Bonnie's Out of the Hospital!

Hi Everyone,

I'm happy to finally report that Bonnie is out of the hospital and at my house starting her long road to recovery. She is exhausted but in good spirits. Let's back up a few days and bring you all up to speed:

Surgery day ended up being about a 12 hour surgery. The abdominal part of the surgery ended up taking longer than expected but Dr A did a great job in connecting blood vessels, etc. She has a decent night and was under the influence of some serious meds, which helped the situation quite a bit.

The next morning brought some bad news as a result of serious inflammation in the left breast, along with discoloration of the tissue. This was pretty alarming as it could have meant that the tissue was dying and not getting enough blood. It looked like a real possibility she would lose the breast he had just created. Dr A took her back into surgery that afternoon and cleaned out the are of inflammation, etc and was able to save the breast. Thankfully, this was a short surgery and a successful one. Thank God for Dr. A and his training/skills!

Yesterday I arrived at the hospital to find Bonnie sitting up in a chair and looking tired but in pretty good shape. Dr. A arrived shortly after I did and we were able to take a look at the results. I was really impressed, as the tissue and the surrounding area look so much better than I thought it would. I felt immense relief and I know Bonnie will be happy with the results once she can wrap her brain around all of it. 

After cracking a few jokes and having fun with Nurse Wendy, we were finally on our way home. Nurse's assistance Tank and Buck ( our two black labs) were on high alert and ready to assist in any way.  One of the great thing about labs is their sensitivity to others. They always know when someone isn't feeling well. Tank made it his goal to follow Bonnie where she went and sit next to her with a worried look on his face. Buck stood guard at her door. Ok-enough about my amazing dogs:) 

It took some time to get her settled into her new bedroom, get some food in her, get all her meds together, etc. She is looking forward to a nice hot shower today and maybe a little sitting in the sunshine this afternoon. My goal is to slowly ease her into some more foods and LOTS of rest. She is completely exhausted and just starting to get an understanding of just how taxing this has been on her body. 

I am not sure about visitors yet, but will keep you posted on what she prefers. She is moving along slowly, but in great spirits. She is aware of all of the well wishes and love coming her way. 

Thank you all for your continued support! I'll keep posting when I'm not nursing our patient:)

Love, Heather

Bonnie's Reconstructive Surgery 9/17

Hi Everyone,

Well, it's been an interesting 24 hours. As always, there has to be some kind of hiccup with our "special" patient. I don't have a lot of details, as I have not been to the hospital yet - Bonnie's request for no visitors, so I'll give you what information I have. Here's a recap of the last 24 hours:
Bonnie went in for surgery at around 7am-ish on Wednesday 9/17 and ended up being in there for about 12 hours. The goal was to take the fat from her belly and construct 2 breasts by inserting the fat into the breast area. Removing the belly fat proved to take longer than expected. One of the challenges Dr A faced was in trying to reconnect blood vessels to ensure the continuous and proper flow of blood to the tissue so it doesn't die. Although it took longer than expected, she held up well.

After the surgery was done, at around 7pm-ish, she was in recovery for about an hour, then went into her room in ICU. She was heavily sedated as they pretty much spent the night managing her pain level.

Thursday morning greeted us with pretty heavy inflammation in one of the breasts. Dr A knew there was a 50% chance of that happening, so it wasn't a surprise. He felt it necessary to take her back into surgery this afternoon with the idea that he would need to remove the fat deposits he made in that area. That would leave her with one breast and an issue that would need to be addressed later.

Turns out that didn't need to happen. What?! I know, I can't keep up with this story either. I received a text from Bonnie at around 6pm. Hopefully she knows that she sent it, as she appears to be pretty stoned:)  The text stated that the surgery went well and that Dr A did not have to remove the fat after all. She isn't sure why, or what happened - again - stoned, but the good news is she's back on track.  I'm sure the rest of the night will again be spent managing her pain levels.

It is my hope that to be able to see her tomorrow and get some solid information to share. It's killing me, Nurse Ratchet, to not be there and help her. I certainly trust Dr A, but I sure would feel better to get some first hand feedback from a hot doctor rather than from my drugged up sister. Plus, I can take embarrassing pictures to share with all of you!

I'll keep you all posted as I get more information. Please keep the prayers coming.

XOXO, Heather

Hi Everyone,

I'm baaack! Did you miss me? Hope so. I really hope all of you have had a wonderful summer and you are all healthy and happy.

Bonnie is back on the road to surgery, so get ready for some more updates, sarcastic comments and pictures of Bonnie drooling on her pillow:)

The story left off with Bonnie being declared "cancer free" and focused on getting her health back. She spent the summer doing, oh you know, nothing. Ya right! You know Bonnie - a busy bee for sure.

