Hello Everyone-
Kara is going to try to post; but with three kids it is hard to get to the computer.
Monday was another very long tiring day at the hospital. Caitlyn and her Dad left early in the morning to get down to the hospital for the MRI. Her Mom got the boys off to school and then met them at the hospital.
The last MRI the doctors saw a slight increase in the tumor but the MRI was classified as stable. This MRI shows additional growth and the doctors are now classifying the MRI as PD - progressive disease.
The good news is that usually when a DIPG tumor starts to grow the growth is very fast and aggressive; but in Caitlyn's case the growth is slow. This indicates that her current treatment protocol is at least slowing the tumor down. Also she is not showing any symptoms that indicate that the tumor is affecting her balance, vision, or reflexes etc.
There is not another clinical trial open at this time, so the plan is to continue on the same treatment plan. The next MRI is scheduled in 4 weeks.
Please pray that God will stand with the family and give them hope in this battle. Please keep Caitlyn, Kara, Jason, Patrick and Jackson in your prayers.
Thank you,
Margaret Donahue
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
02/20/08
We enjoyed a great long weekend at the Wisconsin Dells. This was our 5th Annual trip to the Dells with my parents and brothers family. This is a trip that we did not think we would be taking this year. It was almost surreal to be playing in the water for three days as if nothing was wrong. What a difference a day makes or in our case 9 months. On February 22, it will be 9 months since Caitlyn's diagnosis. Nine months since we were told she would not be here in 9 months.
She has proven to be a miracle, to be one of the lucky ones. We don't take it for granted and we know that things could change at any time. This is a change we don't want to think about or face. So for now we are rejoicing in the fact that we get to plan a 6th birthday party for her. We are so thankful, that we can spend another day in good health with her; and that we can hug and kiss her without sadness.
Please say prayer for Caitlyn this weekend as she will be going in for her MRI on Monday.
Thank you,
Kara, Jason, Patrick, Jackson, and Caitlyn
She has proven to be a miracle, to be one of the lucky ones. We don't take it for granted and we know that things could change at any time. This is a change we don't want to think about or face. So for now we are rejoicing in the fact that we get to plan a 6th birthday party for her. We are so thankful, that we can spend another day in good health with her; and that we can hug and kiss her without sadness.
Please say prayer for Caitlyn this weekend as she will be going in for her MRI on Monday.
Thank you,
Kara, Jason, Patrick, Jackson, and Caitlyn
Monday, February 11, 2008
02/11/08
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****If you would like to be notified when this blog is updated please send an email to: update@caitlynchurak.com
Kara asked me to post for her today. It was after 7p and they were just heading home. Kara said Jason was driving and traffic was not too bad considering the snow. Today was a treatment day, and another long day at CMH. Overall, Caitlyn is doing well. She remains stable and she is still on the avastin/irinotecan trial.
Kara said Caitlyn had a rough day today. She got sick today; but seemed to be doing ok on the ride home. Hopefully it just means the chemo is doing what it is supposed to do. She goes back in two weeks for treatment and an MRI.
Thank you for keeping Caitlyn and the Churaks in your prayers. Please pray that Caitlyn bounces back from this treatment and feels better as soon as possible. Please also pray for positive results on the next MRI. I know Kara reads the guestbook signatures to Caitlyn so thanks also for all the kind notes.
Kara said Caitlyn had a rough day today. She got sick today; but seemed to be doing ok on the ride home. Hopefully it just means the chemo is doing what it is supposed to do. She goes back in two weeks for treatment and an MRI.
Thank you for keeping Caitlyn and the Churaks in your prayers. Please pray that Caitlyn bounces back from this treatment and feels better as soon as possible. Please also pray for positive results on the next MRI. I know Kara reads the guestbook signatures to Caitlyn so thanks also for all the kind notes.
I saw Caitlyn about a week ago and she was doing well. During my visit, she insisted on putting on her Minnie Mouse costume, complete with gloves and ears (see cute pix).
Thanks again for the prayers,
-Margaret Donahue
-Margaret Donahue
****If you would like to be notified when this blog is updated please send an email to: update@caitlynchurak.com
Friday, February 1, 2008
02/01/2008
http://www.abta.org/3rd Annual
Brain Tumor Path to Progress
5K Run/Walk
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Montrose Harbor,
Chicago Race time 10 am
Details about
Team Caitlyn
Thursday, January 24, 2008
01/24/2008
Hello Everyone-
There is a petition to have a childhood cancer awareness stamp put in place. Here is a link to the petition, please take a minute and sign it and forward this to all your friends.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/521710130
Here is the proposal:
As parents whose lives have been forever changed by this disease, we hope that this stamp could be given designation as a symbol for childhood cancer awareness.
By age 20, one child or teen in 330 is diagnosed with cancer. Each year, 12,400 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed in the United States. Each school day, 46 children or two entire classrooms of children are diagnosed with cancer. Each day researchers, scientists and physicians come a little closer to finding successful treatments for many childhood cancers, yet approximately 2,300 children and adolescents die each year. More children die of cancer than of any other disease, including asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies and AIDS, combined.
Motivated by the extraordinary success of the breast cancer stamp, the existence of a "Childhood Cancer Awareness" stamp would serve to promote the awareness of this disease that is plaguing our children.
No parent ever wants to hear the words, "Your child has cancer." Yet one in 330 families in the United States are handed this fate. Please help to promote the necessary advocacy for awareness and research that a "Childhood Cancer Stamp" would provide.
Thank you!
