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
Monday, December 9, 2013
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.
![]()
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
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
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
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
Friday, October 18, 2013
Haunted House for a Cure - Halloween Style
Hi Everyone,
Please see the post below from Bonnie, regarding her 13 year old friend who is psending his own money to make a fund raising haunted house:
My friend Caleb Serban-Lawler, is in the final stages of creating ( he has built everything by himself!!) a Haunt for the Cure Haunted house partially in my honor.
He is a 13 year old buddy of mine who attends MMS and who has seen to many of his friends struck down by cancer. This is one amazing kid-you may know his moms, Debbie Serban & Cara Lawler. He has earned every dime that he’s needed to build this four tent, at least so far, house of horrors and with no shopping done at the CRAPman’s house-although, I do plan on dropping off some extra horror.
If you would like to make a small or any size donation to his cause, please feel free to click on the link below. Thank you for your consideration and support!
Also, his Haunted House will be open to the public on:
Please come see "Haunt For A Cure - A Carnival of Horrors!"
Saturday, October 26th 7:00-9:00 p.m. and
Thursday, October 31st at 7:00 pm-9:00 pm.
Location: 13479 Cool Lake Way, San Diego 92128
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!
BONNIEh
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Chemo #5 - Who knew Chemo could be so fun?
Hi Everyone,
Here we are - almost at the end of the road. What will be there? A pot of gold? A big, green castle with a weird old man and a bunch of cool little people? How about a Cancer Free diagnosis?
![]()
Oct 8 - Chemo treatment number 5 brought about a few different things - all of them wonderful and unexpected. As you all know, my sister is very social. Although this horrifies and embarrasses me, this is Bonnie in a nut shell. She has always been very open, friendly and a real people person. People are drawn to her and I can understand why. Actually, it works out perfectly for me- I can sit quietly in the corner while she enjoys the spotlight. Today was no exception.
During the course of her treatment that day, Bonnie noticed a young woman (I will call her Jill) who had been in before as a "newby" to chemo. Her first round exposed the fear and anxiety as she and her husband sat and tried to take in this new path they were on. Bonnie couldn't help but notice how scared she looked. The next treatment, Jill was back, with a couple of girlfriends. She noticed Bonnie and eagerly engaged in a conversation with her, as Bonnie introduced her ride to all of the "Poison Nurses" and telling stories that reduced all of them to fits of laughter.
During that time, Bonnie was telling Jill about the blog - ok, mostly talking about my witty humor and uncanny ability to shed a sarcastic light on a serious matter, when another woman overheard the conversation. She wanted to start a blog as well....blah, blah, blah. More talk about how funny I am, how creative I am, how eager people are to read my posts. Ooops, I digress....
Turns out this new blog woman is someone Bonnie knows from NCL (her own chapter). Go figure! Seriously - we can't take her anywhere. Picture more chatter, increased volume. At one point Dr. Banerjee came in to talk to Bonnie and realized he was out of his league. Just turned around and walked away:)
This day resulted in a few things: Bonnie getting to see first hand, the positive affect she has on other people. The power of suggestion. How influential one can be when you think nobody is watching. The enduring human spirit and one's ability to overcome their fears.
Not only was this a great day for those already in treatment, but for those who are facing the start of their chemo journey. The chemo room is at the end of a hallway and is an open room where anyone in the hallway can see right into the room. Imagine being a new patient, having tremendous fears and then walking down the hallway to hear nothing but laughter and good times. What a powerful statement. I wish that scene had played out when we were first there. It just looked awful and scared me.
October 29th will bring Bonnie's last chemo treatment. I will attend this session with her. We have matching outfits, which I know will make Dr. Banerjee cringe. I can't wait!
I look forward to celebrating the end of this long road with her, with a nice lunch and an ice cold margarita! She'll have water:)
Once the chemo treatments are done, there is a chance that Bonnie may lose her eyelashes and/or eyebrows. If that happens, we will need to change the code to the garage so Marcia can't sneak in and create the Tammy Faye/Frieda Kahlo, eyelash/eyebrow look!
Hang in there for more info. I will be posting a separate blog regarding a Halloween Breast Cancer fundraiser. I hope to have it posted within the next day or two.
Talk to all soon!
Heather
Here we are - almost at the end of the road. What will be there? A pot of gold? A big, green castle with a weird old man and a bunch of cool little people? How about a Cancer Free diagnosis?
Oct 8 - Chemo treatment number 5 brought about a few different things - all of them wonderful and unexpected. As you all know, my sister is very social. Although this horrifies and embarrasses me, this is Bonnie in a nut shell. She has always been very open, friendly and a real people person. People are drawn to her and I can understand why. Actually, it works out perfectly for me- I can sit quietly in the corner while she enjoys the spotlight. Today was no exception.
During the course of her treatment that day, Bonnie noticed a young woman (I will call her Jill) who had been in before as a "newby" to chemo. Her first round exposed the fear and anxiety as she and her husband sat and tried to take in this new path they were on. Bonnie couldn't help but notice how scared she looked. The next treatment, Jill was back, with a couple of girlfriends. She noticed Bonnie and eagerly engaged in a conversation with her, as Bonnie introduced her ride to all of the "Poison Nurses" and telling stories that reduced all of them to fits of laughter.
During that time, Bonnie was telling Jill about the blog - ok, mostly talking about my witty humor and uncanny ability to shed a sarcastic light on a serious matter, when another woman overheard the conversation. She wanted to start a blog as well....blah, blah, blah. More talk about how funny I am, how creative I am, how eager people are to read my posts. Ooops, I digress....
Turns out this new blog woman is someone Bonnie knows from NCL (her own chapter). Go figure! Seriously - we can't take her anywhere. Picture more chatter, increased volume. At one point Dr. Banerjee came in to talk to Bonnie and realized he was out of his league. Just turned around and walked away:)
This day resulted in a few things: Bonnie getting to see first hand, the positive affect she has on other people. The power of suggestion. How influential one can be when you think nobody is watching. The enduring human spirit and one's ability to overcome their fears.
Not only was this a great day for those already in treatment, but for those who are facing the start of their chemo journey. The chemo room is at the end of a hallway and is an open room where anyone in the hallway can see right into the room. Imagine being a new patient, having tremendous fears and then walking down the hallway to hear nothing but laughter and good times. What a powerful statement. I wish that scene had played out when we were first there. It just looked awful and scared me.
October 29th will bring Bonnie's last chemo treatment. I will attend this session with her. We have matching outfits, which I know will make Dr. Banerjee cringe. I can't wait!
I look forward to celebrating the end of this long road with her, with a nice lunch and an ice cold margarita! She'll have water:)
Once the chemo treatments are done, there is a chance that Bonnie may lose her eyelashes and/or eyebrows. If that happens, we will need to change the code to the garage so Marcia can't sneak in and create the Tammy Faye/Frieda Kahlo, eyelash/eyebrow look!
Hang in there for more info. I will be posting a separate blog regarding a Halloween Breast Cancer fundraiser. I hope to have it posted within the next day or two.
Talk to all soon!
Heather
Chemo #4 - What a bore!
Hi Everyone,
I've missed you all and apologize for the delay in updating the blog. It was not due to writer's block but more due to Bonnie's "cancer brain". I mean seriously - how long is she gonna use that excuse?! It's hard to believe kids are back at school, fall is in the Santa Ana winds, and Christmas is only a couple of months away. Where does the time go when you're having chemo treatments:)
September brought Bonnie's 4th chemo treatment and the reality of the end being near.
![]()
It was a fairly slow day in the chemo lounge. Thankfully Bonnie didn't have too much of a chance to annoy, I mean charm, people with her incessant pop culture filled chatter. After all, how long can you carry on a conversation about the Kardashians? Ok seriously - can you believe Lamar aka Lammie? What happened to him? And it really isn't a surprise that Kris and Bruce broke up. He's been living at the beach away from that insane asylum all summer. What did she think would happen. Oooops, I digress.....
The one drawback during this round was that Bonnie did get a rash which resulted in her being placed on steroids. No, she did not gain a fabulous muscular body, grow facial hair or other things. Oh no, instead she became an insane woman with boundless amounts of energy. Another reason to not drink Monster or other highly caffeinated drinks that have a similar result. I'm sure she ran around the neighborhood offering to single handidly paint your entire house for free - in one day! Sorry for those of you that came into contact with her during that time. My husband does take insurance should you need therapy for the trauma this induced.
We give thanks for the lack of fever after this round. Although I do have to admit, I miss the sleepovers with my sister at the Scripps Spa and Resort. And by sleepovers I mean no sleep while the nurses poke and prod her every half hour. They are all wonderful and very skilled people but happy we didn't have to see them this time around!
The girls are doing great! They have wonderful attitudes about this ordeal and are enjoying busy social lives outside of their busy school schedules. Below is a picture of Natalie, Brenna and my daughter Callie. Isn't she a beauty? Why yes, she does look like me:)
![]()
Thanks to everyone for your patience! I promise to keep up the blog for you, even if I have to take drastic measures and make stuff up!
Stay tuned for more,
Heather Gregory
I've missed you all and apologize for the delay in updating the blog. It was not due to writer's block but more due to Bonnie's "cancer brain". I mean seriously - how long is she gonna use that excuse?! It's hard to believe kids are back at school, fall is in the Santa Ana winds, and Christmas is only a couple of months away. Where does the time go when you're having chemo treatments:)
September brought Bonnie's 4th chemo treatment and the reality of the end being near.
