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
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
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
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
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
Friday, January 17, 2014
It's a New Year - What will your priorities be?
Happy New Year Everyone,
I missed all of you over the holiday season and I hope you had time to slow down, enjoy family and friends and count your blessings. 2013 proved to be a challenging year with many unexpected life events. It definitely gave me reason to pause and reassess my perspective and goals. I am embracing 2014 as the year of renewed hope and focusing on family and friends. For those of you that know me, I make a daily commitment to my health and nutrition so luckily, I don't have to add that to my goal list. How about you? What will you be placing as your top 3 priorities? How will you accomplish them? I am confident that you will achieve whatever they are. Let us all remember to wake up each morning and count our blessings.
I last left you with an update on Bonnie, just prior to Thanksgiving. Thankfully, the family kept their Thanksgiving holiday celebrations to a minimum and had a nice, quiet dinner with just the kids. It was a good time for Bonnie to continue to practice "relaxing and resting".
On December 12th, Bonnie had surgery to repair a thumb sized whole in her chest, which was a result of previous surgeries and was in a spot that was not able to heal properly. The surgery was successful. Christmas came and went with time being spent with friends and family. She was able to enjoy chocolate again and alcohol wasn't so bad either. The best Christmas gifts she could have received:)
Unfortunately, the day after Christmas came with a high fever. As we all know, this is a red flag, Defcon 5 warning sign. She immediately went on antibiotics and was able to avoid another trip to the ER or a stay at the Scripps Spa. This was great news, as it would not have been fun to end a challenging year there.
THE BEST NEWS OF ALL: Bonnie is now considered CANCER FREE!! What this really means is good news for the rest of us: if she starts to use cancer as an excuse for something, please feel free to call her out. That lame excuse won't work anymore!
At this point, Bonnie is seeing Dr. A periodically for check ups, as well as her other team of doctors. She will not have reconstructive surgery until the end of summer. The time in between will be spent focusing on healing, improving strength and her immune system.
Since we don't anticipate anymore surprises along the way, I will be radio silent until we get a little closer to reconstruction. Since Bonnie's body rejects foreign objects and is no longer a candidate for implants, the reconstruction surgery will consist of a tummy tuck/breast reconstruction called DIEP Flap surgery. This is a 10-12 hour surgery, so there will be lots for me to keep you updated on. I will be in touch again as the conversations start up in regards to same.
Bonnie has requested that I be sure to THANK everyone for all of the cards, well wishes, gifts, flowers, Natalie's all time favorite, Edible Arrangements, signs, dinners delivered with love,
phone calls, emails, texts, YOUR LOVE, SUPPORT AND FRIENDSHIP shown to her and family have meant the world to her!! You are all such an amazing group of friends!
I will leave you with a few more pictures to enjoy. Wishing all of you the best in 2014, Stay healthy and committed to your goals!
Love you all,
Heather
I missed all of you over the holiday season and I hope you had time to slow down, enjoy family and friends and count your blessings. 2013 proved to be a challenging year with many unexpected life events. It definitely gave me reason to pause and reassess my perspective and goals. I am embracing 2014 as the year of renewed hope and focusing on family and friends. For those of you that know me, I make a daily commitment to my health and nutrition so luckily, I don't have to add that to my goal list. How about you? What will you be placing as your top 3 priorities? How will you accomplish them? I am confident that you will achieve whatever they are. Let us all remember to wake up each morning and count our blessings.
I last left you with an update on Bonnie, just prior to Thanksgiving. Thankfully, the family kept their Thanksgiving holiday celebrations to a minimum and had a nice, quiet dinner with just the kids. It was a good time for Bonnie to continue to practice "relaxing and resting".
On December 12th, Bonnie had surgery to repair a thumb sized whole in her chest, which was a result of previous surgeries and was in a spot that was not able to heal properly. The surgery was successful. Christmas came and went with time being spent with friends and family. She was able to enjoy chocolate again and alcohol wasn't so bad either. The best Christmas gifts she could have received:)
Unfortunately, the day after Christmas came with a high fever. As we all know, this is a red flag, Defcon 5 warning sign. She immediately went on antibiotics and was able to avoid another trip to the ER or a stay at the Scripps Spa. This was great news, as it would not have been fun to end a challenging year there.
THE BEST NEWS OF ALL: Bonnie is now considered CANCER FREE!! What this really means is good news for the rest of us: if she starts to use cancer as an excuse for something, please feel free to call her out. That lame excuse won't work anymore!
At this point, Bonnie is seeing Dr. A periodically for check ups, as well as her other team of doctors. She will not have reconstructive surgery until the end of summer. The time in between will be spent focusing on healing, improving strength and her immune system.
Since we don't anticipate anymore surprises along the way, I will be radio silent until we get a little closer to reconstruction. Since Bonnie's body rejects foreign objects and is no longer a candidate for implants, the reconstruction surgery will consist of a tummy tuck/breast reconstruction called DIEP Flap surgery. This is a 10-12 hour surgery, so there will be lots for me to keep you updated on. I will be in touch again as the conversations start up in regards to same.
Bonnie has requested that I be sure to THANK everyone for all of the cards, well wishes, gifts, flowers, Natalie's all time favorite, Edible Arrangements, signs, dinners delivered with love,
phone calls, emails, texts, YOUR LOVE, SUPPORT AND FRIENDSHIP shown to her and family have meant the world to her!! You are all such an amazing group of friends!
