November 1, 1999
Hi everyone. I know some, but not all, of you received the initial e-mail last week about a fund-raiser this Thursday at 19th Hole to raise money for Kim.This event was planned by two friends of ours with the intention of raising money as gift to help out Kim.
Since then we have found out that we have an opportunity to start a Leukemia Research Fund in Kim's name. Below please find the updated e-mail that went out today.
It was Kim's idea to look into donating any money raised to leukemia research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Since she was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in May, we have met a number of wonderful people who are fighting leukemia. Kim has felt enormous frustration in seeing these people have to battle so hard. Now we may have an opportunity to do something about it.
Kim had her Bone Marrow Transplant on Thursday, Oct. 28 here in Houston. She is now entering Day 5 of approximately thirty days in Protective Isolation as her new immune system develops. Kim is doing well. She's had some tough days and there will be more before she's out of the woods. As usual, she is amazingly upbeat. Nothing can keep this girl down.
For those few of you who haven't heard, I asked Kim to marry me on October 10. Her engagement ring has been the only piece of jewelry with her in isolation.
Brian
November 10, 1999
I am happy to report that Kim has just made it over one of the many big hurdles this disease has put forth. Today her blood counts rose sufficiently for Kim to be moved out of Protective Environment and into a more traditional hospital room. Kim is, of course, thrilled to have been let out of "the bubble" and the doctors say she is making good progress.
Kim is still tired, but doing well.
Great thanks to everyone for all of your support.
As of Monday, $4847.00 has been collected in New York for the Kimberly Patterson Leukemia Research Fund. Donations continue to come in and there is already talk of additional fund-raisers in other cities. Kim and I and our families are absolutely overwhelmed with everyone's caring and generosity. Thank you so much.
All my love, Brian
November 26, 1999
After thirty-seven days of needles, nausea, and bad hospital food, Kim was discharged at six o'clock on the eve of Thanksgiving and is thrilled to be out. Today is Day 29 of the official '100 days' following the Bone Marrow Transplant. Our days ahead will carry a new set of challenges - daily six-hour out-patient visits, lots of tests, and intensive monitoring.
Kim's blood counts are steadily rising and we are now waiting for the results from the first of several painful marrow biopsies. This will determine the initial success of the transplant; whether the engraftment has thus-far been successful, and whether or not there are any leukemia cells present.
In the next two crucial months, we hope to see Kim's newborn immune system slowly take hold. She is ultra- susceptible to all manner of bacteria, fungi, and germs that would be harmless to most of us, but can have fatal consequences to a transplant patient.
So, for the rest of our stay here in Houston, her few public appearances are accessorized with a duck-billed surgical mask , latex gloves, and a red baseball cap. No surprise, she manages to pull it off with great style and grace.
Kim and I can not thank all of you enough for your kind cards, calls, and e-mails. I have read them to her each day and Kim is regularly moved to tears. Your caring and support have been completely overwhelming. Every night we have talked about how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends and family.
Chemo, radiation, transplant, and anti-rejection treatments have left Kim far more fatigued than we imagined (she says she feels like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of OZ) and she hasn't been able to respond to many e-mails. Please know that she has received them and can't wait to be able to start sending out notes of her own.
Thanks for helping us dance through the raindrops.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
All our love, Kim and Brian
Dec. 22, 1999
Today is Day 55 of the magic 100 Days of intensive monitoring following Kim's transplant. Her health has continued to improve each day and we are all looking forward to spending the holidays thinking about friends and family rather than blood counts and medications.
The doctors have decreased Kim's out-patient visits from seven to three days a week. The appointments at the hospital still take about six hours, spent reading magazines and napping as a variety of IV medications drip in the background.
Many of the concerns we had earlier in this process are still present: Kim's immune system is and will remain compromised for some time. There are many limitations that can often be frustrating and an unexpected set-back or hospitalization are still real threats.
The preliminary results from her Day 30 bone marrow biopsy are extremely encouraging: Kim's marrow is now made up entirely of male cells. This suggests that her father's marrow has thus far engrafted successfully. So far, so good.
