Kaitlyn Update

An update on Kaitlyn for everyone.

Two weeks ago, Shane took Kati to her monthly visit in Maryland for the drug study she is a part of. She had many tests done and at the end of that first day, the doctors and case workers met with Shane and Kaitlyn to give them the bad news. Since joining the study in February, Kati has had a 40% overall growth of the cancer in her lungs and in her brain. The doctors in charge of the study determined it best to remove Kati from the study given her lack of progress and the fact that we live so far from the hospital back there. They will continue to track her case from the oncologists at Primary Children's, but she won't have to go to Maryland any more.

Kati was understandably upset (we all were) but we all realize that this will be for the best. The day after Kati came home from Maryland she went to an overnight drill team retreat in Midway. I picked her up after the retreat and she said she really didn't feel good. Her coach told me that she hardly slept the night before and she had coughed most of the night. When I got her home, she talked to her mom and had her mom take her to the doctor...where she was diagnosed with H1N1 flu (swine flu). She had to immediatlely be quarantined at her mom's and we had to make a flurry of calls. For a few days she was really very sick and both Shane and I were terrified. Finally, the fevers stopped and she started to feel better around Friday. She came home to our house last night and spent the day with us today.

She feels a lot better (flu-wise) but she's still having a really hard time with her cough. The week before she went to Maryland, the oncologists found a mass in her right lung about the size of a golf ball that is pushing against the lung wall and causes her a lot of pain. That coupled with a bout of swine flu has taken its toll on her, physically and emotionally. She's tired a lot and sleeps a lot when she can. The position of this newest mass makes it difficult to lay down and her cough keeps her awake a lot.

Today she was in good spirits. We had a talk today about taking things slow for a while and she understands that it's going to take a while before she can get back to normal. She's not always patient, but she's willing to try. We took the kids to the park and took pictures just for fun and then went to Shane's parents' for dinner. His brother Kevan was here and he and Shane gave Kati a blessing, which was great. Kaitlyn felt a lot better afterward and then we loaded up and took the girls back to their mom's.

It's been a scary couple of weeks, but things are getting a lot better. Just, keep her in your prayers, won't you? We know that we're going to lose her, and that it will probably happen sooner rather than later, we just want her last days, months to be peaceful and happy.

Thank you all for your good thoughts, prayers, offers of help and the hugs and comforting words.

I love you all.