Kristin "Kourageous" Katich

I love the delete key.Just one little tap, and gone are my typos. While it can obliterate all traces of word, it cannot delete much else. Words have been swimming in my head...impossible, strength, fear, humility,scared, prayer, courage, pain, gratitude, abandonment, hope, broken, faith...some of them I wish I could delete. That being said, I could not pen the words to reflect on the last 730 days. Then, I heard this song. It was written beautifully, just as Kristin has lived the last two years. Beautifully! She has shown,"that life is more than what your eyes are seeing." What can your faith do? Kristin, you are MY hero. Humbly, Madre

Kristin had a follow-up xray and chemo on Thursday. The xray was excellent and it showed no signs of pneumonia. We are thrilled. Labs were drawn, which I have not seen, all I know is her ANC was 3000. Which is good. Although I'm thinking that is too high for maintenance?!? She was given vincristine @ 50% intravenously and continues her daily regime of oral chemo and antibiotics. Kristin's two year mark quickly approaches. Two years seems to be forever. Ambivalent feelings rise. Gratitude for the fact that we have the priceless privilege of still giving Kristin hugs and kisses. Sadness for the life we use to have.... before leukemia invaded our lives. We will see how I feel on the 17th... I love you all and that will never change.

Just a quick up date. Kristin has returned to P-town and I to Nevada. There have been no fever, just exhaustion, nausea and loss of appetite. We contribute the nausea to the meds and the exhaustion to the pneumonia. The daily chemo evidently should have never been stopped?!? So, she needs to start up on it. She has a follow up with an xray and more chemo this coming Thursday. Mean time, she has not called with any fevers or pain and the hospital has not called with any reports of the labs taken. so, no news is good news.

I know, the title is not very good grammar, but if the word fits, write it. Right? As of the last post Kristin was not doing so good. The evening brought some pretty high fevers, some awfully low blood pressure (70/34), difficulty breathing, and all around tense moments. BUT, emphasis on the big BUT, is that she made it through the night just a little worse for wear. Some test results began to come back. No, it is not a-typical pneumonia (walking pneumonia), negative on the H1N1 or seasonal flu, negative for Legionella, negative for aspergillius, negative for a slew of other viruses and bacterias, negative blood cultures. Levaquin seems to be the antibiotic of choice. The trouble was why is she still having such high fevers? What needed to be ruled out was PCP, pneumocystis carinni pneumonia. This is an opportunistic pneumonia that people with compromised immune systems are susceptible. Leukemia patients are prime targets along with HIV and bone marrow patients. Her xray has shown that...

Pneumonia has reared it's ugly head. After three hospital visits, Kristin was finally admitted to Primary's Wednesday with a temp of 105, difficulty breathing and low oxygen saturation rates. Darren booked me on the next available flight and I was here by 4:00. Thank you to Nate and his mom Tamara for their help. I had a feeling it would come down to this or that something was brewing the day before Thanksgiving. Monday was very difficult for me. Panicked phone calls and continued high fevers left me spent. And I not the one with pneumonia. I knew she should not have returned to Provo so soon. After the tears, I decided, for myself, it is easier to be angry than upset. Angry at this all. Angry that this @#$% is so all consuming and invasive, frightening and paralyzing, obscure and mysterious. Thus far, she has had a CT scan, several blood draws for too many tests I cannot begin to name, and a not so fun saline nasal aspirate. (which had to be repeated making it not so ...

Well, against our better judgement, Kristin returned to Provo on Sunday. Actually she only made it to Bountiful. For the entire drive back she was sporting a not so good fever. Coughing fits made for a tense ride. Poor Nate! Good thing the Nevada Highway patrol was understanding. When they arrived in Bountiful, the cold air literally took her breath away. The Sumbots had her stay there for the night. Thank you! The next day fever still persisted and she went to Primary's for followup. A new xray showed "hazy or foggy" lungs. Saturday they only saw something in the lower left lung which I guess is typical for A-typical pneumonia. ie. walking pneumonia. So, they just said it could be viral or bacterial, we don't know. If it is pneumocystis, she'll get much sicker. mmmm that is comforting. She returned home. Last night we talked and her temp 102.2. She called about an hour later struggling to breathe. I talked her through it and she was fine. Early this morning her t...

