Cancer Battle

Along with many people, I've had an experience with cancer.  My little sister was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma when she was almost three years old.  This cancer is found mostly in children under ten years old, and can cause tumors neck and up.  Her first tumor was bigger than a golfball, and it sat in front of her left ear.  She went through chemotherapy, and had surgery to remove the tumor.  This caused her ear to stick out more than normal, and it left a large scar around her ear. 

She then went into remission, period of time where you're cancer free, for four years.  Sadly, when she was about eight years old, she relapsed.  This tumor was the size of a softball, and it sat behind her left eye, and reached down to her mouth.  During this time she went through chemotherapy and radiation.  Her left eye was removed because she could no longer see out of it, and they also removed her left cheekbone for easier access to the tumor.  When they removed the tumor in surgery, a piece of the roof of her mouth came with the tumor, along with a couple teeth. 

Because of this, she needed to have a feeding tube put in.  During this surgery, they could not intubate her because her face was so deformed and they couldn't get her mouth open enough.  Therefore, they had to put a trach in.  She had this trach for a few months then which caused her to not talk.  I was the only one that could get her to talk. 

Later on, her doctor made her a special retainer so that she could start eating solid foods, but she was never able to get completely off her feeding tube.  Then, she finally went into remission again, but this remission only lasted a few months. 

Her final relapse was when she was nine years old.  She had gone in for a normal checkup at Geisinger, and they took samples from her eye socket.  In those samples they found recurrent cancer cells.  This was a devastating discovery.  My sister, Kaitlyn, had by now basically built up an immunity to chemotherapy and radiation.  Therefore, these treatments would not work for her. 

This left a decision.  Kaitlyn and my parents were told that they could start experimental treatments, but that Katie's chances were not good.  My sister, at nine years old, made a life-changing choice.  Katie told the doctors that she did not want any more needles which meant that she was not going to do the experimental treatments.  My parents agreed. 

Katie was told what would happen, but she already knew, and she wasn't scared.  Soon before she turned ten years old, she was in the hospital.  During this hospital stay they threw her a birthday party because no one thought she would make it to her tenth birthday. 

Kaitlyn proved them wrong though.  She turned ten on April 14th, 2007, and she had another birthday party at home.  A singer came and sang her favorite songs, and all her family and friends were there.  She got to open presents, and have a great time.  Even though she was really sick and weak, she still smiled and had fun with her usual attitude. 

On the last day of April, Katie went into a coma.  What the doctors said would happen came true.  Kaitlyn's tumor had developed into a brain tumor.  By now you could actually see the tumor growing out of her eye.  It was larger than a softball. 

We also had hospice by now so that she could pass away in the comfort of her home.  Although we had to keep the bed downstairs because she couldn't get around well enough, but she was still home with her family. 

When Katie's doctor came to our home to check on her, he gave her a few more hours.  That was the hardest time.  Everyone was told to say their goodbyes.  To this day, it is still hard for me to talk about having to tell my little sister that it was okay to go to heaven at such a young age. 

Again, Kaitlyn proved the doctors wrong.  Katie did not pass away until May 4th, 2007 which was the first day of our local relay for life. 

Her battle was not an easy one, and she fought the hardest she could.  Throughout her whole life she was always strong, loving, and caring.  She never complained about all of the struggles that cancer brought.  To this day, Kaitlyn is my hero because of how she handled what she went through.  I would not have been able to do the same. 

This is her story.  Thank you for reading. 

In memory of Kaitlyn, and all of those people that lost the battle.