Komen Race for the Cure!

I don't know why I didn't shoot any photos, but Saturday morning Ed, Hope & I ~ along with 32,000+ Houstonians ~ parcitipated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. 3.1 miles for a great cause, followed by breakfast at La Mexicana!

One Down ... Three To Go

Hope received her first round of chemo today ~ after an orientation/education session, they began the drip about 2:30. Two drugs were administered via a metered IV, each lasting about one hour. They gave her Benadryl (or something similar) before this process began, so she was a bit sleepy.

She will have a total of 4 rounds, approximately 21 days apart ~ because of a scheduled trip, her next round will be July 21st. Luckily, she did not have an allergic reaction to the drugs and did not feel ill today. They learned in the educational video that the worst of the effects will begin 7 to 14 days after the initial round.

Keep Hope in your thoughts and prayers ...

Bring On The Rain

Two weeks ago, Hope received the results of the final genetic testing on the tumor and she will begin chemo therapy on Monday, June 22nd. The news was disappointing, but she is strong and has a positive attitude. After exchanging a few emails with her, I couldn't stop thinking about the Jo Dee Messina song "Bring on the Rain"

Another day has almost come & gone

Can't imagine what else could go wrong

Sometimes I'd like to hide away somewhere & lock the door

A single battle lost, but not the war

Cause tomorrow's another day,

and I'm thirsty anyway

So bring on the rain ...

One thing's for sure, she has a great support group and she's ready to take on the challenge. Ed will go with Hope tomorrow & I'll update the Blog during the day so everyone will know how things are going. ~ Nan

She's on the Move!

Hope has been in recovery mode and I've just gotten a report that she went to church on Sunday and to Daniel's baseball game for a little while last night. Tired, but making great progress!

Not sure if she's resting enough ... I hear that she's already working (from home) during the day.

Good news on one of the genetic tests. The type of cancer identified is "negative" in terms of being a potential issue for Martha and Daniel. Still waiting on another genetic test that will determine if there is a need for chemo.

So far, so good!

"You Gotta Have A Game Plan"

As you all probably know, we bolted a little after 11 yesterday, came home and she got up the stairs! A key accomplishment since that puts her in her bed and next to the bathroom and shower. She slept all afternoon till 7, ate then we watched a movie then a night’s sleep. Only ½ of a pain pill, she is tough.

This morning she had another shower and came downstairs using both legs. This is days after getting cut around more than half the circumference of her right leg! It is holding together well. Sean Boutros is the guy if you need any body parts rearranged.

We are going back to him at 9 tomorrow am and may get one or both of the drains pulled. That will be really good as it is a real hassle with tubes and little bulbs at the end that hold the drainage. Apparently you body can absorb aprox 25 cc per day and yesterday we got less on the upper and a little more on the lower. So we are anticipating that progress will occur today with activity of walking and the outflow will be less.

I feel like I have just been through a surgical residency program, really interesting stuff although I would prefer the subject not be Hope. (Wednesday AM he starts out with a sharpie sketching it out - said “you gotta have a game plan”)

Thanks to all for their help and positive thoughts and prayers.

Love, Ed

PS: Everything is real good especially since no lymph nodes were involved, however we do have the results of a genetic test outstanding. In about three weeks we get back results from 75 genes being analyzed that will determine if chemo will be of benefit for any events that may occur in the future. I think it is called onca typing.

Friday Surprise ... Visiting Mom

Friday afternoon we picked up Martha & Daniel after school and they had a great visit with Mom. Everyone is excited about the progress Hope has made. Dr. Boutros said that she has passed the "critical time" ~ the first fifteen hours ~ for major issues with the flap/transplant and everything is right on schedule.

They are managing her pain very well and, although Hope doesn't feel she still needs pain meds, Dr. Boutros has a "set program" and doesn't deviate. Today, the IV will be discontinued and she will go on oral meds ... the first step down.

You can see the top of "the blanket" in this photo. It looks like a light-weight inflatable mattress that covers her entire body and blows warm air. Hope LOVES it and has asked to take it home with her ... she said it's better than a Snuggie!

Doppler Radar?

Day Two went well & Hope seemed to be in good spirits & well medicated. They decided on a "no visitor day", but touched base via cell phone to report that things were still going very well.

After the surgery, Hope was moved to a special floor in Memorial Hermann where they have equipment to closely monitor blood flow in the transplanted tissue. They use a long cylinder like "pen" ~ called a doppler flow detector ~ that they touch against the skin and can actually hear the circulation. Pretty cool!