It was a fairly slow day in the chemo lounge. Thankfully Bonnie didn't have too much of a chance to annoy, I mean charm, people with her incessant pop culture filled chatter. After all, how long can you carry on a conversation about the Kardashians? Ok seriously - can you believe Lamar aka Lammie? What happened to him? And it really isn't a surprise that Kris and Bruce broke up. He's been living at the beach away from that insane asylum all summer. What did she think would happen. Oooops, I digress.....
The one drawback during this round was that Bonnie did get a rash which resulted in her being placed on steroids. No, she did not gain a fabulous muscular body, grow facial hair or other things. Oh no, instead she became an insane woman with boundless amounts of energy. Another reason to not drink Monster or other highly caffeinated drinks that have a similar result. I'm sure she ran around the neighborhood offering to single handidly paint your entire house for free - in one day! Sorry for those of you that came into contact with her during that time. My husband does take insurance should you need therapy for the trauma this induced.
We give thanks for the lack of fever after this round. Although I do have to admit, I miss the sleepovers with my sister at the Scripps Spa and Resort. And by sleepovers I mean no sleep while the nurses poke and prod her every half hour. They are all wonderful and very skilled people but happy we didn't have to see them this time around!
The girls are doing great! They have wonderful attitudes about this ordeal and are enjoying busy social lives outside of their busy school schedules. Below is a picture of Natalie, Brenna and my daughter Callie. Isn't she a beauty? Why yes, she does look like me:)
Stay tuned for more,
Heather Gregory
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Chemo Number 3
Hi Everyone,
As some of you know, Bonnie had her 3rd chemo treatment yesterday. This was about a week later than originally planned, due in part to her recent stay at the Scripps Spa and Resort. Dr Banerji thought it would be a good idea to delay the treatment by a week, in order to give Bonnie more time to heal and increase her white blood cell count. Oh ya, he was also in Hawaii on vacation:)
Since Bonnie was released from the "spa" she has spent time resting and recovering along with the normal routine of getting the girls ready for school, raising dear Charlie (little terror) and keeping the house running. Geez - doesn't sound like any rest time to me. I'm tired just typing this!
Now that the recovery phase has started, let's keep the prayers going so she has a fighting chance of avoiding another infection and landing back in the spa. This is something to avoid at all costs, so we also want to remember to avoid her kids and the house altogether if you or your kids have been exposed to any illnesses, etc.
As the summer winds down and the kids get in their last dose of sunshine and fun, we can officially turn our thoughts to Christmas. What??!! Is she crazy??!! I thought that too when I went to Costco 2 weeks ago and saw Christmas decorations up. I'm a huge Christmas fan , but come on. Really? It's August and hot as you know what outside!
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Heather
As some of you know, Bonnie had her 3rd chemo treatment yesterday. This was about a week later than originally planned, due in part to her recent stay at the Scripps Spa and Resort. Dr Banerji thought it would be a good idea to delay the treatment by a week, in order to give Bonnie more time to heal and increase her white blood cell count. Oh ya, he was also in Hawaii on vacation:)
Since Bonnie was released from the "spa" she has spent time resting and recovering along with the normal routine of getting the girls ready for school, raising dear Charlie (little terror) and keeping the house running. Geez - doesn't sound like any rest time to me. I'm tired just typing this!
Now that the recovery phase has started, let's keep the prayers going so she has a fighting chance of avoiding another infection and landing back in the spa. This is something to avoid at all costs, so we also want to remember to avoid her kids and the house altogether if you or your kids have been exposed to any illnesses, etc.
As the summer winds down and the kids get in their last dose of sunshine and fun, we can officially turn our thoughts to Christmas. What??!! Is she crazy??!! I thought that too when I went to Costco 2 weeks ago and saw Christmas decorations up. I'm a huge Christmas fan , but come on. Really? It's August and hot as you know what outside!
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Heather
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Home Sweet Home.....again
Hi Everyone,
Today brings good news! Bonnie is finally home after a long and "luxurious" stay at the Scripps Memorial Hospital (aka: spa and resort). Since last Sunday night, Bonnie has been confined to her "suite" and tied to her dance partner (aka: IV drip holder), while being injected day and night with numerous bags of various cocktails of antibiotics and God only knows what else. After staying with her for a couple of nights, she no longer had any overnight parties due to her condition having taken a turn for the worse (see previous post).
On Thursday, things really started to look up as her white blood cell count greatly improved, she was no longer neutropenic and did not have to be subjected to a restrained diet. Once the doctors decided on her post-release protocol, they were able to comfortably release her yesterday.
Before she left I was able to at least get Natalie up there for a quick visit. It was nice to see her with her mom, as both of the girls have not been able to visit much at the hospital. This is a strong family and the girls are hanging tough! Thanks to all the family friends who help the girls stay occupied and stick to their schedules.
Tom also did a great job in getting the house disinfected and prepared for her return. Good Job Tom!!
Now that kids are returning to school, and are exposed to more germs (as are we adults) we all need to be extra cautious when considering a visit to her. If you have been exposed at all to anyone with a cold or any type of illness, let's delay the visit.
All joking aside, Scripps Memorial and the staff there have been phenomenal. Every time I have been there with Bonnie, I was so relieved to see that she was getting care from some very special people who genuinely love what they do and who they care for. I know she feels the same way. Needless to say, there all enjoyed her company!
Now, that Bonnie is home, she is committed to resting and recovery. For this reason, we are still limiting the amount of visitors to ensure maximum rest time. This has been an exhausting ordeal and incredibly taxing on her body. Her oncologist has rightly postponed her next chemo treatment by one week in the hopes that her body will recover more and she will be in a stronger place to handle the chemo.
She will also have to continue her antibiotic therapy and most likely with a daily visit to the doctors office to administer the drug. Those nasty bugs she caught are tough ones to kill off.
In the end, after all is said and done, she is still very fortunate to have caught this cancer early and to be able to receive great, quality care. It's no longer the cancer we are concerned about, it's the overall process that's proving to be the most challenging. You all know Bonnie - she's a soldier and she will soldier on like always. Going thru it with a smile big enough to cause you not to notice the missing hair, the port in her chest and the exhaustion behind her eyes.
Thanks for tuning in and continuing to support and pray for bonnie. I and the family thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!
XO, Heather Gregory
Today brings good news! Bonnie is finally home after a long and "luxurious" stay at the Scripps Memorial Hospital (aka: spa and resort). Since last Sunday night, Bonnie has been confined to her "suite" and tied to her dance partner (aka: IV drip holder), while being injected day and night with numerous bags of various cocktails of antibiotics and God only knows what else. After staying with her for a couple of nights, she no longer had any overnight parties due to her condition having taken a turn for the worse (see previous post).
On Thursday, things really started to look up as her white blood cell count greatly improved, she was no longer neutropenic and did not have to be subjected to a restrained diet. Once the doctors decided on her post-release protocol, they were able to comfortably release her yesterday.
Before she left I was able to at least get Natalie up there for a quick visit. It was nice to see her with her mom, as both of the girls have not been able to visit much at the hospital. This is a strong family and the girls are hanging tough! Thanks to all the family friends who help the girls stay occupied and stick to their schedules.
Tom also did a great job in getting the house disinfected and prepared for her return. Good Job Tom!!
Now that kids are returning to school, and are exposed to more germs (as are we adults) we all need to be extra cautious when considering a visit to her. If you have been exposed at all to anyone with a cold or any type of illness, let's delay the visit.
All joking aside, Scripps Memorial and the staff there have been phenomenal. Every time I have been there with Bonnie, I was so relieved to see that she was getting care from some very special people who genuinely love what they do and who they care for. I know she feels the same way. Needless to say, there all enjoyed her company!
Now, that Bonnie is home, she is committed to resting and recovery. For this reason, we are still limiting the amount of visitors to ensure maximum rest time. This has been an exhausting ordeal and incredibly taxing on her body. Her oncologist has rightly postponed her next chemo treatment by one week in the hopes that her body will recover more and she will be in a stronger place to handle the chemo.
She will also have to continue her antibiotic therapy and most likely with a daily visit to the doctors office to administer the drug. Those nasty bugs she caught are tough ones to kill off.
In the end, after all is said and done, she is still very fortunate to have caught this cancer early and to be able to receive great, quality care. It's no longer the cancer we are concerned about, it's the overall process that's proving to be the most challenging. You all know Bonnie - she's a soldier and she will soldier on like always. Going thru it with a smile big enough to cause you not to notice the missing hair, the port in her chest and the exhaustion behind her eyes.
Thanks for tuning in and continuing to support and pray for bonnie. I and the family thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!
XO, Heather Gregory
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Scripps Memorial "Spa and Resort"
Hi Everyone,
Well, the last few days have been pretty eventful - and not in a good way:(
Sunday brought a new and more intense fever to Bonnie's ever growing list of side effects of this nasty illness. Around the middle of the day she started to feel really poorly and was directed to the emergency room by Dr. Banerji. She arrived there around 6pm and continued to feel worse by the minute. By the time I got there at 9:30pm, she was still in the emergency room and they were looking to get her on some fluids and admit her. After a much too lengthy stay in the ER, we were moved to her room (aka: Suite) at around 1:30am. She was in a lot of pain from the fever, which was really difficult for her on top of everything else. They immediately put her on a heavy dose of antibiotics and gave her some pain meds. Long story short - it was a really rough night.