So, you immediately thought "fever" correct? Good for you! In cancer world fever is an "f" word,one that tends to put parents on edge. The elusive and slippery fever Kristin had been sporting for the last few days took a jump last night into the "spicey" range, as Kristin called it. Earlier in the day she had mentioned she had trouble catching her breath and it hurt to breathe in and when she coughed. From my observations she had no worrisome cough, no runny nose, good color and seemed to have plenty of energy. I tucked the conversation away. She went to study and did not mention it again. Later in the afternoon our family went up to Tahoe for some family pictures with Nigel. We had great light, but the wind was bitterly cold to say the least. As we were wrapping up and walking back to the car, she had some serious trouble catching her breath. Darren rushed her to the car to warm her up and she seemed fine. Later, a similar scenario, occurred in the car wi...

Saturday night Kristin called and I could tell by the sound of her voice she was not doing so well. She had been studying and when she got up the nagging headache, which has plaqued her for the last nine days, went straight to a 9 on a scale of 1-10. I told her to call Salt Lake. Long story short she had a procedure for an epidural blood patch mid morning Sunday. Aside from being groggy from whatever it was they gave her and some discomfort, her headache is gone. It was difficult for us to not be there to say the least. I knew she would be scared and she was. Many thank yous to the Sumbot family for a blessing,comforting her, and evidently, a fabulous dinner. An epidural blood patch is an injection of your own blood into the epidural space. The epidural space is not an injection into the spinal cord itself. The spinal cord and spinal nerves are in a “sack” containing clear fluid (cerebrospinal fluid). The area outside this “sack” is called the epidural space. An injection of the fresh...

Since Kristin's return to "P-Town" she has been plagued with a whooping headache and vacillating blood sugars. The headache got the best of her yesterday as she called me in tears frustrated that she cannot get any relief. She did end up taking some powerful pain meds, but not before suffering for the past three days. It has been very difficult to concentrate on school and even go to classes, finish assignments and take tests that have already been delayed. She keeps trying her best though. The 5 day pulse of prednisone is done with so this should squash the blood sugar issue. I am praying that today, and the ones to follow, will see some welcome improvement. As always, we count each and every blessing. Always giving thanks to our Father in Heaven that Kristin continues positively, ever closer, to her stop chemo day in April.

Kristin came into town on Wednesday night, Nov. 11, to prepare for a LP with intrathecal methotrexate. Personally, I was thrilled to have her home and could not wait to spend time with her, hold her, take in her sweetness, watch movies, you get the idea. Thursday morning came and I wanted to make her favorite homemade mac n'cheese, Bobby Flay style, so it would be ready when we got home that afternoon. She wanted to go to Galena to say hi to some teachers. Around noon we went to Renown. Kristin was greeted with hugs and then more hugs. They are always so good to her! The LP went smoothly. during the procedure, CNS fluid (centeral nervous system fluid) specimens are always drawn for evaluation and then methotrexate is given directly into the spinal fluid. I have not heard anything regarding the labs on the CNS fluid, so in this case no news is good news. The most recent labs were "glowing." So much so that her meds have now been raised to 100%. Remember, that since...

visiting Kristin, it was great! It has been a while since I have "picked up the pen and paper." Kristin is doing well. The family went to Utah as part of Eric's Bday and to visit Kristin. It was great! Darren commented,"Well Kristin, you look like you are pretty happy and that you have arrived at a good place." Her reply, "Oh man, I am in such a good place!" I had the chance to visit her classes, met friends and roomates and take notes in chemistry....Every where we went she was saying hello to someone and introducing me to friends. Of course there are a few "Hiccups" with her health, but that is to be expected. We all know things could be worse. Our visit with the rheumatologist was un-enlightening.....really. Nerve damage to say the least. And is it permanent?....we just do not know..... Yes, I think un-enlightening would be the correct verb here. Although is it a verb, and adjective or adverb and did I even spell it correctly? All that a...

