More good news... MILESTONE

I went to the radiologist for a couple of tests on Friday.

1. Mammogram: the technician couldn't find my lumps and had to refer to old mammogram to find the spot(s). Using the old (pre chemo) mammogram she did some high resolution, up- close shots in the appropriate places and still couldn't find anything.
2. Ultrasound of Breast: technician went over and over my breast looking and couldn't find the lumps, she found what she thought were the clips (put in to help locate the lumps during my biopsy) but wasn't sure. Dr. Leonard came in (he's the head breast guy - did my biopsy) and had a little trouble but found both clips.

Yay! Yippee! WhooHoo! I still have to have surgery BUT it will be MUCH less invasive.

Both surgeons agree to January 12 as the big day. UTMB operating rooms and hospital should be open by then. Mum is coming back to Galveston to take care of me! I can't thank her enough.

Thank you to all of you who sent prayers, good wishes and energies my way. That, and the chemotherapy, did more than could have been expected or wished for.

Thanks also to those of you who have been posting responses on this blog - I love 'em. They have really helped to make me feel connected, heard, and cared for. So many of you that I love have been here for me. Ain't the web great?!

I know I'm not done with this health issue/adventure. But a big milestone has been passed. I think of it like this: I beat the cancer and now all that is left is the cleanup (surgery, radiation, reconstruction) after the messy fight.

Good news? We'll see.

Went to the breast surgeon on Tuesday and she was only able to find the lump because she knew where it had been! This means I may (Note the use of the word MAY) be able to have a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy instead of a FULL MASTECTOMY!!!!! Dr. Silva scheduled me for some tests Friday morning to verify, so we'll see...
She also pulled in her husband who is a cardiologist and he will check on the status of my blood clots before the surgery. The big operation is scheduled for January 12.
Dr. Aristea says she can do my hysterectomy laperoscopicly, and now that I MIGHT be able to have a lumpectomy - looks like I'm going to get a easier time of it.
In school/work news: Central, my school, is almost certainly not reopening next year. Things are up in the air...

Good News from a Friend

Hi,

I just wanted to let everyone who might know her, Mauri Howell's (McLaughlin) had surgery in Dallas just before Thanksgiving for Stage I Breast Cancer. The surgery went well and the pathology report was excellent. No lymph node involvement and complete resection of the tumor. Her mother just returned to El Paso to meet with her Medical Oncologist to see if she will need radiation therapy. Selena and I were really, really happy for Mauri and her family. We will keep her in our thoughts and prayers that her recovery is uneventful.

I also have updated Selena's introduction to her blog. Her diagnosis is not Stage IIb or class iib as stated originally in the blog. It is Stage IIIa. Selena doesn't really care what the stage is, she says she's gonna beat it no matter what stage it is. Good girl!

Chris

Selena's School

Hi, So I am sorry for the confusion. Selena is back teaching but her school had to be combined with the other middle school in the city, Weiss. This year they had 'integrated' the schools again and so Weiss, the all White middle school, became 5th and 6th grade and Central Middle School, the Black and Hispanic Middle School (really for lack of a better term the ghetto school) became the 7th and 8th grade school. Central actually used to be the Black High School years ago. It has VERY strong ties to the Black community.

They bused kids to opposite sides of the island when school started. There was a big stink about it last year but the federal and state governments mandated it. When Hurricane IKE came along and flooded Selena's Central Middle School they put all the middle school kids together at Weiss. It has been crowded but it has worked OK. It is a little strange to see little 5th graders in school with the huge 8th graders.

Selena and I went up to Central on Friday and got some of her stuff out of her classroom. She did not stay in the school very long because the mold in the school is unbelievable. They did not clean the school out properly when it was first flooded and it smells worse than it did two weeks after the storm. I went in the school to get her cell phone right after the was opened and was it was not really that bad. Now there is mold growing all over the place and it smells terrible. Selena's room has been spared any type of damage but the halls and stairwells are terrible. The work in her room tired Selena out and she was only able to work a half day on Friday. I think she did really well and I am really proud of her. She worked four and half days after being off of chemo only one week.

Let's hope she can work all of this week. The GISD plan is to lay off 150 teachers because so many children did not return after the storm. I really hope she does not have to start looking for a new job. She will have her job until May or June I think if she is laid off. It will just be a pain to look for work again especially work that is so close to home. I hate for her to have to drive off the island because I fully expect gas prices to go up again soon. Gas isn't going to stay at $1.40 for too long.