The next morning (Monday) brought sunshine and an early morning visit from Dr. McDreamy. Luckily I got ZERO sleep the night before so my hair and makeup from Sunday still looked great! Oh - back to Bonnie. After weighing the options and seeing her condition, it was mutually agreed that he would remove the expanders later that afternoon. This is was very wise decision and one that I personally wish had been made the last time she got a fever. But.....so once I got back to the "spa" last night at around 7pm, she was just coming out of recovery and was looking pretty good.
The night went on to be pretty uneventful, with the exception of the excitement caused by Dez getting engaged to Chris on the Bachelorette. Boy, didn't see that coming! The pain had subsided, thanks to the meds keeping her stoned out of her mind. Bonnie was able to sleep and dreamt of french fries and a pass to go home today.
Unfortunately, we woke to some bad news. Her white blood cell count was just short of void. Almost without any to speak of. This meant that she is highly, highly susceptible to infection. She actually had become "neutropinc". She had contracted two types of bacteria - one that usually comes from hospitals (go figure) and has been a problem from the beginning (maybe from the expanders) and one that your body makes but wasn't as harmful as the other one. They called in an infectious disease doctor who has changed her antibiotics and is now restricting her to her "suite" and keeping her there until possibly Friday.
Because of the severity of the risk, there will be no visitors at the hospital and possibly the same for when she comes home. She can't have any plants or flowers around (they can carry bacteria) and she can't eat any foods that are not cooked and no leftovers more than 1 day old.
Despite this setback, she still is marching on and entertaining the hospital staff and anyone else that will listen to her.
I know this all sounds scary, but the good news is, the expanders are out and white blood cells can regenerate quickly. Let's hope she's out of her suite by Friday!
All of this is too reminicent of when my daughter was in ICU fighting for her life with bacterial meningitis. Having to wear a full haz mat suit with goggles and all, and "oh by the way, her skin is too sensitive and painful to touch", was something beyond comprehension. As my Callie made it through, so too shall Bonnie. We Manson girls are tough cookies and it'll take more than stupid Cancer to knock her down. Stupid cancer....
Stay tuned for more!
XO, Heather
Well, the last few days have been pretty eventful - and not in a good way:(
Sunday brought a new and more intense fever to Bonnie's ever growing list of side effects of this nasty illness. Around the middle of the day she started to feel really poorly and was directed to the emergency room by Dr. Banerji. She arrived there around 6pm and continued to feel worse by the minute. By the time I got there at 9:30pm, she was still in the emergency room and they were looking to get her on some fluids and admit her. After a much too lengthy stay in the ER, we were moved to her room (aka: Suite) at around 1:30am. She was in a lot of pain from the fever, which was really difficult for her on top of everything else. They immediately put her on a heavy dose of antibiotics and gave her some pain meds. Long story short - it was a really rough night.
The next morning (Monday) brought sunshine and an early morning visit from Dr. McDreamy. Luckily I got ZERO sleep the night before so my hair and makeup from Sunday still looked great! Oh - back to Bonnie. After weighing the options and seeing her condition, it was mutually agreed that he would remove the expanders later that afternoon. This is was very wise decision and one that I personally wish had been made the last time she got a fever. But.....so once I got back to the "spa" last night at around 7pm, she was just coming out of recovery and was looking pretty good.
The night went on to be pretty uneventful, with the exception of the excitement caused by Dez getting engaged to Chris on the Bachelorette. Boy, didn't see that coming! The pain had subsided, thanks to the meds keeping her stoned out of her mind. Bonnie was able to sleep and dreamt of french fries and a pass to go home today.
Unfortunately, we woke to some bad news. Her white blood cell count was just short of void. Almost without any to speak of. This meant that she is highly, highly susceptible to infection. She actually had become "neutropinc". She had contracted two types of bacteria - one that usually comes from hospitals (go figure) and has been a problem from the beginning (maybe from the expanders) and one that your body makes but wasn't as harmful as the other one. They called in an infectious disease doctor who has changed her antibiotics and is now restricting her to her "suite" and keeping her there until possibly Friday.
Because of the severity of the risk, there will be no visitors at the hospital and possibly the same for when she comes home. She can't have any plants or flowers around (they can carry bacteria) and she can't eat any foods that are not cooked and no leftovers more than 1 day old.
Despite this setback, she still is marching on and entertaining the hospital staff and anyone else that will listen to her.
I know this all sounds scary, but the good news is, the expanders are out and white blood cells can regenerate quickly. Let's hope she's out of her suite by Friday!
All of this is too reminicent of when my daughter was in ICU fighting for her life with bacterial meningitis. Having to wear a full haz mat suit with goggles and all, and "oh by the way, her skin is too sensitive and painful to touch", was something beyond comprehension. As my Callie made it through, so too shall Bonnie. We Manson girls are tough cookies and it'll take more than stupid Cancer to knock her down. Stupid cancer....
Stay tuned for more!
XO, Heather
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The Brave, The Bald and the Beautiful
Good Morning Everyone,
As our summer continues with backyard BBQ's, vacations and just plain fun, there is one thing that remains the same for the Chapman household: cancer still sucks. Ok - the good news: Bonnie continues to fight the fight by participating in Bug's Girlscout events, running errands, cooking meals that could put Wolfgang Puck to shame (you don't really believe that one, do you??!!). Although her calendar looks more like a war plan, filled with procedure strategies and doctor appointments, she keeps her strong chin up and her smile is ever present.
This Friday she will have a procedure done with McDreamy, where he will "clean up" the affected area and remove any dead skin that is handing around. Neither one of us knows exactly how he will do this, and I have to say "ignorance is bliss". It sounds gross and scary. While this is being done, the rest of the Chapman's will be off to Big Bear (another trip Bonnie gets to miss out on), now that B is out of summer school. That is one hard working student and they all deserve a little R & R. I will be ready to take on my "Nurse Ratchit" persona again. I'm just disappointed I can't take her to the appointment. I miss McDreamy with his long legs, 2 day beard and olive skin....oh, where was I?
As the effects of chemo keep appearing in various forms, the latest has been the hair issue. Over the weekend, it started to fall out so Tom had to do an emergency hair cutting. You will notice that there are no pictures of her with his haircut:) You did good Tom! So, Tuesday night we held a "Head Shaving" party in Bonnie's honor. The smile on her face is authentic and she was very relieved to have this done. She looks great and imagine how much time this will cut off her morning routine! I thought I would let the pictures do the talking...
This is Bonnie's "selfie" as a "before" picture:
Yep, Tom did it! He looks really great too. It's interesting to see how different one can look without hair and all that prepping and primping that goes with it. No- I didn't feel tempted. I choose to support my sister in every other way (that's code for "I'm too vain").
This was a positive step for all and one more hurdle the family overcame. It was great to be a part of this night and a BIG Thank You to Lisa for her head shaving skills.
I will update again over the weekend after I get a good idea on Bonnie's progress from her procedure on Friday.
Stay healthy everyone! Heather Gregory
"If you don’t do what’s best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.” ~ Julius Erving"
As our summer continues with backyard BBQ's, vacations and just plain fun, there is one thing that remains the same for the Chapman household: cancer still sucks. Ok - the good news: Bonnie continues to fight the fight by participating in Bug's Girlscout events, running errands, cooking meals that could put Wolfgang Puck to shame (you don't really believe that one, do you??!!). Although her calendar looks more like a war plan, filled with procedure strategies and doctor appointments, she keeps her strong chin up and her smile is ever present.
This Friday she will have a procedure done with McDreamy, where he will "clean up" the affected area and remove any dead skin that is handing around. Neither one of us knows exactly how he will do this, and I have to say "ignorance is bliss". It sounds gross and scary. While this is being done, the rest of the Chapman's will be off to Big Bear (another trip Bonnie gets to miss out on), now that B is out of summer school. That is one hard working student and they all deserve a little R & R. I will be ready to take on my "Nurse Ratchit" persona again. I'm just disappointed I can't take her to the appointment. I miss McDreamy with his long legs, 2 day beard and olive skin....oh, where was I?
As the effects of chemo keep appearing in various forms, the latest has been the hair issue. Over the weekend, it started to fall out so Tom had to do an emergency hair cutting. You will notice that there are no pictures of her with his haircut:) You did good Tom! So, Tuesday night we held a "Head Shaving" party in Bonnie's honor. The smile on her face is authentic and she was very relieved to have this done. She looks great and imagine how much time this will cut off her morning routine! I thought I would let the pictures do the talking...
This is Bonnie's "selfie" as a "before" picture:
And this is all from the party:
Yep, Tom did it! He looks really great too. It's interesting to see how different one can look without hair and all that prepping and primping that goes with it. No- I didn't feel tempted. I choose to support my sister in every other way (that's code for "I'm too vain").
This was a positive step for all and one more hurdle the family overcame. It was great to be a part of this night and a BIG Thank You to Lisa for her head shaving skills.
I will update again over the weekend after I get a good idea on Bonnie's progress from her procedure on Friday.
