Note from Michelle Ebersman on Bonnie's progress

Hi Gib,

I spoke to Bonnie today.

First, the medical news. As reported earlier on the Blog, she had that horrible rash but that went away. Then she had horrible G.I. problems from some bacteria in her system. Then yesterday she woke up with bright red hands and feet. It has spread to her entire body, including her throat and eyes. She said it is a "prickly" rash, rather than an "itchy" one and that the doctors think it is viral. She said that her lack of white blood cells has led to these problems and as the WBC count goes up, these problems will stop. She said her white blood cell count was up a teeny tiny bit up today. Tomorrow is the bone marrow biopsy..those results are the important ones. She said that what she is going through now is much worse than the cumulative of everything she has gone through up to this point.

However, she sounded stronger than I have heard her sound in quite some time. She was laughing and definitely has her sense of humor in tact. She had me laughing out loud on things that she made me swear I wouldn't repeat. She wanted the latest on the Burlingame gossip. Sadly, I had nothing. (C'mon, people, give me something to work with). She wanted to hear all about my baby Theo and little Anna Berman. Basically, the Bonnie we know and love was there today. Mike and the girls are still there. She loves seeing the girls but said it has been tough. The visits are short and this is the "worst" she has looked and felt and she is visibly much weaker than she has ever been.

Lastly, she had hoped to leave the hospital and get into her apartment by Labor Day but that will be pushed back at least a week b/c of the complications and the slow to-rise white blood cell count.

Hope this helps those that want info....

Michelle

Tiny update from Gib and Kristen -- sailing through

Kristen spoke to Bonnie yesterday and she was doing well -- just getting her on the phone is a good sign. Sounds like she has had some small fevers and a new skin rash, which Kristen suspects is graft v. host disease, which at this point Kristen considers a good thing.

Recall that graft v. host disease is an indicator of a "new" immune system fighting some of Bonnie, which is to say that the new immune system hasn't been trained to see Bonnie as "self," as of yet. The reason that this is good is that you want a little graft v. host disease to fight off any last vestiges of the leukemia cells that may be left in Bonnie's system. It's likely that Bonnie will take steroids at some point soon -- the steroids are used to dampen the immune response a bit, so that Bonnie won't get the skin rashes, etc. Scroll down the page to my old post "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cord-Blood Transplant But Were Afraid to Ask" if you haven't read it yet and want a little more background.

I'm sure it doesn't feel like this to Bonnie, but Kristen feels Bonnie has sailed through the treatment and is making good progress. Sounds like it is ok again to call Bonnie on her room phone at 612 273 0202. Don't freak out if she doesn't answer, however, as there are times that the meds leave her a little wiped, or she's simply in the bathroom.

A visit to Bonnie: Guest Blogger Audrey Klein

Here is a post from Audrey Klein, a friend of Bonnie who now lives in London. Audrey gets the award for the longest distance guest-blogger award. Here is her post, live from London, reflecting on a visit this past week to Bonnie in Minneapolis.

Dear Gib,

Hi. Hope you have been having a good August. I am Bonnie's friend who lives in London and emailed you earlier this month that I would be visiting Bonnie in Minneapolis.

As per our communications a few weeks ago, I spent I few days with Bonnie earlier this week...and am really glad I could be there.

The good news is that she was in good spirits and was laughing at all of my jokes (although as she has the same nutty sense of humor as I do, maybe she would have laughed anyway!)and we got to spend some solid quality time together. She also has excellent care...doctors and nurses who are also very nice and approachable.

The not so good news is this nasty rash she developed as a reaction to one of the drugs. The rash is all over her body and unfortunately the few white cells she has managed to develop rushed to fight the rash which has put the possibility of her having any white cell counts pretty dim. She gets her "counts" tomorrow which is one of the measures as to how all is going. She is also having some intestinal trouble from all the chemo and has to lie sleep/rest/lie in a sitting up positions so that the burning sensation she feels does not come all the way up her esophagus.

I was also nosing around speaking with the various doctors and nurses floating around the floor. They all seemed to have a different answer which basically means it is too early to tell. They seemed to think that for someone in her situation things are going well...but everyone seemed to indicate that until they get the white cell counts...it is anyone's guess.

Mike and the girls arrived the same day that I did. Devon was sick and booted all over the floor, and Mike came down with a temperature as well. So Bonnie was glad that I was there as she did not have the visitors she thought she would have!! (I have since heard that Mike and Devon are in good health and are able to visit..I spoke with Bonnie today and she said she was having stomach problems due to the intestinal issues I mentioned before).