Let it snow....

Here is a snowman someone made here in Galveston on Wednesday, December 10. It's not supposed to snow on a tropical island!

Selena has been doing really well. She has taught all week. Tomorrow is Friday, so it looks like she has made it through an entire week. We went to see Selena's OB/GYN Oncologist on Wednesday and it looks like the next phase in here treatment, surgery will be January 12. It will be the mastectomy and hysterectomy/oophrectomy (removal of ovaries). Recovery time is at least two weeks but the doctor said it could be as long as six weeks. Let's pray for the shorter time. She has already be out of work for a long time and they are starting to talk about layoffs at Galveston Independent School District where she teaches. They are also talking about not opening her school this year at all and possibly not even next year because of excessive mold and low attendance. This article was just in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS today.

The roofers started working on our house today. Hurricane IKE tore up our roof completely so it will be nice to have the roof replaced and not have to worry about it leaking into the house every time it rains. The downside is that the heater is not working because they took they chimney off of the furnace for the night and covered that section of the roof with a tarp so we can't use the heater. It would build up too much carbon monoxide in the house. Our furnace won't even run without the chimney ventilating to the outside. That's a good safety feature. It is COLD inside the house tonight. Last time I checked it is 54 degrees inside the house. I have an oil space radiator next to Selena in the bedroom to keep her warm and she has several blankets. I hope she doesn't get sick from this.

School Days!

Selena started teaching today! Yep. That's right. She got home yesterday and is back at work today. This is her first day of teaching since three days before the storm September 10 and that was just a half day. TODAY she made it through the entire day!!! This is her first full day of teaching since last school year. She was really tired when she came home but she was in really good spirits. The kids were really happy to see her and she was really happy to see them. She heard rumors that Central Middle School will not open back up this school year at all. We will have to wait and see. Let's hope and pray that is not true.

She's Home!!!

Selena wore a mask all the way from Tampa, FL to Houston, TX to keep from catching anything in the airport or on the plane. She also gets pretty tired walking long distances because of the chemo so she had a skycap wheel her around. Doesn't she look cute!

Selena is back home now!!! I picked her up at Houston, Hobby Airport a little after 5pm today. She had a good flight. She had an aisle seat and no one sat next to her in the middle seat. Selena thinks it's because she looked scary with her mask on. Whatever it was, it made for a comfortable flight that was almost completely full. It is great to have her home. I worked all day to make sure that the house was in as good a shape as it could be considering it is still in demolition/construction mode.

Excited!!!!!

Chris, the Bowtie and Suspenders Doc (in a year and a half....)

I am really excited! Selena is coming home tomorrow at 5pm. The house still needs a lot of work but it is safe for her. Not all of the sheetrock is out of the house, but as long the mold is trapped behind the sheetrock. So I as long as the sheetrock is not disturbed it will be safe for her to be in the house. Galveston is also safe now. The water and the air quality is good. Selena has not been back to Galveston since 9/11 so that is almost 3 months. I can't wait to see Selena!!! I know I saw her a few days ago. But it is going to be so great to have her back home!!!

She is REALLY going to be shocked at the destruction and devastation here on the island. Over 85% of the houses on the island were damaged. The number of businesses closed is staggering.

Here a few links to some articles about what is going on in Galveston:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-01-galveston_N.htm

http://galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=f24ebcf02d15b099

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6145726.html

Another interesting little story about the hospital that seems to be almost on the brink of opening but never quite gets there:

STAFF EMAIL

As President Callender noted during yesterday’s all-staff meeting, every effort is being made to bring the hospital back online as quickly as possible. Given the instability of the campus infrastructure in the wake of Hurricane Ike and our commitment to maintain the highest levels of patient safety, we continue to closely monitor our air and water quality.

As a result of that rigorous testing, UTMB epidemiology staff last week found Legionella bacteria in the water supply in John Sealy Hospital. Thisis a naturally occurring pathogen found in fresh water but typically at levels insufficient to cause illness. Legionella bacteria cause Legionnaires’ disease, a respiratory infection characterized by high fever, coughing and pneumonia in people with compromised immune systems.No one has been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease at UTMB as of today.In fact, the disease is not at all common; it affected fewer than 18,000people nationwide in 2007. Most importantly, it can be treated quickly and effectively with antibiotics. We do not believe that employees and students are at risk. We have sent samples to the state health department laboratory for more detailed testing to determine the levels of bacteria. We believe the levels too low to be a health risk for anyone. We have also contracted with a specialized group from Pittsburgh that will arrive on campus next Thursday to begin retesting and removing any existing bacteria from the water system. In the meantime, we are installing special filters in the nurseries as a precaution. Our physicians and nurses are aware of the issue and are closely monitoring all of our patients.