"She's Got a Great Anatomy" ~ Dr. Sean Boutros

After receiving Dr. Emily's great news on phase 1 of the surgery, the positive energy continued Wednesday afternoon with many of Hope's friends and colleagues stopping by to check on her progress. Deb brought "tofu chicken" wraps and CHOCOLATE for lunch ~ she was under strict instructions from Hope to make sure Ed eats. The group spent the afternoon discussing "the blanket" and how Hope was going to be able to drive without a gracilis muscle in her right leg. There was MUCH discussion and analysis of the entire Swine Flu situation.

Around 3:30pm we received word that Dr. Boutros was "wrapping up" and would be out in about 30 minutes to talk with us. Although 8 hours of surgery is a LONG time, the procedure went very well and ~ according to Dr. Boutros ~ Hope's "great anatomy" allowed him to complete the procedure more quickly than anticipated.

We had an opportunity to visit with Dr. Boutros and ask some questions we'd been mulling over most of the day ...

Q: Did you remove the entire gracilis muscle?
A: No, only part of the muscle along with what little "fat" there was.

Q: If she's unable to move her right leg bilaterally, how will she be able to drive?
A: While she'll be unable to "cross" that leg, in time she will regain use of the remaining muscle and she will be able to move her foot from the gas to brake while driving.

Q: How large is the incision in her thigh?
A: Answer not given in inches, but it's very large based on the visual he gave us. YIKES!

Q: What is the risk of complications from the thigh incision?
A: Dr. Boutros said he always tells his "thigh lift" patients (this is a similar incision) that there is a 100% chance of a complication and that he will deal with anything that comes up. Minor infection is common.

Q: We were told that Hope would be placed under a "special blanket" for several days after the surgery, what type of blanket is this and how long will she use it?
A: For approximately 4 days Hope will be fairly immobile and will be placed under a blanket that "constantly blows warm air over her body to dilate the capillaries, increasing blood flow to the transplanted tissues".

Q: How will Ed manage to keep Hope immobile for approximately 4 days?
A: No one can answer this!

Ed said he felt that a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders upon visiting with Dr. Boutros so we went outside to get some fresh air and celebrate. We then moved to the 6th Floor Jones Building to wait for Hope to be transported from recovery to her room. We all cheered when we saw her being wheeled out of the elevator. She laughed ... I'm sure we looked like nuts! In our defense, the waiting area was empty.

Half-Way Through

Quick 1pm update ... Ed & Hope arrived at Memorial Hermann about 5:30am and they took Hope into surgery about 7:45. We don't know what time the first procedure began, but the breast surgeon completed her work and came to the waiting room about 10:30 to report good news. All lymph nodes looked good and the mastectomy went well. As she completed her part, the plastic surgeon took over and will likely be working until 5:30 or 6pm before we receive another update.

The reconstructive plan is to remove the gracilis muscle from the inside of Hope's right thigh and transplant that tissue as a reconstructed breast. I'm no physician, but ... YIKES!

More when we know it

It's ALWAYS Something ...

In the words of Rosanne Rosannadanna ~ Gilda Radner's infamous Saturday Night Live character ~ "It's always something ... if it's not one thing, it's another!"

Unfortunately the "something" is breast cancer. Most of you know that Hope is a two-time breast cancer survivor who has been healthy for ten years. On March 24th, she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer ~ the tumor measures 1.4 cm. In typical Hope fashion, she decided to assemble her own team of surgeons and health care providers through Memorial Hermann/UT Health Science Center.

On Wednesday, April 29th, Hope will undergo a second mastectomy with reconstruction (autologous tissue flap). The surgery is scheduled to begin at 8:30am and last between 10 and 14 hours. Avoiding any type of infection is critical, so Hope will be in the hospital for a minimum of 5 days.

We'll post updates on her progress during the surgery and throughout the journey ahead, please check back as often as you can. Post your thoughts and well-wishes by clicking the COMMENTS link below and be sure to include your name with your comment. You can also become a "follower" of Hope's blog by completing the steps outlined in the Followers Section.

Tie the Knot!

Hope Northrup & Ed Bonura were married on Sunday, April 19th at the Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston. The intimate ceremony was officiated by Hope's good friend Genevieve Razim ~ Martha & Daniel served as ring bearers. Donna Oldfield served as a witness and reader; she was joined by her husband Tom & daughter Audrey. Ed's sister Nan Brewer also served as a witness and was joined by her husband Jerry, who read a short passage.

It was a beautiful setting ...

A new family is formed ...

The beautiful bouquet ...

Hope & Ed signing the Marriage Book at Palmer Church

The Marriage Book ...

Martha (aka Vanna White) displays Hope's wedding ring

Daniel showing off Ed's wedding ring

Discussing the ceremony ...

Daniel & Martha strike a pose!

Newly married couple with Genevieve ...

Hope's bouquet and ring ~ she's also wearing a special bracelet as her "something borrowed" along with a memorable family ring.

The happy couple outside the church ...