In the last two weeks, Kim has seen many quality-of-life improvements. Her energy, her strength, her appetite, and her love of shopping all are slowly coming back. She is still required to wear a duck-billed mask in public, but Kim has gotten used to it and, if anything, salespeople seem to become more attentive.
We will be spending Christmas and New Year's here in Houston. Kim's parents will both be in town and my family will be flying down from Connecticut for Christmas weekend.
Much thanks for all of your kind cards, letters, and donations. Kim and I are looking forward to getting back to our life in New York and planning a really fun wedding!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
All our love, Kim and Brian
Kim 101 — Feb. 6, 2000
Greetings from Houston. 100 days have passed since Kim's bone marrow transplant. On Day 98, she had her scheduled bone marrow biopsy. We are very happy to report that the initial test results show no signs of leukemia and suggest that her father's bone marrow continues to engraft well.
We did suffer a small setback. Toward the end of January, Kim began showing signs of the flu. As with the flu you may have had this season, beyond getting lots of rest and fluids, there is little that can be done except to wait it out. The doctors explained that, because of Kim's compromised immune system, a flu that would take an otherwise healthy person three days to kick, would take her a week or more.
After more than two weeks of sniffles and aches, Kim woke up this past Tuesday with a fever. Twenty minutes after talking to her doctor on the phone, we arrived at the hospital for a four day, three night stay.
Kim was released on Friday (Day 99). She is quickly regaining much of the energy that she had lost while she was sick. Her illness does mean that our time in Houston will be extended by a few weeks. Regardless, we have begun to pack up many of the things that we have accumulated, in anticipation of our return to Florida.
Kim and I had expected to be in much more regular contact with everyone than has been the case. Strange hours, exhausting hospital visits, and the general healing process have taken up all of our time. Please accept our apologies if we haven't returned your e-mail or phone messages.
To help keep everyone informed and to insure the continued growth of the Kimberly Patterson Leukemia Research Fund, we are proud to, at long last, announce the official launch of http://www.kimsleukemiafund.org
We hope you enjoy it and encourage you to share the site with friends.
Kim and I wish to extend our love and thanks to all for your tremendous caring and support.
Still Texans — March 1, 2000
There was a good chance that Kim would get discharged today, but the doctors have decided to keep us here in Houston for two more weeks. Kim's platelet and white blood cell counts need to come up a little higher before we will be allowed to return to Florida. We had hoped to spend Kim's birthday (March 4) back in Florida, but our celebration will have to wait a little while longer.
This last month was characterized by low-key recovery. The flu left Kim pretty weak and, in many ways, she had to start at the same level of strength as when she was first released from the hospital. After regaining much of her strength, Kim got hit with a cold — just days after the doctors said we could expect a March 1st discharge. She was placed on antibiotics and told to get as much rest as possible. An additional precautionary bone marrow biopsy was ordered, and we were pleased to find that Kim remains cancer-free.
With luck, our next report will be from Sarasota, Florida.
Contributions to Kim's fund have been coming in steadily and there are several fund-raisers being planned for the spring. The response to the web site has been terrific and we promise to add photos and progress information regularly.
Great thanks to everyone for your continued love and support.
All our love, Brian and Kim
Still Texans II — March 29, 2000
March has been a month of small setbacks and stalled plans. We are generally optimistic, continuing on the path to recovery at a slower pace than had been our expectation. The doctors have recommended not making any immediate travel arrangements.
We celebrated Kim's 29th birthday on the boardwalk in Kemah, Texas. That night, Kim began complaining of abdominal cramps that became worse the next day. We resisted a late night trip to the ER and reported to the outpatient clinic the following morning. The doctors suspected Graft Versus Host Disease, which Kim has battled in the past. Kim was admitted to the hospital that night for a weeklong stay.
A particularly uncomfortable endoscopic exploration revealed severe GVHD in Kim's stomach, which was successfully treated by high-dose steroids. Kim was discharged with instructions to visit the outpatient clinic daily.
