Your Half Way There

Good Evening Everyone,

These last few weeks have been so wonderful! I sometimes wake up thinking its a dream and then when I hear my parents making breakfast and notice that i'm in my own bed I cant help but smile:) My dad has been doing great! He has passed his 50 day mark and is working his way to 100. There hasn't been much news lately because his counts are still holding steady. The doctors haven't taken him off of his anti-rejection medication yet but when they do we are going to be looking for a rash that will signal his body recognizing the stem cells. Thus far the medication hasn't allowed for that to happen. His appointments have been bumped from 2 per week to 1 every Wednesday and that is very nice for him! I will post again next Sunday but until then have a wonderful start to June and hope for some sunshine! Thank you for your love and support!
~Laura Katchmark

Keep going Dad, you have come so far and you have been so strong. I am so proud of you and I couldn't have asked for better parents than you and mom. You deserve happiness. I love you!

Home is a Wonderful Thing

Good Evening Everyone,

For the past week and a half things have been pretty crazy! I apologize for not writing until now but between finals and the unknown schedule I thought it would be best to just say it all once. My dad has been doing fantastic and there have been a lot of new changes and updates! The first big adjustment is that my parents were able to come home and will only remain so if my dad is doing well and doesn't have any complications:):) He commutes back and forth on Monday and Thursday for tests and doctors appointments! This is some of the best news we could have ever asked for. It finally feels normal and right in the world. Its odd to think that we have all spent half of a year worrying and praying and through all of tears, all of the moments it seemed like everything was just stuck, there is a light that is growing ever brighter. Its hard to describe the pain you carry with you when you know nothing is as permanent as it seemed to be or when as your driving away you see your parents peeking around the curtain like if they just watch long enough they can rewind time and fix what broke. As for the second update the cells in my dad's body have become 100% Johns! The test that was done today proved that. However (and this is the part that gets confusing) there was a second test that showed that 60% of his cells were John's and the other 40% were still his. Either way you look at it this is good news because he is on track for recovery. As always thank you for your love and endless support! There is still a long road a head and im sure there will be a few bumps but right now we are all enjoying just a little bit of happiness!
~Laura Katchmark

Tables Turning

Good Evening Everyone,

I hope you all had a nice weekend! My family and I did! Both of my parents were able to come home:) My Mom had to work on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday but my dad got to enjoy being with my sister and I and just being away from the transplant house. He is doing very well especially considering how little time has passed since he received the stem cells. He counts continue to rise and his appetite is still present (a crucial part of recovery). He has been feeling a bit tired lately and today he has been feeling a bit sick. We aren't sure if it is just his body healing or if it is early signs of graft v. host disease. I will post in the middle of the week with new information. As always thank you for your love and support and enjoy the sunny weather!
~Laura Katchmark

Day 22/100

Good Evening Everyone,

This weekend has been awesome! My dad has been doing very well! His counts have continued to rise (platelets from 70 to 120 and his white blood cells from 100 to 400) and he is feeling even stronger than last Sunday! His appetite is still present, and hopefully he will start to be weened off of his anti-rejection medication soon. The reason for this is to check for signs that the stem cells have been working. The optimum reaction that the doctors would like to see is a mild rash proving that his body has recognized the treatment. Another fantastic piece of news is that my dad got to come home this weekend! If he continues his progress he will be able to come home every weekend which would be absolutely amazing:) As always thank you so much for your support and love!
~Laura Katchmark

I'm so proud of you Dad. You are the bravest person I know. Keep flying.

  

Day 16/100

Good Evening Everyone,

Sarah and I spent a wonderful weekend down in Rochester and just got back today! It was so nice to see my parents and to know that things are going okay. We got to stay in a hotel for the two nights we were down there but the transplant house isn't a bad place to be. They have a lot of rules but we got to cook a few meals together, and I played the piano they have for my dad. Originally the house was an old mansion, but they converted it for transplant patients. Kitchens, living rooms, and private rooms are all available and they have lots of little nooks and crannies which adds a touch of coziness to an otherwise lofty and rather sterile environment. As for my dad, things are going wonderfully! The stem cells are taking root and he is feeling great! He has been able to eat more and more with less anti nausea medication! Hopefully he will be eliminating all of the anti nausea medicine within the next few weeks. We got a bit of sad news this weekend. Uncle John Thrun died and my dad asked me to say that he will be missed. My loyal and adventurous hunting buddy also passed away. Sam my dog was almost 15 years old and he will also be missed. I will post again next Sunday. As always thank you for your love and support!
~Laura Katchmark

Day 9/100

Good Evening Everyone,

Today wasn't the best day ever for my family. My dad was doing okay but his appetite was fading quickly. The chemo takes a while before the side effects kick in and once again his hair is falling out and he just isn't feeling good. This is normal but it has the tendency to make us all on edge. My sister and I were supposed to go down to Rochester today but because of the unpredictable weather we have had our trip was postponed until driving conditions are safe again. One of the hardest parts about our situation is just how quickly things can change, including our emotions. Sometimes, something hits you and you realize what a horrible thing it is to be separated from the people you care most about. Even though I'm a teenager I would be the first person to say how much my parents mean to me! Please give someone you care about a hug and just remember what they do for you everyday. Thank you for your love and support.
~Laura Katchmark

The Mayo Clinic Falcons
There are two falcons nesting on top of the Mayo Clinic building and they have put a web cam in their nesting box for patients to watch their progress. So far the falcons have two eggs and regularly fly in and out preparing for their babies to hatch.

Day 7/100

Good Evening Everyone,

This has not been the spring we had hoped for so far with all of this snow and cloudiness! Things are going well down in Rochester and according to my dad even the weather is sunny and warm! So far my dad has been eating and drinking which is an amazing accomplishment considering all of the things his body has had to endure the last six months. A lot of times eating can be the most difficult part of the transplant because of the nausea but besides the first day or so my dad has been able to keep his food down:) You may have noticed the title of today's post and basically I will be doing that from now on as a way of counting up to his 100 required days in Rochester. I will also be making a weekly post on Sunday to summarize the week. Most of the time my dad just needs to rest and so there isn't much to talk about! One thing that I would like to mention is graft v. host disease. This is a disease that makes accepting stem cells very difficult due to your bodies defense system. Just like you would fight off an infection or sickness (cold, flu, etc.) your body does the same to the stem cells. Some of the symptoms are rashes, mouth sores, and edema. With my dad, if he contracts this, his symptoms will appear on day 14/100 but we are all hoping that this doesn't happen. If you have questions about the disease please post them either on my facebook page or on this blog and I will do my best to answer them:) Besides the worry about graft v. host disease everything is going extremely well and its so nice to hear my parents laughing again! I've always loved how both my mom and dad are such funny people and to hear my dad cracking jokes is something I will never take for granted again! As always thank you for your love and support.
~Laura Katchmark

A Special Thank You

To all of you who donated hours to my dad's vacation donation bank I cant express how grateful my family is for your generosity. Because of your contribution we have received enough hours to put us in a very good place until my dad will be able to return to work. He will now be able to focus on getting better and for me that is the biggest gift you could have ever given us. Thank you so much!