Home Sweet Home!!

Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today has been a wonderful day! My dad is coming home tomorrow!!! He will be home for about two weeks before he does a bone marrow test to make sure he is in full remission. If he is, he will either go to the U of M hospital or the Mayo clinic for his transplant! Wishing you all the love and luck in this new year!
~Laura Katchmark

Good Evening Everyone,
Good news today! My dads white blood cell count finally went up to 1.0! This is very good. His appetite is returning as well. He ate an entire personal sized pizza today plus breakfast and lunch! Thats all for now but we are very excited about the turn in his blood cell count.
~Laura Katchmark

Good Evening Everyone,
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. My family enjoyed some quality time together. We were all happy and in good spirits. Everything is staying the same right now. Unfortunately my dad's white blood cell count isn't going up. That is what needs to happen. It needs to be at 1.5 before he can come home. If you have visited him recently he has also lost a lot of weight. When i say a lot of weight I mean from 240 to 185 in about two months. If you visit coming in the next few weeks, please don't bring food like cookies or anything with high amounts of sugar. We want him to get nutritious meals with protein! We would also like to thank you all for your continuing support. We are so very blessed! Every time my dad gets a card or a visit he gets a bit happier. I will post later on in the week or if anything changes. Have a wonderful new year!
~Laura Katchmark

Good Day

Good Evening Everyone,
Today has been a very good day for my dad! He has been in good spirits all day eating a subway, oranges, a fruit bar and a chocolate! His white blood cell count went down from 0.7 to 0.6 today but it has been jumping back and forth increasing after every time it goes down! It was my 17th birthday today and it was so nice to spend time with him. He went for four walks and we played a game called trouble:) It was a very nice way to spend my birthday:)Thank you for your love and support. We wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Please remember my dad in your prayers.
~Laura Katchmark

Today is worth remembering

Good Evening Everyone,

Nothing has changed today. My dad is still at .4 for his white blood count. Things are pretty stable and his lung infection is getting better. It been a rough week emotionally for my dad however. Words of encouragement and humor would be the best if your going to visit or send a card! Thank you for your love and support. We will always be grateful.
~Laura Katchmark

Hello Everyone,

I truly do apologize for not posting anything the last few days. There really isn't much to report. My dad is in a stable condition today. His white blood cell count has come up from .1 to .4 in the last three days. The doctors have said that that number should come up within the next week or so. He continues to have his lung infection, but with his blood count rising they think that it will get better. Please continue your visiting. Its amazing how hearing funny stories and seeing different faces can make my dad so happy. That is his best medicine...laughter! Thank you for your support and love in these dark winter months!
~Laura Katchmark

Good News!

Hello Everyone,

It has once again come out for the best. My dad has remained in remission!! We are all very relieved. Thank you all for your prayers and positivity. I believe it really helped! His blood cell counts will hopefully start to recover after the next few days. Thank you all for your love and support!
~Laura Katchmark

Good Evening Everyone,

The last few days truly have been hell. We are all on the edge of finding out if my dad is actually in remission or not. They are going to do another bone marrow test tomorrow and the results will be back by Friday. If the cancer cells have still shown no signs of growth then things are better, but if not then that's where things get tricky. His body cant tolerate another round of chemotherapy so the doctors haven't made it clear what will happen next. On top of everything else, his lung hasn't made progress healing. The doctors suspect that his white blood cell count isn't recovering because they are automatically going to his lung. If you believe in praying, please do. If you want to send positive thoughts and energy my dads way then by all means please do. I will let you know the results of the test on Friday. Thank you for your continuous love and support.
~Laura Katchmark

Good Evening Everyone,

I apologize for not keeping up with posting but as you all know, high school keeps you busy:) Today wasnt that great of a day for my dad. He has been fighting a lung infection and the doctors arent really sure what type of infection it is. His white blood cells should be recovering (and they are) but they aren't recovering at the pace the doctors would like to see. Keep positive thoughts coming. He is very sad and mentally he isn't well right now. Please visit, or take time to send a card as those both bring smiles to his face. Thank you for your support and prayers.
~Laura Katchmark

Remission!!!!!!!

Good Afternoon Everyone,

My dad is in remission!!! This means that the cancerous cells in his body have stopped growing. The next step for him is a stem cell transplant. He will either go to the U of M or the Mayo clinic. We havent decided yet. Unfortunately he has two weeks left at methodist still because his blood count has to recover from the chemo. He has been running a rather high fever and has had a few problems with his lungs. The doctors arent exactly sure what is wrong. Thank you for your prayers and love!
~Laura Katchmark



Please Pray

Good Evening Everyone,

Please pray tonight. My dad got a bone marrow test today, and the results will come in a few days. He had a bit of a fever today but was feeling better by the time my mom left at around seven this evening. We are all hoping for the best but for now every single prayer counts. Lots of love and thanks.
~Laura Katchmark

Sarah's Dumb Quote of the Day

If you eat the entire cheese ball there wont be any left.
~Sarah

Good Evening Everyone,

My apologies for not posting anything recently, things have been very crazy. Today my dad found out he has five  matches! The doctors will eliminate his sisters, leaving three brothers that were matches. The doctors will determine, of those three, who is the healthiest and will finalize the match.  He wasn't feeling very good the last couple of days. Today however he has gone for a walk and also ate two bowls of wild rice soup! He does have some mouth soars but he was able to get past that. My dad also received a bronchoscopy and we will be getting the results back in the next few days. Its been a busy week and it continues with a bone marrow test tomorrow. They will check on how many blast cells are left and we all wait in anticipation for the results. My dad would also like to thank everyone who has sent him cards, food, or have come to visit! He really appreciates everything and would like people to know that he still would like visitors but calling might be a good idea.

quote of the day: Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.  ~Winston Churchill

Find peace and appreciate the small things today. 

Good Evening Everyone,

Today was an okay day for my dad. This morning he was having some minor chest pain and a headache but aside from that nothing new has occurred. We are still crossing our fingers for remission!! Thanks for the love and support.
~Laura Katchmark

Happy December 1st Everyone,

The first day of December is here and we are all together this morning in the hospital. Last night was a fun night! Dad and I played a game of Scrabble, and then we watched a movie. This morning we went for a walk, and had breakfast together. He is scheduled to receive some blood today but things are about the same as they were yesterday. His white blood cell count is at 0.3 and they are hoping to get that down to 0 before these next two weeks are up. Have a wonderful day. Lets hope for some sun! Thanks for your love and support!
~Laura Katchmark

Quote of the Day:Every day is a good day to be alive whether the sun is shining or not. Marty Robbins

Be inspired today to enjoy life and be thankful!