Katie's Personal Journey
Katie was almost three years old when she was diagnosed with standard risk, acute precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL) on Christmas eve 2002. She underwent standard treatment in the CCG-1991 protocol. Katie completed her chemotherapy in February 2005 and is now a cancer survivor!
Katie's Diagnosis Story
We are often asked how we found out Katie had leukemia. Here is her story.
The journal entries below are from most recent to the first entry. To start at the beginning, please click here.
2008-2009coming in Dec 2009
2007
HOLIDAY LETTER -- A Look Back at 2007
A year of sorrow.
HOLIDAY LETTER -- A Look Back at 2006
Life OT is great!
August 15, 2006 -- OT visit #16 & #17
onco visits; catching up on childhood illnesses; vacation at the shore
June 20, 2006 -- OT visit #15
Kindergarten graduation; georges'; onco visit; rashes
May 30, 2006 -- OT visit #14
onco visit, level-one winner of Kohl's Kids Who Care®, Katie's Cooking! #1
April 19, 2006 -- OT visit #13
onco visit, Katie and the cookbook in the news, Katie's Cooking! sells-out
March 31, 2006 -- OT visit #12
onco visit, cookbook kick-off party, more events
February 21, 2006 -- OT visit #11
dietician, staph or strep, school and extracurricular activities, normal counts, Courageous Kids, cookbook update, cookbook events, awareness shops, statistics
January 17, 2006 -- OT visit #10
normal counts, everything back to normal, cookbook update
January 3, 2006 --
crazy Christmas with flashbacks to 2002
December 21, 2005 -- OT visit #9
wacky CBC due to illness, Katie's physical, chronic pain, two trips to the North Pole, cookbook to print
2005
HOLIDAY LETTER -- A look back at 2005
November 15, 2005 -- OT visit #8
another normal CBC, chronic pain, new orthodics, Katie in article in Bucks County newspaper, Isabel, about donating blood
October 18, 2005 -- OT visit #7
another great monthly CBC, PT appointment, visit with Isabel, Light the Night
September 21, 2005 -- OT visit #6
another great monthly CBC, check-up with Dr. Julie, Katie meets Sandra Lee in NY, prayers for some heroes
August 16, 2005 -- OT visit #5
another great monthly CBC, prayers for Isabel, Light the Night, Heroes & Angels, Katie's online shops
July 19, 2005 -- OT visit #4
another great check-up, 1st lost tooth, Camp Sparkle, shop news, Walk to benefit kids with cancer
June 22, 2005 -- OT visit #3
great check-up, continued prayers for Isabel, Alex's Lemonade Stand Days
June 4, 2005 --
fevers, pnuemonia and trips to the pediatrician, Alex's Lemonade Stand, prayers for Isabel
May 19, 2005 -- OT visit #2
3 monthsOT, 12th Annual Wish Classic
May 3, 2005 --
Make-A-Wish trip to Disney and Give Kids the World Village, Katie's Wish is now a non-profit
April 20, 2005 -- OT visit #1
rash, med-free, cooking with Stefano and at Gilda's Club, Make-A-Wish
April 9, 2005 --
rash, OT party, cookbook SOARS, OT support group for parents, cooking Gilda's Club, Katie's shops benefit Gilda's Club
March 14, 2005 -- OT visit #0
OT appointment and testing, OT party
February 22, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Days 41-47)
OT and PORT-FREE -- last meds, port surgery, upcoming OT tests
February 13, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Day 40)
back to ER again
February 12, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Day 29-39)
back, leg and hip pain; low-grade fevers for a week; possible trip to ER again
February 2, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Day 22-28)
Last VCR, last on-treatment appointment, increased chemo
January 27, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Day 17-21)
ANC up, back on reduced chemo and meds
January 22, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Day 16)
overview, home from hospital
January 21, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Day 15)
Katie's birthday, inpatient, isolation
January 20, 2005 -- Maintenance #7 (Days 1-14)
ANC and FEVERS explained, back and leg pain, two rounds of fevers, clinic for sick visits with fever, admitted with fever and neutropenia
January 6, 2005 -- Maintenance #6 (Days 57-84) / Maintenance #7 (Day 0)
no ER again!, Christmas, last spinal tap and IT MTX, nearing OT
2004
OUR HOLIDAY LETTER -- Looking Back at 2004
December 9, 2004 -- Maintenance #6 (Days 29-56)
no ER!, ankle sprain, visit to clinic, Kyle's 15-mth check
November 10, 2004 -- Maintenance #6 (Days 7-28)
well visit with pediatrician, Another ER visit, Halloween, swimming, clinic visit, apprehension about OT
October 19, 2004 -- Maintenance #6 (Days 0-6)
LP and new cravings, Make-A-Wish trip date set, Light the Night success
October 13, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 68-84)
back to school, first appointment with new oncologist, failed LP, countdown to OT
September 27, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 64-67)
back in the ER again
September 22, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 58-63)
enterovirus meningitis over, school begins
September 15, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Day 56-57)
CAT scan, LP, MRI, enterovirus meningitis
September 14, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 47-55)
fever, headaches, inpatient again
September 5, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 31-46)
allergic reaction, met new oncologist, meeting with teacher, back to 100% chemo!
