Just wanted to give a quick update on Bonnie's pathology report and her progress.
There were still some cancer cells found in the second tissue removal but there was a clear margin which is the good news. The radiation oncologist, Dr Godin and the breast surgeon, Dr. Molin consulted and they determined that all the remaining cells could be blasted away with the radiation. Dr. Molin explained that those few cells were really not worrisome to them and with more concentrated radiation in that area it would all be taken care of.
Bonnie is feeling much better and has been out walking most days last week. Next week she meets with Dr. Godin for the breast mapping where they determine exactly where the radiation will go. Then a couple of weeks after that and when she has had more time to heal from the surgeries, she will begin radiation.
Helen
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
One more time....
Well.........we went to see the oncologist yesterday and the pathology report had just come in which showed that there were still a few cancer cells found in the tissue. The real issue is that the cancer cells were right on the edge of the margin (the tissue they took) so they are now not sure if there are more cells further out in the breast because they were at the edge of the sample taken or if they got all the cells. So to find out the answer to this question (did they get all the cancer cells) is to do another surgery, take out another centimeter of tissue around where the tumor was and have pathology determine if there are more cancer cells there or not.
Dr. Molin only took a small amount of tissue because of Bonnie's dramatic clinical response (doctor's words) and that there was no sign of any cancer cells where the tumor once was. Well that was using ultrasound, feel and sight but the pathologists did find a few cells (remember it only takes one cell to wreak havoc for someone) which I think was a surprise to everyone.
So on Friday Bonnie will have another surgery. This will be a quicker surgery since there is no lymph node work to be done and this time it will be going into the same place which is now clearly marked with the sutures. The hard part will be that it is more anesthesia which is hard on her and then of course the extended healing time.
Bonnie is in good spirits about all of this although she is sick of being sick. I will write more to let you know how she is doing after the surgery.
Helen
Dr. Molin only took a small amount of tissue because of Bonnie's dramatic clinical response (doctor's words) and that there was no sign of any cancer cells where the tumor once was. Well that was using ultrasound, feel and sight but the pathologists did find a few cells (remember it only takes one cell to wreak havoc for someone) which I think was a surprise to everyone.
So on Friday Bonnie will have another surgery. This will be a quicker surgery since there is no lymph node work to be done and this time it will be going into the same place which is now clearly marked with the sutures. The hard part will be that it is more anesthesia which is hard on her and then of course the extended healing time.
Bonnie is in good spirits about all of this although she is sick of being sick. I will write more to let you know how she is doing after the surgery.
Helen
Thursday, December 31, 2009
It's All Good News!!
Wow, I did not realize it had been so long since I last wrote a blog. Well lots of things have been happening and they are all good!
First of all Bonnie had an ultrasound last week (it's all a blur maybe it was the week before that) and they were looking for the tumor in anticipation of her surgery (yup that was today but more on that later!). The ultrasound technician at Mercy was very nice and as she looked and looked she was unable to find any kind of tumor. Finally after several minutes she was able to locate the clip* but no tumor around it. We were able to look at the ultrasound from August with the big old tumor and then the same area again with NO tumor. How cool is that?? As nasty and yucky (yes that is a technical term) as the chemo was it seemed to have done the job and really gave a heave ho to that tumor.
After the ultrasound we went off to see the breast surgeon, Dr. Molin who explained that the surgery would be very minor and she would just take out the clip and some surrounding cells and then just a few lymph nodes. Now remember when Bonnie saw the first breast surgeon she assured Bonnie she would definitely have to have a mastectomy so she really has come a long way in this roller coaster ride.
With the good news about the tumor Bonnie has had a couple of good weeks and has been very busy getting the new H.B. Cafe 2 ready to open. The Cafe is located at the new Goodall Health/Quest Fitness facility and opened last Monday, it is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 2pm. It is a very nice Cafe and seems to be another excellent business for Bonnie. Back in October Bonnie was looking to hire someone to manage the Cafe and I was looking for a job so she hired me to do the job. Now we plan all the doctor appointments in the afternoon so I can still go with her to all of those. Also we planned the surgery for today because the Cafe is closed New Year's Day and then the weekend so I will be around for a couple of days to help around here while she recovers.
