Good Evening Everyone,
Things have settled down a bit in life. I am moved into college, my mom and dad are together again (mom had mono recently), and my little sister is back at school as well. My dad is doing well especially compared to where he was at only a few weeks ago. He is eating, his intestine has healed and the chemo succeeded in bringing his blast count down to about 5%. Another important update is the fact that he is no longer in the hospital. He is being seen everyday and still needs more care than normal but it is such a comfort to know that he is out in the world again. I wish I could provide more detailed information, but this is what my family and I know. The only thing I can add is the reassurance that the doctors are still hoping that my dad will be cured. Any prayers or positive wishes are always appreciated. Thank you.
On a bit of a side note...
College!! Its already been such an adventure. Before I left I was still thinking I was in a dream, but now that classes have started and my dorm smells all too real, I know that I can believe it. My roommate is awesome, and my professors seem very nice despite their quirkiness. I have one professor who wears a Hawaiian shirt everyday and another who says "Hella" all the time. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but it makes class so much more amusing. My only wish is for my family to begin to heal now. I believe my dad will make it through and what a gift that would really be for us all. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Laura Katchmark
" We don't spend time examining the doors that have already closed, we open new ones where they didn't exist before and walk through with immeasurable strength, and love. "
- A quote I made:)
Thursday, September 4, 2014
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
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
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
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Sunday, July 27, 2014
The Biggest Mountain Still to Climb
Good Evening Everyone,
Technically it is 12:11 AM and I am dutifully typing up the most difficult post I've had to write in quite a while. To begin with I would like to say that my dad is not doing well. At all... It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly things can change. After the benefit my dad starting feeling a bit more under the weather than usual. It got progressively worse until he was admitted back into the hospital this past Saturday (20th). He went in with a fever that spiked over 101 degrees. He has been down at Mayo ever since with these fevers, and severe nausea. He also hasn't been eating very well because of the nausea so his potassium levels are not doing great either. Besides these symptoms he is also having trouble with infusions of red blood cells and platelets. The doctors believe that because of numerous and frequent transfusions his body has developed antibodies to combat any blood or platelets they give him. This is not good. His life has been saved over and over by these transfusions and without them I don't care to think about what could happen. Another major issue, one that could also be linked to the blood products, is his insanely high fevers. This is mostly just a hypothesis given out by the head of the Oncology department at Mayo, but for now it is the only explanation we have.
As for my dads spirits, its challenging for me to put them into words. I know my dad very well and through this he has been relatively good at vocalizing his fears and his hope. As you can imagine though, the hospital turns even the most respectful and kind person into a bit of a grump. That would be accurate in describing my dad right now. Things are very very serious and I personally think that he has every right to be mad at the situation. The only bright spot during this week was my dad's 51st birthday. Thank you to everyone who mailed him a card! It was so awesome to open the mail box and see it filled to the top with birthday wishes!
I will continue to keep you updated on this situation. I have to warn all of you that it could get progressively worse so any prayers, thoughts, or words of love you have to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. A big thank you to those of you who donate blood as well. You save lives every day. Remember to give someone you love a hug today.
Laura Katchmark
Technically it is 12:11 AM and I am dutifully typing up the most difficult post I've had to write in quite a while. To begin with I would like to say that my dad is not doing well. At all... It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly things can change. After the benefit my dad starting feeling a bit more under the weather than usual. It got progressively worse until he was admitted back into the hospital this past Saturday (20th). He went in with a fever that spiked over 101 degrees. He has been down at Mayo ever since with these fevers, and severe nausea. He also hasn't been eating very well because of the nausea so his potassium levels are not doing great either. Besides these symptoms he is also having trouble with infusions of red blood cells and platelets. The doctors believe that because of numerous and frequent transfusions his body has developed antibodies to combat any blood or platelets they give him. This is not good. His life has been saved over and over by these transfusions and without them I don't care to think about what could happen. Another major issue, one that could also be linked to the blood products, is his insanely high fevers. This is mostly just a hypothesis given out by the head of the Oncology department at Mayo, but for now it is the only explanation we have.
As for my dads spirits, its challenging for me to put them into words. I know my dad very well and through this he has been relatively good at vocalizing his fears and his hope. As you can imagine though, the hospital turns even the most respectful and kind person into a bit of a grump. That would be accurate in describing my dad right now. Things are very very serious and I personally think that he has every right to be mad at the situation. The only bright spot during this week was my dad's 51st birthday. Thank you to everyone who mailed him a card! It was so awesome to open the mail box and see it filled to the top with birthday wishes!
