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Brandon Update---September 9, 2004
(written by school district administrative assistant Sue
Nowers)
fyi ... Brandon Hampson has been
having problems with his eyes. He recently had new
contacts and attributed the problems to his new contacts ....
maybe a wrong rx. When he went to the eye doctor last
Friday (September 3rd), the eye doctor told him it was not his
eyes and he needed to go to a neurologist immediately. He
went to Dr. Ela in Brea Friday and had an MRI. They didn't
get the results until Tuesday morning (with the Labor Day
weekend) and Dr. Ela told them it was a brain tumor about the
size of a golf ball. Dr. Ela told them they needed to see
a neurosurgeon immediately and Brandon was scheduled to see the
surgeon on Tuesday afternoon. Additional tests were
scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
The neurosurgeon suggested they may need a second opinion.
He also suggested Dr. Keith Black at Cedars-Sinai. Brandon
was able to get an appointment for Thursday (today) at 4 PM.
We feel Brandon is getting the very best attention he can get at
this time. He is holding up well, I think.
Teresa is doing as well as you would
expect. Gary has taken off to go to all of the
appointments with Brandon and Teresa. She keeps saying
what a wonderful, kind boy Brandon is ... and he is.
Brandon has lost some of his eyesight at this time ....
peripheral vision is gone and he can't read at this point.
Keep him in your thoughts and prayers!
I tried to think of people at each
site who may know Brandon to pass along the information to
others that know him that I don't know. We will keep you
posted on what happens.
Sue
Brandon Update---September 10,
2004 (written by school district administrative
assistant Sue Nowers)
Teresa called last night after their appointment with Dr. Black
and was very excited about the outcome for Brandon. He was
scheduled at that time to return to Cedars-Sinai at 5:30 AM for
the brain biopsy which began at 7:30 AM this morning. The
doctor anticipated the procedure would take four hours. At
the conclusion, it will be determined what the follow up will
be. The doctor is highly respected and known for using
some promising new therapies. Teresa and Gary are very
grateful to be in the care of the best doctor in the West.
She will call me at the conclusion of the surgery so we will
know how Brandon is doing. We will continue to give you
updates as we find out something new.
Sue
Brandon Update---September 10,
2004 (written by school district administrative assistant
Sue Nowers)
Teresa called at 11:30 AM to report
that Brandon is out of surgery and that he tolerated it well.
The doctor will not have any definitive answers for the Hampsons
until Wednesday (a long time to wait).... Brandon will remain
in the hospital (I neglected to ask for how long) and Teresa and
Gary will come home tonight and go back in the morning.
Beth works near the hospital and has been visiting with her
parents and Amy also came home yesterday so they do have the
support of both of their daughters, which is nice.
When we hear anything else, we will email.....
Sue
Brandon Update---September 13,
2004 (written by school district administrative assistant
Sue Nowers)
Denise
Keller and I went to see the Hampson family at Cedars-Sinai on
Sunday afternoon. They asked that we give you a progress
report.
Brandon had
a bad day on Sunday .... he started out with a little agitation
and appeared to be in discomfort. The staff attributed it
to medication at first. They gave him some Vicodin and he
got a little worse. They took him in for another CAT scan
that did show he had some swelling in his brain ... a result of
the biopsy that was taken on Friday. He had to go back
into surgery around 3:30 in the afternoon and when we left at
6:30 he was not back yet ... and they had not heard from the
doctor. The plan was to take out a section of the skull so
the brain would have space to swell.
This has
been a setback for Brandon as whatever treatment the doctor
determines would be beneficial cannot begin until he's out of
ICU. He will be in ICU about 3 or 4 days now. Teresa
and Gary are staying in a hotel a couple blocks from the
hospital for this entire week. We are picking up their
mail for them so if you send cards to the home, they will get
them. If anyone wants to send a card to Cedars-Sinai, the
address is 8700 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. They
have an excellent doctor for Brandon and he is in one of the
best hospitals in the country. We will keep you updated as
we hear from Teresa.
Sue
Brandon
Update---September 14, 2004 (written by school district
administrative assistant Sue Nowers)
Tuesday
morning ...As of late last night, Brandon is slowly coming
around...very slowly. He does show movement in his hands
and feet, so that is a good thing. His vital signs are
very good, but he remains unresponsive most of the time.