Stay healthy everyone! Heather Gregory
"If you don’t do what’s best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end.” ~ Julius Erving"
Friday, July 12, 2013
Lipstick and chemo
Hi Everyone,
Sorry for the delay in updating all of you. Our little sister came into town from Ventura with her husband and baby and it's been a whirl wind of fun and little sleep. Makes me so happy that SHE is the one with a baby and I have a 20 year old that loves to sleep in:)
As most of you know, Bonnie had her first chemo treatment on Tuesday, July 9th. Although you know something like this is coming, it stares you in the face every time you look at the calendar, it's still a challenge to wrap your brain around it. The unknown can be very intimidating. This, along with having her "port" put in the day before (of course, had issues with that and didn't get the type of port she was looking for), resulted in minimal sleep the night before the treatment. However, we all know Bonnie - you would never had know she was running on empty, as her spirits were up and she was talking to EVERYONE. Can someone please make it stop?!
Luckily, we planned for a long afternoon. Along with plenty of snacks for me (most importantly), we were armed with magazines, lavender oil (to cover the smell of the stinky chairs) and a beautiful prayer quilt (see picture). During the 4 hours we were there, Bonnie managed to meet a gentleman who had a relative she knows in Scripps Ranch, met another woman there for treatment with her husband, hand out more of my sleep supplements and ensure to everyone there that she would return for her next treatment loaded with home baked goods.
The staff at Ximed are the best! I can't forget to mention them. Pam and Vicki are two hard working ladies! The room was bustling with chemo patients coming and going and all in various stages of treatment. It's an odd place to be with my sister. She looks really good in her red lipstick and new haircut- so why are we here? It's just another reminder of how fragile our health is and how cancer is non-discriminating. There were young and old, male and female patients, straight and gays. Yep - all in one day. A scary sign of the times!
So far, the only side affects of the nastiness that I saw dripping into my sister's body is an upset stomach (hers, not mine). Her energy is a little low, but I suppose that is to be expected with all of the stress resting on her as well. We will continue to monitor her and watch for more side effects, as she continues on this path. Bonnie is to receive treatments every 3 weeks, with her next one TBD.
Bonnie, Tom and the girls (and myself) continue to be grateful for all of the support and the meals being delivered to the house. It's such a relief for all of them to know that's one less thing to worry about. The meals are delicious and really appreciated.
Heather
Sorry for the delay in updating all of you. Our little sister came into town from Ventura with her husband and baby and it's been a whirl wind of fun and little sleep. Makes me so happy that SHE is the one with a baby and I have a 20 year old that loves to sleep in:)
As most of you know, Bonnie had her first chemo treatment on Tuesday, July 9th. Although you know something like this is coming, it stares you in the face every time you look at the calendar, it's still a challenge to wrap your brain around it. The unknown can be very intimidating. This, along with having her "port" put in the day before (of course, had issues with that and didn't get the type of port she was looking for), resulted in minimal sleep the night before the treatment. However, we all know Bonnie - you would never had know she was running on empty, as her spirits were up and she was talking to EVERYONE. Can someone please make it stop?!
Luckily, we planned for a long afternoon. Along with plenty of snacks for me (most importantly), we were armed with magazines, lavender oil (to cover the smell of the stinky chairs) and a beautiful prayer quilt (see picture). During the 4 hours we were there, Bonnie managed to meet a gentleman who had a relative she knows in Scripps Ranch, met another woman there for treatment with her husband, hand out more of my sleep supplements and ensure to everyone there that she would return for her next treatment loaded with home baked goods.
The staff at Ximed are the best! I can't forget to mention them. Pam and Vicki are two hard working ladies! The room was bustling with chemo patients coming and going and all in various stages of treatment. It's an odd place to be with my sister. She looks really good in her red lipstick and new haircut- so why are we here? It's just another reminder of how fragile our health is and how cancer is non-discriminating. There were young and old, male and female patients, straight and gays. Yep - all in one day. A scary sign of the times!
So far, the only side affects of the nastiness that I saw dripping into my sister's body is an upset stomach (hers, not mine). Her energy is a little low, but I suppose that is to be expected with all of the stress resting on her as well. We will continue to monitor her and watch for more side effects, as she continues on this path. Bonnie is to receive treatments every 3 weeks, with her next one TBD.
Bonnie, Tom and the girls (and myself) continue to be grateful for all of the support and the meals being delivered to the house. It's such a relief for all of them to know that's one less thing to worry about. The meals are delicious and really appreciated.
I promise to update again after Bonnie's next hurdle. In the meantime, I send my love and thanks to you all. Enjoy your summer!Heather
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Lotsa Helping Hands link
Hi Everyone,
Happy almost 4th of July! I hope you are all able to enjoy this day of independence, watch a parade, eat junk food (Bonnie's words - not mine!) and enjoy some good ole fashioned fire works.
Happy almost 4th of July! I hope you are all able to enjoy this day of independence, watch a parade, eat junk food (Bonnie's words - not mine!) and enjoy some good ole fashioned fire works.
In anticipation of Bonnie's chemo treatments starting Tuesday, July 9th, Gina Mathew was kind enough to take the lead on setting up a social calendar for meal plans. This is something that some of you have asked about and have wanted to help out the family, so we thought this would be the best way to keep the meal deliveries organized. Please know that this is strictly voluntary and very, very appreciated. This meal train comes with deliveries on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only. This will provide plenty of food for the family. As I will be finishing my 21 day cleanse around the time her chemo starts, I too will be very excited to taste the delicious meals!
In addition, we thought it best to restrict the meal deliveries to Scripps Ranch folks. This will help avoid any of you "San Diegans" having to fight traffic, etc. For those of you that still want to support the family in some manner, you are welcome to send Gift Cards (Islands, Chilie Peppers, Luna Grill, Sammy's, Daphne's, Rubios). Please remember: the cards, flowers, Edible Arrangements, have been more than enough and Bonnie is really appreciative (as well as the kids). Please don't feel obligated!
The link to the Lots Helping Hands is: https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/704777/
Once you get to the site, please register so that you can be accepted into the "community". When you receive your confirmation email, you can then log onto the site to pick a day to deliver your meal. Once in the site, go to the bottom of the main page to "Help with a specific activity". Click on Bonnie's name and it will take you to the shared calendar. Click on the day you would like and it will open a page for you to register for that delivery day. You are off and running!
Any questions on how to use the website, please see Gina's contact information on the Welcome Page (gmathew@san.rr.com).
Thanks again and have a safe 4th of July!
Heather
Friday, June 28, 2013
A new 'do and attitude!
Hi Everyone,
Hope you are all enjoying this great summer weather and deep fried fair food! I went to the fair the other night to see "Who's Bad", a Michael Jackson tribute band. Made me miss the King of Pop even more. There's nobody like him. On top of that, I went to the fair 2 days into my 21 days Cleanse Program - no fair food for me. Hopefully one of you will enjoy a deep fried Oreo on my behalf:)
Bonnie is going really well. She's enjoying her new found freedom and taking advantage of her driving opportunities. The frustrating part is that most of her driving involves doctor appointments instead of Girl Scout meetings or shopping for some party she is planning. Cancer sucks! However, the brave face stays on knowing that this too shall pass.
Yesterday Bonnie, Bug and B made a trip to Lisa to get a new hairdo in anticipation of the loss of her hair at some point during the treatment. Unfortunately I could not join in the event, but I know Lisa took good care of all of them. Bonnie has a zip in her step and a new hairdo to go with it. She looks great and it's nice to see the girls involved as well. Take a look:
There are a couple of issues she is still dealing with: the swelling in her arm is the main one at this point. She is getting PT to help with the range of motion and to get the fluid to drain properly. Although this is really annoying, Bonnie isn't letting that keep her down.
The next big step will be on July 8th when Bonnie goes in to have the chemo shunt (?) put in. That will be a very early morning appointment that Tom will take her to.
Chemo will start the next day on July 9th. I will take her to this appointment and entertain her with my dry wit and awesome vocal skills. No seriously - I will just sit there while she talks to every single person in the chemo room. 4-5 hours of this? I wonder if I can get a Vodka drip line for me??
The good news is that although she will be making regular trips to "Dr. Poison", our little sister and her family (including the new baby she is adopting) will be down to visit on July 12th. It will be great to see her and to get the sisters and cousins together. It's nice to have something to look forward to other than doctor appointments.
Continued thanks to all of you for your love and support. Enjoy your summer days!
Heather
Hope you are all enjoying this great summer weather and deep fried fair food! I went to the fair the other night to see "Who's Bad", a Michael Jackson tribute band. Made me miss the King of Pop even more. There's nobody like him. On top of that, I went to the fair 2 days into my 21 days Cleanse Program - no fair food for me. Hopefully one of you will enjoy a deep fried Oreo on my behalf:)
Bonnie is going really well. She's enjoying her new found freedom and taking advantage of her driving opportunities. The frustrating part is that most of her driving involves doctor appointments instead of Girl Scout meetings or shopping for some party she is planning. Cancer sucks! However, the brave face stays on knowing that this too shall pass.
Yesterday Bonnie, Bug and B made a trip to Lisa to get a new hairdo in anticipation of the loss of her hair at some point during the treatment. Unfortunately I could not join in the event, but I know Lisa took good care of all of them. Bonnie has a zip in her step and a new hairdo to go with it. She looks great and it's nice to see the girls involved as well. Take a look:
There are a couple of issues she is still dealing with: the swelling in her arm is the main one at this point. She is getting PT to help with the range of motion and to get the fluid to drain properly. Although this is really annoying, Bonnie isn't letting that keep her down.
The next big step will be on July 8th when Bonnie goes in to have the chemo shunt (?) put in. That will be a very early morning appointment that Tom will take her to.