With all this talk about the surgery I should tell you again that it was today and went without a hitch. Everyone was so kind and helpful which made it even better for Bonnie. The surgeon made two small incisions, one for the breast tissue (is this too much information??) and the other for the 4 lymph nodes they took out. She had very little pain and she will take Vicodin every 4 hours until tomorrow and hopefully by then she will be ready to just take extra strength Tylenol and Advil. For now she is sleeping in the reclining couch and has her two dogs sleeping right on her, I will wake her in a few hours to give her more Vicodin just to keep ahead of the pain as was suggested by the nurse.
Presurgery
So as 2009 comes to a close Bonnie has made great progress in stomping out the cancer in her body. She is a real fighter as you all know and has been a champ through all the treatments. She will still have to have radiation but that will not begin until early February so I am looking forward to her healing from the surgery and then feeling pretty good for a few weeks before the next phase.
That's all for now.
Happy New Year!
Helen
*The clip was put in back in August, it is the size of a rice grain and inserted in the middle of the tumor so later they can find where the tumor is or was.
First of all Bonnie had an ultrasound last week (it's all a blur maybe it was the week before that) and they were looking for the tumor in anticipation of her surgery (yup that was today but more on that later!). The ultrasound technician at Mercy was very nice and as she looked and looked she was unable to find any kind of tumor. Finally after several minutes she was able to locate the clip* but no tumor around it. We were able to look at the ultrasound from August with the big old tumor and then the same area again with NO tumor. How cool is that?? As nasty and yucky (yes that is a technical term) as the chemo was it seemed to have done the job and really gave a heave ho to that tumor.
After the ultrasound we went off to see the breast surgeon, Dr. Molin who explained that the surgery would be very minor and she would just take out the clip and some surrounding cells and then just a few lymph nodes. Now remember when Bonnie saw the first breast surgeon she assured Bonnie she would definitely have to have a mastectomy so she really has come a long way in this roller coaster ride.
With the good news about the tumor Bonnie has had a couple of good weeks and has been very busy getting the new H.B. Cafe 2 ready to open. The Cafe is located at the new Goodall Health/Quest Fitness facility and opened last Monday, it is open Monday through Friday from 7am to 2pm. It is a very nice Cafe and seems to be another excellent business for Bonnie. Back in October Bonnie was looking to hire someone to manage the Cafe and I was looking for a job so she hired me to do the job. Now we plan all the doctor appointments in the afternoon so I can still go with her to all of those. Also we planned the surgery for today because the Cafe is closed New Year's Day and then the weekend so I will be around for a couple of days to help around here while she recovers.
With all this talk about the surgery I should tell you again that it was today and went without a hitch. Everyone was so kind and helpful which made it even better for Bonnie. The surgeon made two small incisions, one for the breast tissue (is this too much information??) and the other for the 4 lymph nodes they took out. She had very little pain and she will take Vicodin every 4 hours until tomorrow and hopefully by then she will be ready to just take extra strength Tylenol and Advil. For now she is sleeping in the reclining couch and has her two dogs sleeping right on her, I will wake her in a few hours to give her more Vicodin just to keep ahead of the pain as was suggested by the nurse.
Presurgery
So as 2009 comes to a close Bonnie has made great progress in stomping out the cancer in her body. She is a real fighter as you all know and has been a champ through all the treatments. She will still have to have radiation but that will not begin until early February so I am looking forward to her healing from the surgery and then feeling pretty good for a few weeks before the next phase.
That's all for now.
Happy New Year!
Helen
*The clip was put in back in August, it is the size of a rice grain and inserted in the middle of the tumor so later they can find where the tumor is or was.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
A Day to Celebrate
Hello friends!