For some weeks before the hospitalization, the doctors had been monitoring what Kim believed to be several ingrown hairs on her left leg. There were three spots that got progressively worse and, after it was clear that something was wrong, the doctors took a biopsy and concluded that there was a fungal infection present. Untreated, a fungal infection can become very serious with the potential to enter the blood stream and then spread to internal organs. Thankfully, Kim's infection was caught very early on, and she has begun a treatment that has proven very effective in similar patients.
We are still very anxious to return to Sarasota, but have resigned ourselves to the fact that that we will stay in Houston for as long as Kim's health requires it. For now, we are concentrating on staying healthy and getting rid of any of the 'bugs' that are postponing our next step in the journey to return to our life in Manhattan.
Last week we were saddened to learn that a Bone Marrow Transplant patient with whom we had become close, a 26-year-old man who transplanted a week before Kim, passed away on March 10. Our friend had battled leukemia for three years. His strength and optimism, his love for living and the incredible love he shared with his wife have continued to be among our greatest inspiration. We are saddened by his passing and angered at the disease that has claimed the lives of several people dear to us.
Kim and I ask that you join us in doubling our effort to raise money and make a difference in the fight to find a cure for leukemia. The first of several fundraisers planned for the spring will be held in New York City next month. We encourage your participation.
Great thanks to everyone for your continued love and support.
All our love, Brian and Kim
Texas, month six — April 12, 2000
April 11 marks a full six months since our arrival in Houston to prepare for Kim's bone marrow transplant. Tempering that shocking realization is the much happier one that we have now been engaged for six months.
The last few weeks have been slow but positive. The anti-fungal drug that Kim has been taking appears to be working very well.
She has been on a fairly high dose of steroids since her last bout with Graft Versus Host Disease. We are now in the process of tapering the steroids, which can cause all the same nasty little side effects as going on the drug to begin with.
Today, Kim was told to prepare for her next bone marrow biopsy, to be performed early next week. As always, we bite our nails for a few days after the biopsy since the results will tell us whether or not there are any leukemia cells present.
Last week, after a few days of e-mail correspondence, we arranged a meeting with a veteran leukemia physician whom we have admired, to discuss the future of Kim's Fund. For the full story, check out the history of the fund page.
We are excited about tomorrow night's raffle in New York and encourage everyone in the area to attend. There will be some terrific items being raffled including a Texas basket that Kim and I put together. Great thanks to Jenn Lordi, Amy Mirer, and David Lloyd for their work getting everything in order. We will post pictures on the image gallery when they are available.
We had a great visit with our friend, Molly, this past weekend. Seeing a friend from home reminded us of how long it's been since we've seen all of the people we hold dear. We know that it will be at least a few more weeks before we leave Houston, but Kim and I are working hard to get back to everyone.
All our love, Brian and Kim
Farewell, Houston — May. 19, 2000
We arrived in Houston on October 11, 1999. Now, just a week over seven months later, the doctors have discharged Kim and we are returning to Sarasota, Florida.
Kim and I are very happy to be going back to the apartment where we were staying before Kim's relapse.
We were happy to get the test results from Kim's bone
marrow biopsy: she remains fully engrafted with 100% of her marrow consistent
with her father's DNA. Most importantly, there is NO
SIGN OF LEUKEMIA!
Kim is looking forward to continued improvement in her health and energy
and is planning to take an active role in raising money for the Fund.
She will have her blood counts checked weekly and we will be making regular
trips back to Houston for check-ups.
Our time in Houston has been very difficult and far longer than we ever planned. Kim has been through hell and not only survived it, but has done so with tremendous style and grace.
We are excited to start the next chapter in this journey
and we are looking forward to be in much closer contact with our friends
and family.
We would like to thank everyone who attending the raffle in New York City.
An especially big thanks to Jennifer Lordi and Amy Mirer for all their
hard work organizing the event. Check out the photos of all the fun on
the image
gallery.
