HB Provisions Blog

March Wines

2011-03-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have found some Great Value Wines over the past few months that have become great hits. Here are just a few to mention.

Bodega Privada Malbec. This Argentinean wine is a fuller bolder surprise that has hints of cherries and plums. It’s warm and velvety with sweet tannins with a long finish. I was completely impressed at this wine and it’s price of 7.99 a bottle.

Latitude 34 Syrah is another wine with a intense ruby red color, tastes of fresh red fruits and spices with a smooth smoky and vanilla notes at the end. Was 14.99 now 10.99, while it lasts.

Here is another wine that I have found to be a up and coming pick. Carmenere Wines. I have had them on the shelf from time to time and have hand sold them to folks that have come back for more. A little bit about Carmenere Wines: It a Albarino grape that is the mainstay of wine production in the Rias Baixas denomination in northwestern Spain, representing 92% of it’s plantings, or roughly 5,000 acres. Typically, wines made from Albarino are very aromatic, often described as having scents of almonds or almond paste, apples, peaches, citrus, and flowers or grass. These wines are an indisputable match for seafood and tapas.

The Carmenere that I have found meeting this description is one called MORANDE Pionero Carmenere. I wasn’t sure that this was going to be a wine for the shelf but once I opened the bottle and let it sit for about 20 minutes then tasted it I was amazingly surprised. It’s velvety, smooth and well-rounded flavors made me forget the price and wanting more. Oh the price, 7.99 yes that is right so take some home today and I guarantee you will be back for more.

So only one more wine that I want to talk about which is not a value wine but one that is incredible. It’s a 2006 Sonoma Syrah from Hamilton CA Vineyard Dry Creek Valley. All I can say is WOWOWOW!!! And you need to pick it up today I only have 10 bottles left and the vineyard had been sold to another and it will never be made again. It can lay down in your collection or cellar for a few years to come but if you’re like me it won’t be there for long. It’s intense dark violet with deep garnet red around the edges color and boysenberry; smoky and earthy tastes will seduce you into more. Great with hearty braised foods of winter to grilled foods in the summer. At this price make sure you have it for all occasions. This is a truly great price for a truly great wine. 24.99

So those are my wine choices for March look for more to come. There are many of our distributors wine tastings that I will be going to over the next two months and will bring more to the shelves soon.

Please be sure to let us know your favorite wines if you don’t see them on the shelves. We can get all wines that are distributed in Maine so please ask us to order them today. We can get them within a day or two. I can get single bottles or by the case at a 10% discount. And you know that always on Thursday’s 10% off all wines.

Bonnie

H.B. Provisions Andouille Sausage & Mushroom Soup

2011-02-28T12:47:00.000-08:00

Below is the recipe for soup we entered into this weekend's soup tasting. There were lots of requests for the recipe so we decided to put it here on the blog so everyone could get it for themselves.

This is for sure a favorite soup of many and easy to make as well! Enjoy!

H.B. Provisions Andouille Sausage & Mushroom Soup

1 TBS Vegetable oil

12 – 16 oz Andouille Sausage (cut length wise and slice thinly)
16 oz Sliced Mushrooms
4 TBS Butter
4 scallions chopped
1 clove garlic minced
½ cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. shredded cheddar
Dash nutmeg
1/8 TBS ground black pepper

In a large pot sautée sausage in oil, remove after cooked leaving drippings in pot. Add mushrooms, if needed add more oil. Cook, stirring until mushrooms are tender and slightly browned. Add scallions and garlic, sautée for another minute or so. Pour mushroom mixture into a bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in the same pot, stir in flour until blended. Stir in broth until thickened. Add the heavy cream and cheese keep stirring until all blended together. Add the sausage and mushrooms back into the pot with nutmeg and pepper. Add salt if needed to taste. Heat thoroughly and simply enjoy!

Thanksgiving Happenings at HB

2010-11-17T07:46:00.001-08:00

It has been a long time since we have written a blog but it seems with so many things going on this time of year a blog is a good place to put it all in one place.

In October, Bonnie went for her annual trip for "crush" in Napa and came home with many ideas for new and fabulous wines. She has put these wines on the front end of the wine aisle with great notes and of course her recommendations for Holiday wines to be used as gifts or on your dinner table.
Some of the new wines Bonnie is recommending are from the following vineyards*:
Chateau Montelina
Keenan
St. Clement (Of course!)
Louis Martini

Bill Harlan's Bond Estates (these can be special ordered)

*Another blog will be dedicated just to Bonnie's trip and the specific wines she has brought in.