Back in September this day seemed like miles and days away but we celebrated today as Bonnie finished her last chemotherapy treatment! All of the usual stuff happened and it was really quite uneventful and a huge relief.
So in the next few weeks there will be an ultrasound, an echo cardiogram plus a few more blood tests and a doctor visit before the 31st and surgery. Bonnie is so proud that she has made it through the hard part and is looking forward to getting on with the rest of the treatment.
So that's it for today and we are looking forward (OK I am looking forward) to a little storm tomorrow!
Helen
Back in September this day seemed like miles and days away but we celebrated today as Bonnie finished her last chemotherapy treatment! All of the usual stuff happened and it was really quite uneventful and a huge relief.
So in the next few weeks there will be an ultrasound, an echo cardiogram plus a few more blood tests and a doctor visit before the 31st and surgery. Bonnie is so proud that she has made it through the hard part and is looking forward to getting on with the rest of the treatment.
So that's it for today and we are looking forward (OK I am looking forward) to a little storm tomorrow!
Helen
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Good News!!
Greetings!
The good news is that Bonnie is beginning to feel better from the pneumonia. It has been a slow recovery that is attributed to her getting beaten up by the chemotherapy every 3 weeks since September. Today for the first time since Thursday she was up and about and up to Portland to see the doctor.
The first appointment today was with Dr Molin who is the breast surgeon. The GREAT news is that the tumor can not be felt at all and that means there is very little that will need to be removed and only a couple of lymph nodes as well. The first doctor Bonnie saw in August had told her she would have a complete mastectomy and a large section of lymph nodes removed so she has come a long way in regards to the surgery! The surgery is scheduled for December 31 which will then give her a longer weekend for recovery. The surgery will be done at the new Mercy hospital as an outpatient, Dr. Molin said it will take approximately 1.5 hours from start to finish which seems pretty good. Carolyn (the chemo nurse) did say the recovery will be a little longer again because of all the chemo over the last few months and that Bonnie needs to really rest and give herself time to heal.
The next step after the surgery will be the radiation which will begin about a month after the surgery. For now Bonnie's sight's are on next Tuesday, the 8th which is when she will have the last round of chemo! YEAH!!
In the meantime work has been progressing on the new H.B. Cafe 2 which will be opening around the 16th of December. The new Cafe is located at the new Goodall Hospital/Quest Fitness facility on Livewell Drive in Kennebunk. Bonnie has been trying to find someone to run the Cafe and I have been looking for a job so it seems a good fit that I will run and manage the Cafe.
If you are here in town this weekend, we hope you have tons of fun at Prelude and if you are not here in town we wish you were because Prelude is one of the best events of the year!!
Helen
The good news is that Bonnie is beginning to feel better from the pneumonia. It has been a slow recovery that is attributed to her getting beaten up by the chemotherapy every 3 weeks since September. Today for the first time since Thursday she was up and about and up to Portland to see the doctor.
The first appointment today was with Dr Molin who is the breast surgeon. The GREAT news is that the tumor can not be felt at all and that means there is very little that will need to be removed and only a couple of lymph nodes as well. The first doctor Bonnie saw in August had told her she would have a complete mastectomy and a large section of lymph nodes removed so she has come a long way in regards to the surgery! The surgery is scheduled for December 31 which will then give her a longer weekend for recovery. The surgery will be done at the new Mercy hospital as an outpatient, Dr. Molin said it will take approximately 1.5 hours from start to finish which seems pretty good. Carolyn (the chemo nurse) did say the recovery will be a little longer again because of all the chemo over the last few months and that Bonnie needs to really rest and give herself time to heal.
The next step after the surgery will be the radiation which will begin about a month after the surgery. For now Bonnie's sight's are on next Tuesday, the 8th which is when she will have the last round of chemo! YEAH!!
