"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 ...