With the money raised at the recent raffle, the Fund has now exceeded $20,000.00. Five medical professionals have accepted our invitation to join the board that will govern the Fund. We will plan the first board meeting to take place during our return visit in three weeks.
Great thanks to everyone for your continued caring and support!
All our love, Brian and Kim
Settling in to Sarasota — June 15, 2000
We have now been in Florida for a month. The trip left Kim exhausted but thrilled to back. To measure her continued progress, Kim has her blood drawn once a week by her local oncologist. We get most of the results that day, but one test must be performed in Houston and a vial of Kim's blood is shipped overnight to the lab at M.D. Anderson. Kim's most recent lab results suggest that many of her blood levels are approaching those of an otherwise healthy person.
Our first scheduled trip to M.D. Anderson occurred on June 6th. The check-up went smoothly except for a rash that Kim had recently developed. The doctors performed a biopsy on her back (the third one since the transplant) and it tested negative for Graft Versus Host Disease. This is good, except that the cause of the rash has yet to be determined and it has not fully gone away. Direct sunlight causes the rash to flare-up dramatically. As you can imagine, entirely avoiding the sun in Florida can be a challenge.
We returned from our Houston trip to find a bouquet of flowers: 223 red carnations (click here for a photo). Fellow warrior Bart Cotten and his wife Mariana had sent a flower for each day that Kim had been away from Sarasota. We were overwhelmed and very touched. Later that day we received another surprise. Our friend Jeff Stevenson has arranged for Kim's Fund to be involved in a great concert in Boston on July 27. Check out upcoming events for the details.
Last week Kim and her mother took part in National Survivors Day Kim was very happy to see some of the nurses who had cared for her when she was first diagnosed last May.
As Kim's health continues to improve we look forward to visits from a few of our friends, some of whom we haven't seen in over a year.
Thanks to all for you continued support and generosity.
All our love, Brian and Kim
Slow Steady Summer — August 23, 2000
Not much has changed since our last report over two months ago. Kim's energy level has steadily improved. There are still strong days and days spent on the couch, days spent with friends and days spent in the doctor's office.
Our weekly doctor's appointments have been cut to every two weeks - an indication that Kim is considered far more stable than when we first arrived in Florida. The results from her blood tests have been generally positive as Kim's blood counts continue to slowly recover.
We traveled to Houston on July 17th for Kim's regular checkup at M.D. Anderson. Kim's various appointments went very well with each doctor happy to see Kim's progress. After the scheduled appointments, Kim, with some trepidation, visited the Intravenous Therapy Clinic and had her CVC (Central Venous Catheter) removed. This represented a major milestone in Kim's progress, since she has had a 'port' of one kind or another in her chest since the day she was first diagnosed with leukemia in May of 1999.
The day ended with our first board meeting for the Fund. It was very exciting to be seated at a massive conference table with some of the finest doctors at the finest cancer center in America (as voted by U.S. News and World Reports). As a board, we decided to wait until the money we have raised reaches $50,000 before beginning to distribute the funds to one of several possible leukemia research projects. At our next meeting, each member of the board will be presenting research projects that the Fund could potentially help serve.
A few days after our return to Sarasota, I flew up to Boston to see friends and family, and prepare for our big night with the Girls Room concert.
The day of the concert Tower Records had a kickoff party, with each artist performing one song and announcing the show. I had the opportunity to meet the exceptionally talented women of the Girls Room tour and they were very nice, each asking about Kim and speaking enthusiastically about the tour. The concert itself was a tremendous success. The Karma Club, across from Fenway Park in Boston, filled with 600 people who braved the rain to see some great music for a great cause. The show opened with Tara MacLean, Amy Correia, and Shannon McNally onstage together welcoming the crowd and bringing me up onstage to accept a check for $1000 from Capitol Records. The suggested donation and raffle raised an additional $3000, and we are eagerly waiting to find out the total CD sales figures later this month, from which the Fund will receive $2 for every CD sold in July. Our heartfelt thanks to Jeff Stevenson who put together our involvement with the tour, and to Nikki Cook, Asst. Director of Development for M.D. Anderson, who flew up from Houston for the event. We also thank all of our friends and family who came to the show.