The family went on the Mediterranean cruise that they were meant to go on the summer she was diagnosed. The visted Greece, Turkey and Italy. This pictures are amazing and everyone had a great time. Bonnie stayed healthy through the whole trip and summer, and we all are really grateful about that. Brenna has started her senior year of high school (wow, I feel old) and Bug is still dancing her jig. Tom is busy working hard and trying to find surf:)

Bonnie's tissue has healed well and our wonderful - ok, HOT, Dr A felt she was ready for reconstruction. Bonnie's busy schedule had a "opening" this month, so here we go again!

This Wednesday, September 17th, Bonnie will go in for her reconstructive surgery. This will be a long surgery, about 7 hours, as it will involve extracting her belly fat and using it to construct breasts. This procedure was the best choice, as her body is so prone to reject foreign materials that it didn't seem wise to go straight for implants right away. The use of her own cells and fat will help her body to form new breasts, while maintaining a healthy interior environment.

Bonnie will be staying in the hospital for about 5 days, post surgery. She will be placed in ICU just to ensure that she gets regular attention as they try and manage the pain. It is a difficult surgery to recover from. Once she is released from the hospital, she will come to my house to recover for at least another week. It will be about 4-6 weeks, post surgery, before she can expect to drive or stand upright.

I will add more to the blog once I get some more details and visit her on Wednesday after the surgery.

Since she is in ICU, visitors will be limited to family and a few close friends. I know I speak for Bonnie when I thank you all for your patience and support. This has and continues to be a challenging journey for her and our family, but it is made easier knowing you are all out there sending her your prayers and positive thoughts.

Love, Heather/Nurse Ratchet

It's a New Year - What will your priorities be?

Happy New Year Everyone,

I missed all of you over the holiday season and I hope you had time to slow down, enjoy family and friends and count your blessings. 2013 proved to be a challenging year with many unexpected life events. It definitely gave me reason to pause and reassess my perspective and goals. I am embracing 2014 as the year of renewed hope and focusing on family and friends.  For those of you that know me, I make a daily commitment to my health and nutrition so luckily, I don't have to add that to my goal list. How about you? What will you be placing as your top 3 priorities? How will you accomplish them? I am confident that you will achieve whatever they are. Let us all remember to wake up each morning and count our blessings.

I last left you with an update on Bonnie, just prior to Thanksgiving. Thankfully, the family kept their Thanksgiving holiday celebrations to a minimum and had a nice, quiet dinner with just the kids. It was a good time for Bonnie to continue to practice "relaxing and resting". 

On December 12th, Bonnie had surgery to repair a thumb sized whole in her chest, which was a result of previous surgeries and was in a spot that was not able to heal properly. The surgery was successful. Christmas came and went with time being spent with friends and family. She was able to enjoy chocolate again and alcohol wasn't so bad either. The best Christmas gifts she could have received:)

Unfortunately, the day after Christmas came with a high fever. As we all know, this is a red flag, Defcon 5 warning sign. She immediately went on antibiotics and was able to avoid another trip to the ER or a stay at the Scripps Spa. This was great news, as it would not have been fun to end a challenging year there.

THE BEST NEWS OF ALL: Bonnie is now considered CANCER FREE!!  What this really means is good news for the rest of us: if she starts to use cancer as an excuse for something, please feel free to call her out. That lame excuse won't work anymore!

At this point, Bonnie is seeing Dr. A periodically for check ups, as well as her other team of doctors. She will not have reconstructive surgery until the end of summer. The time in between will be spent focusing on healing, improving strength and her immune system.

Since we don't anticipate anymore surprises along the way, I will be radio silent until we get a little closer to reconstruction. Since Bonnie's body rejects foreign objects and is no longer a candidate for implants, the reconstruction surgery will consist of a tummy tuck/breast reconstruction called  DIEP Flap surgery. This is a 10-12 hour surgery, so there will be lots for me to keep you updated on. I will be in touch again as the conversations start up in regards to same.

Bonnie has requested that I be sure to THANK everyone for all of the cards, well wishes, gifts, flowers, Natalie's all time favorite, Edible Arrangements, signs, dinners delivered with love,
phone calls, emails, texts, YOUR LOVE, SUPPORT AND FRIENDSHIP shown to her and family have meant the world to her!!  You are all such an amazing group of friends!

I will leave you with a few more pictures to enjoy. Wishing all of you the best in 2014, Stay healthy and committed to your goals!

Love you all,
Heather

And Finally.......Some Great news!!!

Hello Everyone,

Since Bonnie was released from "the spa", she has been faced with daily doses of antibiotics and various doctor visits. It's almost hard to remember that her calendar used to be filled with Girl Scout Meetings, carpools and party planning. One day, those things will once again take over her calendar and this past year will be a distant memory about a hard fought battle, with a wonderful outcome.

This past Friday Bonnie finally got the best news we could have hoped for . NO RADIATION!!
She consulted with her radiologist who gave her all of the criteria by which he makes his decision. Even after getting his expert advise, Bonnie did the right thing and had him present her case to an expert panel. They too decided that she did not fit the criteria and radiation was not recommended.

