Scare : About Katie Doll
« Katie's in trouble | Main | Struggling for air »

Scare

by The Peanutguy on 02/13/12

Got a facemask and went to see Katie today. She was admitted to the PICU as her oxygen was dropping and she couldn't be supported by just the air pump. What happened was a scary instance of her saliva clotting and literally choking her. They couldn't get all the clot out at home. The tests ran at the hospital showed no signs of pnuemonia returning or any other dangers.

   Once they got the clot Katie's stats returned to nornal. This is and will remain a danger as long as Katie keeps creating constant large amounts of saliva. The reason she does is because of the trachea tube inserted through the hole in her throat which she has had for 4 years next month. It is the single most inconvenient and time consuming problem Katie has and as we see, very dangerous. Also, I know it must be extremely annoying for Katie to constantly have to try to cough it up or be unpleasantly suctioned 24/7.

   Dr Vernon suggested some hope. He said Lynn should consider botox injections to Katie's saliva glands. This would create a dry mouth feeling but should not only stop the saliva problem but hasten the day when Katie may come off the trachea tube. This would be a dream come true.

The danger of getting pnuemonia and other infections are much higher with the  trachea tube and anyone around Katie can easily infect her with anything they have. It's likely this is how she got sick to start with and was sent backwards so far in her recovery. Katie still needs the air pump 24/7, something she didn't need before the pnuemonia. She also incuured a rupture of her right eye cornea. This may be because of the lack moisture in her eyes. They suggest sewing her right eyelid shut to maybe keep from losing it completely. This is really a tough decision for Lynn. While I was there, 3 different kinds of eyedrops are put in Katie's eyes every hour.

The other problem now is finding someone who has the skill to do this special kind of Botox injection.  Katie should be going home in the next day or two. I gave her a Valentines card that was pink and sparkly and when you opened it Taylor Swift (one of Katie's favorites) sang how beautiful she is.  When I took the photo today I asked her to look in the camera and she did so right away. Dr Vernon, who is just great, said it's going to take a long time for Katie to recover from all she's been through lately. The good news is he thinks she will.

Comments (4)

1. marjorie said on 2/14/12 - 02:33AM
I was the one who suggested Botox for Katie, but I was thinking of how it might relax her stiff arm and foot muscles. I've never heard of it for saliva glands, but I pray that it helps if Lynn decides to try it. And praise be to God for the Doctor Vernon. I really believe God guides their decisions. Katie, I like Taylor Swift too!
2. kendra said on 2/15/12 - 09:20PM
This latest picture of katie is stunningly beautiful. I cant stop my tears, this is so heartbreaking ,what she is going through-the one thing to hold on to is the doctor beleives she will recover from these setbacks-im so glad. id like to ask my friends to pray pray pray for her, do good in this world let god hear our prayers. Im inspired lately to be a better person because of Katie, I think if I do good and follow the word of god alittle better than i do, than perhaps my prayers for her will be stronger. Katie we love you please hang in there and keep fighting. hugs for you and lynn
3. Kia & Michael said on 2/16/12 - 11:49AM
Sweet angel in heaven-run and play with no worries or pain. No suffering forever more. Love and prayers to your family and friends for they suffer now, missing you so badly. God has picked a beautiful child to help him with pony rides in heaven. You've taught us all so much!
4. Sarah McIntyre said on 2/17/12 - 05:13AM
It truly saddened me to hear that Katie lost her grand fight for life today. But it did not sadden me to remember that she now is whole, and not just walking in heaven, but flying! This tiny life has touched so many people in the Blue Ridge/Greer area, including me. I have prayed for her over the years of her attempt to recover, and for the strength for her family to persevere. Now I pray that they find peace and comfort in her going on to grace God's presence, and can rebuild their lives around her precious memory here on earth. She may be gone from us but she is definitely NOT GONE!


Leave a comment


« Katie's in trouble | Main | Struggling for air »
Click on Comments to leave one. It will be posted in about an hour or so.

Do things happen for a reason, or is it all just random chance? Seems like some people have good luck and some bad. Katie didn't have bad luck. 

  I only knew Katie for less than 2 years before the accident. but two things happened in that time. We sort of bonded and became friends right off of course, and she certainly brightened my life, like she did everyone she met.

