish you all well. Keep the faith. Keep Ionic financially healthy and growing for the kids. More importantly, keep all members informed—that has been sorely lacking recently. The Secretary’s job is vital: any lodge action should be communicated to *all* members, not just the 6 to 10 who attend meetings. Minutes should be posted on the Grand View website. Decisions must be transparent to all brothers. Since I left, I haven’t seen a single minute shared.
Fraternal love and best wishes,
Dan
