Kaite Rideout Benefit Dance

Katie Rideout Benefit Dance
Music, Dancing, Basket Raffle & Silent Auction
Saturday, July 11, 2009 7:00-11:00 p.m.
Epiphany of Our Lord
3146 Ivanhoe, St. Louis, MO 63139
In October, 2008, Katie Rideout was diagnosed with a very rare disease called CNS Vasculitis-- meaning inflammation of the blood vessels confined to the brain, the spinal cord and its covering. Katie was a normal, healthy 10-year old girl playing in her volleyball game one day who was not able to move her left arm and leg the next day. Her face and mouth were damaged, as well, affecting her ability to eat and drink. The signs and symptoms of CNSVasculitis are similar to those of a stroke because they result from a reduction or sudden stoppage of blood flow to the brain. Katie has been undergoing chemotherapy and steroid treatments in an attempt to “open” these brain vessels to get blood flowing back to her brain tissues. Treatment has slowed the progression of the disease, but no definite, long-term prognosis has been confirmed.
On Saturday, July 11 at 7:00 p.m., Katie’s family is proud to host “Katie Bug’s Journey”, a Benefit Dance, Basket Raffle and Silent Auction. All proceeds will be used for a Trust Fund established in Katie Rideout’s name. We hope you enjoy this event which will help support Katie on her journey to a cure for her disease.
• Donation of $20 per person includes admission and participation in FUN-RAISIN’ challenges:
- Chuck-a-Luck
- 50/50
- Heads or Tails
- Liquor walk
• Cash Bar available all night!
• Hot dogs and other snacks available for purchase
• Door Prizes…just for attending!
• Silent Auction ... with the winners announced that night!
• Incredible Raffle Baskets will also be available
Print Name ________________________________________________________________________
Street Address ____________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ____________________________________________________________________
Primary Phone ________________________ E-mail address________________________
Send this form along with payment by June 25, 2009, to:
Katie Bug’s Journey, 31 Willmore Rd. St. Louis, MO 63109
Number of tickets _____ x $20 each = $______________ TOTAL ENCLOSED
Reservations are limited! Please complete form and mail by July 1, 2009 and tickets will be mailed to you.

MRI results

Katie's MRI results are good. There are no new lesions on her liver and the ones there have not increased in size. This is great news as Katie's medication has been cut down or cut out. Next MRI is not for 6 months. yahoo!


God is great!

YaHOOOOOO

Katie's liver enzymes are back to normal! Wow She is due for an MRI this Friday 5/15 so let's say a loud prayer that it shows no changes for the worse. She is in the last 2 weeks of 5th grade and next year she will be a middle schooler. Even with everything she has gone through this year, she has managed to keep up. There as still many hurdles to overcome. Last week when she went to a birthday party that was held at a rock climbing facility she had a really hard time not being able to scamper up the ropes. Her scout troop took a really long hike to earn their hiking badge at Powder Valley. Katie came through it with flying colors. She helped distribute April Showers (Girl Scouts) bags too. She has such a can-do attitude

But those who wait on Yahweh, will renew their strength.....Isaiah 40 vs 31

Which way to go?

More bad labs for Katie. Her liver lab work is not looking good. The Doctors believe that maybe the chemotherapy drug Cytoxin is causing liver damage. They have decided to stop it for a week and see if that improves the liver labs. Trouble is, that is the drug they are using to keep the vasculitis in check. This is truly a balancing act with no clear guidelines. If we stop the cytoxin, does the vasculitis return? If we don't stop the cytoxin, does it cause irreparable liver damage? since this is so rare, it is not like there are other cases the Doctors can refer back to and say...well when we did this, we got this result.

We need to pray for God to guide the Doctor's decision making and to give peace to Kelly and Katie. also some miraculous liver regeneration would be great!

Trust in the Lord always

Lab work again

Katie has to have lab work about every 4-6 wks. 6 weeks if it is good and 4 weeks if it is bad! Last time it was bad, so Katie just got lab work again. The results were not good. Last time we hoped that the bad results were because Katie had the stomach flu and wasn't able to keep her medicines down. The results this time show that wasn't the case and the trend is not what was hoped for. The MD's decreased some of her medications thinking that maybe that will help but they are not sure. The next lab work is 4 weeks and if the trend is still in the wrong directions, she will have to revisit some of her doctors to come up with another plan for treatment. Katie continues to do awsome in her physical therapy and has caught up at school. this new lab trend is the only dark cloud on the horizon so far, it affects Katie's liver and needs to stop! Get on your prayer hats and let's continue to lift her up to our gracious Lord!

Prayers!

Katie's latest test showed some lesions on her liver. Her rhuematologist thinks that it maybe due to the fact that last week Katie had the flu and wasn't able to keep her medication down. She will have new test in about a week and see if they are gone. We need your prayers!

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deut 31:6

Rats!

Rats! Katie missed her appointment with the head honcho MD of rehab. A snafu with the dates was to blame so she is rescheduled in Feb.

The game with the St Louis University Bilikens was awsome. Kelly says they were treated like royalty! Ask her about it when you see her!

