08/30/2007

I am sorry for the lack of updates. I have been trying to stay away from my computer since Caitlyn finished her radiation treatment. I get too caught up in searching for a cure and never seem to find one.

This as you can imagine puts me in the wrong state of mind. Feeling overwhelmed with sadness and unable to enjoy the miracle that we have been given. We have been so lucky to have Caitlyn back to good health. The cancer is still there but they have been able to make the tumor shrink which has relieved her of her symptoms. How long this will last....is too hard on our hearts for us to even think about. So we have to enjoy the good times that we are blessed with. I will make this a positive and uplifting update.

Here is a list of things that I am thankful for today.
-Caitlyn is going to school with her brothers. We did not think we would see this day. She loves seeing her classmates from 3yr old and 4yrs old preschool. She looks so darn cute in that uniform.
- I look forward to Halloween with the kids and seeing them in their costumes running from house to house trick or treating.
- I look forward to the family running the Thanksgiving Turkey trot.
- I look forward to seeing all three kids for the first time together in the Christmas pageant.
- I look forward to the boys first communion.
- I look forward to all three kids for the first time together in the spring musical at school for the K-3 graders.
- I look forward to looking forward to tomorrow. Because with her health stable I can not allow myself to dwell on what this cancer has in store. I have to believe she will be different she will be a miracle.

Thank you so much for all the emails and guest book signings. It has been nice to see so many of you back at school. We have met so many new friends this summer. People that have come to offer support and comfort. It has meant so much. So many of these people have had suffering of their own; and shared their stories with me. Meeting these women (a.k.a moms) has made me see that I can survive this, as unsurvivable as it seems. I believe I have met you all for a reason. You know who you women are. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Please continue to pray for Caitlyn and all the other sick children. I know we are not the only ones. I do believe your prayers are working.

Kara

08/29/2007

Hello Everyone-- Kara asked me to post today. The kids started back to school last week and it has been a busy couple of weeks. Caitlyn is still doing well. She is very excited to be starting Kindergarten.

With summer winding down and school back in session; the family is trying to get back on a school schedule, and return some degree of normalcy back to their life.

Caitlyn has her next scheduled MRI on 9/17/2007. That being said, these MRI's cause a certain amount of anxiety. Please keep Caitlyn & her family in your prayers and pray that this scan confirms that Caitlyn is continuing to defy odds

Thank you and God Bless
Margaret Donahue (friend of Churak family)

8/14/2007

We have been working on settling back into a schedule this past week in preparation for the start of another school year. It has not been easy as I'm sure you all are experiencing as well.

Caitlyn and I had a wonderful time at the fundraiser on Monday. Her God Mother Susan put on a very elegant ladies night out at Francesca's of Barrington with the help of Christina Currie. We were surrounded by so many caring moms it was a pleasure to meet all of you. Caitlyn wore her Belle dress that she got in Disney along with the crown and looked just like a princess. She had such a great time I truly enjoyed watching her face glow with happiness all night long. Thank you Susan, that event had you written all over it.

Thank you to Susan Buerckholtz and the other moms that helped her with the bake sale. I'm sorry I missed it. It sounds like you all had fun. Thank you.

Thank you to Anne Koehlinger from STS who worked hard this summer selling flower pens for Caitlyn. It was nice to meet you.

Caitlyn is really looking forward to starting Kindergarten this year. We are really excited that she will be starting the year feeling so good. She is still doing very well and we hope this miracle continues. She will be taking a break from her chemo pills this week and then will go back on it for another 3 weeks straight. She will continue the protocol where she will be on for 3 weeks then off 1 week; with each cycle increasing her dose. With each new cycle we pray she will continue to tolerate the medicine/treatment.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and support.

The Churak Family

8/08/2007

We are back!!! We had a great time. The kids loved Disney.

I don't know if any of you know about Give Kids The World. It is an organization that is based in Kissamee Florida. It helps children with life threatening illnesses fulfill a dream. If you are ever looking for an organization to support there is more info available at:

http://www.gktw.org/
http://www.wish.org/


Caitlyn is doing great!! She enjoyed Disney soooo much. She got LOTS of autographs from all the Disney characters. Thanks to the Make-a-Wish foundation, the whole family was treated like royalty. We were all made to feel so very special. Every character she met and every Disney employee she encountered greeted Caitlyn with extra love and attention. It was enough to make her mom and dads' eyes water the first couple of days. We cannot thank Make -A-Wish and Give Kids The World enough!

Our trip at Disney was followed by a trip to Coco Beach where we spent some time on the beach and in the pool. The boys tried surfing and did quite well at it. Caitlyn made sand castles and collected sea shells with mom.

Caitlyn is doing so good it is hard to believe just a little over two months ago she was given only 6 to 9 months to live. Once we got home from our trip I realized I had gone at least one whole day where I did not think about her illness. I had forgotten it. She looks so good you would be knocked over if you just met her and I told you about her serious condition. It just does not seem possible, since she shows no signs of this horrible cancer.

We returned on Sunday; and I took her on Monday to Children's for her routine appointment. I was able to see her MRI. I could not believe the difference in size between the two pictures -- her first MRI to her latest one. There was some white spots in the middle of her tumor. I asked the doctor what those were. The attending doctor at the time responded with, "They might be blood vessels or dead cells". They can not tell for sure without a biopsy -- which of course they cannot do because of the tumor location. I just have to believe that it is dead cells; with the way shrunk and her great improvement. Only time will tell, but I feel she will be a miracle.

Please continue to pray for Caitlyn I do believe it is working. I just know she is going to be that two percent we are praying for that comes through this. We still have a long way to go but at least we have a good today to help us through til tomorrow. That is all we can ask for on a journey like this. With every good day that we have, it opens our hearts up more to all the other children who are suffering and their families. Thank you and God Bless you for all your prayers and support.

Please don't forget the other children who are suffering as well. Please say a special prayer for Trinity Bright http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/trinitybright

I will try and post some pictures soon.

The Churak Family