She loves getting calls and cards...the cards form part of the decor in her room. She gets major points for making the room as "homey" as she has made it. The only decor the hospital provided was this god-awful quilt that they stuck in a god-awful frame and put on the wall. The room is also tiny...which is another reason why she can't wait to get out and into her apartment which will hopefully happen within 10 days.

Bonnie and I spoke today, as I mentioned, and she still does not have the results of her white cell counts.

Please post this on the blog for me as I know that there are people who would like to get this detail.

Thanks, Audrey, for your post. Read below this post for detailed notes on projectile vomiting, Kristen Hege's perspective on Bonnie's progress, or the usual missive from sunny Burlingame.

Editorial Update from Dr. Kristen

Through their previous updates, Michael and Bonnie certainly have given us a full picture of their lives. My turn to give you a picture of ours.

Saturday morning 6 a.m, I wake up, brush my teeth, and turn on my laptop in bed, then shove it in front of Kristen's bleary-eyed face, hoping to get some medical editorial from her on Mike's recent post. I know I've got about a three minute window before she needs to get up and do twenty-three dictations from patients she saw yesterday. After that, if she's lucky, she'll go on a quick jog then head to the hospital at UCSF where she will be caring for -- you guessed it -- leukemia patients undergoing bone marrow transplant.

Now, she's no Dr. Phil (thank god), and her bedside manner, especially when she is waking up, is imperfect, but here's what she has to say upon reading Mike's latest post:

The good news is they don't see any leukemia. The fact that they don't see many bone marrow cells doesn't mean very much -- it's only day 21 which is pretty early for a cord blood transplant. (Gib's note: my research suggested day 28 is about the right time for this, but as Kristen said "Don't quote me on an exact date as I haven't reviewed the latest medical research.")

It's great that Bonnie has gotten to day 21 without a major infection. Skin rashes are annoying, but they're not serious. If her fever has gone away, that's good, too.

As for the projectile vomiting, Kristen thinks it's food poisoning, as it's not the flu and cold season. She wants to know what airline they took, and suggests no one fly it again.

By the time I manage to write this, Kristen has disappeared downstairs to the family room table where I can hear her monotone "This is Kristen Hege -- H - E - G - E -- patient 24987 Day 14 undergoing a bone marrow transplant. Patient is afebrile..."

Ooops, The monotone has stopped, and now Kristen is yelling, "How'd you like to make me some coffee!? How come you never make coffee?!" I suspect these questions are directed at me as my 7 and 9 year-old daughters are asleep and they've NEVER made coffee, which is about one or two times less than the number of times I've made coffee.

Gotta go -- off to Starbucks.

From Mike: Bumpy Ride, Things Back on Track

First, the rash. Last time I posted here, a rash had consumed Bonnie, but it has subsided considerably. And the fever is completely gone. So Bonnie's complications were very likely a side effect of one drug that she discontinued several days ago. She looks, feels and sounds **a lot** better. ...All very encouraging.

Now the very latest news on my visit to MN....Isabel, Devon, Bobbi Jo, and I arrived on Tuesday of this week. The flight and visit were both bumpy. We visited with Bonnie in the late afternoon, soon after arriving in Minneapolis.

45 minutes into our visit, out of nowhere, Devon trajectory vomited onto Bonnie's hospital room floor. Not good for a sanitary environment. We made a hasty exit -- down the hall to a bathroom and then to the on-site pharmacy to get some meds, ...where Devon trajectory vomited again on the plush pharmacy carpet. She threw up 4 more times that night. She also had a mild fever. I finally got her cleaned up, calmed down, and to bed, and then started feeling strange myself. Fever. 103 degree temperature. Chills. Did not get to sleep until the fever broke at 4am. Bobbi Jo came to my rescue in the morning. I slept until late afternoon yesterday and have been completely asymptomatic ever since -- 30 hours. Devon is pretty much over hers as well.

For her part, Isabel had a mild fever yesterday, so we abandoned her planned solo visit with Bonnie yesterday. Bobbi Jo (wearing a mask) was the only one to visit with Bonnie yesterday, for obvious reasons. The whole experience has been both a huge let-down and very scary for Bonnie and for all of us.

...Not a good start to a 10 day vacation/visit to see Mommy. It was very strange, but rather ironic, hearing my 2 year-old say at the breakfast table yesterday, "Daddy, I boot" (our word for vomit).