Praise Jesus. We were beginning to wonder if he heard our prayers, as it seemed anything that could go wrong, was going wrong. Did we not pray the "right" way? Not often enough? No, it was just another test of faith: "Let all that I am Praise the Lord: May I never forget the good things he has done for me". Psalm 103:2

This good news has brought a whole new meaning to this Thanksgiving. Too often we tend to focus on what is not right in our lives, what we want but don't have, what we desire but don't always deserve. This can take us away from realizing all that we DO have, right here, right now. I know this Thanksgiving, and everyday, I have so much to be thankful for. My sister has fought a hard battle, bares her scars with pride and a smile. Our little sister has opened her heart and her home to a little baby that otherwise may have fallen into the foster system and been forgotten. This baby is now surrounded with love and hope. My family is happy and healthy and we are expecting our first grandchild in December. Life is wonderful and I am thankful.

How about you? What will you be thankful for? Is there something or someone that you need to really focus on and truly be grateful? How about yourself? How often do we bring the focus on our own dreams and goals and make ourselves a priority? I offer you a challenge to really think hard about the blessings in your life. You know - the ones that you don't ordinarily think of as a blessing. For example: my daughter is a procrastinator. Drives me nuts. I can't stand it and I'm on her all the time to "make plans". I realized that I need to see her as she is: a hard working, smart, funny young woman who is finding her way in the world. And, I am grateful for her and frankly, I'm grateful that I learned to step back, breath and let her be. It's a process.

Whatever you give thanks for, I wish you and your families a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. I too give thanks to all of you. My faith in the human spirit and our ability to reach out to others in need has increased tenfold thanks to all of you and your generosity.

Heather

And Finally.......released from the "Spa"

Hi Everyone,

I have missed posting updates for you and thank you for your patience. The time lapse was due to yet another unexpected, lengthy stay at the Scripps Resort & Spa. As some of you know, Bonnie developed another fever after her last and final chemo treatment, causing her to miss the Susan Komen Cancer Run. That was really upsetting as she really wanted to be there to thank everyone for their support and be amongst her new "cancer sisters/warriors". There were over 70 people in Bonnie's group, which included a mix of wonderful family, friends and NCL members. There was a total of over 14,000.00 participants. It was an incredible experience.

 

The fever turned into Neutropenia again and Bonnie was back on very serious antibiotics, a special diet and no visitors. In addition, the infections were not responding as well as the doctors had hoped, so she ended up having one surgery to clean out the infection. This was a serious operation, as the infection was very intense.

 

This was followed up by a second surgery to remove the port. Although nobody really wanted to do this, it was important as that area was also becoming infected and not responding well to treatment. Needless to say, we are all sick of the word "surgery".

 

After a 2 weeks stay at Scripps, Bonnie was finally released. Her immune system was seriously compromised and any germ or bacteria is something to consider.

 

The girls, Tom and the dogs are so happy to have her back home. It's also nice for Bonnie to be in comfortable surroundings and have some sense of normalcy.

 

Thanks to ALL of you for your unending love and prayers.

 

Heather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post Chemo update

Hi Everyone,

I know I should be posting a blog about Bonnie's last chemo treatment or about the amazing turn out at the Susan Komen Breast Cancer run last Sunday. I wish that were the case. Those blogs will be up soon. Instead, I did want to update everyone on Bonnie's post chemo progress.

As you may know she had her last treatment last Tuesday. Friday came in with a bang, and greeted her with the usual post chemo "can I feel any worse" morning. Things progressed from there and resulted in her getting a fever on Saturday. Although she was in situation to get lots and lots of rest, the fever was persistent. Her oncologist put her on antibiotics right away as well as Tylenol which really helped to keep the fever down. Despite that, as soon as it wore off, the fever was back.

Unfortunately, things did not improve. Sunday resulted in her missing the cancer run (she was really disappointed about that) and continuing to fight a fever and persistent "chemo rash". The pain from that kept getting worse. Bonnie was in contact with her doctors and on Monday she went in to the oncologists office to get on a much stronger dose of antibiotics. While she was there, he decided that the "rash"looked more like an infection and he made the right decision in admitting her into the "Scripps Spa and Resort" - again.

Last night she was admitted and they discovered that she was again Neutropenic. This put her back on a limited diet, no visitors and antibiotics the likes of which I hope nobody else has to have. This is proving to yet again, test the patience of Bonnie and our family. She is waiting to see one of her doctors tonight, who treated her the last time she had this problem. They will discuss her options of antibiotics after she is released, and hopefully be able to determine a release date.

In addition, Dr A will perform surgery again to clean out any infection and stuff that he finds inside her. He will also remove her port. Not sure yet if another one will be replaced. It seems as though any foreign object in her body is not welcomed. I don't know the surgery date yet, but I'm thinking possibly tomorrow.

As always Bonnie is in good spirits and is hanging in there. As there are no visitors allowed, I will do my best to keep the blog updated on her progress.

Thanks so much for the love and support!
Heather