Now on Thursday, November 18 (tomorrow) from 5pm to 7pm, there is a wine tasting along with a dinner to sample with the wines. The theme of course is Thanksgiving with a lovely selection of appropriate wines for a turkey dinner. The dinner we are serving is of course a turkey dinner with a side salad and desert served all for $10.99 (the tasting is as usual free!)Call to make a reservation 967-5762.

We are still taking orders for a complete Thanksgiving dinner for 6 if you are not inclined to prepare the meal yourself. It comes with a large turkey, cranberry walnut stuffing, herbed mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans almondine, gravy, cranberry orange relish and rolls. You can get it on Wednesday and just heat it up on Thursday (and pretend you made it!!) or pick it up on Thursday morning all hot and ready to eat. Please call to order by Friday, November 19. 967-5762

Also we are still taking orders for pies, until Monday afternoon, that can be picked up as late as noon on Thanksgiving. Choose from pumpkin, apple, blueberry or mincemeat pies. We also have frozen pies in our new freezer that can be baked in less than an hour and will make your house smell as good as it does here at HB!!

Our store hours for Thanksgiving are 6am to 12noon.

Mary's Walk

2010-02-26T02:53:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I was diagnosed with stage 2- her2 breast cancer in August of 2009. My treatments began right away with Mercy Hospital’s oncology team. And that is thanks to the support and guidance of Louise Hurlbutt who many of you know as well, has gone through the same diagnosis and is in her completion of successful treatment. I will speak for myself but know that Lousie feels the same way that our community has been our strength, our guidance and our support. We know that this was not an easy time for either of us. For me I am reminded daily of how grateful I am to live here and to have such wonderful friends and family that has kept me going.

Over the past 7 months I have endured Chemotherapy, 2 surgeries, and now in the completion stage of radiation treatments. I would love to say it was easy but many of you know through either your own personal experiences or through other friends it is not. However the out come to date has been incredible. I am feeling good and on the quick road to feeling great. I have worked at the store throughout most all of this time and have kept my friends and family close to my heart and soul. And as some of you also know I opened a second business during this time called H.B. Café 2. Because I didn’t have quite enough going on in my life I needed to add one more thing.

Helen has been my biggest cheerleader and support person and I know that I could have never done this without her being here everyday walking me through it. She has kept all of you posted through my web site with blogs. She has also kept the store running and now manages the new H.B. Cafe2.

As a gesture of continued support for Louise Hurlbutt and me we are asking you to now join us in Mary’s Walk and Maine Cancer Foundation- a local event that since its inception in 1999 has raised over One Million dollars for cancer research in Maine. This Walk began in Saco as a way to recognize the life of Mary Libby and has evolved into a community event to remember friends lost and to encourage and support those dealing with Cancer.

Louise & Bonnie

That being said Louise and I have formed a team and am asking you to support and join us on March 14^th to either a walk or run. Those who do wish to join us can learn more on line by going to www.maryswalk.org. You can pre-register by March 5^th and join our team, which you will see how to do so at that web site. Latecomers can register to join our team Sunday morning at the event. Others can sponser our team if you cannot join us. You may contribute on line in the name of Team Hurlbutt/HB Provisions. Don’t forget to memo our name. You may also send a check to Mary’s Walk, P.O.Box 746, Saco, Maine, 04072.

Please do this today and help us go for gold in walking or running for the cure of cancer.

It's all good!

2010-01-17T12:09:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give a quick update on Bonnie's pathology report and her progress.

There were still some cancer cells found in the second tissue removal but there was a clear margin which is the good news. The radiation oncologist, Dr Godin and the breast surgeon, Dr. Molin consulted and they determined that all the remaining cells could be blasted away with the radiation. Dr. Molin explained that those few cells were really not worrisome to them and with more concentrated radiation in that area it would all be taken care of.

Bonnie is feeling much better and has been out walking most days last week. Next week she meets with Dr. Godin for the breast mapping where they determine exactly where the radiation will go. Then a couple of weeks after that and when she has had more time to heal from the surgeries, she will begin radiation.

Helen

One more time....

