Kate Finn (CeltGirl)

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Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 09:48:01 -0500

From: CeltGirl35@aol.com

To: bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu

Subject: Bad News from Kate (Celtgirl 35)

This is very long, so please delete if you like.

 

I've actually had results from all my tests for awhile now, (2weeks) but had

a hard time getting back on-line. Some of you are probably wondering what's

been happening with me. Well, with the holidays and all, it took awhile to

get things done. You might recall I had this mouth swelling and was waiting

to have a CT scan on it. I'd also had my Hickman pulled (infection) and had

another bone marrow biopsy done (to see why my platelets were going away).

That happened on Dec. 27, and takes us up to my last posting.

 

In the middle of the night New Year's Eve, I woke up coughing and feeling

kind of weird. I'd been having especially bad nose bleeding, so went into

the bathroom and discovered my entire mouth was bloody, and every time I

coughed, I would bring up blood! Very scary. My dad drove me to the

University of Iowa Hospitals (where I had my transplant in May, 30 miles away

from Cedar Rapids, where I live) and my sister, who is an RN at the same

hospital, met us there. We went up to the BMT unit where they immediately

gave me platelets, drew blood and put me on a face mask (oxygen level was

only 84%). I had a chest xray , and found out I had pneumonia -- then had a

bronchoscopy the next day (Happy New Year) to see what was causing the

pneumonia. It turned out it was caused by a spontaneous bleed in my lung,

caused by the low platelets (they were 2). Of course, I was admitted and

started on antibiotics -- also continued on the oxygen.

 

I was in the hospital 5 days, and also had my mouth swelling biopsied while

in there. After release, I had to go back every other day to have the counts

checked, and I was also starting to have a problem with severe edema in the

legs, so they re-admitted me to get the fluid off with an IV drip.

Meanwhile, I was still waiting for results of the bone marrow, part of which

had returned (normal chromosomes, very high % donor marrow). However, they

were still running tests on some clumped lymphocytes which puzzled them and

slowed down the results.

 

A couple days later, my docs came in and said, basically, "we don't think

you're relapsing because of the chromosomes, the fact that you have a high

number of donor cells, and because your red/white counts are normal -- also,

the lymphocytes don't look anything like your original leukemia." The next

day, they told me that some of the pathologists *did* think I was relapsing

-- divided camp -- but the head path guy thought I was (very scary to hear).

The day after, they came in and said, "they've decided you are relapsing,

mostly because the mouth biopsy showed some leukemic cells -- but they are

still puzzled because these leukemic cells don't look anything like your

original leukemia (they are more characteristic of ALL cells, not AML, which

is what I have).

 

So the plan was to contact my original donor and get T-Cells from her, which

I would get after chemo. For my transplant in May, the T-cells were removed,

but given back to me later in 3 separate doses (so as to lessen the

possibility of severe GVH). Problem -- I never got so much as a hint of GVH,

so probably didn't get the anti-leukemic effect GVH is thought to stimulate.

The plan this time was to try to give me GVH, taking the risk it could be

severe.

 

Another waiting game began while we contacted the other donor center --

finally we heard and it was bad news -- my donor either can't or won't donate

again! Everyone was crushed by this, and for the first time in all this

ordeal, I really felt hopeless. I spent a good deal of time those first

couple of days trying not to think evil thoughts of her, and give her the

benefit of the doubt.

 

I had 3 more potentially perfect donors, whose centers were contacted and all

3 had their initial blood work done -- which we started testing last

Thursday. Everything is on a stat basis, so that might be done by end of

this week, then we can hopefully have a better idea of how to proceed, when

to start chemo, etc. Something a little scary is that they will have to do a

second complete transplant, not just T-cells, since they must kill the

original donor's marrow so as not to have a graft rejection. Since this is a

second transplant (with T-cells) it is expected to be harder on me than the

first one.

 

I've come to terms with this pretty well, although it was much harder this

time. I'm a positive thinker, and each time I've undergone treatment I've

been optimistic that it would do the trick. I was diagnosed in July '94,

then was in remission until April '95, had the transplant in May '95, then

this relapse, probably in early December. It's hard to believe because I

came through transplant so well and easily, and had no infections of any kind

post-transplant -- until all this stuff started happening. So-- although I

am continuing to think the best, I also realize that if this fails, there

won't be much they can do for me in the way of treatment. I guess it makes

my mortality that much more real, and frightening. I am only 36, and

everything in my life (job, relationship, being comfortable in my skin) was

just starting to take off when I became sick. It certainly isn't fair,

although I like to hope there's some good reason for it all.

 

Well, this has been too long by far, but I know there are many out there who

have wondered what was happening, and I couldn't e-mail each of you

personally. Please send me your prayers -- I need them more than ever.

Also, if there is anyone out there who has had two transplants, I would like

to hear from you.

 

Love,

Kate

Date: Sat, Feb 10, 1996 11:52 PM EDT

From: CeltGirl35

Subj: News about Kate...

To: bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu

 

This is Kate's younger brother, Michael. My sister Lisa and I are very sorry

to tell you all that Kate passed away last night (Friday) at 7pm. Her family

and friends were with her all day. Although Kate's condition worsened during

the day Friday, she was responsive until around 11am and we all were able to

spend time alone with her. After that it looked like Kate was asleep--she

didn't speak to us but we spoke to her, and we know she could hear what we

said. We played her favorite Celtic music quietly and would tell her who was

in the room with her as her many friends came to see her.

Sadly she never read your many postings from the last week, but she had gone

through the stack and separated them out to start replying (so she knew you

wrote, and you KNOW she felt your support :-) She was such a fighter, my

sister! She was very determined to respond to each and every one of you, for

she felt SO close to so many of you. As she got weaker and sleepier, she

agreed to let me type her replies, but we were only able to post the one

message updating you on her condition after having been offline for awhile.

I wish I could somehow tell each of you what your words and love have meant

to Kate over these many months, but I guess in your hearts you must know. I

know that this wonderful forum helped Kate fight every inch of the way, in a

manner that family, friends and doctors could never do. For that I thank

whomever founded it, and whomever maintains it now. You are doing a great

thing! For all of you out there still fighting: I know Kate is still

pulling for you! Whenever you need encouragement or a little help, just

write yourself a note in your mind from Celtgirl...

 

Thank you and God bless you,

The Finn Family

 

p.s.--My (Michael's) e-mail address, if anyone has any questions or thoughts:

gofilms@aol.com

Lisa's (Kate's sister) e-mail address: lisa-james@uiowa.edu

From: Tonysica@aol.com [SMTP:Tonysica@aol.com]

Sent: Thursday, February 22, 1996 6:23 AM

To: GoFilms@aol.com; lisa-james@uiowa.edu; bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu

Cc: KendraBMT@aol.com

Subject: celtgirl

The Finn Family

I was saddened to here of Kate's passing. For the first time since my

lymphoma diagnosis in July, I cried for someone else.

I enjoyed Kate's postings to the bmt-talk line and shared her love for

celtic music. I broadcast a folk music radio show each Sunday from Towson St.

University near Baltimore. This Sunday I will honor Kate by dedicating a

piece of music to her memory. It is my favorite piece. A traditional tune

called " The Mist Covered Mountains" or "Chi mi na morbenna" in Gaelic. It

was President Kennedy's favorite as well and was played at his funeral.

Whenever and wherever I listen to this piece of music I will think of her. I

will miss our Celtgirl.

My prayers are with you and your family.

Tony Sica

Last Updated on 12/06/01

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