Update; even when you are twenty-one and in a children’s hospital they require you to have two different notes and passes from your nurse to enter the child playroom and the “teen room”. While I am well aware that I am too old to fall under the age range for either of those rooms, if you had to sit here in a small room with nothing to do you would resort to child’s play as well.
Anyway, for anyone trying to impress me the most and be my best friend Madi Haas beat you to it. My little cat lady drove all the way from Indy and spent the night with me in an uncomfortable chair to receive the coveted award of my first visitor here in my cancer home. I feel bad since she probably hates her life and has to deal with all my bitching and moaning…especially because I had surgery yesterday and this port feels like I got stabbed in the chest. Trust me, you don’t want cancer…this is the most bored I’ve been in a long while and I bet it will only get worse. While everyone is in Bloomington getting wasted and celebrated Little 5 I get to be a bald and chubby (from the steroids) sitting miserable unable to leave the fifth floor of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Oncology wing.
I guess I should send updates on what is happening with my leukemia today…the answer is that I have absolutely no idea. I know I get to shower in an hour (WOOOH big steps) and i will find out what stage I’m in and the exact type of ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) I have from my bone marrow results. However, I have no idea when I will start the bitch that is chemo. If you’ve actually read this far then props to you and personally I judge you for taking the precious time you have today to be living cancer free to sit and read some sad sap story about my bitchy cancer attitude.
Lastly, since I’m probably the smartest person in the world I’ll try and give you some advice…stop sitting at your computer reading a college age girl’s cancer blog and go out and do all the things I’m not going to be able to do for the next year or longer. You get to be cancer free so might as well take advantage of that.
Said in the nicest way possible,
Katie
P.S. fuck cancer.
Cancer is Stupid 
You’ve got a fighting spirit, Katie! Kick cancer’s butt!!
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Love you little cutie pie! You’re gonna kick cancers butt💜
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Kiddo, some of old people enjoy reading your rants. Don’t forget you have that hard headed Ashby gene. I have a lot of confidence you’re about to kick some cancer ass!
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Grandpa here….
Just a few thoughts:
Kinda’ wondering if you can pour vodka in that tube?
Do they offer fried goetta in that ward? (love it – Microsoft can’t even recognize the word ‘goetta’ and wants to change it to ghetto – idiots)
Do you want some Legos so you fit in?
Are you already addicted to Sesame Street and Saturday morning cartoons?
Should we start a campaign to collect coloring books (unused) for you? Crayons? Bet you can’t stay within the lines…
Are fuzzy slippers part of that ward’s dress code?
Curious about the food. Tater tots, chicken tenders, or is there a wider selection?
Grandma says ‘hi”. She went to Toys Are Us to get you a gift.
Repeat after me: Fuck Cancer!
Love,
Gpa
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Hi, Katie. You don’t know me, but I have known your Mom and Tom and Dixie for over 30 years. Cancer is a cruel and capricious thing, but it can be beaten. I pray that you and the fine doctors there will be able to conquer it. Our thoughts and good wishes are with you.
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Katie, I’m Angie Beckes mother! So sorry to hear the C word! Hope u keep up the blog the best u can….Just know we hate this for you! And know you are very much in our thoughts and prayers….If your angry with God, that’s ok, He understands….But ask Him to be with you during this time….You will get through this…love u lots Marilyn Stocker
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Give it the good fight Katie! Our prayers are with you.
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Katie, I’m Penny Herr and I taught your younger brother in 8th grade. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May/June 2013. Double mastectomy in July, port inserted shortly after. I LOVE MY PORT! Sick sessions on chemo three weeks apart beginning in August and ending in December with 6 more months of Herceptin infusions. Reconstruction is February, 2014. I lost my steroid weight fairly quickly after my last chemo. Hair re-growth too a while, especially eyebrows and eyelashes. Most people I know who got wigs don’t wear them so if you get one, go cheap and fun first! I never bothered with a wig; I wore warm hats and caps. You’re so pretty you’ll rock scarves and hats! You can learn all kinds of make up tricks….but you’re great naturally. I kept busy working for awhile and then got really sick. The meds help. I got hooked and Castle re-runs which helped more. I remember talking to post cancer patients and it didn’t take long to put it all behind them. I couldn’t wait for that to be me. Well, here I am! And I promise you’ll be here soon enough, even though our cancers are not the same. I’ll be praying for you, just as so many people prayed for me…it works! Best advice I received….pray for others who have your same cancer but don’t have the same care and support you’re receiving. That helped me feel like I was doing something positive while people were helping me. Sarah Oltman is a friend and former student and that’s how I noticed your situation.
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Katie
I am just so sorry to hear about this. I love your fighting attitude though. Please keep fighting and know there are so many people that will be following your journey and praying so hard for you to beat this thing. Love, Mrs. Frank
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Hang in there Katie! Fuck Cancer!
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Hey Katie-
Wow, definitely sorry about the cancer. That is ROUGH and rough is an understatement. However, I want to say that this blog is rad and your writing is really good/really funny. How are we so far from high school that I had forgotten how funny you are? I’ll give you what you want and spend some time not on a cancer blog now, but I’ll be sending you some good vibes. (And I go to Paris for the first time tomorrow so they will be REALLY GOOD GOOD VIBES).