2010-01-06T17:18:00.001-08:00

Well.........we went to see the oncologist yesterday and the pathology report had just come in which showed that there were still a few cancer cells found in the tissue. The real issue is that the cancer cells were right on the edge of the margin (the tissue they took) so they are now not sure if there are more cells further out in the breast because they were at the edge of the sample taken or if they got all the cells. So to find out the answer to this question (did they get all the cancer cells) is to do another surgery, take out another centimeter of tissue around where the tumor was and have pathology determine if there are more cancer cells there or not.

Dr. Molin only took a small amount of tissue because of Bonnie's dramatic clinical response (doctor's words) and that there was no sign of any cancer cells where the tumor once was. Well that was using ultrasound, feel and sight but the pathologists did find a few cells (remember it only takes one cell to wreak havoc for someone) which I think was a surprise to everyone.

So on Friday Bonnie will have another surgery. This will be a quicker surgery since there is no lymph node work to be done and this time it will be going into the same place which is now clearly marked with the sutures. The hard part will be that it is more anesthesia which is hard on her and then of course the extended healing time.

Bonnie is in good spirits about all of this although she is sick of being sick. I will write more to let you know how she is doing after the surgery.

Helen

It's All Good News!!

2009-12-31T14:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, I did not realize it had been so long since I last wrote a blog. Well lots of things have been happening and they are all good!

First of all Bonnie had an ultrasound last week (it's all a blur maybe it was the week before that) and they were looking for the tumor in anticipation of her surgery (yup that was today but more on that later!). The ultrasound technician at Mercy was very nice and as she looked and looked she was unable to find any kind of tumor. Finally after several minutes she was able to locate the clip* but no tumor around it. We were able to look at the ultrasound from August with the big old tumor and then the same area again with NO tumor. How cool is that?? As nasty and yucky (yes that is a technical term) as the chemo was it seemed to have done the job and really gave a heave ho to that tumor.

After the ultrasound we went off to see the breast surgeon, Dr. Molin who explained that the surgery would be very minor and she would just take out the clip and some surrounding cells and then just a few lymph nodes. Now remember when Bonnie saw the first breast surgeon she assured Bonnie she would definitely have to have a mastectomy so she really has come a long way in this roller coaster ride.

With the good news about the tumor Bonnie has had a couple of good weeks and has been very busy getting the new H.B. Cafe 2 ready to open. The Cafe is located at the new Goodall Health/Quest Fitness facility and opened last Monday, it is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 2pm. It is a very nice Cafe and seems to be another excellent business for Bonnie. Back in October Bonnie was looking to hire someone to manage the Cafe and I was looking for a job so she hired me to do the job. Now we plan all the doctor appointments in the afternoon so I can still go with her to all of those. Also we planned the surgery for today because the Cafe is closed New Year's Day and then the weekend so I will be around for a couple of days to help around here while she recovers.

With all this talk about the surgery I should tell you again that it was today and went without a hitch. Everyone was so kind and helpful which made it even better for Bonnie. The surgeon made two small incisions, one for the breast tissue (is this too much information??) and the other for the 4 lymph nodes they took out. She had very little pain and she will take Vicodin every 4 hours until tomorrow and hopefully by then she will be ready to just take extra strength Tylenol and Advil. For now she is sleeping in the reclining couch and has her two dogs sleeping right on her, I will wake her in a few hours to give her more Vicodin just to keep ahead of the pain as was suggested by the nurse.

Presurgery

So as 2009 comes to a close Bonnie has made great progress in stomping out the cancer in her body. She is a real fighter as you all know and has been a champ through all the treatments. She will still have to have radiation but that will not begin until early February so I am looking forward to her healing from the surgery and then feeling pretty good for a few weeks before the next phase.

That's all for now.

Happy New Year!

Helen

*The clip was put in back in August, it is the size of a rice grain and inserted in the middle of the tumor so later they can find where the tumor is or was.

A Day to Celebrate

2009-12-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hello friends!

Back in September this day seemed like miles and days away but we celebrated today as Bonnie finished her last chemotherapy treatment! All of the usual stuff happened and it was really quite uneventful and a huge relief.

So in the next few weeks there will be an ultrasound, an echo cardiogram plus a few more blood tests and a doctor visit before the 31st and surgery. Bonnie is so proud that she has made it through the hard part and is looking forward to getting on with the rest of the treatment.

So that's it for today and we are looking forward (OK I am looking forward) to a little storm tomorrow!

Helen

Good News!!

2009-12-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

The good news is that Bonnie is beginning to feel better from the pneumonia. It has been a slow recovery that is attributed to her getting beaten up by the chemotherapy every 3 weeks since September. Today for the first time since Thursday she was up and about and up to Portland to see the doctor.