Teresa and Gary spent the night in the hotel and the girls (Amy
& Beth) spent the night with Brandon. We should know
something about the results of the biopsy tomorrow and the
doctor, regardless of the outcome of the biopsy, has several
options for treatment. But Brandon remains in a holding
pattern because he needs to get over the second surgery before
he can go forward with a new procedure or treatment, whatever it
may be. Brandon will be in ICU for at least 3 days and
that makes it hard for the family also. They can only see
him sporadically so he can be attended to and monitored by
staff. We will continue to keep you up to date as we
received information from Teresa.
Sue
Brandon Update---September 15,
2005 (written by school district administrative
assistant Sue Nowers)
Keeping you posted .....
Brandon is still in ICU .... he will
be for at least a couple more days. He's slowly gaining
consciousness.... slowly. He does obey simple commands ...
squeeze my finger, etc. The girls were in with him
when the doctor was there on Tuesday evening and they saw him
follow the doctor's finger with his good eye. (The tumor
is more behind one eye than the other.) He's still on
oxygen, but not on the ventilator. He does need to be on
his feet before they start treatment. Teresa is writing a
letter to everyone today .... we are seeing her for lunch and
will bring it back. She will know more because the team of
doctors meets to review their cases today. Little bits of
progress are encouraging, but the situation remains heart
wrenching, at best.
Sue
Brandon Update---September 15,
2004 (first message written by the family)
Dear Friends of Brandon Hampson ...
At this most difficult time, your
outpouring of support, good wishes and prayers has meant the
world to us all.
Thank you
so much for your
cards, phone calls, e-mail messages, visits, gifts and positive
thoughts. Knowing how many people care touches us all very
deeply.
Those of you who know Brandon won't
be surprised at the positive attitude with which he faced his
first surgery. His strong will was clearly shown in the
hours just out of recovery, when he seemed to be quickly
recuperating. The bleeding and subsequent swelling that
necessitated his second surgery have significantly complicated
his recovery, and he remains in ICU making very gradual
improvement.
Assuming all goes well in the days
just ahead, his future holds a program of many more treatments,
and he and we would appreciate your continued positive thoughts
and prayers.
We take strength from the knowledge
that Brandon is under the care of one of this country's most
pre-eminent brain- tumor specialists, and are impressed on a
daily basis with the competence and caring of the staff here at
Cedars-Sinai.
Thank you again for all your
expressions of compassion and kindness towards Brandon and all
our family.
Teresa, Gary, Beth and Amy Hampson
Brandon Update---September 16,
2004 (written by school district administrative assistant
Sue Nowers)
Gary says today is a better day for
Brandon .... the CAT scan did show the bleeding in his tumor has
subsided. He is taking commands ... his left side is
stronger than his right side, however, there is movement on both
sides so they are not concerned. They may start treatment
before Brandon is better because (since the tumor is in a very
bad place and inoperable because of the spot) they would like to
begin shrinking it.
It definitely sounds like a better
day than yesterday.....
Sue
Brandon Update---September 20, 2004 (all messages from
this point written by the family)
Seven days out from his second
surgery, Brandon is breathing on his own and has had several
periods of lucidity where he recognizes his family, responds to
questions with appropriate hand signals and reveals clearly that
his memory, personality and sense of humor remain intact.
As he still cannot consistently swallow, he will have a
tracheostomy and a feeding tube put in today to further his
recovery. He and his family are greatly appreciative of
your continued support.
The
Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---September 21, 2004
Brandon was awake all day for the
first time yesterday. He ran a temperature and responded
infrequently. This morning his temperature is near normal
and he followed the doctor's requests (raise arms, wiggle toes)
well. His “brain drain” and staples from his incisions
were removed, and he's scheduled for a tracheostomy this
afternoon. Terri and Amy will be coming back to Brea
briefly during this time to do laundry and other chores and Gary
will remain at the hospital. As always, your continued
interest and support are greatly appreciated.
The Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---September 22, 2004
Brandon's
tracheostomy went well, and he seems much more comfortable.
He continues to respond well to the doctors' examinations,
wiggling hands and feet, holding up fingers, and nodding “yes”
or “no.” He communicates with us using an expanding set of
hand gestures and nods. Brandon is still being fed by a
tube through his nose (a favorite thing to try to pull out), and
we expect the tube to be directly inserted into his stomach by
the end of the week.
We are
adjusting as quickly and as best we can to the rapidly changing
circumstances. Terri and Amy plan to move Friday into a
room in Beth's Santa Monica apartment made available by the
generosity of one of Beth's roommates.
Truly, all
of the emotional, physical and spiritual support from our
“extended family” at work and in the community is nothing less
than wonderful, and we thank you all very much.
The Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---September 23, 2004
Terri and I
were excited to see Brandon alert and interested in
communicating when we first saw him in the morning on Wednesday.
We were so excited and full of news that Brandon said to us
through hand gestures, “Mom, Dad, please sit down!” He
rested through the remainder of the day, and was breathing well
without the use of the ventilator. We expect that he will
remain in ICU through Friday.
His
elevated white blood count and slight temperature are explained
by a bit of pneumonia in his right lung, which is being treated
with antibiotics.
We are
thankful for good days of small steps forward, even with some
steps sideways. Wednesday was a good day.
Gary and the Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---September 24, 2004
Brandon
spent most of Thursday out of bed and in a “cardio chair” --
much like a recliner. He was evaluated by a speech
therapist who believes he probably has some right-side weakness.
Further testing and therapy will follow.
The doctors
remain impressed with his progress. He's awake much of the
time, follows simple directions and is able to respond
meaningfully to questions. With Amy's help, he was able to
compose a list of his favorite things for the white board on his
wall, including eating nachos, watching Star Wars,
walking our dog Winnie and driving his Matrix.
Tomorrow,
he's scheduled for a “peg,” a stomach-direct feeding tube that
will be much more comfortable than the nose model he now has.
Hopefully, he'll start to drink and eat as he grows stronger.
Tomorrow he's also expected to “graduate” to a private room that
has a “step-down” level of care from the ICU.
We are very
happy to say that he smiles when we share with him the many
cards and messages that we've received.
The last
several days have brought stability and progress, and for that
we're thankful. Just before we left the ICU for what we
hope is the last night, Brandon indicated one thing he wants to
do when he's able: to again help the band at Brea Olinda High
School.
We want to
express our heart-felt appreciation and thanks to all who extend
their thoughts, prayers and support.
The Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---September 26, 2004
Two weeks following the emergency
surgery that saved his life, Brandon is showing signs of
significant recovery. Although he still sleeps a great
deal as his brain "rewires," when he's awake he recognizes
familiar faces, asks questions, makes comments and lets his
wishes be known through a combination of hand signals, “air”
spelling and lip movements.
Although he sometimes exhibits the
agitated behavior we've been assured is normal for recovering
brain-injury patients, he generally is peaceful and “himself.”
This weekend he’s shown improved visual and cognitive powers,
telling the time on the clock on the wall, reading his sisters’
college T-shirts and enjoying a few minutes of TV. He
remains extremely confused about how much time has passed and
what's happened to him. Although his longer-term memory is
clear, his short-term memories are fleeting.
His new routine is punctuated by a
parade of medical professionals: multiple doctors,
physician’s assistants and nurses, respiratory technicians, and
speech, physical and occupational therapists. He's ever
patient and cooperative with all who work with him, and eager to
get out of bed, get his voice back and start eating again.
He especially looks forward to lunch at Olive Garden.
Thanks to the grace of a generous
roommate, Terri and Amy have settled in at Beth’s place in Santa
Monica and someone from the family can be with Brandon night and
day. Gary has returned home and to work at Beckman
Coulter, and will be visiting as often as he can.
The surreal nature of this new
existence bogs us down at times, but we take strength from the
progress Brandon makes, the encouraging words of his doctors and
the overwhelming support we feel from so many special people.
Thank you so much for your continuing
kindness, and for sharing the mountains and valleys of this
experience with us.
The Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---September 27, 2004
Some days
are harder than others.
On the plus
side, Brandon’s ability to express himself continues to improve,
and he’s now able to write (penmanship notwithstanding) on a
white board with his left hand.
On the
harder side, Brandon got his “peg,” a stomach-direct feeding
tube that we’re told will be a good deal more comfortable than
the nose model. Still, surgery is surgery, and he’s been
uncomfortable.
He smiled
and waved at people from the gurney on his way to the operating
room this morning, and did so again this afternoon as he
returned from the x-ray lab – even though he just said he was in
pain. A generous young orderly stayed past his shift to
get Brandon back to his room as swiftly as possible so he could
get some pain medication.
Our first
real conversation with the doctor who most likely will oversee
the next phase of Brandon’s treatment occurred today, and –
though he was more than kind – this, too, was a difficult
moment.
We take it
a day at a time, and delight at Brandon’s smiles and good humor.
We continue
to be thankful for the support, thoughts and prayers of so many
caring people.
The Hampson
Family
Brandon Update---September 28, 2004
Although he
still can't talk, eat or get out of bed, Brandon remains
remarkably cheerful and friendly -- and many of the staff seem
to enjoy working with him.
