Katie'sBirthday!!!

Greetings All KO fans,
Today is Katie's birthday! We started off with strawberry and yogurt waffles and yummy left over apple pie. Around lunch time she gets to open presents! Fischer and I have been busy shopping, wrapping and making cards while Kurt and Rebecca Spears hang out with Katie and walk Ziggi. We spent turkey day with Bill and Melanie Schell and Katie would not relinquish the cooking of sweet potato pie and corn pudding so she was very tired the rest of the day, though it was a wonderful day!

Unfortunately we have some unsettling news to mix in with the good news. The cytology report came back with the results we did not want to hear. The report showed that there are still microscopic cancer cells present in Katie's brain and spinal fluid and there is nothing left to try via traditional medical treatments short of putting a port in the top of her head and dumping chemo directly into her brain. And the doctors say that would immediately turn her quality of life to crap and likely be ineffective.

So there you have it: the news we have been wrestling with for a week and it's still not sinking in. There is no crystal ball so we don't know exactly what this news means other than it wasn't the best news. The counselor from the cancer clinic has met with us and shared some wonderful suggestions like legacy books, a video interview, etc. Some wonderful photographers (and they are wonderful people too) volunteered to take our family portrait last weekend. Katie got a new wig and someone came in to do her makeup... it was a great photo shoot and life experience. We will post some photos when we get them. They even let Fischer shoot a couple hundred pictures with their fancy camera.

sorry to drop a bomb like this on everyone, but it's just too intense and heart wrenching to tell the story to each individual that cares so deeply for M'lady.

As always, we sincerely appreciate all the love, support, food and offers to help with anything we need. I honestly don't know where we would be without all of you!

To end on a high note, we finally have internet access at home again so Katie will be able to read and respond to e-mail and blog correspondence when she is feeling up to it during the day.

We love you all so much and look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon.

Bobby O.