The first appointment today was with Dr Molin who is the breast surgeon. The GREAT news is that the tumor can not be felt at all and that means there is very little that will need to be removed and only a couple of lymph nodes as well. The first doctor Bonnie saw in August had told her she would have a complete mastectomy and a large section of lymph nodes removed so she has come a long way in regards to the surgery! The surgery is scheduled for December 31 which will then give her a longer weekend for recovery. The surgery will be done at the new Mercy hospital as an outpatient, Dr. Molin said it will take approximately 1.5 hours from start to finish which seems pretty good. Carolyn (the chemo nurse) did say the recovery will be a little longer again because of all the chemo over the last few months and that Bonnie needs to really rest and give herself time to heal.

The next step after the surgery will be the radiation which will begin about a month after the surgery. For now Bonnie's sight's are on next Tuesday, the 8th which is when she will have the last round of chemo! YEAH!!

In the meantime work has been progressing on the new H.B. Cafe 2 which will be opening around the 16th of December. The new Cafe is located at the new Goodall Hospital/Quest Fitness facility on Livewell Drive in Kennebunk. Bonnie has been trying to find someone to run the Cafe and I have been looking for a job so it seems a good fit that I will run and manage the Cafe.

If you are here in town this weekend, we hope you have tons of fun at Prelude and if you are not here in town we wish you were because Prelude is one of the best events of the year!!

Helen

Tis the Season

2009-11-28T05:20:00.000-08:00

Well it seems that everywhere we turn these days folks are coughing and sneezing and trying to get rid of that darn cold. Well Bonnie has also joined in with the coughing and stuffy nose and although she spent a couple of days resting on the couch as soon as she felt a smidge better she was up and running again. That was all fine and dandy except she woke up yesterday morning feeling worse than ever. The terrible cough, feeling achy all over and finally a temperature. After a few chats with the nurse at Mercy we were off for chest x-rays which showed that Bonnie has a touch of pneumonia. She started on antibiotics immediately and the doctor says she should be feeling better in a day or two. The good news is that she is sleeping well and this morning is beginning to feel a little better.
The good news in all of this is that Bonnie's white blood count is very high from an extra drug she takes. This has been her saving grace in this little cold because she has the cells that help her fight off the infection.
I will say Bonnie has the most devoted little dogs who spend all their time sleeping on her or next to her and only leave her when I pick them up to take them out and then Lily growls at me until I get her outside!
I will keep you posted on how she is doing. Thanks again for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers.

Helen

Chemo Treatment Number 5

2009-11-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here we are at Mercy for treatment number 5. Bonnie has a wonderful seat with the sun streaming in and a beautiful view of the bay. The Benadryl has put her to sleep which helps to pass the time. Of course in Bonnie's head she is already finished with treatment number 5 and only has one more to go! It is quite an interesting journey with ups and downs along the way.

After her 4th treatment getting postponed because of her blood work she was given an additional medication that helps improve her blood count and as well helped her to feel better. Bonnie has been feeling pretty good for the last 2 weeks and has been quite active including a trip to upstate New York and Ohio to visit my daughters. Well she feels good but keeps doing nutty things like wearing her slippers all the way to Ohio (we drove) and insisting that the gray hairs growing in are blond!! We are all humoring her and having fun despite all the stuff she is going through.

The highlight of most of her days is going to the beach in the morning with the dogs. Not only does it get the dogs out but she loves walking on the beach and the sunrise is an added bonus too.

So the pattern after treatment is that on Wednesday she feels great (still on the steroid high) and from Thursday through the weekend she usually lays low. By Monday she will be ready to get on with things and will be busy with the approaching holiday so the timing is all good.

So while Bonnie is sleeping away the day here I am going to go for a walk.....

Helen

4th Chemo

2009-10-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Bonnie had great day today as she got her 4th chemo treatment.

Although she looks a little bit like a smurf today with her blue hat and sweater! She continues to work and take care of things while she is getting her treatment.

We are hoping the side effects aren't too bad although she usually takes it easy for the first week after treatment. I'll keep you informed of how she is doing.

Helen

Chemo Gets Stalled

2009-10-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I have blogged, it seems as though time has been flying by between stuff in the store, traveling and of course dealing with cancer.