There is a petition to have a childhood cancer awareness stamp put in place. Here is a link to the petition, please take a minute and sign it and forward this to all your friends.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/521710130
Here is the proposal:
As parents whose lives have been forever changed by this disease, we hope that this stamp could be given designation as a symbol for childhood cancer awareness.
By age 20, one child or teen in 330 is diagnosed with cancer. Each year, 12,400 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed in the United States. Each school day, 46 children or two entire classrooms of children are diagnosed with cancer. Each day researchers, scientists and physicians come a little closer to finding successful treatments for many childhood cancers, yet approximately 2,300 children and adolescents die each year. More children die of cancer than of any other disease, including asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies and AIDS, combined.
Motivated by the extraordinary success of the breast cancer stamp, the existence of a "Childhood Cancer Awareness" stamp would serve to promote the awareness of this disease that is plaguing our children.
No parent ever wants to hear the words, "Your child has cancer." Yet one in 330 families in the United States are handed this fate. Please help to promote the necessary advocacy for awareness and research that a "Childhood Cancer Stamp" would provide.
Thank you!
Monday, January 14, 2008
01/14/2008
The MRI results are in and the doctors are saying the tumor is stable.
They said it was a “mixed bag”, one part of the tumor looked good; and one part showed ½ centimeter of growth but the doctors are considering it “stable”. The growth could be tumor growth or swelling from the new drug. The doctors expect to see some growth in the first rounds of the present treatment -- but ½ centimeter is less than they usually see.
Clinically Caitlyn is good and they are proceeding with her treatment today. Treatment usually takes about 4 hours, so they won’t be home till later tonight. The next MRI will be in 8 weeks.
Thank you to everyone for the extra prayers and positive thoughts. Please continue to pray for Caitlyn and her family.
If you would like to leave a message for the family please sign the guest book:
http://pub41.bravenet.com/guestbook/add.php?usernum=3437245337
Thanks again
They said it was a “mixed bag”, one part of the tumor looked good; and one part showed ½ centimeter of growth but the doctors are considering it “stable”. The growth could be tumor growth or swelling from the new drug. The doctors expect to see some growth in the first rounds of the present treatment -- but ½ centimeter is less than they usually see.
Clinically Caitlyn is good and they are proceeding with her treatment today. Treatment usually takes about 4 hours, so they won’t be home till later tonight. The next MRI will be in 8 weeks.
Thank you to everyone for the extra prayers and positive thoughts. Please continue to pray for Caitlyn and her family.
If you would like to leave a message for the family please sign the guest book:
http://pub41.bravenet.com/guestbook/add.php?usernum=3437245337
Thanks again
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
01/08/2008 - Happy New Year!
Well, we made it to 2008. We spent New Years Eve at CMH getting our Chemo. We made it back to grandmas house by 4:30. This is a record for us to get out of CMH. It helped that we were nearly the only ones there. Caitlyn had dinner at Grandmas with her brothers while Jason and I went out for a quick dinner. The snow was so beautiful that evening that the kids and I had fun walking up and down our block in the picturesque snow scene. We also had fun ding dong ditching a few of our neighbors after we sprinkled confetti on their door steps. ( it was only 9pm). They figured out who did it because Jackson went back to tell them who did it. I will never commit a crime with this one.
Caitlyn continues to do well on the outside. Meaning no physical symptoms. It's whats going on inside that has us curious. Is this new chemo working? Will it be our miracle? Well, we will know on Monday she has her next MRI then. So please send some very strong prayers our way. We need a good report. Things look too good on the outside to handle anything less then good.
Thank you for keeping Caitlyn in your hearts and prayers. I'm sorry I don't update as often as I should. But no news is good news. We hope everyone has a good new year. The words thank you are not enough for all that our friends, family, and community has done for our family this past year. When I think back to when Caitlyn was diagnosed I felt a rush of love and compassion that instantly surrounded our family. This came from people whom we knew family and dear friends. It also came from people whom we did not know. That was the most surprising to us. It is so easy to take for granted our live's and the people in them. We do this without intention. It's normal and we all say we want to Cherish life and our families more but day to day life makes that hard. Until something like this hits you and knocks you out of orbit in your own world. This has opened our eyes to the kindness of the world. It is not always easy to see the kindness or the miracles you just have to look at the world in a different way and it is there.
We are moving forward with a new year and new hope that we will have a miracle. For to look back and feel dispair will only make us unable to move. If we are unable to move then we can not see the miracles that each day brings.
Kara
Caitlyn continues to do well on the outside. Meaning no physical symptoms. It's whats going on inside that has us curious. Is this new chemo working? Will it be our miracle? Well, we will know on Monday she has her next MRI then. So please send some very strong prayers our way. We need a good report. Things look too good on the outside to handle anything less then good.
Thank you for keeping Caitlyn in your hearts and prayers. I'm sorry I don't update as often as I should. But no news is good news. We hope everyone has a good new year. The words thank you are not enough for all that our friends, family, and community has done for our family this past year. When I think back to when Caitlyn was diagnosed I felt a rush of love and compassion that instantly surrounded our family. This came from people whom we knew family and dear friends. It also came from people whom we did not know. That was the most surprising to us. It is so easy to take for granted our live's and the people in them. We do this without intention. It's normal and we all say we want to Cherish life and our families more but day to day life makes that hard. Until something like this hits you and knocks you out of orbit in your own world. This has opened our eyes to the kindness of the world. It is not always easy to see the kindness or the miracles you just have to look at the world in a different way and it is there.
We are moving forward with a new year and new hope that we will have a miracle. For to look back and feel dispair will only make us unable to move. If we are unable to move then we can not see the miracles that each day brings.
Kara
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