August 20, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 21-30)
low-grade fever, weird rash, another ER trip, last visit with Dr. Jill, DEXA scan
August 10, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 18-20)
Home for the hospital!!
August 8, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 15-18)
Inpatient, ANC creeping up, making friends
August 5, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Days 12-15)
Inpatient, low ANC, fever, mouth sores, Family Fun Day
August 3, 2004 -- Maintenance #5 (Day 12)
To ER with Fever and low ANC
July 23, 2004 -- Maintenance #4 (Days 57-84), Maintenance #5 (Days 0-2)
vacation, another trip to the ER, latest clinic visit for LP and IT MTX
June 23, 2004 -- Maintenance #4 (Days 42-56)
latest clinic visit, end of treatment date, making us laugh, new photos
June 8, 2004 -- Maintenance #4 (Days 22-41)
high ANC again, increase chemo again, steroid funnies, visit to Orthopedist, swimming, Make-A-Wish, Kyle's MRI results
May 19, 2004 -- Maintenance #4 (Days 5-17)
bloody stools, back pain and headaches, Katie's lemonade stand, Katie's Ballad
May 13, 2004 -- Katie is featured in a brochure for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk
May 3, 2004 -- Maintenance #3 (Days 61-84) / Maintenance #4 (Days 0-4)
first fever and trip to ER, clinic visit under GA--scary, end of Silymarin study, steroids, fifth disease
April 4, 2004 -- Maintenance #3 (Days 36-60)
no clinic visit for a month, bloody stools, keep port?, 1st haircut, Gilda's club, LTN
March 8, 2004 -- Maintenance #3 (Days 15-35)
Katie's out and about, new oncologist, DEX days, Silymarin Study
February 25, 2004 -- Maintenance #2 (Days 77-84) / Maintenance #3 (Days 0-14)
doctor leaves and making adjustment to changes, drug effects lasting longer, losing hair again, emotional impact of life with cancer hits hard
January 25, 2004 -- Maintenance #2 (Days 21-70)
fantasy flight to the North Pole to meet Santa, neutropenic again, back and joint pain, DEX effects linger, Katie's birthday, commonalities with other cancer families.
2003
Christmas letter -- A look back at 2003
December 5, 2003 -- Maintenance #1 (Days 69-85) / Maintenance #2 (Days 0-12)
adjusting meds to stabilize counts, spinal tap and vomiting, isolation
October 26, 2003 -- Maintenance #1 (Days 27-56)
unstable counts / rash around mouth and nose / Light the Night Walk / emotional impact to family
September 12, 2003 -- Maintenance #1 (Days 14-20)
low ANC, reaction to MTX
August 27, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #2 (Days 22-56) / Maintenance #1 (Day 0)
new baby brother, conscious sedation and effects of Versed, meds schedule
July 11, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #2 (Days 6-14)
June 25, 2003 -- Delayed Intensification #1 (Days 48-56) / Interim Maintenance #2 (Day 0)
June 7, 2003 -- Delayed Intensification #1 (Days 37-44 )
May 23, 2003 -- Delayed Intensification #1 (Day 28 )
May 14, 2003 -- Delayed Intensification #1 (Day 28 - ON HOLD)
May 8, 2003 -- Delayed Intensification #1 (Day 21)
April 30, 2003 -- Delayed Intensification #1 (Day 14)
April 23, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 56) / Delayed Intensification #1 (Days 0-7)
April 10, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 49)
April 6, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 42)
March 30, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 35)
March 21, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 28)
March 16, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 21)
March 6, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 14)
February 27, 2003 -- Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 7)
February 22, 2003 -- Consolidation (Day 28) / Interim Maintenance #1 (Day 0)
February 16, 2003 -- Consolidation (Day 21)
February 7, 2003 -- Consolidation (Day 14)
February 2, 2003 -- Consolidation (Day 7)
January 24, 2003 -- Consolidation (Day 0)
January 17, 2003 -- Definitions
January 14, 2003 -- From the beginning (Induction)
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The contents of this site is for informational purposes only. The journal entries are from our personal experiences and are not meant as medical advice. The artwork and personal content on this web site is the property of Patty Harr and can not be copied or used for any other purpose without written permission. Copyright © 2009 katieswish.com |
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