This morning Bonnie and I arrived right on time for her 4th chemo treatment armed with all of our various snacks and books to help pass the time. They did all the usual vitals and the blood draw and then we went in for Bonnie's appointment with Dr. Inhorn (she sees him before each treatment). He wanted all the details of how things have gone in the last 3 weeks since her last treatment which of course between the two of us we were able to give him an earful of all the little details of Bonnie's health. Dr. Inhorn is very pleased with Bonnie's progress and the tumor has shrunk so that it is no longer palpable. I of course insist if you can't feel it then it must be gone and do we really need 3 more treatments? He explained that there can still be millions of cancer cells there that you can not feel and that all the studies have indicated that 6 treatments is the magic number. He and I have gone over this before but I just like to make sure Bonnie is not having any unnecessary treatments!

Then we were free to go to the infusion room and get all comfy. They have these wonderful comfortable chairs for the patients and the usual straight backed chairs for the care giver. Really I don't mind because I am up and down a lot getting drinks or food and then just my usual wandering around! Bonnie's nurse, Caroline kept walking back and forth saying hang on there is going to be a change. Bonnie is thinking oh something good is going to happen, I am thinking here blood work isn't good enough and we are going home. Well I was right (yes I had had this sense she would not get her treatment all morning) her blood levels were too low which means her immunity is too compromised for her to get the chemotherapy. Bonnie responded with "UGGHHH" and I believe her real thought is this may happen to others but I am strong and healthy and it is not supposed to happen to me. So we packed everything back up and made a new appointment for next Tuesday when her blood levels should be much better.

From there we went to Whole Foods and got some Vitamin D, which they are saying helps boost immunity. Then Bonnie called for an acupuncture appointment and is already going in for her chiropractic appointment tomorrow. She is resting now and as well is admitting that she has been a bit more tired lately. So if you see her in the next few days please know she is not hugging and is keeping her distance from everyone to make sure she doesn't pick up any extra bacteria. Her birthday is tomorrow, Wed Oct 21 and she usually goes away over her birthday but with all the treatments and such we have made no plans to go anywhere except maybe a trip to Freeport!

A few weeks ago Bonnie was on interviewed for a piece on channel 13 that aired on September 30. They were talking about the trial she is in and her excellent prognosis. If you missed the show here is the link http://www.wgme.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wgme_vid_747.shtml.

So what have we been doing in the last month since I blogged?

We went to Napa to her niece's wedding. Bonnie had fun trying on hats! and she enjoyed being with her three sisters too.

Sherry, Pat, Bonnie & Barbara

Then we went to the unveiling of the anchor honoring President Bush.

President Bush invited everyone over to Walker's Point and we all had a great time visiting!

We have been walking at the beach every morning, not only do we love it but the dogs do too!

Everyone is making scarecrows and this is Bonnie's, she calls him 'Storekeeper 41'

And that is my daughter Audrey sitting with them!

And this is what Bonnie is doing now while I am writing this blog.

I am so glad that she is resting and taking care of herself as it is hard for her to do that.

Thanks again for all your kind wishes and prayers, Bonnie is very appreciate of all the well wishers and the love she feels from the entire community.

Helen

2009-09-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

So after the second chemo treatment last week it has been a week of ups and downs for Bonnie. A couple of good days but more harder days with stomach issues and just feeling crummy. Saturday was a three dog day.

Greta managed the right side, Lily had the middle and Ali took charge of Bonnie's left side :-)

Fortunately Sunday was better and a little retail therapy helped! Bonnie found a couple of soft fleece hats at Kittery Trading Post which put a smile on her face!

Today we went back to Mercy for the weekly blood draw and as well Bonnie was interviewed by Kim Block from channel 13. They are doing a segment on breast cancer at Mercy that will air on September 30 between 5 and 6:30pm (we will know exactly when it will be on and remind you closer to the date).

Getting wired for sound!

Bonnie with Kim Block after they did the interview.

Bonnie, Kim Block, Mike (the Camera Guy), Dana and Dr Inhorn having a discussion of what they would film next.

They wanted a shot of Bonnie talking with her oncologist, Dr Inhorn

It was a busy day at the hospital and then we hurried back to Kennebunk to meet with the interior decorator for Bonnie's new cafe.........H.B. Cafe 2

That's another story for another day!!

Oh and by the way, the doctor was very happy with Bonnie's blood work today!

Helen

2 treatments down only 4 to go!

2009-09-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Bonnie and I headed up to the infusion center at Mercy Hospital for Bonnie's second chemo treatment.