Katie helped out at the Sausage supper and next month she is helping her Mom with the Girl Scout meetings. Little by little, step by step, Katie is recovering.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Katie turns 11!

Sorry for the big gap in posting. The holidays just got crazy!

Lots of great stuff is happening with the Rideout girls. Katie turned 11! Now that is something to celebrate normally but this year it is something to fall on your knees and thank God for. This past October, it was in real doubt that Katie would reach her 11th birthday. She is such a miracle! She had a wonderful party, held at the Youth room so all her family and friends could celebrate with her. A great time was had by all.

This past weekend Katie was named the Captain of the Bilikens basket ball team at St Louis University. She got to sit with the team and do all kinds of neat stuff. It was broadcast on 101.1 radio. How cool is that?

She has an appointment coming up this Thursday 1/22 to see the head honcho of rehab at Cardinal Glennon. Her therapist thinks Katie will blow him out of the water with how great she is doing! Way to go!

Katie is back at school most days and has caught up with the other students. She brightens up every ones day. Kelly says she see some of the happy go lucky Katie she once was peeking through.

We are so thankful to God for Katie and just lift her and her Mom/sisters up in prayer.

Trust in the Lord always

This week in the life of the Rideouts

This week brought good news and better news. Katie was feeling poorly last week and had to go to the ER. She had an infection called thrush that is a result of one of her medications. They have some nasty swish and swallow medicine to take care of it and she is doing better.

The thrivent funds were released to the Rideouts Yeah! It surely will help, escpecially at this time of year. Thanks again to all who participated!

Katie had a neurology appointment and the neurologist was soooo pleased. He told Katie she made his day. He was so happy with how she is doing.

The Rhuematodologist (whew is that a big word?) has been pleased as well and has cut down one of Katie's medications as well. Her steriods have been playing havoc with her moods and appetitie so any decrease in them is welcome, plus it is a sign that things are going in the way they should!

Katie has been working really hard and is almost caught up with all her school work. Isn't that fantastic. Her At-Home Teacher has remarked that she is doing great on her work and hardly needs him at all. We should see her back in the classroom in January!!!

Katie has been working hard at therapy and a activity that she always enjoyed was roller-skating. So they have been working on that. Katie got the skating down really well but when her therapist asked her to fall and make a plan on how she was going to get up, that really stumped Katie. You never think of having to plan something like that out do you? That is Katie's reality now. It is amazing the amount of effort and determination it is taking on Katie's part. What an amazing little girl (although she would object to me calling her that!)

Kelly's FMLA is running out at the end of January and she has to go back to work or lose her job. She and Katie's teacher feels she will be able to attend at least 1/2 days at school by then but she tires out so easily. Kelly is going to need help in getting Katie somewhere she can rest after that 1/2 of school. If anyone has suggestions or can offer to let Katie rest at your house after that 1/2, that would be wonderful.

Keep praying and lifting them up to God!

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Thanksgiving scare

Kelly assures me that the Rideouts had a good thanksgiving but right afterward Kelly and Katie had a scare! Katie has got a cold. No just any cold. With the medications that Katie is taking a cold could be very serious so it was back to the Emergency department at Cardinal Glennon for Katie and Kelly. Katie was released to go home so that was a blessing and a great big whew for Kelly.
On another note, I found out that the funds from the bake sale have still not made it to the Rideouts! If anyone can tell me how to get Thrivent to release these funds please let me know. If I had known they would keep them so long I might not have gone for the matching. The Rideout need those funds yesterday. Anyone with insight? Who should I call?

The posts to this blog are infrequent now that Katie seems more stable. I will make posts as Kelly gives me information to pass on or if anyone else has items concerning Katie that needs to be shared. Thanks so much for all the support for the Rideouts. God has truely blessed them with wonderful friends!

Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

PIN DROP!

Katie was at therapy this last week and was playing a board game. The therapist told Katie it was time to go and without prompting, Katie started picking up the pieces (small) with her left hand. The whole room stopped what they were doing and watched. You could have heard a pin drop! The therapist said "Katie do you realize what you are doing?" Katie looked up and noticed everyone watching her and said "what?" The therapist was so overjoyed she laughed "you are using your left hand to pick up the pieces!" The whole room cheered.

You might have also seen Katie this Sunday singing with the Sunday school choir! It is so nice to have her back.

The Rideouts are running low on gas and none of the proceeds of the Bake sale have been released (they are with Thrivent right now) and with all the trips back and forth to therapy and the Doctors office, Kelly is out of gas. If anyone has a gas card they could donate it would be a great blessing.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”- Colossians 2:6-7

Therapy went better this week. Katie is really working hard. She gets to see her friends from school when they go to pick Mary up. All her friends really miss her! Another round of Doctors appointments and blood work. The long hard road back is just starting and we need to keep Katie and all the Rideout family in our prayers, they are not out of the woods yet! Let's continue to lift them up to God.

Philippians 4:13 (Read all of Philippians 4)
I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.

BAKE SALE A HUGE SUCCESS!!!!

