So after the second chemo treatment last week it has been a week of ups and downs for Bonnie. A couple of good days but more harder days with stomach issues and just feeling crummy. Saturday was a three dog day.









Greta managed the right side, Lily had the middle and Ali took charge of Bonnie's left side :-)

Fortunately Sunday was better and a little retail therapy helped! Bonnie found a couple of soft fleece hats at Kittery Trading Post which put a smile on her face!

Today we went back to Mercy for the weekly blood draw and as well Bonnie was interviewed by Kim Block from channel 13. They are doing a segment on breast cancer at Mercy that will air on September 30 between 5 and 6:30pm (we will know exactly when it will be on and remind you closer to the date).










Getting wired for sound!











Bonnie with Kim Block after they did the interview.











Bonnie, Kim Block, Mike (the Camera Guy), Dana and Dr Inhorn having a discussion of what they would film next.










They wanted a shot of Bonnie talking with her oncologist, Dr Inhorn

It was a busy day at the hospital and then we hurried back to Kennebunk to meet with the interior decorator for Bonnie's new cafe.........H.B. Cafe 2










That's another story for another day!!

Oh and by the way, the doctor was very happy with Bonnie's blood work today!

Helen

2 treatments down only 4 to go!

Yesterday Bonnie and I headed up to the infusion center at Mercy Hospital for Bonnie's second chemo treatment.

Everything went very smoothly and we were out of there by 4:30pm which was an hour quicker than last time. Bonnie was able to have a massage while she was getting the chemo which was a nice treat for her. They give her a healthy dose of Benadryl which makes her pretty sleepy so
she dosed a lot in the chair and listened to her new ipod









and ate lots of snacks.









When she got home Bonnie went to sleep very quickly and was able to enjoy a good night's sleep. Today she has had a busy day and felt great which is an effect of the steroids they give her for the side effects. She is in her usual great spirits thanks to so many wonderful and kind folks praying for her and cheering her on!

Helen

Shaving

So last week I cut Bonnie's hair with Greta's clippers!









But then there were lots of really short tiny hairs falling out all over the place. So we decided to get the clippers out again and shave away all her hair.

As soon as Greta







saw me getting out the clippers she disappeared!

We went out on the back deck so all the hairs wouldn't get all over the house!









The view from there is beautiful!

This time we set the clippers to the shortest setting and got this










which was just stubbly and now we just had even shorter hairs falling out.

So we got a razor and some shaving cream









and shaved her head!

And this time we got this










Bonnie is really happy with her nice shaped head and doesn't mind being bald except her head is cold. Fortunately wearing a hat helps keep her head warm so we have had some fun shopping for new hats!!

Helen

Going, Going, Going Gone!

This is the morning to get rid of the hair! So much of it is falling out and it is everywhere so Bonnie decided it was time to go!










Before the shearing began, she is excited to get it cut very, very short!










Half of her head was done!










What a beautiful head and Bonnie loves it!










And a great hat to finish the look!

Yesterday Bonnie saw Dr Inhorn again yesterday and he is very pleased with how well she is doing in her treatment. Of course her white blood count is low which is expected and he is confident it will be back at a good level for next weeks chemo treatment.

So in the mean time Bonnie is cautious of germy things and is installing Purell hand sanitizer dispensers in the store for everyone to use. As we all know money is a huge carrier of germs (Bonnie heard on TV that swine flu can live on money for two weeks) so Bonnie is trying to be even more mindful of washing hands/sanitizing after handling.

Bonnie is looking forward to a busy weekend with terrific weather and lots of fun before her next treatment on Tuesday.......until then.

Helen

An update

So it has been 10 days since Bonnie's first chemo treatment last Tuesday. The first couple of days were a breeze and all was going very well until Thursday night when Bonnie began experiencing significant joint pain. She described it as shooting, electrical pain in her elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. Friday was a hard day for her with a lot of pain and difficulty sleeping and just getting comfortable. Saturday started off pretty tough but by the afternoon she was beginning to feel better and we headed down to the beach for a short walk and a little fresh air. Bonnie called the doctor finally on Saturday (I had been away Thursday to Saturday finishing up moving) after a little pressure from me and the recommendation was to take Advil and Tylenol. It was hard to get ahead of the pain but by Saturday night she was feeling a little better. Sunday we went back to the beach and this time walked in the water which was very helpful for her knee and foot pain so we did that again on Monday and Tuesday.