Everything went very smoothly and we were out of there by 4:30pm which was an hour quicker than last time. Bonnie was able to have a massage while she was getting the chemo which was a nice treat for her. They give her a healthy dose of Benadryl which makes her pretty sleepy so
she dosed a lot in the chair and listened to her new ipod

and ate lots of snacks.

When she got home Bonnie went to sleep very quickly and was able to enjoy a good night's sleep. Today she has had a busy day and felt great which is an effect of the steroids they give her for the side effects. She is in her usual great spirits thanks to so many wonderful and kind folks praying for her and cheering her on!

Helen

Shaving

2009-09-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

So last week I cut Bonnie's hair with Greta's clippers!

But then there were lots of really short tiny hairs falling out all over the place. So we decided to get the clippers out again and shave away all her hair.

As soon as Greta

saw me getting out the clippers she disappeared!

We went out on the back deck so all the hairs wouldn't get all over the house!

The view from there is beautiful!

This time we set the clippers to the shortest setting and got this

which was just stubbly and now we just had even shorter hairs falling out.

So we got a razor and some shaving cream

and shaved her head!

And this time we got this

Bonnie is really happy with her nice shaped head and doesn't mind being bald except her head is cold. Fortunately wearing a hat helps keep her head warm so we have had some fun shopping for new hats!!

Helen

Going, Going, Going Gone!

2009-09-02T05:31:00.001-07:00

This is the morning to get rid of the hair! So much of it is falling out and it is everywhere so Bonnie decided it was time to go!

Before the shearing began, she is excited to get it cut very, very short!

Half of her head was done!

What a beautiful head and Bonnie loves it!

And a great hat to finish the look!

Yesterday Bonnie saw Dr Inhorn again yesterday and he is very pleased with how well she is doing in her treatment. Of course her white blood count is low which is expected and he is confident it will be back at a good level for next weeks chemo treatment.

So in the mean time Bonnie is cautious of germy things and is installing Purell hand sanitizer dispensers in the store for everyone to use. As we all know money is a huge carrier of germs (Bonnie heard on TV that swine flu can live on money for two weeks) so Bonnie is trying to be even more mindful of washing hands/sanitizing after handling.

Bonnie is looking forward to a busy weekend with terrific weather and lots of fun before her next treatment on Tuesday.......until then.

Helen

An update

2009-08-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

So it has been 10 days since Bonnie's first chemo treatment last Tuesday. The first couple of days were a breeze and all was going very well until Thursday night when Bonnie began experiencing significant joint pain. She described it as shooting, electrical pain in her elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. Friday was a hard day for her with a lot of pain and difficulty sleeping and just getting comfortable. Saturday started off pretty tough but by the afternoon she was beginning to feel better and we headed down to the beach for a short walk and a little fresh air. Bonnie called the doctor finally on Saturday (I had been away Thursday to Saturday finishing up moving) after a little pressure from me and the recommendation was to take Advil and Tylenol. It was hard to get ahead of the pain but by Saturday night she was feeling a little better. Sunday we went back to the beach and this time walked in the water which was very helpful for her knee and foot pain so we did that again on Monday and Tuesday.

A trip to Mercy for the weekly blood draw was Tuesday's event and she got a thumb's up on the blood work. Her white blood cells are a little low (3.5 down from 5.2) but they said not to worry unless it goes below 3. Dr. Inhorn also said they will give her something more for pain after the next chemo treatment to avoid that much discomfort.

Yesterday we went to Sanford to the Cancer Center for Bonnie's consultation with the radiation doctor, Celine Godin. She was very nice and gave Bonnie lots of information about radiation and the process involved with that part of the treatment which will occur in early February.

So now Bonnie is feeling pretty well, not 100% but good enough to be working and keeping everything running well in the store. This is the time when her white blood cells will be the lowest so she is keeping her distance from many people and is being extra cautious about washing her hands etc. So please ask her about hugging right now because she is very sensitive to all the germs out there and definitely does not want to get sick now.

Bonnie is waiting for her hair to fall out! Dr Inhorn and nurse Caroline have a bet going between 2 weeks and 3 weeks from her first chemo treatment. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Helen

First Chemo Appointment

2009-08-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

As we sit here in the infusion area of the new Mercy hospital there is a young woman who has just completed her 6th and final chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. We cheered her success and she encouraged Bonnie as she headed out.