But it was clearly a 24 hour bug, because by today, 48 hours after emphatically making our presence known at U of M, we all passed our screen by the doctors and nurses to see Mommy.

To see Bonnie's face, and the excitement in the girl's eye's is really something to behold. I am kicking myself for not having it on film, but one might understand my apprehension from the previous day.

All of this also coincides with the gravity of today's test results. Bonnie had a bone marrow biopsy today, Day 21, at 10:30an. By the time of our visit in the afternoon we had the results. On the very positive side, there was not a single Leukemia cell observed, in sharp contrast to the small, but meaningful and statistically significant number of cells present when she entered the hospital here a month ago (even though that number was small enough for her to have been deemed in remission). We are very happy about that. What is not fantastic, but is still encouraging, is that pre-cursor cells were definitely found. Not as many as they would have hoped for, but a number consistent with what they expected, given her body's focus on fighting the fever and the rash this past week or more.

They will run a DNA analysis on those pre-cursor cells (which are immature bone marrow cells), to determine whether they are from Bonnie, from stem-cell donor number 1, or from stem-cell donor number 2. We hope they are from one of the stem cell donors, as that would constitute positive evidence of early engraftment of the transplant. They will do another bone marrow biopsy one week from today to check again. In the meantime, they will give her neutrophil (white blood cell) growth factor to speed things along. And they will monitor all her blood counts every day to see if they start to come back, which would indicate engraftment progression. Net, net: we are cautiously optimistic about today's results.

...Looking forward to many more boot-free family visits in the coming days.

New World Record: 5,000 Visits!

Hi all. While I've got no news to share (except I know that this is Mike's week in MN and I'm sure I will hear from him soon)I do know the exact number of visits to "Bonnie's Blog." So, it's that time again:









If you'd like to send a fax to Bonnie, letting her know you are "out there" and have nothing but love and good wishes for her, her fax number is 612-273-1158. That's still the best form of communication with her (unless your name is Mike or Bobbie Joe, in which case you get to use the phone or videoconference!)

From Mike: Rough week for Bonnie; faxes preferred

Here is a note from Mike, who I had dinner with the other night -- more on that later. Without further adieu, here is an update from our very favorite Burlingame Blogger:

As you have, no doubt, gathered from several of the postings, Bonnie has been having a difficult week. She had several migraine headaches while I was there last week -- as a side effect to the birth control pills they put her on to avoid any potential bleeding during this period of low platelets. The headaches have largely subsided now.

Over the last several days she has developed a head-to-toe rash which has included rather acute redness and swelling. We also had a bit of a scare with a spiking fever for a day or so. Both the rash and the periodic fever are now believed to be side effects of one of her meds, Ceptaz (sp?). They just took her off of that in favor of an alternative drug. We are hopeful that the side effects will quickly dissipate.

In the mean time, because of her weakened and tired condition, she has not had the phone turned on for the last 48 hours or so, and will continue to avoid the phone for the next day or two until she feels more up to it. She is literally only making a couple outbound calls per day -- to me and to Bobbi Jo (Devon and Isabel's nanny). Likewise she will not be on email. However, she does want to hear from friends. Faxes would be great.

This period is definitely the trough. It is supposed to be. Bonnie is taking it with grace, humor, and optimism despite feeling really crappy ...no surprise there.

Thanks, all, for your continued support and good wishes.

Mike

If you would like to send a fax to Bonnie, the fax number is 612-273-1158.

Boy's Night Out with Mike

On Wednesday night Mike, Jack Fuchs (husband of Lisa Segre Fuchs -- classmate at Tuck) and I had dinner together at Ola's in downtown Burlingame. My daughters Britney and Kelsey babysat Devon and Isabel, along with a bonafide sitter.

Mike was well. He's living on a highwire, dashing back to MN for a week, then returning to Burlingame on alternating weeks. (Bonnie's parents are in MN when Mike is in Burlingame.) We had big margaritas, and I heard lots of stories of Mike and Jack's summer jobs at Goldman Sachs (fifteen years ago), which means we spent plenty of time not talking about Bonnie. I'll do a shout-out to Langley Steinert, who we all noted had been one of the most positive thinkers in contemplating Bonnie's treatment. Nice reminder on the power of positive thinking. The margaritas, beer and conversation were all good decompression for Mike.

On the other hand, Mike certainly has a lot of perspective on life -- the importance of friends and family when confronted by life and death situations. Plenty of heavy stuff to contemplate.