I will leave you with a few more pictures to enjoy. Wishing all of you the best in 2014, Stay healthy and committed to your goals!
Love you all,
Heather
Monday, December 9, 2013
And Finally.......Some Great news!!!
Hello Everyone,
Since Bonnie was released from "the spa", she has been faced with daily doses of antibiotics and various doctor visits. It's almost hard to remember that her calendar used to be filled with Girl Scout Meetings, carpools and party planning. One day, those things will once again take over her calendar and this past year will be a distant memory about a hard fought battle, with a wonderful outcome.
This past Friday Bonnie finally got the best news we could have hoped for . NO RADIATION!!
She consulted with her radiologist who gave her all of the criteria by which he makes his decision. Even after getting his expert advise, Bonnie did the right thing and had him present her case to an expert panel. They too decided that she did not fit the criteria and radiation was not recommended.
Praise Jesus. We were beginning to wonder if he heard our prayers, as it seemed anything that could go wrong, was going wrong. Did we not pray the "right" way? Not often enough? No, it was just another test of faith: "Let all that I am Praise the Lord: May I never forget the good things he has done for me". Psalm 103:2
This good news has brought a whole new meaning to this Thanksgiving. Too often we tend to focus on what is not right in our lives, what we want but don't have, what we desire but don't always deserve. This can take us away from realizing all that we DO have, right here, right now. I know this Thanksgiving, and everyday, I have so much to be thankful for. My sister has fought a hard battle, bares her scars with pride and a smile. Our little sister has opened her heart and her home to a little baby that otherwise may have fallen into the foster system and been forgotten. This baby is now surrounded with love and hope. My family is happy and healthy and we are expecting our first grandchild in December. Life is wonderful and I am thankful.
How about you? What will you be thankful for? Is there something or someone that you need to really focus on and truly be grateful? How about yourself? How often do we bring the focus on our own dreams and goals and make ourselves a priority? I offer you a challenge to really think hard about the blessings in your life. You know - the ones that you don't ordinarily think of as a blessing. For example: my daughter is a procrastinator. Drives me nuts. I can't stand it and I'm on her all the time to "make plans". I realized that I need to see her as she is: a hard working, smart, funny young woman who is finding her way in the world. And, I am grateful for her and frankly, I'm grateful that I learned to step back, breath and let her be. It's a process.
Whatever you give thanks for, I wish you and your families a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. I too give thanks to all of you. My faith in the human spirit and our ability to reach out to others in need has increased tenfold thanks to all of you and your generosity.
Heather
Since Bonnie was released from "the spa", she has been faced with daily doses of antibiotics and various doctor visits. It's almost hard to remember that her calendar used to be filled with Girl Scout Meetings, carpools and party planning. One day, those things will once again take over her calendar and this past year will be a distant memory about a hard fought battle, with a wonderful outcome.
This past Friday Bonnie finally got the best news we could have hoped for . NO RADIATION!!
She consulted with her radiologist who gave her all of the criteria by which he makes his decision. Even after getting his expert advise, Bonnie did the right thing and had him present her case to an expert panel. They too decided that she did not fit the criteria and radiation was not recommended.
Praise Jesus. We were beginning to wonder if he heard our prayers, as it seemed anything that could go wrong, was going wrong. Did we not pray the "right" way? Not often enough? No, it was just another test of faith: "Let all that I am Praise the Lord: May I never forget the good things he has done for me". Psalm 103:2
This good news has brought a whole new meaning to this Thanksgiving. Too often we tend to focus on what is not right in our lives, what we want but don't have, what we desire but don't always deserve. This can take us away from realizing all that we DO have, right here, right now. I know this Thanksgiving, and everyday, I have so much to be thankful for. My sister has fought a hard battle, bares her scars with pride and a smile. Our little sister has opened her heart and her home to a little baby that otherwise may have fallen into the foster system and been forgotten. This baby is now surrounded with love and hope. My family is happy and healthy and we are expecting our first grandchild in December. Life is wonderful and I am thankful.
How about you? What will you be thankful for? Is there something or someone that you need to really focus on and truly be grateful? How about yourself? How often do we bring the focus on our own dreams and goals and make ourselves a priority? I offer you a challenge to really think hard about the blessings in your life. You know - the ones that you don't ordinarily think of as a blessing. For example: my daughter is a procrastinator. Drives me nuts. I can't stand it and I'm on her all the time to "make plans". I realized that I need to see her as she is: a hard working, smart, funny young woman who is finding her way in the world. And, I am grateful for her and frankly, I'm grateful that I learned to step back, breath and let her be. It's a process.
Whatever you give thanks for, I wish you and your families a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. I too give thanks to all of you. My faith in the human spirit and our ability to reach out to others in need has increased tenfold thanks to all of you and your generosity.
Heather
And Finally.......released from the "Spa"
Hi Everyone,
I have missed posting updates for you and thank you for your patience. The time lapse was due to yet another unexpected, lengthy stay at the Scripps Resort & Spa. As some of you know, Bonnie developed another fever after her last and final chemo treatment, causing her to miss the Susan Komen Cancer Run. That was really upsetting as she really wanted to be there to thank everyone for their support and be amongst her new "cancer sisters/warriors". There were over 70 people in Bonnie's group, which included a mix of wonderful family, friends and NCL members. There was a total of over 14,000.00 participants. It was an incredible experience.
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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?
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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.
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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:)
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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
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