He benefits
from an amazing array of resources on a daily basis, and travels
between procedures with a 2-inch file that says "Thinned on
9/19" on its cover. Today he was fitted with a custom-made
mask that will be used for radiation therapy, a process that
kept a full eight people busy for more than an hour.
Starting soon, precisely targeted short bursts of radiation will
be directed at the tumor, which lies so deeply in such a complex
and vital area of this temporal lobe that it can't be surgically
removed. Other therapies are expected to follow.
We often
show Brandon the scores of cards, letters and other expressions
of support people have sent his way, and he invariably smiles,
raises his eyebrows and says "Wow!" We agree that the
kindness of many makes all of this more bearable. Thank
you so much for remembering Brandon and all of us so
thoughtfully and so often.
The Hampson
Family
Brandon Update---September 29, 2004
Brandon had a busy day today.
He sat in the "cardio chair" for five hours and was visited yet
again by an army of doctors, therapists and significant others.
This afternoon, a tiny camera passed
painlessly through his nose to film the strength of his swallow,
which determines when he can eat, talk and function without the
tracheostomy, and the associated tubes and technicians that keep
his lungs clean.
Unfortunately, the test showed the
right side of his throat is paralyzed, which will delay the
return of these activities. The specialist behind the exam
says more time should help the throat injury heal, and that a
surgical procedure at a later date also could help bring back
his voice. For now, "eating" will remain a
straight-to-the-stomach, 1500-calorie-a-day diet called
"Crucial" made by--of all folks--Nestle.
The qualities of patience and
perseverance that Brandon learned and practiced as a student
serve him well in therapy, where he works hard, adds repetitions
to exercises, cracks "jokes" and makes those he works with
smile. His sister Amy is amazing with him--keeping him
amused with conversation, jokes and games, helping him with his
exercises and generally being her little brother's best buddy.
She and Mom are brushing up on ASL finger spelling so they can
communicate with him better. Today, Mom (who catches on
less quickly to some things in her advancing years) got a
compliment from the patient, who signed that she had "kicked
butt" learning some new letters.
The days pass and Brandon smiles and
gradually grows stronger. He knows a good deal about many
things, but has virtually no short-term memory, living in the
moment and then moving on. We don't know whether this is a
passing or a permanent feature of this new life, but for now, it
works out just fine.
The Hampson
Family
Brandon Update---September 30, 2004
Brandon's
big news for today is that his slippers touched the floor, and
he stood up---though greatly aided---for the first time in 20
days. Standing was a struggle, but being Brandon, when it
was over, he insisted on doing it again.
With Paula,
the speech pathologist, he began some new exercises which
hopefully will strengthen his swallow, and took a whirlwind trip
to X-ray courtesy Carlos, the galloping orderly. Radiation
treatment is now scheduled to begin Monday, and a move to the
rehabilitation floor is scheduled soon as well.
The comfort
and hope that come from believing Brandon will be receiving the
best treatment possible was again reinforced today. Each
time we’re faced with a major decision regarding Brandon’s care,
we ask the doctors (and anyone else we can find), “If Brandon
were your son, who else would you consult with?” Each
time, the answer is: Cedars-Sinai. When faced with major
treatment decisions again this week, that same question led
Brandon’s dad to email Brandon’s diagnosis and projected
treatment plan to The Brain Tumor Center at Duke in Durham,
North Carolina. He was pleased to talk with a doctor there
this evening who said that Duke’s treatment approach at this
point would be exactly the same. We were also pleased to
learn that the doctor at Duke knows well and spoke highly of the
doctor who will be overseeing Brandon’s treatment at
Cedars-Sinai, and that Brandon's doctor undertook research and
training at Duke before recently joining Dr. Black's group at
Cedars-Sinai. It seems that it’s a small, but reassuring,
world after all.
As
always, our deepest thanks for your continued support through
these difficult times.
The Hampson Family
Brandon Update---October
3, 2004
What a difference a month makes.
Friday, September the 3rd, started out like any other day at the
Hampson house, full of the trivial business of life. Mom
was expecting the “termite man,” so Brandon drove himself to the
optometrist, thinking that some minor adjustment needed to be
made to his nearly new eyeglass/contact lens prescription, as
things just weren’t as clear as they should be.
The optometrist grew concerned when he realized Brandon’s vision
had changed significantly in just a few days, and now no longer
could be entirely corrected. A few phone calls brought Mom
and Dad to the office, and an appointment was scheduled that
afternoon with a neurologist, who scheduled an MRI. By 6
o'clock, it was done, yet unread, and the long Labor Day Weekend
was just beginning…
Brandon had good and bad moments over the past three days, but
generally looks and acts stronger at weekend’s end.