While getting ready for the day, I noticed an unread text message on my phone. It had come around 10:30 the night before, well past my bed time. It read, "I think I'm coming down with something." Gasp, exhale and then Gasp once more! Those were the foreboding words Kristin had spoken to me about two weeks before she was initially diagnosed. At 6:00 in the morning, the day was still young. My mind had already gone through a very complicated to do list of who to call, arrangements to be made, & items to pack in a matter of minutes. While in the warmth of the shower, my mind went back to earlier conversations with Kristin during the week. She had mentioned she felt like she was coming down with a cold. A cold? That was certainly do-able. My hurried mind sighed and then relaxed. "It is probably just a cold Leslie....she's fine." Darren, never one to panic, echoed the sentiment.I drew from the comfort of blessings and promises she has been given and tuck...

I received a call from Connie Goes last week saying they are concerned about Kristin's feet and were ordering a slew (is that the correct spelling?) of tests. The next rounds of vincristine would be held for possibly 1-3 months to give her feet time to heal. FINALLY! I spent many hours reading and researching Raynauds, vasculitis, cryoglobulins, acral ulcers, perniosis, blahblahblah......There can be many contributing factors, but I am pretty sure her's is chemotherapy/leukemia related. So, yesterday she went to the health center to have blood drawn to begin the process. I will keep you posted. In the mean time, she has been invited to go to Disney Land with a "friend's" family. We are still debating the issue. Then again, she is 19 and technically does not need our permission, but being the good girl that she is she has asked our permission. I would certainly want to go if it were me. I guess it is all the "what if's" that I have a hard time with. L...

Here is a short slide show I created when we took the family and some of their friends out to Pryamid Lake. This was a special day for Darren and I with all the memories to take with us. The day was perfect, (except for the fact that Eric had to work)great water, we had the lake practically all to ourselves, no wind, friends, and loads of oooooos and ahhhhhhs. Along for the ride were Robbie LaRovere, Brandon Daniels, and Sam Foote. Just turn up your volume and click play . Enjoy the show! As an update on Kristin, she is feeling the stress of classes complicated by the infusion of vincristine she received. Top it off with prednisone and you have a frustrated freshman. We are working on finding someone help with the foot issues. Salt Lake gave two referrals to try. (hmm,I honestly think they just looked in the directory for Provo and randomly the found two rhuematologists who just happened to be in the neighborhood) I called both and they each declined and said this was not something t...

Today is Kristin's 19th birthday...The years leave me speechless, grateful, and amazed all at once.  While it is oddly strange to not have her here at home, we are thrilled that she is celebrating another year of Living Happy.  still wishing Kristin Happy Birthday! Kristin's clinic visit in Salt Lake went well.  A huge thank you to the lovely Pam and Lindsey Peperone for escorting her.  Her recent labs were outstanding.  In fact they were a bit too outstanding so they have increased her chemo to 75%. Her ANC was over 4100!  WBC 7.1, HGB 13.3, PLATES 22 Dare I say normal?  Lets hope this little 25% increase does not send her counts crashing like last time.  Once again,she has developed the strange bumps on her feet.  I did some research and have found something that fits her symptoms perfectly.  It is called perniosis.  This is caused by the constriction and damage of the small blood vessels(vasculitis) in her feet and how they...

Kristin left to school last week. She caught a ride with the famously notorious AJ Hames and arrived on campus at the beginning of the week. Her last clinic visit went well and it did not seem to hold her back at all. Labs are to be drawn next week so I am anxious to see how she is responding to the higher doses of chemo and the methotrexate she received during the lumbar puncture. I wanted to share this cartoon with you. The cartoon evolved from an assignment about her freshman year experience. Notice the similiar physical attributes? I loved it and hope you do to.

As I was reading the scriptures, I have felt captivated by the following verse. Finding myself drawn to reread it many times, I felt I should post it on the blog. I have found great reassurance and trust in these words, they tell me that my cries and prayers fall upon the ears of a loving Father in Heaven. I know Kristin expresses this sentiment also as she has voiced it many times. Her faith and patience is a light that shines for me as she submits with great patience to the will of our Father.Although prayers are not always answered MY way, the burden upon my shoulders is more often than not, lightened and this load is not so heavy. " And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." mosiah 24:14

We were anxious to hear all about Kristin's freshman adventures, the people and new friends she has made, and all those first year escapades. This one is hilarious and I thought I would share it with all of you. " We were all sitting on the couch watching a movie and this guy next to me kept touching my hair. Well, I had my wig on and he did not know about it. He repeatedly said how nice and unreal it felt. So, I casually put my hand on top of the wig and started to spin it around and said, "Actually it is unreal...." The guys in the room freaked out and jumped off the couch shouting, "Whoa!" I explained the hair thing and relieved they said "Man, we thought that was your head spinning around!"