For the record, we were back by 8:30 and Isabel and Devon were asleep by 8:31 p.m. (That's our story and we're sticking to it.)

Update from Blogger Lisa Fuchs...

From her home office in San Mateo, here is a live update from Lisa Segre Fuchs who visited Bonnie last week in MN. She wanted me to point out that Bonnie is looking for a visitor from 9/11 to 9/16. Here's Lisa's report:

I visited Bonnie in Minneapolis last week and was totally amazed! She looked terrific—still sporting her summer tan, energetic and talkative, and happy to have visitors. Life as O+ (from A blood type) seems to suit her! The “proverbial drill” at this hospital is a bit different from UCSF. She’s able to eat just about anything she wants including fresh fruit. I have to say that hearing Bonnie describe eating her sandwich at lunch on the first day was well worth the visit. She appreciates life to its fullest!
Another difference between this hospital and UCSF is that Bonnie is restricted to her room. As a result, she has a treadmill in her room for exercise and she’s made a room smaller than her Burlingame bedroom into her home. Importantly, she’s able to receive care packages with food and other goodies…..but still NO FLOWERS OR PLANTS.

Proudly displayed in the corner is a life-size photo of Isabel and Devon—a gift from Little Wonders. When Mike pleaded his case with the airlines regarding this rather large carry-on item, they acquiesced and stored it in the cockpit of the plane for the duration of the flight. I can’t imagine that the FAA would be too pleased with this exception, but it seems like everyone wants to help Bonnie! In addition, a multitude of other photos of the girls and Mike adorn her walls.

Over her bed hangs a dream-catcher, a fairy and a few other goodies that friends have sent her with good wishes. Hanging on the window is a line of rope that has some of the girls’ artwork, good luck faxes & cards as well as a few other items of note. Bonnie’s friend Abbey has given her a Tibetan prayer shawl that a mutual friend of theirs wore when he climbed Mt. Everest. I believe it’s been blessed by someone important, perhaps even the Dalai Lama himself?

She’s teaching herself to knit and keeping up-to-date on the antics of Jennifer and Brad. While I was there, she down-loaded 1500 songs onto her ipod…it took about 36 hours…needless to say, she’s doing her best to keep entertained. The other notable thing about my visit was how incredible her friends are being. Even though she’s off in Minnesota, the phone range about every five minutes with yet another friend checking in. Although she doesn’t always have the energy to answer, she smiles every time the phone rings, and I know she greatly appreciates feeling connected to the Bay Area, her friends and children. As one who is guilty of not connecting as regularly as I should, it made me feel great that her large net of friends continue to hold her secure in their hearts.

She has two poems hanging in her room that she wanted to share with everyone:

The first, entitled “Doubletake”, was read by the hospital Chaplain, Judy (Judy has been a great source of inspiration and healing for Bon), on the day of her transplant:

In celebration of intention, love, hope and healing…

Bonnie Tonneson

University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview
August 4, 2005

Doubletake

Human beings suffer,
they torture one another,
they get hurt and get hard.
No poem or play or song
can fully right a wrong
inflicted and endured.

The innocent in goals
beat on their bars together.
A hunger-striker’s father
stands in the graveyard dumb.
The police widow in veils
faints at the funeral home.

History says, don’t hope
on this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
the longed for tidal wave
of justice can rise up,
and hope and history rhyme.

So hope for a great sea-change
on the far side of revenge.
Believe that a further shore
is reachable from here.
Believe in miracles
and cures and healing wells.

Call the miracle self-healing:
The utter self-revealing
double-take of feeling.
If there’s fire on the mountain
or lightning and storm
and a god speaks from the sky.

That means someone is hearing
the outcry and the birth-cry
of new life at its term.

Seamus Heaney,
The Cure at Troy


The other reading that Bonnie has by her bedside is one that her Aunt Hope wrote for her. Aunt Hope writes: The process of IV’s and injecting droplets into the body inspired this prayer. The droplets are like the dewdrops of which the Bible regards as the symbol of healing. This prayer is for bone marrow transplants:

Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe,…. Harahaman, O Merciful One, open the gates of your wondrous storehouse releasing your sparkling dew.

Droplets of life, flow gently, mending the hurt in this body and watering the vines of this broken garden.

Droplets of blessing, come gently, fetching years of goodness, filling with peace the reservoir of the soul.

Droplets of dew, heal gently, softening this hard place of blessing, giving praise to the work of our Creator. For you, Bonnie, are a work of God’s creation..a beautiful and intricate flow of mystery and love.