I am sorry it has been several days since the last post. Katie continues to go to therapy on Tues and Thursdays. She has frequent doctors appointments as well but she is doing well. The family is rejoicing at being all together at home.

The Bake sale was held Sat at the 5pm service and then between each of the services on Sunday. Thanks to all who came and helped man the tables, thanks to all the fantastic bakers, and thanks to all of you who bought the goodies. We made a phenomenal amount! Thrivent had already committed to matching up to $1000 thanks to Mary Wolfram and Kari Lovera who got the approval squeaked through at the last minute. The matching funds should not interfere with the trivia night because it is in 2009, next year!

So many people came by and expressed their love and concern for the Rideouts, the generosity and compassion were just mind boggling. I know our church always supports each other with prayer but to see the very real outpouring of physical support made me see what the Bible means when it says " Matthew 25:35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

To the saints at Salem....Thank you all

BAKE SALE

Remember the bake sale is Sat after the 5pm service and sun between services and after the 11 pm service till 1230. Please bring your baked goods to the church kitchen by Sat at 4pm. Thanks so much for your support!

Galloping

Therapy was really hard for Katie on Wed. They asked her to do alot of things she just couldn't do. Galloping was one of them. Katie decided that if she never galloped again, that was fine with her. Now you wouldn't think that galloping like a horse was a big deal but I guess it moves some muscles you don't normally use in just a walk. The therapist asked Katie to think of what she wanted to be able to do in the future. It is hard for a 10 year old to invision not being able to do what ever she wants so it was very hard for Katie to do that. She decided she really wants to be able to swim and run. She is going to discuss this with her physical therapist on thursday. She has to get some blood drawn and more therapy then so it will be a long hard day for her.

The family is so happy to all be together again and is really thankful for all your prayers and help. Keep praying

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another John 13:35

Veterans Day

Katie got to go to the Veteran's Day Celebration at school. Anyone who saw her walking would never know that there was any difficulty. She is doing so great! Wed starts her outpatient physical therapy. The home schooling is still being arranged. Some tears were shed with Mary's return from the Baggetts (an amazing family) and everyone was back under one roof. The only member missing is the Rideout's dog who has been staying with the Holloways (another amazing family).

Salem has shown such love and support, lets keep it going with this weekends bake sale.
If you can help man the table, please email me at msgaffney4@sbcglobal.net and let me know what time and sat or sun.

Thanks

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another John 13:34

HOME HOME HOME

Katie got to come home!!!!!! We got to see that great smile at school when Katie came to see all of her friends after being discharged from the hospital. She has lots of work still coming at her but at least she will be sleeping in her own bed. Kelly is looking forward to a good nights sleep too.

The MRI results are the same, which is good news. There has been no progression of the disease. Katie will continue on chemotherapy and steroids for the time being.

All of this is good news!

Additionally, I understand that the Men's Club from church is holding a trivia night in January and the proceeds will go to the Rideouts. If I have that info wrong please let me know but that is what I was told. Way to go Men's Club!!! We will hold off on asking for Thrivent matching funds until the trivia night since you can only request this once.

Also, the Regions bank family fund news: When you tell them you want to donate to the Rideout family fund, you must specify Katie and Kelly or else they can't find the account. So make sure you ask for the Katie/Kelly Rideout fund when you make a donation.

This is a real time to be joyous and praise God!

Praise God from whom all blessing flow

A flyer will go out with all school kids this week for the bake sale. It will be in the Spirit and Principals pad and Mary Wolfram is checking into getting matching funds from Thrivent. If you are a thrivent member, contact Mary so she can add your name to the list of participating families. The more thrivent members participate, the greater chance we have for matching funds!

T-1 Katie coomes home tommorrow!

I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me. - Philip. 4:13

MRI done!

Today was long, Katie forced the docs to put her to sleep for her mri. that meant no food a new iv and a disappointed mom but she had the test .It was a little later than planned due to the breakfast she ate. We dont have results yet. Katie had a special thearpy tonite, she played with three dogs all of which had some pretty cool tricks. One of them could spell cat. I know it was amazing. We spent the next hour decorating cookies courtsy of Cindy Putmans baking skills. Great fun with colorful cheeks and noses. Two more days I think,
thank you, love kelly

for the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

zoo trip

Katie got to go to the zoo today. She got to see the baby tigers and got some great pictures of the penguins. All in all, a great day. She was sooooo tired when she got back. It is a work out for everyone normally but for one who is working so hard on getting strength back, I bet it was a major challenge.

Wednesday is MRI day. Please pray for God's peace for Katie as she hates this test. Also pray for good news from the results. We sure want this behind Katie and her mom.

I have had a volunteer to man the bakesale table on Sat Nov 15 at the 5pm service so I guess we need the bake goods delivered to the kitchen friday or sat and clearly marked BAKE SALE
Any service organization is welcome and encouraged to participate. Let's make this a offering of love from all of Salem Church and School! I'll provide baggies or cling wrap if items need to be separated. If you need your pan back please mark it return to:

Be strong and of good courage, don't be afraid, nor scared of them; for Yahweh your God, He it is who does go with you, He will not fail you, nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 30:15