Although none who knows him would guess it, he occasionally can
be quite a handful as a patient—-though he seems to do his best
work while he’s asleep. He was a master at pulling out his
nose feeding tube, and several times has torn out IV’s, even
when they’re protected by Ace Bandages and other barriers.
Over the weekend, the staff requisitioned some mittens designed
to make it harder to do damage, but he found a way—-by
“Houdining” them off using his teeth.
Here’s hoping he’s less inclined to eliminate his equipment
tonight…
The Hampsons
Brandon
Update---October 4, 2004
Brandon took four steps with a walker and sat in a regular chair
for a few moments today. He repeatedly exercised his arms,
legs and face, and (with assistance) sat several times upright
in bed and brushed his teeth using his left hand. He
played cards with Amy, shot hoops with his new Nerf basketball
and watched (of all things) "ER" on TV. He also took an
elevator ride to the hospital's lowest level, and was welcomed
by some very kind people for his very first radiation treatment.
If attitude counts, he earns an "A" every day for staying
positive, not dwelling on what he can't do, but working to
expand what he can. Sometimes his struggles make our eyes
mist and our throats tighten, but we make sure all he sees are
smiles and all he hears is praise. He grew up with
struggle, and knows how to cope with it now. The least we
can do is not make his new job any harder.
Having spent so many days in the hospital, most of it when
Brandon was in surgery, recovery or ICU and had no "real" room,
our family has experienced pretty much the full gamut of human
emotion in some pretty public spaces. In intense times
we've shared hugs and tears with staff members and families who
also have loved ones in trouble, and, as the days wear on and we
continue to see the same certain few faces, we develop a quiet
camaraderie. A Hispanic woman with a sweet smile whose
husband had been in a motorcycle accident was one of the first
people who shared our pacing space in the ICU hallway, and we've
kept in touch and exchanged words of comfort virtually every
day. Tonight he passed away, and we gave her one last hug.
It wasn't until we walked away that Mom realized we never knew
her name.
To
be sure, these are difficult days, but they also are filled with
the knowledge that many people far and near care about Brandon
and the rest of us, and that helps ease all our hearts.
The Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---October 5, 2004
Although his short-term memory issues persist, Brandon seems
more in touch with his surroundings and more interested in
"conversing."
His tracheostomy was downsized, a step toward its eventual
removal---though this still may be days or even weeks away.
Reducing its circumference gives him a better chance to improve
his swallow and, with the help of his speech therapist, perhaps
even make some sounds.
He
was very tired following his radiation treatment this morning,
but worked hard to do physical therapy not long afterward.
He got in some good strong sitting up before falling asleep on
the job.
His temperature is up
tonight, which should confound the poor infectious-diseases
specialist, who just today pronounced him fully fit and able to
go off antibiotics. Due to a combination of blood drawn
for lab work and a reaction to radiation, his red-cell count is
low enough that he's being transfused for the very first time.
We
continue to be strengthened and heartened by the wonderful and
continuous support Brandon receives from so many kind and
generous people, and our entire family -- including Brandon --
thanks each and every one of you. We have learned to take
things one day at a time, and to value -- even cherish -- each
day.
The Hampson Family
Brandon
Update---October 7, 2004
It
was weak and breathy, but the words, "Hi, Mom," never sounded
better than when Brandon spoke again today for the first time.
He did it with the aid of a "speech button" inserted into his
tracheostomy by his therapist, but he clearly was
thrilled---and, no surprise, so were we. His second first
today was raising his right arm all the way back to touch his
pillow. It doesn't sound like much, but considering that
not long ago his wrist hung limply and he couldn't lift his
elbow, this is remarkable progress.
Today he also "graduated" once again, leaving the now-familiar
room and staff on 8th Floor North and transferring to 7th Floor
South Tower (Room 7920) in the Rehab Unit. This is a major
move forward for him, but it also means another adjustment as we
again lose all the people---nurses, therapists, social workers
and assorted others---who now are the mainstays of our daily
lives. Tomorrow we begin again with a new crew, hopefully
those who will help give Brandon back the skills he needs
to live well in the world again.
Continued thanks to so many for the steady stream of cards and
good wishes that now adorn Brandon's new room. As we
approach the one-month mark in this strange new circumstance,
home often seems very far away, and warm wishes from friends
make us feel less alone.
The Hampsons
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