  Then something else happened to me that never had before. Something began to motivate me to get out my old cameras and start recording Katie Doll. I don't know where this came from, but it was powerful. I couldn't resist it.  There was some fun in it, but it was more than that. It was almost like a duty. Like a job I had to do.

  Katie was no ordinary kid. We all know that, but that wasn't what I was thinking. I just had this need to document things. I'm not a camera nut or a writer.  But think about this...Everytime I knew I would be seeing Katie Doll, I would think "Where's my camera? Do I have enough video tape? Or is the battery charged?"  I remember on the way to her house before her accident I stopped at a Walgreens looking for that old hi-8 cassette tape and thinking..."Why am I doing this?"

  After her accident, I kept it up. It wasn't easy either. Some gave me a lot of grief. No one understood who I was or why this connection. I wasn't family or even a long time friend. It was a stressfull time and here's this stranger with a camera. No one even said 'Hi", but I knew Katie was glad I came. I understand that, and I heard a lot of hurtful things. When I did the Quadrisizer fundraiser I would hear that someone said..."Katie will never get that thing,just wait til the money gets up there"  Why would anyone in their right mind want to keep on?  From the outside it didn't make sense. But I can't even explain how powerful that responsibility was felt.  That and knowing Katie would want me to, I couldn't just stop.

No one was doing a website for her.  I was at the ER when the doctors suggested to her sister she would be the ideal one to make entries in their already set up and beautiful website... http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katiedoll 
She made one entry,posted a photo of herself with Katie, and quit. I asked others if they could do it. No one was telling Katie's story. Katie couldn't do it. 

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this website. I would drive to Tigerville with my camera knowing my job wasn't finished yet. I would drive back very distraught the whole way. But with some pictures for her website, and knowing I gave Katie some small entertainment. 

  Why the website became so popular I have no idea. It wasn't because of me. I'm not a website promoter. Actually, I don't think it's that great a website except it has a lot of Katie's beautiful face on it. But it got really big really fast. This is important to know.

  For 3 years if you just typed the name 'Katie' this site was number one on all search engines. In spite of the fact there are famous people and movie stars with the first name Katie.  If you type Katie Doll it's still number the one organic now in spite of the fact there actually is a doll named Katie. The Katie Doll has been around for years. The first two years this website was getting up to a thousand unique hits a day. New people from around the world that had never been to it before.

  Then the emails began to come. Stories of how Katie was changing lives. How people were going back to their faith. How parents were going to appreciate what they have. Katie caused minimum a million hugs.  That's my educated guess. One million people affected by this little girl in Tigerville South Carolina.  Where from? India,Canada,Brazil,Puerto Rico,All Countries in Europe,Australia,Guam,Japan,Indonisia,Russia and dozens more. How many teachers or preachers have touched that many souls in that many places? Billy Graham maybe but I think Katie's lessons were stronger, more powerful.

I am copying these emails for Lynn and Tony and it's taking time there are so many.  You have to consider that for everyone who sent an email to Katie's site how many were affected by her but didn't send one.

  The reason I'm telling this is...it wasn't me. If I knew how to make a website so popular I never would have met Katie. I would be living in a penthouse suite somewhere on the coast 8 years ago when I started my website boilednut.com selling peanuts. If only that website had one tenth the popularity of Katie's. But there was an invisible hand in it. I believe the same hand that had brought us together and made me get into photography. And what perfect timing it was. 

  In the song FOREVER YOUNG theres a line....'May your wishes all come true'. Katie wished to be a teacher and Katie wished everyone would love her.  Katie wasn't unlucky. Katie's wishes came true 100 fold. There's a life and there's an afterlife. Both are real. It seems the afterlife is so far away and distant. It's as far away as the thickness of a sheet of paper. Katie wasn't unlucky, I would trade places with her in a second. Imagine a God who created the universe using you. What's four short years of grief compared to that?  

I wrote Katie was a gift from God the first thing when I started this site. I was wrong. She was more like a loan. Why? I think we needed to be shown what love is right in the middle of a place where it was sorely needed. Now that we've been taught, Katie is waiting to grade our papers. I hope you get an 'A'  -Tom (peanutguy)  

Copyright 2014 Produced and maintained by PEANUTGUY