Droplets of dew,
Come for a blessing,
Come for life,
Come bringing plenty.

Baruch atah Adonai, rofeh haholim. Blessed is the Divine, Source of all healing.

Thanks, Lisa, for your update- Gib

Note from Bonnie on 8/15 (Day 9)

I got this email from Bonnie yesterday. She called me on the phone, too, (wanted to talk to Dr. Hege) but said to "blog away" with her email, so here is a first-hand account from Bonnie:

hey there, i just found this email, somehow missed it

i am doing ok -- feeling cruddy more regularly, yesterday seemed to be a low point. developed a nice rash all over my chest from the radiation, and its on my face too - lovely and itchy.

there is a window seat in my room, which is kinda cool (the seat, not the room) and i have taken to sitting on it and staring out the window on the scene below, not much goes on, but i now know how a cat must feel when his owners by accident left him inside all day or month for that matter. i am surprised there are no claw marks on the walls here -- but you have to figure every one is feeling pretty weak to put up much of a struggle.

so i have been visualizing my stem cells engrafting and have come up with three images that i thought you might enjoy:

1) little stem cells infront of their bunks reporting to duty with a drill seargent checking off names

2) a team locker room with names in each slot and little stem cell ice hockey players gearing up for a big game (i am channeling the movie miracle and the 1980 olympics -- where they win the gold!) i haven;'t told mike that one, but i think he'd get a chuckle, his dad too!

3) an infinite chorus line of stem cells wrapped around the inside of my bones all linked arm in arm doing high kicks and generating more cells with each kick, as if there were a bubble machine at their feet and each bubble is a new cell.

pretty random, i know, but what can i say, its me :)

to keep busy i have mostly been knitting, nothing special, i am somewhat limited to a knit and a purl and can't quite figure out how to go beyond a scarf/blanket shape. so right now the girls have a growing collection of little blankets for their stuffed animals, my practice runs. at some point i will make something worthwhile.

call when you get a chance, if i don't pick up, it just means i can't quite get to the phone!

best

bon

Thanks, Bonnie, for writing. I'm visualizing infantry men, chorus lines, hockey players, and an occasional bubble machine for you. If you'd like to speak to the "Cat" her phone number is 612 273 0202.

A visit to the Dynamic Duo

Here is a post from our newest blogger, Kate, who visited Bonnie "live" in summery Minneapolis. It describes her visit on Monday of this past week, which I think would have been day 4:

Michelle's frequent posts inspired me to figure out this blogging stuff. Monday 8 August could not have been a more picture perfect summer day. The large American flag at the top of the hospital flag pole right outside Bonnie's window fluttered wildly in the hot summer breeze. The majestic Mississippi river flows right outside this world class hospital.

Inside Bonnie enthusiastically greeted Mike who had just returned from CA and two long distance visitors, old London Tuck/Dartmouth friends Kate & Jon. Bonnie tried not to laugh at how ridiculous Mike, Jon and Kate looked in their hospital masks on such a hot steamy day. Jon and Kate especially enjoyed having their glasses steam up! Mike had the pleasure of wearing a fortress like mask due to his not feeling 100%. The nurses at the hospital called Mike a "young man" when he showed up looking for Bonnie. He was looking particularly California-like on that hot summer afternoon rather than the 40+ frazzled Dad that is is alter ego.

Bonnie looked the most amazing. She had her magical smile on in full bloom. She was so energetic and talkative on what was clearly a very tiring day. She has the most extensive plans for exploring the twin cities when she can pursue her out-patient activities. The hospital staff all clearly had taken a liking to Bonnie. The biggest photo you have ever seen was hand delivered by Mike to Bonnie of the girls. It was so big that Mike had to talk the pilot into keeping it in the cockpit for the flight.

We were so happy to have been able to catch up with Bonnie and Mike in person after far too long. They are two amazing people.... but I am sure everyone reading this blog knows that already.

Thanks, Kate, so much for the update. Welcome to the blogosphere.

Day 8 report from Michelle

Live, from our correspondent in sunny Burlingame, a Friday report:

I am guessing that today wasn't a bad day as Bonnie called me back 5 minutes after I left a message. Her latest achievement is that she has convinced the hospital to provide physical therapy for her 3 times a week. She wants to "get in shape" and needs someone to motivate her (the physical therapist). They will only let her do 5 lunges at a time, but it is a start. She is one determined woman.