Well, Kristin has come and gone.....but our family loved every minute that we had with her. We anxiously awaited her arrival and the hugs felt oh so good! While she was here, she loved sleeping in her own bed, visting friends, having home cooked meals, wakeboarding. Her visit to the Renown Speciality Clinic went well. She had an LP with intrathecal methotrexate. Her meds were kicked up a notch because her counts have come up. They are ANC2322, WBC 5.4 HGB 13.3, PLATES 237.WOW!! She has not had those kind of numbers for a long time. So, she is now taking her daily meds at 50% which are mercaptopurine (affectionately called 6mp), prednisone, once weekly methotrexate, and weekend bactrim. I am hoping that she does not experience the myleosuppression(blood cell production suppression) issues she had this summer.It was very good to see Dr. Raphael, Tia, and Sandy. We were sad to have missed Connie, but I do believe I am having pancakes with her at the Childhood Cancer Awareness Day...

"its the sign for 'i love you'. my friend aubrey bought be new pencils and she is always flashing this sign around so i drew this for her. she also has a stage four brain tumor... like it? show dad :)" Kristin sent this text to me and I was moved....

Kristin's visit to Salt Lake with her grandfather was uneventful and that is a good thing. Her ANC was 1700 which is a very good thing. She has not had those kind of numbers for a very long time, actually since they increased her meds by 1/2 of a pill way back when. She is now back on all other meds. I am hoping that her counts will not be so suppressed in the future and these neutropenic episodes will be a thing of the past. As expected, Kristin has not felt well, especially since the infusion on Tuesday. She has started her 5 days of prednisone which leaves her with painful heartburn, an insatiable appetite and feeling awful. After staying home on Wednesday to rest and recover she spent a marathon of hours doing homework in the library. We are counting down the days until she comes home on August 14 and so is she. We get texts like, "I'm tired of eating out of a box, I miss you so much, Someone ate my Oreo's...." Ahh, the good ol' days of college!

Hello friends, You have to LOVE technology! Without cell phones, text, fax, and the Internet, I know that we would never have been able to let Kristin be so far away. When Kristin was having the strange blisters on her feet, she was able to instantly send pictures over the phone. And, when we were dealing with the shingles, I was able to take pictures for Dr. Raphael who then forwarded them to Dr. Torkelson in Oakland. I called the student health center the other day and was able to have her lab report in front of me in a matter of minutes via fabulous faxing. Through facebook, I can catch a glimpse of the pictures Kristin posts of her new friends and their shenanigans. It is hard to let her go, but how could we not? "Living life" is what cancer patients need to do. Not "living sick." Does that make sense? So, with all the communication technology at my finger tips, it makes letting her go just a little easier. Anyway, this week has been quiet. No fever, rash, et...

So, pardon the sarcasm in the title, but finally someone in Salt Lake followed through on Kristin's current state. On Monday she had labs repeated as per the doctor's orders on Saturday. The student health center checked the counts and evidently said to go ahead and resume meds, but check with Primary's first. Whoa.....wait, I thought she was possibly having an allergic reaction to something! So, Kristin, being the smart cookie that she is, did not resume her meds. She did call Salt Lake, but only left a message. Her call was never returned. She let me know she was very frustrated with how this is being handled and felt like no one cared about her since there has been no follow through over the weekend and her call was not returned. This did not sit well with me, so I made some phone calls. I finally spoke to a nurse practitioner and they said they nothing was written in her chart and there were no labs....anyho, she was concerned about Kristin's "hive/rash" a...