As her health and energy level improve, Kim has begun meeting weekly with several high school friends to organize a fundraiser in Sarasota, Florida. Their plan is to put together an event that involves the whole community and brings all ages together for an evening of fun and fundraising. We hope to have information available on the upcoming events page within a few weeks.
Thanks to all for you continued support and generosity.
All our love, Brian and Kim
A Humbling Month — October 4, 2000
September brought us a splash of reality as to the seriousness of what Kim has been through and the delicate nature of her recovery.
The month began well, with Kim's health continuing to improve. We talked frequently about our plans to return to the Northeast and renew the lease on our New York apartment. Over the Labor Day weekend, we even hosted a barbecue and invited friends and family from the area. Two of Kim's close friends flew in for the weekend to join in the festivities and help us prepare all the food (thank you Molly and Marni!).
The following week Kim received her monthly infusion of IVIG, or intravenous immune globulin, an immunizing agent used to prevent illnesses that can occur when the body does not produce enough of its own immunity. In the past, this infusion has made Kim feel pretty lousy for a few days. This time, the lousy feeling continued and got progressively worse over the course of a week. We consulted Kim's local oncologist and went in for intravenous hydration and anti-nausea medicines. Continuing to feel awful, we checked into Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Upon consulting the doctors at M.D Anderson, it became fairly certain that Kim was experiencing an acute flare-up of Graft Versus Host Disease. On the morning of September 15, we checked out of Memorial and boarded a plane to Houston.
Once at M.D. Anderson, Kim was admitted for a full week. Within a day of her arrival, Kim was given a new port and began receiving high-dose steroids. On the 18th, Kim underwent an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. Biopsies taken tested positive for GVHD and confirmed the diagnosis. The steroids were administered intravenously for a full week before we were discharged from the hospital as an outpatient. In order for the doctors to taper the level of steroids more quickly, Kim is receiving Infliximab, a steroid-sparing agent. Infliximab is administered once a week for four weeks, insuring our month-long stay in Houston.
This setback was very humbling for us. Kim's health had been so good that we had been making what now seem like very ambitious plans. We had plane reservations to fly to New York City on September 18th for a weeklong visit (our first in over a year), and we were planning on re-signing the November 1 lease on our apartment. Obviously neither of these happened.
Further, Kim's transplant doctor recommended that we hold off on any plans to return to New York until after the winter. The doctors have made it clear that Kim will probably experience similar setbacks over the next year or two. At this point, we are told, one either has GVHD or Leukemia; we'll take the GVHD. In fact, Kim had a bone marrow aspiration during her stay in Houston and the initial results show that her marrow and blood remains leukemia free.
The steroids that are so important in squelching the immediate problem have brought on their usual nasty side effects: Kim's face has begun to swell, the muscles in her legs have broken down, and she is too jittery to sleep. As the steroids are further tapered (very slowly so the GVHD doesn't return) these effects will lessen, but they make daily life that much more trying.
Thankfully, the GVHD that caused so much discomfort is under control now and we are looking forward to returning to Florida early next week. Kim has been working with several high-school friends on a Disco-theme fundraiser in Sarasota, and she is looking forward to getting back into the planning and execution of what is sure to be a terrific event. The "Hustle for a Cure" Fundraiser is scheduled for November 29th. Additional information will soon be posted to the Upcoming Events page.
Thanks to all for your continued support and generosity.
All our love, Brian and Kim
Another Speed Bump — October 15, 2000
Click here for a more detailed description, including more medical information.
Our stay in Houston has been further extended by a completely unexpected infection that has made the last ten days very difficult and painful for Kim.
Following Kim's last bout of Graft versus Host Disease we remained in Houston to complete a course of medication that was administered once a week over four weeks. We had been making the most of our time in Texas. With only two hospital appointments a week we had some free time and Kim was feeling well enough for us to go out to eat a few times and get in a little shopping.