In the meantime work has been progressing on the new H.B. Cafe 2 which will be opening around the 16th of December. The new Cafe is located at the new Goodall Hospital/Quest Fitness facility on Livewell Drive in Kennebunk. Bonnie has been trying to find someone to run the Cafe and I have been looking for a job so it seems a good fit that I will run and manage the Cafe.
If you are here in town this weekend, we hope you have tons of fun at Prelude and if you are not here in town we wish you were because Prelude is one of the best events of the year!!
Helen
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tis the Season
Well it seems that everywhere we turn these days folks are coughing and sneezing and trying to get rid of that darn cold. Well Bonnie has also joined in with the coughing and stuffy nose and although she spent a couple of days resting on the couch as soon as she felt a smidge better she was up and running again. That was all fine and dandy except she woke up yesterday morning feeling worse than ever. The terrible cough, feeling achy all over and finally a temperature. After a few chats with the nurse at Mercy we were off for chest x-rays which showed that Bonnie has a touch of pneumonia. She started on antibiotics immediately and the doctor says she should be feeling better in a day or two. The good news is that she is sleeping well and this morning is beginning to feel a little better.
The good news in all of this is that Bonnie's white blood count is very high from an extra drug she takes. This has been her saving grace in this little cold because she has the cells that help her fight off the infection.
I will say Bonnie has the most devoted little dogs who spend all their time sleeping on her or next to her and only leave her when I pick them up to take them out and then Lily growls at me until I get her outside!
I will keep you posted on how she is doing. Thanks again for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers.
Helen
The good news in all of this is that Bonnie's white blood count is very high from an extra drug she takes. This has been her saving grace in this little cold because she has the cells that help her fight off the infection.
I will say Bonnie has the most devoted little dogs who spend all their time sleeping on her or next to her and only leave her when I pick them up to take them out and then Lily growls at me until I get her outside!
I will keep you posted on how she is doing. Thanks again for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers.
Helen
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Chemo Treatment Number 5
Here we are at Mercy for treatment number 5. Bonnie has a wonderful seat with the sun streaming in and a beautiful view of the bay. The Benadryl has put her to sleep which helps to pass the time. Of course in Bonnie's head she is already finished with treatment number 5 and only has one more to go! It is quite an interesting journey with ups and downs along the way.
After her 4th treatment getting postponed because of her blood work she was given an additional medication that helps improve her blood count and as well helped her to feel better. Bonnie has been feeling pretty good for the last 2 weeks and has been quite active including a trip to upstate New York and Ohio to visit my daughters. Well she feels good but keeps doing nutty things like wearing her slippers all the way to Ohio (we drove) and insisting that the gray hairs growing in are blond!! We are all humoring her and having fun despite all the stuff she is going through.
The highlight of most of her days is going to the beach in the morning with the dogs. Not only does it get the dogs out but she loves walking on the beach and the sunrise is an added bonus too.
So the pattern after treatment is that on Wednesday she feels great (still on the steroid high) and from Thursday through the weekend she usually lays low. By Monday she will be ready to get on with things and will be busy with the approaching holiday so the timing is all good.
So while Bonnie is sleeping away the day here I am going to go for a walk.....
Helen
After her 4th treatment getting postponed because of her blood work she was given an additional medication that helps improve her blood count and as well helped her to feel better. Bonnie has been feeling pretty good for the last 2 weeks and has been quite active including a trip to upstate New York and Ohio to visit my daughters. Well she feels good but keeps doing nutty things like wearing her slippers all the way to Ohio (we drove) and insisting that the gray hairs growing in are blond!! We are all humoring her and having fun despite all the stuff she is going through.
The highlight of most of her days is going to the beach in the morning with the dogs. Not only does it get the dogs out but she loves walking on the beach and the sunrise is an added bonus too.
So the pattern after treatment is that on Wednesday she feels great (still on the steroid high) and from Thursday through the weekend she usually lays low. By Monday she will be ready to get on with things and will be busy with the approaching holiday so the timing is all good.
So while Bonnie is sleeping away the day here I am going to go for a walk.....
Helen
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