UTMB has a stellar record of preventing infections in our hospitals, and we are committed to maintaining that level of safety for our patients, our employees and our students. If you have additional questions, I recommend you visit www.cdc.gov/legionella/patient_facts.htm to learn more.

Karen H. Sexton, R.N., Ph.D., FACHEInterim Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer

UTMB Health System

Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of stuff around Galveston.

This house was completely knocked off of its piers by the storm surge. I have the feeling this house will be condemned and not rebuilt. You can see the original height of the house by looking at the outdoor deck to the left that did not fall down.

This does not look that big in the picture, but it is actually a huge tree that washed up on the beach a few days ago. It looks about 25-30 feet tall.
I could not get a picture that had anything in it to represent scale.

MY BOWTIES

This picture is for Joel David... as you were saying... you tie them yourself... I believe this indicates that I have bowtie skills as well. When I was practicing for my medical school interviews I kept joking with Selena that when my interviewers asked what kind of doctor I wanted to be, I was going to answer "A Bowtie Doctor!" Well, this idea stuck and I pretty much exclusively wear bowties instead of long ties. The bowties are fun, unique and are much more sanitary. They never drape onto a patient and transfer bacteria and viruses from patient to patient. Also, pediatric and psychiatric patients can't grab them and choke you! I have actually become a Bowtie and Suspenders doctor. It makes me look like an old time General Practitioner. Which is exactly what I want. (Also, the suspenders help keep my pants up!)

Selena Rings the Bell

Selena got to ring the bell at the Bradenton Cancer Center to celebrate her "graduation."

She has just finished 21 weeks of chemo therapy.

We really want to thank every one's thoughts, prayers and kindness for getting us through this difficult part of the treatment. The road ahead is not going to be easy but Selena has gotten through a very, very difficult part of the treatment with great optimism and determination.

Selena,

I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!

Chris

One Day More-Part Quatre

Our celebration seafood dinner on Bradenton Beach.

It was actually pretty chilly.
Selena's Award that I made for her.

One Day More-Part Trois

Selena and I with the bell.

It is tradition at the chemo center in Bradenton to ring a bell

when they "GRADUATE" from their chemotherapy sessions.

Selena was so excited when she rang that bell!!!

The last one.... YEAH!!!!!

(Chemo, good to the last drop...)

Bradenton has a real nice Chemo Center.

The doctors and staff were so kind to Selena during her six weeks

of treatments here in the Sunshine State.

Selena's Award I made for her. She is the BRAVEST INDIVIDUAL!!!!

One Day More-Part Deux

The Beautiful Sunshine Skyway outside Bradenton, Florida

Selena relaxing in one of Mum's hot tub.

It really helps her aching muscles after the chemo yuckies start sinking in.

I forgot how much I missed Florida until I landed and saw the beautiful scenery and the gorgeous drive along the Sunshine Skyway.

Chris

ONE DAY MORE.....

SHE'S THE BRAVEST INDIVIDUAL!!!!

Hi, this is Chris and today is Selena's final day of chemo here in Bradenton, FL. YEAH!!!! I got to come to Florida for Selena's Birthday (Tuesday, November 25) last week and Thanksgiving. Two classmates of mine in Galveston bought me an airline ticket to come see her. We could not afford for me to come because financially things are a real mess right now with her cancer, the hurricane house mess and the car. It was so kind of them to do this for me. I couldn't believe it.

I made a really cute celebratory sign today and posted it around Mum's condo in a few places. It says:

YOU'RE THE BRAVEST INDIVIDUAL!!!!

and the background of the picture is a ferris wheel. This is from the musical SWEET CHARITY. In the musical the couple falling in love (there's always a couple falling in love in a musical, right!) are stuck on a ferris wheel and one of them is afraid of heights so the other one convinces them that they are not afraid but rather THE BRAVEST INDIVIDUAL.

The chemo treatment has been a lot like a ferris wheel ride with many ups and downs. (Too many downs in my opinion, I think maybe our ferris wheel has a momentum problem!)

I think Selena is the bravest individual. She has shown so much courage, strength and optimism and I am so proud of her.

Chris

By the way, the title of this blog if from LES MISERABLES!!! I am still such a musical theatre queen. :)