Just over a week ago, Kim began to complain of a headache that seemed to affect the right side of her face. The pain was so great that her doctor ordered a CT scan to see what was going on. The scan showed that Kim had a sinus infection in her sphenoid sinus cavity, the sinus located in the center of the head, behind the optic nerves and just below the brain.
Over the next two days the left side of Kim's face began to swell in several places and her pain grew worse. The painkillers and antibiotics she had been given following the CT scan were not working. When the pain became unbearable we checked into to the hospital.
Once admitted, tests were run that indicated the infection in her sphenoid sinuses had begun to spread to the surrounded bone area.
The decision was made to go forward with endoscopic sinus surgery immediately to open up the infected sinus cavity and determine the nature of the infection.
Thankfully, Kim's surgery went well. Kim's father and I met with he surgeon afterward and discussed his findings. The infection was in several of the sinus cavities. The left sphenoid was completely blocked and severely infected. The doctors drained the sinuses, removed some infected tissue, enlarged the openings and, in some cases, eliminated the bony areas that separate many of the sinus cavities.
The surgeon said that visually the infection did not appear to be fungal. That news provided a tremendous amount of relief. A fungal infection in that area is very serious. Samples were taken from the material that was drained. Initial pathology reports do not suggest leukemia or even a fungal infection. Over the next four or five days we will hear the results of various cultures that will try to pinpoint the type of infection.
It's not clear yet how long Kim will need to be hospitalized and how long afterward the doctors will want to see her on an outpatient basis. The diagnosis of the infection and Kim's recovery time will obviously play a very large role.
We feel very lucky to have received such exemplary care and that Kim's doctors were able to find and treat this infection before her condition became even more serious.
Kim is still exhausted from the experience, but her improvement from one day to next has been impressive. As always she is incredibly upbeat and greets each nurse or doctor with a bright smile and a big hello.
As always, we thank to all for your continued love and support.
All our love, Brian and Kim
Kim's Hardest Battle Yet — October 28, 2000 (One Year Post-Transplant)
Following her sinus surgery on Oct. 12, the doctors had continued to treat Kim's sinus infection with antibiotics. A week after the surgery, blood levels that indicate normal liver function had begun to rise enough for the doctors to order a liver biopsy.
An hour after Kim returned from the biopsy, she began to get pale and clammy and quickly became unresponsive. Within minutes the entire code team was in Kim's room administering medicine, blood, and fluids.
The most common complication to liver biopsies is bleeding. Kim's liver had bled out until she lost consciousness. Her blood pressure had crashed and emergency medicine was essential to save her life.
Once the team had stabilized Kim enough to be moved, she was taken down to the Intensive Care Unit. She was closely monitored in the ICU for three days. The big concern at that point was that the bleeding in her liver had been contained. Any indication that she was still losing blood could have meant immediate surgery.
With the bleeding contained, Kim was returned to the BMT floor where the doctors returned to their concern about the sinus infection. More time had now passed and none of the cultures from the sinus surgery had grown anything. Because they couldn't pinpoint the type of infection, doctors had to use a broad spectrum of antibiotics and anti-fungal agents in hopes of controlling the infection.
On the 22nd, Kim's left eye began to swell, along with the areas of the face that were originally affected by the infection. Monday morning, the problem had worsened and Kim had consultations with Ophthalmology and Head and Neck. Kim also underwent a Bone Scan and CT Scan.
The CT scan had shown further infection and immediate surgery was ordered. The surgeon's were to remove more infected tissue from the sinuses and, if necessary, perform an orbitotomy in attempt to drain whatever matter was causing the eye to swell. Additional samples were taken with the hope that cultures would be more definitive, allowing for a more focused diagnosis and treatment.
Kim underwent the sinus surgery that next day. Afterward, the surgeon gave us encouraging news. The orbitotomy was deemed unnecessary and most of the matter he removed was dried blood left over from the previous surgery. Kim had been given instructions after the first surgery to irrigate her nasal passages several times daily. The emergency following her liver biopsy made that impossible and the effects of the neglect were obvious. Our hope was that the infection was waning and that diligent irrigation and continued medication would bring it under control.
