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Katelin Shirl Mason 
2-11-09 MRI SHOWS STABLE TUMOR!!!
Port-a-cath removal surgery to be scheduled soon!
We are now 2 years without tumor growth!!
5-06 to 8-27-08 STABLE TUMOR
2-16-06 MRI showed Slight Growth
Welcome to Katelin's Web Page. Two months after her 5th birthday on June 27, 2003 Katelin was diagnosed with a 3cm Pilocytic Astrocytoma in the Optic Chiasm/Hypothalamus region of her brain. This is a slow growing tumor however given its location and today's surgical technology it is considered inoperable. Fortunately, at this time she has not experienced any long term side effects.
On August 7, 2003 Katelin began 18 months of chemotherapy (Carboplatin, Vincristine, Temodar).
On March 20, 2004 she began taking Protocel an alternative medicine that offers great hope.
On July 20, 2004 we discovered her Port-a-cath line had detached and was inside her heart chamber. We removed the line that day and then had surgery on July 29,2004 to replace her Port-a-cath.
Feb 12, 2005 at 6pm she took her last chemo pill!!!
March 8, 2006 began 2nd round of chemotherapy
Temodar - 200mg/mm2
October 18, 2006 switched chemo to TPCV Protocol
Thioguanine, Procarbazine, CCNU, vincristine
Eight 6 week cycles scheduled to end Sept '07
Oct 26, 2006 Port-a-cath placed by Dr. Harrison.
This web site was created to keep her family and friends updated on her progress.
Journal
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 4:24 PM CST Not sure if anyone is checking the website any more given I haven't been updating it. But thought I should give an update as we just had our semi-annual MRI.
The good news as you saw at the top of the page is that the MRI showed stable tumor. At this point the tumor has been stable for two years. Which is awesome. Katelin asked Dr. Nicholson if we could now remove the port-a-cath and he agreed so she is very excited about getting it removed.
We met with endocrine as well and she showed me her growth trend and it is consistent over the past two years tracking to 5'3" (I didn't mention to her that when we started this the endocrine projection for her adult height was 5'6" as it really isn't significant but katelin did catch it). No issues on the endocrine front.
We had a neuropsych eval appointment with Dr. Butler scheduled next week 2/25 but they called today and he needs to be out of town that week so we're pushed to 3/10. Just want to be sure we get another check point post her 2nd Chemotherapy Protocal.
Academically Katelin is doing better than ever - its amazing what a school year without chemo will do for one's ability to concentrate and learn. She just got her report card and it was her best yet and 5th grade is a harder year. So this is significant growth for her. The new math tutor is working wonders and really opening up math to Katelin which is wonderful. I can't rave enough about her. Now I have to convince her to keep going next year as she said she only tutors from 1-5th grade but I'm hoping she'll stick with us.
Right now she's reading the book Twilight and about half way through it - looking back to 2nd grade I never would have imagined she could be reading this as quickly as she is and actually stick with it to the end. It also helped I wanted to see the movie so we went last weekend and she's eager to get to the baseball game chapter which is 2/3's of the way through the book. So reading is at grade level and comprehension is still very high per the standardized test she took recently at school.
Spelling is still a challenge and always will be but she has the rules and tools to help her to be a very successful writer. It amazes me that she says she wants to be a novelist when she grows up...as its her most challenging area.
So things are going very well and I'm really trying to move away from worring about the tumor and just living our life. I read the caringbridge sites of other familes who are in the fight against pediatric cancer and see them losing their children, dealing with recurrence or initial diagnosis and feel guilty worring about our situation. We are blessed and life is good.
I am ending this website - I have created a new caringbridge site (katelinmason) that Katelin wants to maintain and I'll use if there is a medical update. The nice part is that you can sign up and be notified via email when there is an update so you don't need to come and check in to see if we've updated. I find that very helpful for the sites I visit.
This site has served us well for the past five years and I thank all of you for your prayers and support. God Bless you all.
Linda & Katelin
Read Journal History
Hospital Information: OHSU - Doernbecher
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, DC10C
Portland, OR 97239
(503) 418-5150
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