Chemo will start the next day on July 9th. I will take her to this appointment and entertain her with my dry wit and awesome vocal skills. No seriously - I will just sit there while she talks to every single person in the chemo room. 4-5 hours of this? I wonder if I can get a Vodka drip line for me??
The good news is that although she will be making regular trips to "Dr. Poison", our little sister and her family (including the new baby she is adopting) will be down to visit on July 12th. It will be great to see her and to get the sisters and cousins together. It's nice to have something to look forward to other than doctor appointments.
Continued thanks to all of you for your love and support. Enjoy your summer days!
Heather
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Great news!
Hi Everyone,
Happy 2nd day of summer! It's a beautiful day today and I'm happy to report that Bonnie is enjoying the sunshine DRAIN FREE! Yes!! She visited Dr. McDreamy yesterday afternoon and removed the drains. No pain and a quick process. This is a big step in her recovery and she is really, really relieved to have some more freedom. Her body is still healing, but coming along very nicely. The best part was hearing she went and celebrated with a Margarita at Alfonso's in La Jolla. I'm happy that each little victory is being recognized. Wish I could have been there to raise a glass (or five) to my awesome nursing skills. After all, isn't this really what it's all about?
The next step will be to get approval to start driving. We are hoping that she will hear from him very soon, as that will be another positive step forward. It will also be another headache for me, as I will need to spend time trying to keep her from over doing it (along with the rest of you guys!). If anyone knows where I can buy one of those children's dog leashes you see on kids at Disneyland, let me know. I'm interested. I'll make it fit her one way or the other:)
So, along with this new found freedom, comes some challenges: can she wash her hair by herself? can she bake without full range of motion of her arms? I for one, look forward to seeing what Bonnie Crocker can produce in the kitchen.
A goal for Bonnie is to start exercising (what's that? you need to start to?). After years of teaching fitness classes, I landed on the following saying, as the best motivation: Exercise first thing in the morning before your brain knows what you are doing! It would be great if we could start a walking group combined with a weight training session with Bonnie. She would be great motivation for anyone that also wants to workout. Just be sure she has her harness on so she doesn't get too far ahead of you!
“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
― Henry David Thoreau
Enjoy the sunshine,
Heather
Happy 2nd day of summer! It's a beautiful day today and I'm happy to report that Bonnie is enjoying the sunshine DRAIN FREE! Yes!! She visited Dr. McDreamy yesterday afternoon and removed the drains. No pain and a quick process. This is a big step in her recovery and she is really, really relieved to have some more freedom. Her body is still healing, but coming along very nicely. The best part was hearing she went and celebrated with a Margarita at Alfonso's in La Jolla. I'm happy that each little victory is being recognized. Wish I could have been there to raise a glass (or five) to my awesome nursing skills. After all, isn't this really what it's all about?
The next step will be to get approval to start driving. We are hoping that she will hear from him very soon, as that will be another positive step forward. It will also be another headache for me, as I will need to spend time trying to keep her from over doing it (along with the rest of you guys!). If anyone knows where I can buy one of those children's dog leashes you see on kids at Disneyland, let me know. I'm interested. I'll make it fit her one way or the other:)
So, along with this new found freedom, comes some challenges: can she wash her hair by herself? can she bake without full range of motion of her arms? I for one, look forward to seeing what Bonnie Crocker can produce in the kitchen.
A goal for Bonnie is to start exercising (what's that? you need to start to?). After years of teaching fitness classes, I landed on the following saying, as the best motivation: Exercise first thing in the morning before your brain knows what you are doing! It would be great if we could start a walking group combined with a weight training session with Bonnie. She would be great motivation for anyone that also wants to workout. Just be sure she has her harness on so she doesn't get too far ahead of you!
“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
― Henry David Thoreau
Enjoy the sunshine,
Heather
Monday, June 17, 2013
Update on Chemo treatment plan
Hi Everyone,
It's been a while! I hope all of you dad's out there had a wonderful Father's Day. And yes, if you have pets, they count as your children:)
Today was our visit to "Dr. Poison" (his words, not ours) to learn about his concept of Chemo treatment for Bonnie. It's a little strange to meet with your chemo guy and having to walk past the room where your treatment will be. Bonnie would very much like to have her treatments elsewhere - you know- in a place where there's a manicurist and a mega phone so she can talk to EVERYONE that crosses her path!
Dr. Banerji reviewed the pathology report with us, which we were pretty familiar with already. But, it was nice to get his take on it since he sees it from a different perspective. Like us, he too was disappointed to see that the 2 lymph nodes with cancer cells had ruptured the membrane. Darn it! We were almost home free as far as radiation goes, except for that. We still won't know the outcome of any need for radiation until Bonnie is further into her chemo treatments.
So, it looks like she will begin her chemo runs (no pun intended) the 2nd week of July. Not a specific start date yet, but Bonnie will make that decision this week. Her treatment will be a chemo session every 3 weeks for 6 rounds (18 weeks). We are looking at the middle of November for her to finish chemo. Then, another 3-4 weeks to recover from that before moving on with Lord only knows what else. Each chemo session is 4-5 hours and will involve numerous drugs to deal with side effects, none of which I can pronounce.
The good news is Dr. Banerji was insistent upon a few things: plenty of water, plenty of sleep and plenty of exercise! Finally! Something we both agree on! The more fit Bonnie can be, the easier the side affects will be on her.
How can you help? Please walk with her, sit with her while she rides her stationary bike, etc. Being a spin and boot camp instructor, I know she won't want me around her for any of that:)
Although Bonnie was prepared for the need for chemo, it's another thing when you have to sit down and talk a treatment plan. I could see her anxiety and uncertainty rising throughout the conversation and can't imagine what it must feel like to hear those words coming at her. I am only a bystander and it made me very anxious. Bonnie's brave face is still there, but I do also see this as a beautiful opportunity for her to get connected to her body, and let others have the joy in caring for her. I know that's what I experienced while taking care of her after the surgery. And, I know all of you that care so deeply for my sister, feel that joy too!
Her next appointment is this Friday where she returns to McDreamy and hopes to not only get the drains removed but also get clearance to drive. Watch out!
Stay tuned for more as we get closer to her start date.
Heather
It's been a while! I hope all of you dad's out there had a wonderful Father's Day. And yes, if you have pets, they count as your children:)
Today was our visit to "Dr. Poison" (his words, not ours) to learn about his concept of Chemo treatment for Bonnie. It's a little strange to meet with your chemo guy and having to walk past the room where your treatment will be. Bonnie would very much like to have her treatments elsewhere - you know- in a place where there's a manicurist and a mega phone so she can talk to EVERYONE that crosses her path!
Dr. Banerji reviewed the pathology report with us, which we were pretty familiar with already. But, it was nice to get his take on it since he sees it from a different perspective. Like us, he too was disappointed to see that the 2 lymph nodes with cancer cells had ruptured the membrane. Darn it! We were almost home free as far as radiation goes, except for that. We still won't know the outcome of any need for radiation until Bonnie is further into her chemo treatments.
So, it looks like she will begin her chemo runs (no pun intended) the 2nd week of July. Not a specific start date yet, but Bonnie will make that decision this week. Her treatment will be a chemo session every 3 weeks for 6 rounds (18 weeks). We are looking at the middle of November for her to finish chemo. Then, another 3-4 weeks to recover from that before moving on with Lord only knows what else. Each chemo session is 4-5 hours and will involve numerous drugs to deal with side effects, none of which I can pronounce.
The good news is Dr. Banerji was insistent upon a few things: plenty of water, plenty of sleep and plenty of exercise! Finally! Something we both agree on! The more fit Bonnie can be, the easier the side affects will be on her.
How can you help? Please walk with her, sit with her while she rides her stationary bike, etc. Being a spin and boot camp instructor, I know she won't want me around her for any of that:)
Although Bonnie was prepared for the need for chemo, it's another thing when you have to sit down and talk a treatment plan. I could see her anxiety and uncertainty rising throughout the conversation and can't imagine what it must feel like to hear those words coming at her. I am only a bystander and it made me very anxious. Bonnie's brave face is still there, but I do also see this as a beautiful opportunity for her to get connected to her body, and let others have the joy in caring for her. I know that's what I experienced while taking care of her after the surgery. And, I know all of you that care so deeply for my sister, feel that joy too!
Her next appointment is this Friday where she returns to McDreamy and hopes to not only get the drains removed but also get clearance to drive. Watch out!
Stay tuned for more as we get closer to her start date.
Heather
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
At home update - Wednesday
Hi Everyone,
It's hump day and the sun is out! What more could we ask for? How about some better pain killers for Bonnie (sounds of cheering in the background). Bonnie had a visit today with Dr. Apostolitis (aka: McDreamy) and things are moving along nicely. She has another appointment next Wednesday where he will consider removing the drains. That would be a real bonus! Let's pray for this, as that would really give her some relief and a little more Independence. Wait - maybe we shouldn't pray for Independence - you know how she gets:)
I will be visiting her tomorrow and getting a birds eye view on how she is doing, so I'll update the blog tomorrow afternoon as well.
The next big appointment is on June 17th - a visit with the oncologist to learn about the chemo treatment. I'll keep you updated on that as well.
Talk to you soon!