The two days following the surgery we were encouraged by the reduction of the swelling behind Kim's eye. Other symptoms, however, began to emerge, including partial paralysis the right side of her face.
The day before the one-year anniversary of Kim's Bone Marrow Transplant, we learned that the cultures had grown a fungus and the doctors had diagnosed her infection: mucormycosis. This confirms the doctors' fears, and it is clear we are dealing with a very, very serious infection. We have before us the hardest battle yet.
Kim is receiving both the best care and the best medicines available. To assist in her body's ability to fight, Kim is receiving donated white blood cells along with anti-fungal agents. Her father was the first to donate, and we were pleased to find out that her mother and I are also compatible. We are now donating in rotation.
Additional CT scans at regular intervals will monitor the infection and determine whether it is reducing in size or growing. In the mean time we will continue to fight, to live, to love, and to plan for our wedding and our wonderful future.
As always, we thank to all for your continued love and support.
All our love, Brian and Kim
Great Love Through Great Adversity — November 8, 2000
We have continued to be hit with difficult news. A MRI performed on Oct. 30th showed swelling and an abscess in the left side of Kim's brain. These results were consistent with the doctors' clinical assessment; the facial paralysis on Kim's right side had progressed to include partial paralysis of her right arm and leg. The fungal infection has spread and is more dangerous than ever.
Kim made it clear to her team of doctors that she would give them 150% of her energy and beat this thing. The dosages of her existing medications have been increased, experimental anti-fungal agents are being administered, and Kim is receiving several treatments designed to boost her body's ability to fight infection.
Kim is also receiving daily hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This involves a three-minute ambulance ride to nearby Herman Hospital's hyperbaric chamber. Once there, Kim puts on a custom fit clear plastic hood and enters the chamber for approximately 90-minutes. The pressure in the chamber is increased to the equivalent of a 45-foot dive. Our hope is that this therapy will help the anti-fungal agents get deeper into the tissues that are infected.
On Oct. 31st, after Kim's second dive in the hyperbaric chamber we decided that, in the midst of this latest challenge, we would focus on life and joy. We would take strength from an event that would celebrate our love... a little earlier than planned.
On Saturday, November 4, Kim and I were married at the chapel here in the hospital. We had a very nice, small ceremony with our families and a few friends, as well as doctors, nurses, and some of the other MD Anderson staff that has had such a profound impact on our lives.
We returned to Kim's hospital room following the short reception to find that her name plate had been changed to "Kimberly Murphy", and a small sign on the door read, "Do not disturb: Honeymoon in session!"
With the honeymoon over, for now, our attention has returned to fighting the fungal infection in Kim's brain and sinuses. We are now waiting for the results of the latest MRI. Somehow, it is just a little bit easier to handle adversity as husband and wife.
As always, we thank to all for your continued love and support.
All our love,
Brian and Kimberly Murphy
click here for the first wedding pictures
Our Darkest Hour — November 17, 2000
The week following the wedding provided a fairly uniform schedule. Each morning we would take an ambulance over to the hyperbaric chamber, return for the doctors' rounds and several hours of IV medications, and then prepare for our time away from the hospital in a hotel connected to M.D. Anderson via a skybridge.
Most evenings, Kim would shrewdly negotiate a four or five-hour pass, separated from her IV pole, so that we could cross the skybridge, head to our room, and nap, watch movies, and eat dinner in a non-hospital atmosphere. Our time there was wonderfully normal, which made it absolutely magical.
In the middle of the week, Kim had another MRI. The abscess and swelling had grown worse. Despite all efforts, the infection was progressing.
Over the weekend, Kim's level of discomfort dramatically increased. Her stomach grew distended and she complained of severe back pain. The doctors, worried that the pain was caused by the cerebral swelling, ordered the next MRI for Monday, several days earlier than scheduled. Kim's IV pole was fitted with a pump to administer a small, continuous infusion of morphine.