Peace out, fuck cancer,
Maya
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Hi Katie, we have just received an email from Tom and Dixie telling us about the situation you are in. Catherine and I wish to send you all our love and best wishes for a speedy recovery. I think it may be a long recovery, after reading your letter, but as you are part of the Ashly clan I feel sure you have the determination to fight this and see it through to a full recovery. Our thoughts are with you and we hope that the tests are in your favor. God bless you and please stay strong.
Lots of love,
Bill & Catherine Charity. (South Africa).
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Hi Katie, My godchild is also named Katie and I think there is something very resourceful within the women who possess this name. I can already see you are fighting this cancer which will be a battle that I know you and your family are going to stick together to conquer. There again is incredible resource. You will have your friends and amazing professionals everyday with you. And Katie, you will make new friends, who will add momentum to your fight. I hope to be a new friend, to meet you and offer support. So your blog will help all know what you want us to know. I plan to read it, and your mom’s. I am also a new friend of your parents, as we met at a Christmas party just this year. I am also a Catholic, and another who wants to say F#ck Cancer. I hope to be a real resource in that I am a devout prayer warrior. I cannot say how sorry I am that you carry this great burden. One more thing or positive to share – I have a friend Moira who went to your highschool, then graduated from the University of Notre Dame, found the handsome love of her life and they married. And then, then beautiful Moira got stage 4, thinking she was most likely pregnant. The news caught her in complete surprise. Like you, chemo was her treatment. We decked her out in hats thoughout. Her husband stood by her side, a real man. Moira beat her cancer. She is out of the hospital, with her husband & with her parents and living again. Cancer is stupid, and you are brilliant! I am praying for you and I hope the playroom at Children’s gives you rest while you meet some of the littler ones. BLESS YOU! Yours, JoAnn M. Roth
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Hi Katie, My Godchild is also named Katie and I think there is something very resourceful within the women who possess this name. I can already see you are fighting this cancer which will be a battle that I know you and your family are going to stick together. There again is incredible resource. You will have your friends and amazing professionals everyday with you. And Katie, you will make new friends, who will add momentum to your fight. I hope to be a new friend, to meet you and offer support. So your blog will help all know what you want us to know. I plan to read it, and your mom’s. I am also a new friend of your parents, as we met at a Christmas party just this year. I am also a Catholic, and another who wants to say F#ck Cancer. I hope to be a real resource in that I am a devout prayer warrior. I cannot say how sorry I am that you carry this great burden. One more thing or positive to share – I have a friend Moira who went to your highschool, then graduated from the University of Notre Dame, found the handsome love of her life and they married. And then, then beautiful Moira got stage 4, thinking she was most likely pregnant. The news caught her in complete surprise. Like you, chemo was her treatment. We decked her out in hats thoughout. Her husband stood by her side, a real man. Moira beat her cancer. She is out of the hospital, with her husband & with her parents and living again. Cancer is stupid, and you are brilliant! I am praying for you and I hope the playroom at Children’s gives you rest while you meet some of the littler ones. BLESS YOU! Yours, JoAnn M. Roth
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Hi Katie,
I was one of your mom’s college roommates, and I teach writing courses. You are a gifted writer! Aside from that, I’m with your grandpa. He is obviously a very wise man. Rock fuzzy slippers, use your gift to write, and create something fabulous with Legos (think life-size dinosaur that will takes months to disassemble once you are out of there). Katie, you are obviously strong like your mom, and you WILL beat this. And yes, fuck cancer. There is no more eloquent way to say it!
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Hi Katie,
I was one of your mom’s college roommates, and I teach writing courses. You are a gifted writer! Aside from that, I’m with your grandpa. He is obviously a very wise man. Rock fuzzy slippers, use your gift to write, and create something fabulous with Legos (think life-size dinosaur that will takes months to disassemble once you are out of there). Katie, you are obviously strong like your mom, and you WILL beat this. And yes, fuck cancer. There is no more eloquent way to say it! Oh, and Vodka in the tube? Your grandpa really is a brilliant man!
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F#%k! cancer, I am ready to kick it’s butt! Can you imagine Gmail in the boxing Ring. You mom has always said I amspooky scared when I get mad.. I am ready to fight this Cancer with you. My arms are around you every minute of the day! Stay Strong FUCK CANCER!
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It is Gma not Gmail and spooky scarey, not spooky scared.. Oh how I hate auto correct.
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I’m Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen (aka #1) lullllz
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Hello Katie! I am an old friend of your moms from high school. Although we have never met, I can tell from your blog you have your moms spunky personality. Your fight & determination will help you get through this. You are a brave young women. Thoughts & prayers! Ps..I agree, Fuck Cancer!!!!
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Hi Katie! You don’t know me but I’m on Riley D. When I was a senior in high school I was diagnosed with brain cancer and although it sucks ass I was blessed to be treated at CCHMC too!! You are literally at the BEST hospital ever (although I love Riley). I was in your position, I went through a 10 hr surgery, radiation and 12 months of chemo there. It’s hell on earth but you could not be in better hands. They were #1 for a reason. I believe they’re #3 now 🙂 my doctors are my best friends even now even 3 years later. Good luck, you’re in my prays, fuck cancer.
If you ever meet Dr Maryum Fouladi shes an angel sent from God ❤️
#fuckcancer
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Dear sweet Katie, I’m SOO sorry you are having to go through all of this. What a horrible time for you and your family. Please know I’m sending love and prayers for you all!! And even though this is not in my vocabulary, it IS in my heart, for someone as beautiful (inside & out) as you to be experiencing, especially at this young age….FUCK Cancer!
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