BYU freshman, Kristin Katich, reported an odd rash on top of both feet and ankles. What appeared to be large hives seems to have alluded and perplexed the urgent care doctor, Bill Grayden, of Provo, Utah. Dr. Grayden drew labs after examining the suspicious bumps. They did not appear to be shingles. Kristin has complained that the pesky rash has spread to sides and bottom of her feet making it difficult and painful to walk. Tests revealed a dangerously low neutrophil count leaving Kristin neutropenic and susceptible to fever and infection. ANC 290, PLATES 239, HGB 12.0, WBC 1. Her parents question if the rash could be connected to the low counts and hope that it is not a sign of something more serious brewing. Sadly this episode has put a serious caboche on big plans for the weekend and Kristin was unable to attend the highly anticipated campus shin-dig. After consulting with Primary Children's oncologist, Kristin was banished to her lone apartment to reduce the chances of contrac...

Kristin Katich Professor Harrison ENGL 150 29 June 2009 The Stranger in the Mirror It seemed like every classroom I had been in as a child, all the teachers would have the same inspirational posters hung on the walls. Like the one with the kitten hanging in the tree that says, "Hang in there!" Or the one with the cute little puppy that says, "Attitude is everything!" I had never given these posters much thought, except that they were something to look at while day dreaming during class. Eventually they weeded themselves into my mind, and little did I know they would have a huge impact on my life. It was raining that day, and I had been feeling unusually tired. My mom had let me stay home from school so I could rest, but just as a precaution we went to the doctor. He assumed that I had mono and asked me to go get some blood work done. I did not think anything of what the results would be as I laid there. My ...

What a year, what an accomplishment! thank you Mr. Brown on the jumbo tron....where's the cap? so happy to walk the walk! "What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies inside of us."

Yesterday Kristin went to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City for her vincristine iv push. Good friends Pam and Lindsay Peperone were gracious to accompany her. Lindsay is actually Kristin's roommate for the fall and winter. (This in itself is a heartwarming story that I will post soon.) Since Kristin's veins have been destroyed by the iv acyclovir, trying to find a good proved difficult. After a few futile attempts, a specialist was called in and they found success. Ironically it was the vein that she told them they should use in the first place. go figure.... She still continues with daily regime of meds as before just on a lighter dose because of her counts falling. I am sure this will be adjusted as they always are so happy to give her the maximum possible, humanly consumable, most toxic dose tolerated . All in all she said everyone was very kind and welcoming. I of course, tried to get the play by play through texting and phone. Later in the evening she so...

Last Thursday Kristin was discharged from the hospital after the lovely shingles' episode. The rapidly growing monsters responded well to the iv meds, fever was resolved and blood pressure eventually stabilized. I am not sure if she grasped the magnitude of the situation as she was so focused on getting out and on her way to BYU. Honestly, I cannot blame her one bit nor did anyone else. But, when the doctor goes from we will take this day by day to hour by hour, you just do that...Thankfully, hour by hour was gracious to her and she was finally released. I will add that it was not without myself and Doctor Raphael being in the dog house for holding her hostage! Once she made it home, she focused on packing for school. We were on the road by 4:00. Luckily she had gotten a lot done the previous week which was very helpful. We decided to drive to picturesque Wendover and stay the night there. She was so anxious to get there and asked, "Can't we just drive all night?" We ...

What a long day.........here is the lowdown on today's events. 1. no fever since last night 2. started third iv line as the acyclovir is unmercifully harsh on the veins 3. blood pressure running on the low side, too low for Dr. Raphael's liking 4. shingles continue to respond well to meds and do not appear so red & angry 5. nothing to report on the blood cultures...this is good 6. labs are nice and stable and this is good too 7. handling pain well, I mean very, very well 8. emotionally drained over the whole situation and desperately wants to be released 9. she is ready for a shower 10. I will leave this one up to your imagination ...%@#&! Big Thank yous to Melissa Daniels and Kerri Hansen for taking the boys. I am so grateful. Kristin appreciates your comments so keep them coming.

