Saturday, March 21, 2015

News Story

Click on the link to view Channel 27 Newsfirst on Saturday evening, March 21 located in Lexington, Kentucky.

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Fleming-county-woman-raising-money-for-lung-transplant-297126871.html



There was also a news story in the Maysville Ledger Independent done on Friday regarding Dalton and I. Thank you for your well wishes and prayers! This is OUR YEAR to shine!

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Fleming-county-woman-raising-money-for-lung-transplant-297126871.html

-Katie

Thankful

I am so thankful for the opportunity to share mine and Daltons story. Although I wish we weren't even in this predicament, I can keep fighting because I know there are people standing behind us and cheering us on. Thank you all for all of your love and support. It's everything I need right now. -Katie

Dalton and Katie- August 2014 

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Tuesday....

Today has not been a good day at all. I have been in a lot of pain today from this kidney stone business. Nothing helps. The only thing I am focusing on is getting rid of this and trying to get this transplant goal accomplished. Unfortunately, not much has happened and doctors just keep telling me how wrong it is to be treated the way I am being treated. At least someone is on my side!! (Along with all of you)!

I'll throw a couple of updates at you: 
1. My feeding tube is making a lot of noises. It sounds like its 'tooting'. I actually get amusement from it, along with everyone I show the video to! Maybe I will post it later!! It shouldn't be making this much noise so surgery is supposed to be coming up to see if the size needs to be changed. Oh and it's leaking so there is no use of using it if it just leaks and doesn't help me gain weight!
2. I've been having major port-a-cath problems. With having my port I should be able to receive IV antibiotics, the nurses should be able to draw blood back for labs, and it should be fairly immobile when it comes to laying under my skin. The problem with my port is: no blood return, ever, very mobile that I don't even feel comfortable accessing it myself usually (and I've been accessing myself for 5 years now). I might add that the woman who I only let touch it agrees that I need a new one. But, since the port is still infusing antibiotics, they wont change it. Oh well, it could be a LOT worse and all I want to focus on getting this transplant. 
3. There have been a lot of people sharing mine and Daltons story and I appreciate it so so much! I can't even explain the love and support I feel. Dalton and I just want to be together and until my transplant comes, we aren't allowed to be. I hope to continue to get the word out and maybe eventually Dr. Phil, The Today Show, or Ellen Degeneres will call me and tell me how ridiculous the insurance companies are! Ha, kidding aside, I just want fair treatment like everyone else. Thanks to you all sharing though, I have complete faith that my time will come. Besides, I have some of the most awesome guardian angels watching over me that I know things will work out!

Forget me for a second, I have to focus on how AWESOME my husband is doing!!! Today marks Daltons 4 MONTH LUNG TRANSPLANTIVERSARY!!!! We are so thankful to his donor and not a day goes by that we don't give him thanks. I know this time of the month is very hard for a family because it marks the day that a person lost their precious life. Where ever his family is, please know that Dalton is taking precious care of the lungs he received from your loved one! Dalton now has all of his chest tubes out and he might get to leave Pittsburgh soon! He never uses oxygen, his smile lights up a room and he simply looks amazing. He looks better now than when I met him (I didn't know that was even possible)!! 

So, in every negative situation, just know that there is a positive aspect you can be looking at. With this negative insurance issue with me, I just look at how well Dalton is doing and how great he looks and it brings tears to my eyes. I thank God every single day for his donor.

Finally, before I started feeling extremely bad, t-shirts were in the works and I was going to get them made through a local person and mail them myself. At this time, we are really tied down without even thinking about the shirt situation so unless I find a decently priced online donor where you can order them online, it will be put on hold. I have a couple of sites I am looking at and if anyone else have any ideas, feel free to speak up! We have our design, we just need an online printer so we don't have to deal with picking them up, shipping them ourselves, etc. Too much stress! So, if you have a site you recommend, let me know!

I just wanted to give you all a little update. Thanks for helping me spread the word. I hate bringing this attention to myself honestly, but I really am not done living. I haven't even started yet it feels like on some days. Dalton and I have so many things we want to do and I can't wait until we both take a deep breath in, hand in hand, and set out to tackle the world!!! I love you guys!

-Katie

www.facebook.com/dktransplant
www.youcaring.com/dkprager
http://dkprager.blogspot.com

#TeamPrager
#PrayersforthePragers
#LungsforLove

Dalton & Katie FaceTime 3/16/2015

Monday, March 16, 2015

What a Monday!!!

Wow! That's all I can say! I am in tears over how many people who have shared my blog post from this morning and mine and Daltons facebook page today. I have heard from people who I haven't heard from in years. I just honestly have no words but thank you so so much for spreading the word! -Katie

New News

It's 9:33 am, Monday, March 16th. I have been here for 16 days and there is no end in sight. At first, the doctors were optimistic about me getting a transplant and me getting transferred to Pittsburgh so easily. Now, my doctors are saying that I need to contact my state representative and go to media about nobody wanting to pay for my transplant. I've become the dreaded dollar sign and to anyone that matters to me, I don't matter to them.
There has been a lot done to try to get me my transplant. I'm not going to give up on the idea because it's too easy to dream about healthy lungs. I often wonder how Dalton feels. I wonder what on Earth it feels like to take a deep, easy breath. The truth is that I may never know.
When a doctor comes in and tells you to take your 'story' to the media, it's never a good sign. I guess this is where you come in? Share my story. Share my blog. Share my facebook page. With the help of my mom and cousin have written up something to hopefully get my 'story' out there. I call it a 'story' because to everyone it IS just another news story. To me, it's my life.
Stay tuned to learn how you can help get my story out into the public. Information will become available today and maybe I can finally get the second chance at life that I feel like I deserve. I hope I deserve. -Katie


This link is up and working. Please don't feel like you have to donate. I just want really want prayers and attention to the insurance to make them pay.

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-katie-breathe-/71290

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Bad Friend

I'm not sure but I don't think I'm that good of a friend. I get upset because I feel like I don't have any friends but maybe it's me. In fact, it is me. I'm not a very good friend at all. I guess I'm a homebody and am not good at making friends which leads me to look really stupid in social situations. I don't know, this is 4 am rambling.
Things like this go through my mind all of the time.


Thursday, March 5, 2015

#Color4Kids Project

My name is Katie, I'm 24 and I have Cystic Fibrosis. My husband who also suffers from CF received his life-saving double lung transplant in November (go to our facebook page to read more about us). I am starting a new project in hopes of bringing some smiles to children that have been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis or other diseases all around the US one page at a time! My project is called #Color4Kids. 

How it works: You (the parent or guardian) private message me your address and your child's name and age on facebook or through email. In turn, I will color them a picture and send it to them in the mail with a tiny message of hope and love. Something as simple as coloring a picture and a few words of encouragement can make someone's day just a little bit better. When your child receives their picture, please post it on facebook, Instagram, or any other social media with the hashtag #Color4Kids. It would be awesome if you took a picture of your child holding their picture but understand if you would like to keep your childs face off of the Internet. 

If you have a child who is battling any kind of illmess, please message me! I don't share personal information with anyone and if there are healthy siblings in the house be sure to include their names and ages as well! 


Katie Prager
www.facebook.com/dktransplant (Our Journey)
Instagram: @kprager90
Email: kprager90@gmail.com




25

I desperately don't want to be 25 this year. -Katie