Katelyn's Journey: May 2009

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Life is beautiful vertically!!!

I had a great 3-day weekend! On saturday i went shopping for "vertical clothes" (clothes fit you differently sitting down then they do standing up) plus i needed some summer clothes! I had a BLAST! I also got to go into the smaller changing rooms and bathrooms!!! It was soooo cool! On Monday we went to the lake and went kyacking! I am now very sore but loving life vertically!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I MADE IT THROUGH!

I made it through the day! That was the biggest challenge! I actually really enjoyed the day! I was so happy all day, I couldn't believe i was actually "walking" onto campus!!!! Everybody at school was so excited and so helpful and supportive! I loved feeling apart of the crowd and breathing in from "new heights" (literally) I took pictures throughout the day and it felt like the first day of school all over again! I really need prayers though because now i am completely wipped out from a long exhasting and wonderful day. Thank you everyone who prayed for me today, they helped me get through the day!

Monday, May 18, 2009

YAH HOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I am so so so excited!!! Tomarrow is my first day of going to school on crutches!!! "Goodbye wheelchair"!!!!!!! It has been a full year since i was paralyzed and i am so ready to walk onto campus! Praise the Lord! He has brought me this far!!!!!! Please pray for courage and strangth...for i really need that. I added a new song on the music on my blog "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore its so pretty and i've been singing it all afternoon. "At the top of my lungs... i will lift my hands and pray, to be only yours i pray"

Sunday, May 10, 2009

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! MY LEFT TOES IS WIGGLING!!!!!!! Yesturday it was twitching a bit and today i can wiggle it on my own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW I am so happpy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you lord!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

The walking continues!!!!!!

Thank the Lord my right leg has continued to stay and is slowly getting stronger! I am starting to use the crutches more around the house (still dragging my left leg) and am trying to strengthen my right leg by walking more and using the eliptical bike! I ask for prayers on my left leg to come soon. I finally finished drivers ed and can get my permit but my mom doesn't want me to get it until i am walking so please pray it comes soon. I am starting to get impatient because i see the finish line but i can't seem to reach it but if you look at the road i have been on I have traveled a huge distance!!!! Please continue your prayers for I am in great need. Thanks!

How it all began...

In Febrary, Katelyn first developed a severe unknown allergic reaction that caused her eyes to be swollen shut for over a week with orbital cellulitus and her whole body to itch. She was on high doses of antibiotics and steriods to clear up this contidition.

Next, in April she came down with a very bad flu virus that caused her to loose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. Katelyn ended up in the hospital due to dehydration and the inability to keep any food or liquids down. She underwent many tests and evaluations. At one point, she had lost more than 15 pounds. After 3-4 days of testing, it was finally determined that she had SMA syndrome, which is a small intestinal blockage. A feeding tube needed to be placed past the blockage before they could begin tube feedings.

Unfortunately, there were many complications involved in this process. They had to do feedings through her IV until the tube moved to the right location and multiple times they had to move her IV as her veins kept giving out. Eventually, they got the ND tube placed and after 2 weeks in the hospital we got to go home on home feedings until the blockage cleared and she could begin eating on her own again.

We started having complications almost immediately after going home. Her system struggled with the change in formula we went home on and the change in medications. Also, her feeding tube became clogged and required a trip back to UC Davis to have it cleared. After only 4 days, we were back in ER as her GI system developed complications. We were released for home treatment but the next week ahead brought further problems.

The following weekend, we were back at the ER due to the tube being clogged again (apparantly this isn't unusual). This time they brought in the Intervention Radiology team to pull the old tube and replace it with a new one. They choose to sudate her for the procedure this time. Again, there were complications arising from the medications and when she finally pulled out of the sedation she had lost all her muscle control. Her body had finally been through one too many traumas and shut down.

Katelyn was admitted again and we spent the next 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital in the rehab program. The one success while we were there was that she slowly began eating and the feeding tube was finally removed and done with.

Katelyn was released on May 29th in time to attend her 8th grade Graduation the following day. She was still completely dependant with no muscle control but she wanted to attend her graduation anyways. Strapped into her wheelchair, she wore a huge smile and accepeted her diploma.

Katelyn is now home and with the aid of a hospital bed downstairs, we are able to care for her here. She continues to have rehab therapy locally with a therapist she likes and has worked with in the past. Her progress is slow but the prognosis is for full recovery but it could be weeks or months, they just don't know.

Katelyn's Journey