Heather
It's hump day and the sun is out! What more could we ask for? How about some better pain killers for Bonnie (sounds of cheering in the background). Bonnie had a visit today with Dr. Apostolitis (aka: McDreamy) and things are moving along nicely. She has another appointment next Wednesday where he will consider removing the drains. That would be a real bonus! Let's pray for this, as that would really give her some relief and a little more Independence. Wait - maybe we shouldn't pray for Independence - you know how she gets:)
I will be visiting her tomorrow and getting a birds eye view on how she is doing, so I'll update the blog tomorrow afternoon as well.
The next big appointment is on June 17th - a visit with the oncologist to learn about the chemo treatment. I'll keep you updated on that as well.
Talk to you soon!
Heather
Sunday, June 9, 2013
At home recovery update - Sunday
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for continuing to check the blog for updates. I went back to my house Friday night and will most likely stay here with visits to Bonnie during the week. She is still very much in the recovery phase and is coming along nicely with the exception of pain management. This is an area that we are still trying to get a grip on. The pain meds she has (2 kinds) are not really working so it is very difficult for her to get any relief. Tomorrow, she has a phone consult with her doctor and will discuss the pain issue with them in the hopes of getting something that will work. I do have her on one of my whole food products that she has been using to help her sleep (works great!) and am now having her take one during the day to help take the edge off. It is my hope that tomorrow we can get a resolution to this very draining issue.
For now, Bonnie will continue to rest at home, watch bad daytime TV and hopefully get some much needed sleep. We visit Dr. Mcdreamy on Wednesday for another check up, and expect to continue to get his seal of approval on her recovery.
Our next big appointment is on Monday, June 17th, when we visit the oncologist to get details on her chemo treatment. I will be sure to update the blog once we get some definitive information. I hope to also learn something about any possibility of radiation, as we are still unclear about that.
So, I will continue to post blogs, but for the next week, they may be a little more infrequent. Please continue to check in, even for my sarcastic jokes:)
As far as visits go, feel free to call her directly and see what she is up to. Once we get the pain level down, I'm sure she will be much more receptive to visitors.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. This is a long road we are all on, and I'm so happy to be able to walk this with my sister as well as all of you!
XO,
Heather
Thanks for continuing to check the blog for updates. I went back to my house Friday night and will most likely stay here with visits to Bonnie during the week. She is still very much in the recovery phase and is coming along nicely with the exception of pain management. This is an area that we are still trying to get a grip on. The pain meds she has (2 kinds) are not really working so it is very difficult for her to get any relief. Tomorrow, she has a phone consult with her doctor and will discuss the pain issue with them in the hopes of getting something that will work. I do have her on one of my whole food products that she has been using to help her sleep (works great!) and am now having her take one during the day to help take the edge off. It is my hope that tomorrow we can get a resolution to this very draining issue.
For now, Bonnie will continue to rest at home, watch bad daytime TV and hopefully get some much needed sleep. We visit Dr. Mcdreamy on Wednesday for another check up, and expect to continue to get his seal of approval on her recovery.
Our next big appointment is on Monday, June 17th, when we visit the oncologist to get details on her chemo treatment. I will be sure to update the blog once we get some definitive information. I hope to also learn something about any possibility of radiation, as we are still unclear about that.
So, I will continue to post blogs, but for the next week, they may be a little more infrequent. Please continue to check in, even for my sarcastic jokes:)
As far as visits go, feel free to call her directly and see what she is up to. Once we get the pain level down, I'm sure she will be much more receptive to visitors.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. This is a long road we are all on, and I'm so happy to be able to walk this with my sister as well as all of you!
XO,
Heather
Friday, June 7, 2013
At Home update
Hi Everyone,
Bonnie is coming along nicely. I think we have a routine established, which involves morning walks around the hood in her bathrobe and light socket hairdo, sipping tea while wandering around the house in "stepford" fashion, followed up with some drug induced hallucinations and a nice morning nap. Repeat. This is my life...:)
This morning we had a visit with Dr. "Mc" (you know the rest). Boy, did we both miss our hospital wake up call by him! He gave his stamp of approval on her progress with more instructions of continued rest and limited use of her arms. This is a very important phase of her healing, and I'm thankful to all of you for your patience. You all know Bonnie - if I give her a walk down to the corner, she thinks it means a trip to Disneyland. Needless to say, the good doctor wrote us a scrip for the stronger pain med, which really improves her ability to rest and heal (especially when I slip her a couple of extras just for fun!).
Bonnie will be up for some visits tomorrow. In order to keep her resting, we decided to keep "visiting hours" to 10am - 1pm. She has good energy once she is awake and I have knocked her around a bit. She does get tired towards the afternoon and thru the evening. It will be at least another full week or so before she will get clearance to drive or have full range of motion with her arms. And then...watch out!
I will continue in my roll as Nurse Ratched, however, I will be in and out this weekend. Hopefully, I will be able to meet those of you that I have not met yet.
On a serious note, Bonnie and I are very different in that she is clearly and extrovert and loves to meet new people. I am the opposite, being the shy, quiet one. For 50 years I have wondered why on earth she would need so many friends, while I am so very happy with my 5 (I made 2 new ones in the last 10 years) lifelong friends. With the out poring of love and support from all of you, I now understand how blessed my sister is.
See you all soon, I hope!
Nurse Ratched
Bonnie is coming along nicely. I think we have a routine established, which involves morning walks around the hood in her bathrobe and light socket hairdo, sipping tea while wandering around the house in "stepford" fashion, followed up with some drug induced hallucinations and a nice morning nap. Repeat. This is my life...:)
This morning we had a visit with Dr. "Mc" (you know the rest). Boy, did we both miss our hospital wake up call by him! He gave his stamp of approval on her progress with more instructions of continued rest and limited use of her arms. This is a very important phase of her healing, and I'm thankful to all of you for your patience. You all know Bonnie - if I give her a walk down to the corner, she thinks it means a trip to Disneyland. Needless to say, the good doctor wrote us a scrip for the stronger pain med, which really improves her ability to rest and heal (especially when I slip her a couple of extras just for fun!).
Bonnie will be up for some visits tomorrow. In order to keep her resting, we decided to keep "visiting hours" to 10am - 1pm. She has good energy once she is awake and I have knocked her around a bit. She does get tired towards the afternoon and thru the evening. It will be at least another full week or so before she will get clearance to drive or have full range of motion with her arms. And then...watch out!
I will continue in my roll as Nurse Ratched, however, I will be in and out this weekend. Hopefully, I will be able to meet those of you that I have not met yet.
On a serious note, Bonnie and I are very different in that she is clearly and extrovert and loves to meet new people. I am the opposite, being the shy, quiet one. For 50 years I have wondered why on earth she would need so many friends, while I am so very happy with my 5 (I made 2 new ones in the last 10 years) lifelong friends. With the out poring of love and support from all of you, I now understand how blessed my sister is.
See you all soon, I hope!
Nurse Ratched
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Day 1 at home - Finally
Good Morning Everyone,
It's a great day to be home! After a delightful stay at Scripps Memorial (aka: Marigold Hotel), where Bonnie received incredible care from very loving and sensitive people, we checked out yesterday afternoon. We had lots of help there, but our favorite nurse was Jordan. She was funny and kind and really knowledgeable. You would never know she has only been a nurse for 8 months. We had a ball with her!
We arrived home early last night to a delicious meal, warm shower and ice cold vodka. Oh yes, Bonnie came home too:) She was so happy to be back in her own home and resting comfortably in her bed. The evening ended with lots of meds and sleeping pills (yes, I shared mine with her).
This morning started off without our usual wake up call from McDreamy. What a let down that was! Instead, I wake up to puppy breath in my face and Bonnie wandering around the house. After some breakfast, a quick stroll down the street in her bathrobe (really??) and throwing the ball for Charlie as if I was a major league pitcher, we went back home. Trying to get Bonnie to relax and go back to bed once she is up, is a bit like herding kittens. I'm sure you get the picture. We will spend today resting, watching movies and keeping her so medicated, I get a break.
Tomorrow we go see McDreamy for a check up - at least I have that to look forward to:)
Love, Nurse Ratched
It's a great day to be home! After a delightful stay at Scripps Memorial (aka: Marigold Hotel), where Bonnie received incredible care from very loving and sensitive people, we checked out yesterday afternoon. We had lots of help there, but our favorite nurse was Jordan. She was funny and kind and really knowledgeable. You would never know she has only been a nurse for 8 months. We had a ball with her!
Once released, we had a visit with the surgeon who confirmed that Bonnie has Stage 2A cancer. She removed 23 lymph nodes and only 2 out of the 23 showed any cancer in them. This is all great news and we were very happy with these results. In 2 weeks we go to see the "poison doctor" to discuss chemo treatment (chemo is definite since there is cancer in the nodes). We will also have to meet with the radiologist to see if she needs any treatment there. We don't have any more details until after these meetings take place. For now, the protocol is rest, rest, and more rest (ya right - have you met Bonnie??)We arrived home early last night to a delicious meal, warm shower and ice cold vodka. Oh yes, Bonnie came home too:) She was so happy to be back in her own home and resting comfortably in her bed. The evening ended with lots of meds and sleeping pills (yes, I shared mine with her).
Tomorrow we go see McDreamy for a check up - at least I have that to look forward to:)
Love, Nurse Ratched
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Check out day!
Good Morning Everyone,
Yesterday was a challenge but we ended up increasing her pain meds which made a big difference. Bonnie was able to get comfortable towards the late afternoon and had a good night of rest as well. The staff here is so great and they are really supportive of a patients need for sleep.