The MRI was very hard on Kim, her back and stomach continued to cause her pain. At one point the MRI technicians were forced to take a break so that Kim could be temporarily re-hooked to the morphine pump in order to tolerate the rest of the scan.
Back in the hospital room, Kim seemed as sharp-witted as ever and had the team of doctors and nurses in stitches during their examination of her. She called several friends and exhausted herself just by talking to them on the phone. That evening we wheeled over to our hotel room for a few hours, but Kim had a hard time getting comfortable.
The results from the new MRI showed little or no change. Tuesday night was agonizing for Kim; her back and stomach continued to give her tremendous discomfort. We spent the entire night continually changing her position, hoping for some relief. In the morning they increased the morphine dosage and administered anti-anxiety drugs. Kim finally drifted off to sleep.
All day Wednesday Kim stayed in a deep sleep, but remained responsive. When asked, she would squeeze our hands and give us the "thumbs-up" when a desirable position was achieved. I even got a few hugs. It was clear she was no longer in pain.
By Thursday morning Kim was no longer responsive. At some point during the night she had slipped into a coma, brought on by the continued destruction of cerebral tissue by the fungal infection. The doctors do not believe she will regain consciousness. We now sit and wait and watch.
We wait for a miracle and watch her for any sign of discomfort. Kim will continue to receive anti-fungal drugs and blood products. She continues to fight.
Please continue to send positive thoughts and prayers to Kim.
All our love,
Brian and Kimberly Murphy
November 19, 2000
Kimberly Patterson Murphy passed away at 7:30 am this morning. I was with her when she died. She was not in pain and went peacefully.
Kim was 29 years old, had been in remission for thirteen months, and had been married for two weeks.
She was, and remains, the most wonderful person I have ever known.
There will be two memorial services for Kim: one in Sarasota, Florida and the other in Wallingford, Connecticut. They are being planned for the week after Thanksgiving. When exact dates and times have been confirmed, I will send out another update.
The families and I ask that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made the Fund.
Thank you for your kindness and your prayers,
Brian Murphy
Finding Words – December 12, 2000
This is my first update since Kim's death. I have seen many of you at
the two services we had for Kim, and heard from many others via e-mail
or this site. In personal greetings and letters the phrase that came up
most (more even than the extent to which all of your thoughts are with
Kim's parents and with me (thank you!)) was, "there are no words..."
I agree, of course. I have not yet had any success putting my feelings into appropriate words. No luck yet in expressing what I'm sure many of you are feeling. No chance in expressing the loss I am still trying to come to terms with.
This, then, is our first big challenge as Kim's friends and loved ones: to find words. Words cannot describe explanations, or even offer consolation for this, the greatest of losses. But it is words, and deeds, that will give Kim's life purpose. By spreading word and encouraging deeds, we can honor the incredibly honorable spirit, the incredibly exuberant life, and the incredibly infectious smile that were the hallmarks of Kim's life.
This Fund will, of course, live on.
It will live on as a tribute to Kim and to her fight.
More than ever I ask for your help. Our efforts must continue and increase.
We must carry the heavy torch that Kim has passed to us all. We must encourage
regional fundraisers. We must come up with innovative ways of letting
everyone know that we are working to find a cure for leukemia. We will
continue to fight.
There were services for Kim on November 29th in Florida and December 2nd in Connecticut.
Along with the ministers' poignant
talks, one friend spoke at each service. There have been many requests
for the transcript of these talks.
Below please find the remembrances from each of the two services.
On Kim's request, friend Kenny Lyons performed a song by Richie Havens. At both locations his performance was deeply moving. Thank you, Kenny, for your beautiful performances.
The lyrics are available here.
I will soon be introducing a new section to this site. For Fellow Warriors is being designed specifically for the many people who have visited, and continue to visit, our site daily, and who are directly affected by leukemia or who are facing the scary, yet potentially life saving, prospect of a bone marrow transplant. I am putting together important links, information, and a forum for the exchange of ideas for those who must battle this dark foe.
All my love,
Brian