Bonnie's Out of the Hospital!

Hi Everyone,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love, Heather

Bonnie's Reconstructive Surgery 9/17

Hi Everyone,

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

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

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

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

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

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

XOXO, Heather

Hi Everyone,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love, Heather/Nurse Ratchet