Our morning started off around 7am with room service. This morning's special was a "lovely" bran muffin, followed up with smelly "astronaut" eggs. You know the kind - powdered eggs with some luke warm water mixed in. Delicious! Luckily, I brought some homemade breakfast bars (Bonnie is finally accepting them) and we still have some yummy snacks that various friends have brought over.
Around 7:30 McDreamy visited to check her progress and everything looks really great. He is really pleased with how she is healing and that there is no bruising. I wonder why he gave me a weird look when I asked him to check my "dressings"? We have instructions (ok - I have the instructions as Bonnie is too stoned to remember anything) to get her home, showered and comfortable.
As today is check out day, we will be unavailable after 12 noon. That will give Bonnie time this morning to visit with people, get in a good nap, and be ready to go by 3pm. After check out, we go right over to see her surgeon and get the results from the pathology report and hopefully more details on chemo and any possibility of radiation. I don't expect us to have her home until around 5pm or later.
If possible, I will try and post another update tonight regarding the results, but it will depend on how much time it takes me to get her settled in. Otherwise, I will update in the morning.
As Bonnie's body is still reeling from the surgery, it would be best if we held off on home visits until this weekend. Because she is so loaded up on meds, it's hard for her to understand the impact of all of this on her body, so I have to keep her rest time the main priority. I know she loves hearing from all of you, as I read her your texts, emails and blog comments. We both continue to be grateful for all the love and support. Thank you all for being so patient in regards to the visits. I know it's hard for all of you to not be able to see her, but I know she will also want to shower, wash her hair and have Marcia put on her "baby Jane" makeup so she can look presentable:)
Thanks again and love to all!
Heather
Yesterday was a challenge but we ended up increasing her pain meds which made a big difference. Bonnie was able to get comfortable towards the late afternoon and had a good night of rest as well. The staff here is so great and they are really supportive of a patients need for sleep.
Our morning started off around 7am with room service. This morning's special was a "lovely" bran muffin, followed up with smelly "astronaut" eggs. You know the kind - powdered eggs with some luke warm water mixed in. Delicious! Luckily, I brought some homemade breakfast bars (Bonnie is finally accepting them) and we still have some yummy snacks that various friends have brought over.
Around 7:30 McDreamy visited to check her progress and everything looks really great. He is really pleased with how she is healing and that there is no bruising. I wonder why he gave me a weird look when I asked him to check my "dressings"? We have instructions (ok - I have the instructions as Bonnie is too stoned to remember anything) to get her home, showered and comfortable.
As today is check out day, we will be unavailable after 12 noon. That will give Bonnie time this morning to visit with people, get in a good nap, and be ready to go by 3pm. After check out, we go right over to see her surgeon and get the results from the pathology report and hopefully more details on chemo and any possibility of radiation. I don't expect us to have her home until around 5pm or later.
If possible, I will try and post another update tonight regarding the results, but it will depend on how much time it takes me to get her settled in. Otherwise, I will update in the morning.
As Bonnie's body is still reeling from the surgery, it would be best if we held off on home visits until this weekend. Because she is so loaded up on meds, it's hard for her to understand the impact of all of this on her body, so I have to keep her rest time the main priority. I know she loves hearing from all of you, as I read her your texts, emails and blog comments. We both continue to be grateful for all the love and support. Thank you all for being so patient in regards to the visits. I know it's hard for all of you to not be able to see her, but I know she will also want to shower, wash her hair and have Marcia put on her "baby Jane" makeup so she can look presentable:)
Thanks again and love to all!
Heather
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Day 2 hospital update
Good Morning All,
To back up a bit and update you on the surgery results: after her surgeon was done yesterday, she came to tell Tom and I that they did find cancer cells in the lymph nodes. They took out as many nodes as they could and they are now in for testing. We will get those results tomorrow afternoon when we meet with Dr. Wild after checking out. We do know there will be some form of chemotherapy, but we won't get details on that or radiation until tomorrow afternoon. We are disappointed about the chemo, but realize that things could be worse.
We had a pretty good night. Bonnie was able to rest despite the monitoring by the nurses. She is getting great care here and everyone is very friendly and helpful. We changed up her pain meds as the original one wasn't working very well, so we are making some progress.
Our morning started with drool on my pillow, Bonnie's hair looking lovely, and a very early morning visit with McDreamy. He is really happy with her progress - no bruising and tissue is nice and pink and healthy. We are due to see him again tomorrow morning before she goes home (I'm waking up extra early to at least get mascara on both of us!).
Bonnie is in more pain today, but she is respecting her body and getting lots of rest. We went for a nice walk around the halls (no - I didn't leave the back of her gown open) and her drains are working nicely. I visited the cafeteria, and I am happy to report they carry lots of fresh, healthy foods, fruit and teas. Of course, I was slightly tempted to bring her a doughnut:)
We will limit visitors today, due to the increase in pain and added need for rest. The girls spoke with Bonnie last night and they are feeling pretty good her being here. They will come visit her later today/tomorrow.
I will get another post in as soon as I can get a connection tomorrow morning. It's a little difficult, as they don't have WiFi.
Thanks again everyone. I'm passing along your text messages and blog comments. Thanks so much for the love and prayers!
Nurse Ratched
To back up a bit and update you on the surgery results: after her surgeon was done yesterday, she came to tell Tom and I that they did find cancer cells in the lymph nodes. They took out as many nodes as they could and they are now in for testing. We will get those results tomorrow afternoon when we meet with Dr. Wild after checking out. We do know there will be some form of chemotherapy, but we won't get details on that or radiation until tomorrow afternoon. We are disappointed about the chemo, but realize that things could be worse.
We had a pretty good night. Bonnie was able to rest despite the monitoring by the nurses. She is getting great care here and everyone is very friendly and helpful. We changed up her pain meds as the original one wasn't working very well, so we are making some progress.
Our morning started with drool on my pillow, Bonnie's hair looking lovely, and a very early morning visit with McDreamy. He is really happy with her progress - no bruising and tissue is nice and pink and healthy. We are due to see him again tomorrow morning before she goes home (I'm waking up extra early to at least get mascara on both of us!).
Bonnie is in more pain today, but she is respecting her body and getting lots of rest. We went for a nice walk around the halls (no - I didn't leave the back of her gown open) and her drains are working nicely. I visited the cafeteria, and I am happy to report they carry lots of fresh, healthy foods, fruit and teas. Of course, I was slightly tempted to bring her a doughnut:)
We will limit visitors today, due to the increase in pain and added need for rest. The girls spoke with Bonnie last night and they are feeling pretty good her being here. They will come visit her later today/tomorrow.
I will get another post in as soon as I can get a connection tomorrow morning. It's a little difficult, as they don't have WiFi.
Thanks again everyone. I'm passing along your text messages and blog comments. Thanks so much for the love and prayers!
Nurse Ratched
Monday, June 3, 2013
Surgery day - update No. 1
We just met with Dr. Wild, her surgeon. She said Bonnie is doing really well and felt very positive about her part of the surgery. We are now waiting for an update from her plastics surgeon. We don't expect him to be done for another couple of hours. We hope to have more information by the end of the day. Once she is out of surgery, she will be in recovery for about an hour, then we go over to the hospital to get checked into her room.
I will try and get another update in today, depending on how things go. If not, I will definitely get another update in tomorrow morning.
Thanks so much!
Heather
I will try and get another update in today, depending on how things go. If not, I will definitely get another update in tomorrow morning.
Thanks so much!
Heather
Good Morning Friends/Family,
Today started off bright and early with the wake up call around 5am. Most of the morning was spent on regular pre-op tasks: laundry, vacuuming, throwing the ball for Charlie and making sure the hair looks good for McDreamy. After watching the girls make their own breakfast, we headed to the surgery center. There we were greeted by Marilyn, Bonnie's intake nurse. She also is a little sister and understood me right away - we bonded while Bonnie was telling stories of how she tortured me when we were young. Bonnie and I then went to get her into her operating gown and cute socks (oops - did I leave the back of the gown open?!). We then met with her anesthesiologist (another young, cute dr - I'm seeing a pattern here!) and her surgeon. Around 9:15 we walked Bonnie to her operating room doors and waved her off. Luckily, before then I had time to scrawl a note to her doctors on the front of her gown: "take care of my sister! XO, Heather, the much younger and less wrinkled sister". I'm certain the whole o.r. will appreciate the message.
Upon returning to the waiting area, we were greeted with Bonnie's prayer group. What a wonderful source of support and beautiful prayers were said. Bonnie has felt from the beginning that God was directing her thru this ordeal and she has had peace all along from that realization. Thank you ladies for your support and love.
We are now waiting for an update once her surgeon is done. This should be around 12 noon or so. Another post will follow once we get that update as well as the one we will receive later today from Dr. McDreamy.
XO, Heather (Nurse Ratched)
Today started off bright and early with the wake up call around 5am. Most of the morning was spent on regular pre-op tasks: laundry, vacuuming, throwing the ball for Charlie and making sure the hair looks good for McDreamy. After watching the girls make their own breakfast, we headed to the surgery center. There we were greeted by Marilyn, Bonnie's intake nurse. She also is a little sister and understood me right away - we bonded while Bonnie was telling stories of how she tortured me when we were young. Bonnie and I then went to get her into her operating gown and cute socks (oops - did I leave the back of the gown open?!). We then met with her anesthesiologist (another young, cute dr - I'm seeing a pattern here!) and her surgeon. Around 9:15 we walked Bonnie to her operating room doors and waved her off. Luckily, before then I had time to scrawl a note to her doctors on the front of her gown: "take care of my sister! XO, Heather, the much younger and less wrinkled sister". I'm certain the whole o.r. will appreciate the message.