I have just returned from the hospital where Kristin has been the last two days. She has contracted a beastly case of shingles! I know, shingles....could the timing be any worse? Last week a little itch on the back grew to a rash that is now covering her back right shoulder, under the arm and across the chest. By Monday morning I knew they should be looked at as they were progressively getting worse. As shingles run along a nerve, hers are misbehaving and tending to spread out. Which can happen when one is immune compromised. Much to Kristin's disappointment, Dr. Raphael acted quickly and admitted her. Shingles in someone with a weakend immune system is quite serious as it can spread internally to the lungs and liver. He said the timing of this is no coincidence. She is being treated with iv acyclovir and has had four rounds thus far. As for pain, they bother her when they are touched and has break through pain now and again. From my observation she seems to handling the pain quit...

Yesterday labs were drawn as our doctors wanted to repeat them one more time before Kristin leaves for school. The phone rang around 8:30 and I saw that it was from Renown. I knew immediately that something was up with her labs...let me take that back. Something was down with her labs, specifically her ANC. (the absolute neutrophil count=the number of bacteria fighting white blood cells) Sandy Payne reported that her ANC was 168! Yikes ..remember the goal during maintenance is to keep the ANC hoovering around 1000-2000. The other counts we look at regularly are WBC 1.2, PLATELETS 256, HGB 12.7. The plates and hgb are nice and stable, just the way we like them. I have been a suspicious, for two months now, that we needed to tweek the meds a bit. I have felt that her counts have been suppressed just a little too much. What does this all mean. Stay away from sick people!!!! don't get any fever, hold all meds and until we repeat labs on Monday. So, if you are visiting the house please ...

Today is Kristin's graduation....yes, I am feeling a bit blue. This is a slide slide I put together for our family graduation party. I promise to post grad photos later. Enjoy the years, heaven knows I have. ( just click the play button and turn up your volume.)

This is Vicki Woodring. The scholarship was established in honor of her son. We recently attended the GHS awards night. It was held at the Atlantis courtesy of the Farahi family. Mr. Farahi said,"Your daughter has class." Thank you Mr. Farahi, I have to agree. And, may I add that there were many other young people there that fit the description as well. Kristin was the lucky recipient of the Ricky Woodring Memorial Scholarship, the Michelle Cox Memorial Scholarship and the Galena High School General Scholarship! It was a lovely evening. The following is an email we received from the wonderful Dan Dugan the next day. Dan is a champion for the cause. He summed the evening up pretty well and I will leave you with his kind and thoughtful words. Katich Family: I want to tell you all again that no matter how many awards or what types of awards all the other kids got last night, the fact that Kristin was there to collect hers meant more to me than any of the others. You remain my h...

Harry Reid June 2, 2009 Senate Majority Leader United States Senate 528 Hart Senate Building Washington, D.C. 20515 I could never have imagined myself in this position. If it could happen to our family, it could happen to you too. Sadly, on December 17, 2007, our intelligent, intuitive, athletic, beautiful daughter was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Kristin was just seventeen. She had begun her junior year of high school with all the enthusiasm a smart and active child could possibly possess. While in the throws of building homecoming floats, running cross country races, and life, Kristin stated, “I feel like I am coming down with something.” Little did we know just how wicked that something was. This diagnosis would certainly have been a death sentence for children a few, not too distant, decades ago. That could have possibly been some of you who are reading this letter. Look around. Imagine your congress twenty years into the future. Are there empty chairs, voids, and e...

Kristin and Tia Speirs in the new wing of Renown's new Children's Hospital. She was the second patient to recover in the room. It is beautiful. Kristin had labs done Tuesday in preparation for her clinic visit on Thursday. Her counts, particulary the ANC needs to be above 750 in order to proceed. Maintenance consists for cycles of 84 days of meds beginning with an LP and intrathecal methotrexate on day 1. This is repeated until she reaches the one year mark of beginning maintenance which should be approximately April 2010. (umm, I think that is correct) She just completed the first 84 days. Hot Dog! I called to get lab results on Wednesday. HGB 13.7, WBC 1.7, PLATELETS were clumped so they could not be calculated! That is a mistake on LabCorps part and has nothings to do with Leukemia. Her ANC was 680. What does all this mean? So close, but no chemo unless counts come up ..... So, the plan was to have Kristin go back to LabCorp and repeat labs as early the next morning as poss...