Today is the first of Bonnie's 6 chemotherapy treatments and she is very successfully making it through. She has been busy with her blackberry sending emails and making phone calls so that everything keeps flowing at the store! The TV here also helps and she has had a few walks, pushing the IV pole around the halls. They did give her some Benedryl for prevention of allergy reaction and that has made her a little drowsy. We have a few more hours left so hopefully she will get in a little nap!

Last week Bonnie had a bone scan, a CAT scan from her neck to her pelvis and she also had an echo cardiogram. There is no other cancer in her body except in her breast and lymph node so that is the good news. In the bone scan the doctor said he saw something in Bonnie's knee and she showed him the scars from a prior surgery, next he said there was something in her left hip and she then explained how she had fallen off her bike last winter and suffered an injury as a result. Wow it was amazing that the scan was able to pick up Bonnie's history as it relates to her bones! Next we were able to see all the little slices from the CAT scan which was so neat and interesting to see her from the inside out. Dr. Inhorn wasn't sure about one little spot he saw and so he dialed up the phone and we were able to listen to the dictation from the radiologist. The little spot on the liver is a simple cyst that is a very common occurrence. Technology is a wonderful thing and seeing the scan and hearing the dictation only an hour after the test was done! Bonnie was very relieved that the tests were all clear and felt ready to move on to taking care of the breast cancer.

It was a busy weekend and the highlight was meeting Carly Simon in the store on Saturday night!!

Bonnie has also signed up to be part of a clinical trial where they are using the drug Ixabepilone (Ixempra), Carboplatin and Herceptin for her chemotherapy. The Ixabepilone is currently used for women with metastatic cancer with great success so they are trying it now for someone with locally advanced breast cancer which Bonnie has. The side affects seem to be less than other chemotherapy so Bonnie is even more confident about all of the treatment. The trial is being done all over the country and will include 60 participants, Bonnie is the first one in this trial here at Mercy and she loves that she is helping others through her treatment.

Working on her tan....

2009-08-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

This morning Bonnie and I headed up to Mercy Hospital in Portland so she could get her Mediport put in. The nurse, Colette, was wonderful and all the prep work was done effortlessly. When it was time for Bonnie to go in for the surgery they showed me the way to the waiting room (I love medical stuff and would have gone in to watch if they let me!!) and a little over an hour they came and got me and Bonnie was back in her space sitting up and feeling great. They brought her some breakfast which she ate and then we were able to leave shortly after that.
The instructions were to take it easy, keep the incision from getting wet and of course keep an eye out for anything weird happening.
So Bonnie is being the good patient and sitting out on the back deck working on her tan!

Since she has a fabulous team of staff that have all stepped up to the plate it is easy for Bonnie to relax and take care of herself. She is so appreciative of all the kindness and offers of help from her friends and family.

Helen

The beginning.....

2009-08-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

As many of you already know Bonnie was diagnosed last week with breast cancer. She had a lump on her breast which prompted the visit to the Breast Center in Scarborough and after an ultrasound and a biopsy the diagnosis was made. Bonnie has had many cysts and fibroid so her thinking was that this was just another one and not really a big deal but still something to get checked.

There are so many loving and caring folks in this community that want Bonnie to know they are thinking of her and honestly it is exhausting talking to everyone about the situation over and over all day. We decided to start this blog as a way to keep those interested in her progress informed without Bonnie having to "tell the story" all day long. Please feel free to leave comments and she will get them for sure and do not hesitate to wish her well when you see her!

So what is the story?

After the diagnosis and the follow up meeting with the doctor Bonnie decided it was important to get a second opinion on the course of treatment. She met with a breast surgeon at Maine Med's Breast Center and then met with another breast surgeon at Mercy Hospital. Bonnie decided she would be treated at Mercy Hospital with Dr Melinda Molin, surgeon and Dr Roger Inhorn, oncologist. The treatment will all happen at the brand new Mercy facility in Portland which is quite lovely and has wonderful views of the water.

Today Bonnie met with Dr Inhorn and it was determined that she will receive 6 courses of chemotherapy every 3 weeks beginning next Tuesday, August 18th. Tomorrow she is going to get the Mediport put in, this is a device that is implanted under the skin so that medications may be delivered directly into the blood system. Then on Friday she will be having all the appropriate scans which are required before beginning chemo.

Bonnie is in good spirits and of course is much happier now that she knows "the plan"! She sees this as part of her journey and plans on getting through this while maintaining her normal life activities as much as possible.

Keep posted for more updates and information.

Helen