A trip to Mercy for the weekly blood draw was Tuesday's event and she got a thumb's up on the blood work. Her white blood cells are a little low (3.5 down from 5.2) but they said not to worry unless it goes below 3. Dr. Inhorn also said they will give her something more for pain after the next chemo treatment to avoid that much discomfort.

Yesterday we went to Sanford to the Cancer Center for Bonnie's consultation with the radiation doctor, Celine Godin. She was very nice and gave Bonnie lots of information about radiation and the process involved with that part of the treatment which will occur in early February.

So now Bonnie is feeling pretty well, not 100% but good enough to be working and keeping everything running well in the store. This is the time when her white blood cells will be the lowest so she is keeping her distance from many people and is being extra cautious about washing her hands etc. So please ask her about hugging right now because she is very sensitive to all the germs out there and definitely does not want to get sick now.

Bonnie is waiting for her hair to fall out! Dr Inhorn and nurse Caroline have a bet going between 2 weeks and 3 weeks from her first chemo treatment. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Helen

First Chemo Appointment

As we sit here in the infusion area of the new Mercy hospital there is a young woman who has just completed her 6th and final chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. We cheered her success and she encouraged Bonnie as she headed out.

Today is the first of Bonnie's 6 chemotherapy treatments and she is very successfully making it through. She has been busy with her blackberry sending emails and making phone calls so that everything keeps flowing at the store! The TV here also helps and she has had a few walks, pushing the IV pole around the halls. They did give her some Benedryl for prevention of allergy reaction and that has made her a little drowsy. We have a few more hours left so hopefully she will get in a little nap!

Last week Bonnie had a bone scan, a CAT scan from her neck to her pelvis and she also had an echo cardiogram. There is no other cancer in her body except in her breast and lymph node so that is the good news. In the bone scan the doctor said he saw something in Bonnie's knee and she showed him the scars from a prior surgery, next he said there was something in her left hip and she then explained how she had fallen off her bike last winter and suffered an injury as a result. Wow it was amazing that the scan was able to pick up Bonnie's history as it relates to her bones! Next we were able to see all the little slices from the CAT scan which was so neat and interesting to see her from the inside out. Dr. Inhorn wasn't sure about one little spot he saw and so he dialed up the phone and we were able to listen to the dictation from the radiologist. The little spot on the liver is a simple cyst that is a very common occurrence. Technology is a wonderful thing and seeing the scan and hearing the dictation only an hour after the test was done! Bonnie was very relieved that the tests were all clear and felt ready to move on to taking care of the breast cancer.

It was a busy weekend and the highlight was meeting Carly Simon in the store on Saturday night!!

Bonnie has also signed up to be part of a clinical trial where they are using the drug Ixabepilone (Ixempra), Carboplatin and Herceptin for her chemotherapy. The Ixabepilone is currently used for women with metastatic cancer with great success so they are trying it now for someone with locally advanced breast cancer which Bonnie has. The side affects seem to be less than other chemotherapy so Bonnie is even more confident about all of the treatment. The trial is being done all over the country and will include 60 participants, Bonnie is the first one in this trial here at Mercy and she loves that she is helping others through her treatment.

Working on her tan....

This morning Bonnie and I headed up to Mercy Hospital in Portland so she could get her Mediport put in. The nurse, Colette, was wonderful and all the prep work was done effortlessly. When it was time for Bonnie to go in for the surgery they showed me the way to the waiting room (I love medical stuff and would have gone in to watch if they let me!!) and a little over an hour they came and got me and Bonnie was back in her space sitting up and feeling great. They brought her some breakfast which she ate and then we were able to leave shortly after that.
The instructions were to take it easy, keep the incision from getting wet and of course keep an eye out for anything weird happening.
So Bonnie is being the good patient and sitting out on the back deck working on her tan!










Since she has a fabulous team of staff that have all stepped up to the plate it is easy for Bonnie to relax and take care of herself. She is so appreciative of all the kindness and offers of help from her friends and family.

Helen