Upon returning to the waiting area, we were greeted with Bonnie's prayer group. What a wonderful source of support and beautiful prayers were said. Bonnie has felt from the beginning that God was directing her thru this ordeal and she has had peace all along from that realization. Thank you ladies for your support and love.
We are now waiting for an update once her surgeon is done. This should be around 12 noon or so. Another post will follow once we get that update as well as the one we will receive later today from Dr. McDreamy.
XO, Heather (Nurse Ratched)
Friday, May 31, 2013
Bonnie's Pre-Op updates
Hi Everyone,
It has been a busy, informative week. Most importantly, Bonnie has been focused on getting prepared for upcoming surgery on Monday by getting a mani-pedi, haircut and color. After all, we can't have Dr. McDreamy (see pic below) working on her unless she's having a good hair day.
On Wednesday, we met with her surgeon, Mary Wild to review Bonnie's surgery plan, and today with Dr. Apostolides (aka Dr. McDreamy). She will be having a bi-lateral double mastectomy. We will arrive at the hospital at about 7am and she will go in for surgery around 9am. Once Dr Wild is finished, she will report to Tom and me to let us know how her part of the surgery went.
Immediately following, Dr. McDreamy will being his portion of the surgery and installation of the expanders. Once he is done, he will report to us on her status.
We expect the surgery to last about 5 hours. Bonnie will spend about 1 hour in recovery and will then be transferred to her room. I will stay with Bonnie her entire time at the hospital so Tom can take care of the girls. Actually, I'm really staying with her so I can take embarrassing pictures of her and post them here:)
We expect to be released from the hospital Wednesday, late afternoon after visiting with both doctors. We hope to have word from Dr Wild at that point as to any need for Chemo and/or Radiation. We have to wait for the pathology reports to come in, but we understand she has a way to get the results faster than others (be afraid lab techs - be very afraid).
Once released, I will take her home, prop her up in bed, and load her up on meds so I can continue my photo shoot.
We will visit Dr. McDreamy on Friday to check on her progress. At that point, he will give us time frames on future visits, etc.
Bonnie will be in a better position to receive visitors the week following her surgery, as I do expect her to be quite uncomfortable. She is not supposed to move around much, so if you do stop by, don't be surprised to see her drooling and strapped to the bed. It pays off to be married to a shrink who works at a psychiatric hospital and has access to these things.
I will post updates on Monday once we hear from the doctors, and will continue to do so during the week. I'm sure there will be many hilarious topics to cover: Bonnie passing gas in the recovery room, Dr. McDreamy checking her chest while we checkout his butt, etc.
Bonnie is feeling very happy with her medical team and the decisions she has made. Now - we just need to do this! We decided today it's like the week before your overdue haircut. The appointment can't get here soon enough!
Stay tuned and thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers! I keep Bonnie informed of your feedback and she is very, very appreciative of all of you.
Talk to you soon!
Nurse Rached (aka: Heather - the younger, less wrinkled sister)
It has been a busy, informative week. Most importantly, Bonnie has been focused on getting prepared for upcoming surgery on Monday by getting a mani-pedi, haircut and color. After all, we can't have Dr. McDreamy (see pic below) working on her unless she's having a good hair day.
On Wednesday, we met with her surgeon, Mary Wild to review Bonnie's surgery plan, and today with Dr. Apostolides (aka Dr. McDreamy). She will be having a bi-lateral double mastectomy. We will arrive at the hospital at about 7am and she will go in for surgery around 9am. Once Dr Wild is finished, she will report to Tom and me to let us know how her part of the surgery went.
Immediately following, Dr. McDreamy will being his portion of the surgery and installation of the expanders. Once he is done, he will report to us on her status.
We expect the surgery to last about 5 hours. Bonnie will spend about 1 hour in recovery and will then be transferred to her room. I will stay with Bonnie her entire time at the hospital so Tom can take care of the girls. Actually, I'm really staying with her so I can take embarrassing pictures of her and post them here:)
We expect to be released from the hospital Wednesday, late afternoon after visiting with both doctors. We hope to have word from Dr Wild at that point as to any need for Chemo and/or Radiation. We have to wait for the pathology reports to come in, but we understand she has a way to get the results faster than others (be afraid lab techs - be very afraid).
Once released, I will take her home, prop her up in bed, and load her up on meds so I can continue my photo shoot.
We will visit Dr. McDreamy on Friday to check on her progress. At that point, he will give us time frames on future visits, etc.
Bonnie will be in a better position to receive visitors the week following her surgery, as I do expect her to be quite uncomfortable. She is not supposed to move around much, so if you do stop by, don't be surprised to see her drooling and strapped to the bed. It pays off to be married to a shrink who works at a psychiatric hospital and has access to these things.
I will post updates on Monday once we hear from the doctors, and will continue to do so during the week. I'm sure there will be many hilarious topics to cover: Bonnie passing gas in the recovery room, Dr. McDreamy checking her chest while we checkout his butt, etc.
Bonnie is feeling very happy with her medical team and the decisions she has made. Now - we just need to do this! We decided today it's like the week before your overdue haircut. The appointment can't get here soon enough!
Stay tuned and thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers! I keep Bonnie informed of your feedback and she is very, very appreciative of all of you.
Talk to you soon!
Nurse Rached (aka: Heather - the younger, less wrinkled sister)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Bonnie's formal Diagnosis
Hi Everyone,
I thought it would be helpful for all of you to know Bonnie's formal diagnosis. She has "Ductal Carcinoma invasive/DCIS". Huh? What's that? It's basically good news, as far as bad new goes. She has one tumor in her right breast. It is invasive and contained in the duct. The tumor was discovered early and the prognosis is really good. All of her doctors have really positive thoughts about her recovery. This week continues to be a fact finding mission, with more information being provided in regards to the surgery. Her surgery is scheduled for the morning of June 3rd.
What we won't know until after the surgery is if she will need chemo and/or radiation. That will depend on what the pathology report reveals. We will not get those results until possibly a week or so after the surgery. That will be a long week, but she will be focused on recovering from the surgery, eating delicious home cooked meals by some of you, and reading my witty posts on this blog.
Bonnie would like to remind all of you of the importance of getting your yearly mammogram (remember - she's the oldest sister and has to remind people of things).
For now, Bonnie is busy getting the kids ready for birthday parties, end of school, keeping Charlie from chewing up the house, and will hopefully find time to bake Nurse Ratched (that's me) some of her yummy chocolate chip cookies:)
Talk to ya'll soon!
Heather
I thought it would be helpful for all of you to know Bonnie's formal diagnosis. She has "Ductal Carcinoma invasive/DCIS". Huh? What's that? It's basically good news, as far as bad new goes. She has one tumor in her right breast. It is invasive and contained in the duct. The tumor was discovered early and the prognosis is really good. All of her doctors have really positive thoughts about her recovery. This week continues to be a fact finding mission, with more information being provided in regards to the surgery. Her surgery is scheduled for the morning of June 3rd.
What we won't know until after the surgery is if she will need chemo and/or radiation. That will depend on what the pathology report reveals. We will not get those results until possibly a week or so after the surgery. That will be a long week, but she will be focused on recovering from the surgery, eating delicious home cooked meals by some of you, and reading my witty posts on this blog.
Bonnie would like to remind all of you of the importance of getting your yearly mammogram (remember - she's the oldest sister and has to remind people of things).
For now, Bonnie is busy getting the kids ready for birthday parties, end of school, keeping Charlie from chewing up the house, and will hopefully find time to bake Nurse Ratched (that's me) some of her yummy chocolate chip cookies:)
Talk to ya'll soon!
Heather
Friday, May 24, 2013
Blogger Introduction
Hi Everyone,
I am Heather Gregory, Bonnie's much younger and less wrinkled sister. I will be responsible for posting sensitive, heartfelt, embarrassing, humerous blogs about my sister's cancer treatment and progress. It is my hope that my blogs will bring you all comfort and laughter during this stressful time. I will thank you all in advance for caring so much for Bonnie. She is very fortunate to be surrounded by so many loving and thoughtful friends. I will also thank you for your anticipated appreciation of my sarcastic sense of humor, a valuable trait that helped secure me this position.
I look forward to meeting all of you and thanking you personally for your love, patience and support for my sister.
Just to give you an idea of the important, serious information that is about to be posted on this site, I thought I would start by introducing you to her young, very attractive Plastic Surgeon. He is a genius!
I am Heather Gregory, Bonnie's much younger and less wrinkled sister. I will be responsible for posting sensitive, heartfelt, embarrassing, humerous blogs about my sister's cancer treatment and progress. It is my hope that my blogs will bring you all comfort and laughter during this stressful time. I will thank you all in advance for caring so much for Bonnie. She is very fortunate to be surrounded by so many loving and thoughtful friends. I will also thank you for your anticipated appreciation of my sarcastic sense of humor, a valuable trait that helped secure me this position.
I look forward to meeting all of you and thanking you personally for your love, patience and support for my sister.
Just to give you an idea of the important, serious information that is about to be posted on this site, I thought I would start by introducing you to her young, very attractive Plastic Surgeon. He is a genius!
Looking forward to keeping you all updated.
Heather
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)