Early, I mean very early yesterday morning, Kristin woke us up to say she wanted to go running. In my sleepy head, I was thinking she should go to the gym instead and did not voice my thoughts. So, off she went without a thought and I regreting I had not spoken up. An hour later she returned with two very bloody knees and hands.The pained look on her face said it all. Ouch! With blood dripping down her legs, I put her in the shower to carefully cleanse the dirt filled wounds with soapy water. The best part of the story is that she was proud of herself for running an entire mile without stopping. Being happy for her was a given, but I did recommend that she stick to the gym until she is more stable and the effects of vincristin have worn off. Chemo has been a ravenous wolf on Kristin's body. She has worked very hard at reclaiming what Leukemia has taken from her. She is bound and determined to claim her former strength, muscle tone, and agility. I say, GO GO GO SPECIAL K!

Linda, thanks for entrusting the car to Darren! Kristin and long time friend, Darren Lasko Well, prom has come and gone....I guess I am feeling a bit blue and lamenting over the fact that I will not have another opportunity to fuss over Kristin going to school dances. The whole process has been a bit of a bonding experience for us. I recall each dance, dress, flower and hair style clearly. Never the less, I have got some indelible memories that is for sure! Last year it was quite a feat to get off to the dance. It took many of us to make it happen. Reading back to this time last year made me shudder. She was going through so much at that time. I found it amazing that she was even able to get dressed.

Kristin was the fortunate recipient of a scholarship from the local Ronald McDonald House. The well planned and anticipated event was held at The Sienna . We are indebted & appreciative to our community for working and donating generously to this worthwhile foundation. thank you thank you thank you thank you !!!! p.s. I read back to where we were last year... yikes! Little did we know just how bad things would get It was a good thing we did not know how wicked the storm really was! What a year it has been.I love to see that smile because she has so much to look forward. Even with another year of chemo, there is still soooooo much to smile about .

I failed to mention Kristin's last clinic visit the other day. Probably because it was uneventful. She received vincristine in her hand and has started the 5 days of prednisone along with the yummy cocktail of 6-MP, methotrexate and bactrim. Her recent labs are as follows: WBC 1.7, HGB 13, PLATELETS 290, ANC 697. Her anc and wbc are down, but they said that this often happens after a virus. I hope they do not go down any further , as any neutropenic episodes will be very difficult right now as she tries to finish up high school! Friday left her feeling on the "yuck" side. Staying home and lots of bed rest seemed to remedy things some what. Even so, throughout the weekend she seemed to wish for better days. Can't say I blame her one bit, I find myself "wanting" for the better days many times. There seems to be a bit of confusion about whether or not her meds are suppose to be adjusted. I am sure Oakland will call shortly. Her next appointment is not until...

Months ago Dr. Hastings invited me to hear Dr. Bleyer speak if she could arrange for him to come to Reno. Her efforts came to fruition and Wednesday night I was able to hear him speak at Rapscallions.(yes, yumm-o) He spoke to a group of doctors, nurses on A.L.L. specifically focusing on adolescents and young adults. I ate up every word he said and found it fascinating. With what is going on around the world concerning advancements in A.L.L. treatment, France is the place to be. Hands down, they are the front runner in this race. Although France does not have an obesity problem like we do here in the states, they are are making great strides in furthering treatments regimes for young adults. (obesity greatly inhibits positive outcomes for patients with leukemia) This is not to say that treatment for patients in the states is inferior, but clearly they are doing amazing things. It is well known that adolescents and young adults, even up to age 40, fair much better being treated on pediat...

Spring Vacaville, California with family they are smiling because there were gold coins in those eggs! My apologies for not posting for a while. Here is a quick update to be followed by an explanation for the title. Our family enjoyed a quick trip to Vacaville, California for Easter with my parents. The weather was lovely and it was nice to visit old friends. While we were there we picked up an awesome riding lawn mower my father gave to Darren. It has certainly helped out our yard maintenance efforts, but it still takes about 3+ hours to just do the mowing. Last week Kristin seem to come down with a cold and wicked cough. She flirted with a fever for about 24 hours earlier in the week and spent two days at home. Luckily it seemed to resolve itself just as I had decided to call, regretfully I may add, Oakland. Then, late Friday afternoon, Kristin called to tell me and said she was shivering, cold and had a temp of 101.8. Rats! Although the Broviac catheter has been removed, fever i...