I will continue to keep you updated on this situation. I have to warn all of you that it could get progressively worse so any prayers, thoughts, or words of love you have to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much. A big thank you to those of you who donate blood as well. You save lives every day. Remember to give someone you love a hug today.
Laura Katchmark
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| He always has and he always will... |
Saturday, July 5, 2014
A Heartfelt Thank you
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Sometimes I start out a blog post by saying, “where do I begin?”, but today I know exactly where to start! Wow! What a fabulous party this past Sunday was! I was simply thrilled to see and meet everyone, and to see my family so happy! My dad keeps walking around the house saying how blessed his is to have so many people in his life who are so incredibly supportive. He loved seeing familiar faces, and meeting people who were complete strangers. It was a truly humbling experience and I will remember it for the rest of my life.
Sometimes I start out a blog post by saying, “where do I begin?”, but today I know exactly where to start! Wow! What a fabulous party this past Sunday was! I was simply thrilled to see and meet everyone, and to see my family so happy! My dad keeps walking around the house saying how blessed his is to have so many people in his life who are so incredibly supportive. He loved seeing familiar faces, and meeting people who were complete strangers. It was a truly humbling experience and I will remember it for the rest of my life.
To make this benefit happen, many
hours of hard work had to be dedicated and I’d like to recognize and thank some
of the people who really outdid themselves. Firstly, I would like to thank my
dad’s siblings (and families) and my grandma. Uncle Dean, uncle Kevin, uncle
Steve, uncle John, aunt Brenda, aunt Cheryl, and my grandma Bena. These people
took on the responsibility of planning, collected donations, and ultimately put
together absolutely everything! Throughout the entire benefit, they worked the
different tables, and made the event flow smoothly. I would also like to thank
everyone who donated something for the silent auction or for the bake sale.
Both events were extremely successful. Finally, I would like to thank everyone
who came, donated money, or sent their thoughts our way. I am so grateful to
all of you. The burden of paying for medical bills, and gas (especially) was greatly eased. All that is left is for my dad to get well!
Again, we are so humbled, so
grateful, and so touched that so many people care about what my family is going
through. It was such a good day and hopefully we can celebrate my dad’s
recovery all together sometime soon. Thank you.
Laura Katchmark
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Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Corrections...
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I have a slight alteration to make to the information about donating through Wells Fargo. If you choose to donate, the account name is as follows...
I have a slight alteration to make to the information about donating through Wells Fargo. If you choose to donate, the account name is as follows...
The Tim Katchmark Donation Trust
This error was made on the flyer as well and I do apologize for any hassle. We are also looking for just a few volunteers to bring an item for the bake sale. This item can be either baked at home or store bought. If you could, please bring it the day of the event.
A note from Laura...
Thank you so much for everything. My heart is simply overflowing with gratitude and joy!I don't believe that the words needed to express myself and my family's appreciation even exist. Everything that has been done will help with medical expenses and such things necessary for my dad to recover completely. I look forward to posting after the benefit.
Laura Katchmark
Friday, June 20, 2014
Benefit Information
THIS POST CONTAINS ALL INFORMATION REGARDING THE BENEFIT
Tim Katchmark, age 50, has been married to his wife Beth for 27 years, and has two daughters named Laura and Sarah. He was diagnosed with MDS/Leukemia in Nover 2012. He spent 9 weeks in the hospital undergoing 2 rounds of chemotherapy to achieve remission. He recovered for 3 months at home once in remission and had a Stem Cell Transplant on April 5th after 7 days of intense chemotherapy. He stayed at the Gift of Life House in Rochester and was monitored daily. Because he was doing so well, he was able to go home early in May which was ahead of schedule. At 100 days, his bone marrow came back cancer free. At the end of July, he had a central line infection, and his counts dropped and didn't recover. In October 2013 his bone marrow showed more than 5 % of cancerous blast cells and he endured an assortment of chemotherapy treatments. He felt good for 3 months but the bone marrow in March showed that the cancer had grown significantly. He was admitted back into the hospital on March 24th to undergo the most intense round of chemo yet.
Throughout this journey Tim has been the happiest and most determined person to face down this disease. He has a strong spirit and a fire to live and stay in the lives of those he loves and cherishes. All we can do is hope and pray for the best. Thank you for your support.
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| Turkey Hunting Spring 2014 |
When: Sunday, June 29th
What Time: 1:00-5:00pm
Hosted at the
Crystal VFW Knable Post #494
Address: 5222 56th Ave. No
Crystal, MN 55429
Events: Spaghetti meal offered along with raffle,
silent auction, and bake sale.
*Donations
are also accepted at Wells Fargo Bank under the Tim Katchmark Benefit Fund. *
Special DJ Guest
Turn ‘n’
Heads Productions
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