Thursday, August 21, 2014

Up For Company

Good Afternoon Everyone,
 
So here is the deal...my dad is better than he has been in the past week, but there are some really difficult problems that the doctors still need to solve. The first most immediate problem is his intestine. It is still very inflamed and he is feeling lots of pain in his stomach. He is on antibiotics and tons of other medications that have started helping him feel like he can visit and move around a bit.

The second more underlying problem is his leukemia. The chemo that he just went through was one of the most intense regiments that the doctors had to offer and it barely made a dent in the percentage of blast cells in his body. This is going to complicate things greatly for a second transplant. The doctors still have a few ideas and aren't planning to give up any time soon. Dr. Hogan, the main oncologist at Mayo, said that as long as my dad is willing to fight, they are as well. All I can tell you is that my dad has so much to live for and wants to be here for all of it. If you have time to go visit in the next few weeks, please do. He isn't too chatty but is in a better place to enjoy a visit even if its only for a couple of hours. Remember that he is the same person inside. Thank you for all of your support and love. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer.

Laura Katchmark





 

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Ten Things...

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I know you have all had concerns recently and I am going to stick purely to facts and let you determine how to feel about them. If you have questions it is best to either ask my mom or me as my mom is at the hospital daily and I get updated daily. I can be contacted through email, facebook, cell phone etc. and my mom has access to her email and cell phone as well.  

1) My dad has been in the hospital since August 1st.
2) Since then, he has had fevers, nausea, and went through six days of intense chemo.
3) The chemo was given for six days but he received three different types of the drug.
4) He has been suffering severe stomache pains and has eaten very little for more than a month.
5) Yesterday (August 8th) my dad had a C.T scan and the doctors determined that 40cm of his lower small intestine was inflamed.
6) This inflamation could either be an infection or a side effect of the chemo he was treated with.
7) Since he was moved into intensive care, his blood pressure has been measuring very low and his heart rate has been elevated.
8) My dad has been tired
9) His phone is off and he doesnt feel like talking due to his condition
10) His room number is as follows: 10th floor Unit 3 Room 14.

These are the basics that you all should be aware of . I apologize for any bluntness but sometimes it is simply more effective to convey the bare minimum. Thank you for your continued love and support. It is difficult to hear about, and it is even harder to see and for those of you who have been with us from the beginning you are Gods hidden angels here on earth. All my love in return.

Laura Katchmark