Bonnie Recovery

From invalid to biker

On this Mother’s Day, 2007 I’m celebrating four weeks in Youville Rehab hospital. When I came here after a week in intensive care, I was totally incapable of doing anything for myself. I was still starving myself; I drank far too little to sustain myself. It seems a long time to make any progress, but it hasn’t been that long. I‘m now able to get out of bed and walk around the room; I can sit at the sink and clean myself. And I’m eating and drinking. I expect to gain weight this week. I walk around the halls pretty easily now, though I’m still required to do that with a therapist. I hope to be approved for solo tomorrow.

In these pictures you see me wearing the shirt Ron wore in his century bike ride for the Leukemia Society.  This was my first time on the bike. It is good exercise and I will be doing it regularly. Walking the halls is my major exercise; I’m also walking up a set of stairs. I can do eight stairs prettily easily; I need to do twelve in order to get into the beach house,

I plan to be out of here by the 16^th. That will allow me to go to EDS graduation on the 17^th and after that we will start the drive to N.C. Abigale Jean Pollard has an appt to be born at 9:30 on May 9. I won’t be there then, but I’m eager to get there as soon as I can. She is already part of the family. I’m so looking forward to having that soft little head on my shoulder.  Here she is in utero in February

My transplant doctor doesn’t want me leaving Cambridge permanently until the first of the year. Our plans are to spend 2 weeks at a time in NC whenever we can get access to our houses there. I will be able to spend time at Jennifer’s to be close to them. In the meantime, we look forward to finding for a permanent place. I will continue in school as soon as I’m healthy enough, probably as an off campus student.

About ten days ago my health took a good turn for the better. Since then I’ve been much stronger. I still have weak days and sometimes sleep all day. Mostly though, I’m feeling better and able to do normal things for myself instead of calling for a nurse. OH, you have no idea how good this is.
Daniel is in NC until the 11^th, finishing up the reconstructing our beach house. It is getting beautiful. I’m so looking forward to being there. I miss Daniel, but I’m happy he is there.  He has had a bad cough and couldn’t be here with me often, so it is good that he is in NC taking care of business that makes him happy. I’m so grateful for his keeping the blog so that we can be in touch.

Thank you for listening, caring, and praying.
Bonnie for BanD

 

Abigale Jean Pollard

Yes, Abi arrived right on time today, about 10 am.  Scott has been sending me pictures of his new daughter all day.  What fun it is to get pictures on my cell phone.  It has been the next best thing to being in N.C. for the arrival.  Here is a picture of Abi taken about noon with her first hair bow and another one meeting her brothers for the first time about 3pm.

Abi arrived at 8lbs 2 ozs and 20 inches, just as her mom predicted.

Jen is doing well after the cesarean section.  Zach is very happy with his new sister.  Luc isn't quite sure what's going on, but his brother is reassuring him all is OK.   GrandBE is thrilled with her new granddaughter.

My exercise is going  well.  We'll be confirming with the doc on Friday that  we will  be going to NC for a couple if weeks.  Daniel will be home from NC tomorrow night.

Good Report; Sad Recommendation

I saw Dr. Cutler at Dana Faber yesterday.  All my counts are good; even my platelets are up.  It is clear that I'm making some of my own blood now.  I was able to walk from the adult clinic down the hall to the accounting office, a distance of over 1000 ft.  I learned that I gained three pounds last week.  The doc was pleased that I'm on my way to recovery and assured me that he is confident that I have a successful transplant and a bright future.

However he was very negative about our going to NC on May 17th.  I definitely cannot fly.  His concern is that I would be in "strange" environments.  I have been in a highly protected situation for almost six weeks.  Anyone who comes into my room wears a mask, gloves, and gown.  I wear these garbs whenever I leave the room.  In NC I'd be around the boys who bring germs home from school.  I'd be in restaurants and probably stores.  We have decided not to leave for NC immediately.

Still, this is my life and I think that it is foolish not to live for now.  "Now" may be all I have after all.  If any germ could be terminal for me because I am so immune compromised, that germ can find me anywhere.  I want to see my granddaughter, even if  briefly, while she is still a newborn;  I also want to  see my renovated  beach  house.   We will see how well I do when I leave the rehab center and decide whether to drive to NC the week of the 21st.

I am sad because I won't be able to leave for NC right away.  The bright side is that I will have more time to be with my EDS friends, many of which are graduating and leaving Cambridge at the end of the May.

Overall, life is good for us.  Daniel is back from NC.  He has three teams and Joe West, our California friend and carpenter, working on the house.  He has gone to upstate NY for his high school reunion.  I'm looking forward to walking the halls for exercise this weekend; if the weather improves a bit, I'll be walking in the courtyard.

Thank you for checking in; Daniel and I are enjoying your comments.

Close Call

Bonnie has been doing wonderfully at home.  Her physical therapist is amazed at how much progress she has made in 7 weeks.  Bonnie is able to get off a low couch and walk around the house and take care of her self very nicely now, though she is a bit unsteady on her feet.

We went to Dana Farber for Bonnie's weekly blood tests and checkup; Bonnie is making blood properly.  While her platelet counts continue to be low and her magnesium was so low that she needed yet another 3 hour infusion, her BMT specialist nurse was pleased with her progress.

We have been counting the months, weeks, days and hours until we could get in the car and drive to see our new grand daughter; after Bonnie's three hour infusion today we thought we would sneak off to NC between doctors visits - but oh no.... life is not so predictable or easy.  We had yet ANOTHER close call.

On our Way

Thursday, May 24; we are near the Virginia-NC border, 70 miles north of Rocky Point. Our nav system says we are 4 hours from Wilmington; it is 3pm and we would like to be there for Lucas’s spring program at 7. We may just miss it, or not; we have had a lot of near misses.

I’ll spend the next couple of nights at Jen’s house while Daniel goes to supervise the furniture move-back-in at the beach. I’ll go to the beach house to see the remodel on Saturday after Zac’s T-ball game. 

Have I mentioned how excited I am to be here? I’m feeling pretty good; I’m eating well and taking all my medications. We are looking forward to lots of boy-tickling and reading and to lots and lots of baby holding. Daniel will have more work than he wants to do on the beach house, but we are looking forward to enjoying it, especially the new cherry floors.

Love to you, Bonnie for BanD