Michelle

Hum. I wonder if Bonnie will be running with Charlie in the Nike Half-Marathon this fall?

One more thing (from Blogger Michelle)

Did I ever mention that our frequent guest blogger, Michelle Ebersman, has three kids, the third of which is an infant (three months). How does she find the time? Here goes:

You really can't imagine my glee when I came downstairs after trying to wrestle my defiant two-year-old down for his nap and there was a message from Bonnie. It took me a few tries to get through to her when I called back.

She had been talking to Hilary Somorjai and I kept getting a busy signal. Hilary is pretty darn funny and Bonnie was in a good mood from talking to her. Please encourage Bonnie's friends, the amusing ones in particular, to keep calling!

Michelle

Gib's note: Bonnie's in-room hospital phone number is 612 273 0202.

Update from Blogger Michelle (Day 7)

Live from our correspondent in Burlingame....

I spoke to Bonnie this afternoon and she sounded positively terrific! She is very tired and feels "pretty blah". Yesterday was a rough day because she had a 24 hour migrane but aside from that, she doesn't have any pain. She is so focused on the transplant being a success that she just sees this as a means to an end.

She said her memory is shot right now. Today we discussed her recent shopping trip to Anthropologie in Minneapolis. She was sure she had already told me about it (she had not);She gets confused about what conversations she has actually had and what she has only thought about. But she said that she loves chatting when she has the energy.

I am hoping to visit her in October so I will have lots to report then and I will send photos.

More later,
Michelle

Thanks, Michelle!

A Tale of Two Cities

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Emboldened by my exploration into hard-hitting medical editorial in my "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cord Blood Transplant But Were Afraid to Ask" post(click here to visit) I am now moving on to British Literature.

In sunny Burlingame, I had the good fortune to see Michael, Isabel and Devon in their home in Burlingame. It was a typical Dad-With-Two-Daughters scene with the video plugged in, a living room floor full of toys, and Mike running around trying to get socks and shoes onto both of his daughters' feet before they headed off to Palo Alto to see Bonnie's sister. (Typical scene in my household with Kelsey and Britney when Kristen is away.)

Meanwhile, in summery Minneapolis, Bonnie talked to my wife on the phone. It was Sunday (day 3) and she was complaining of some mucousitis which is a result of chemo and TBI (total body irradiation). Basically the cells of your mouth, throat and digestive tract are irritated, and at some point, a patient may need to take pain meds to relieve this constant irritation.

Probably the biggest irritation to Bonnie, however, was the insistence that she stay pent up in her small hospital room for the duration (infection-fighting precaution). Imagine a room half-filled with her exercise machine, and Madame Defarge (that would be Bonnie) knitting away.

Of interest to Bonnie and Kristen was the fact that the patient next door to her did become patient number one for the experimental therapy of injecting the cord blood stem cells directly into his marrow via hyperdermic needle. His transplant was the day before Bonnie and she has an indirect measure of her progress by hearing tidbits about her neighbor's progress. So far so good for both of them.

Update from the Tonneson homefront

Here is an update from our very latest "guest blogger", Scott Hartley, who is a neighbor of Mike:

Sharon, Ariella and I were settling in to watch March of the Penguins on Sunday morning in San Mateo when Mike, Isabel and Devon marched in to join the group. The movie was a lot of fun but the most impressive part was Mike's display of superior parenting skills. The (very well behaved) Tonneson girls snacked on grapes and bottled water (as opposed to Ari's popcorn). The families followed that up with the partial destruction of a small suburban pizza parlor. A good time was had by all.

Equally impressive was Mike's shiny bright pink "Man Purse." This sack might have at one point made a nice mommy bag, but I know Mike picked it out because it really set off his eyes as he jauntily slung it over his shoulder. Looking good, Mike!

Mike reported that he was trying to get some rest to shake his minor cold symptoms in time for his much awaited visit with Bonnie in Minnesota. His symptoms need to be gone before he can see Bonnie. Obviously best to be safe, and even if he is reduced to throwing pebbles at Bonnie's window, Mike will feel great being near her.

Our thoughts continue to be with Bonnie and her wonderful family.

Scott

Thanks, Scott, for sharing. For the record, I have a "man purse" which I deftly refer to as a "Not-A-Purse". It is a very masculine black. And so you know, Mike, Scott's update was presented in a very handsome shade of pink "Jasmine UPC" font.

It's that time again. Over 4,000 visits...

Blogger faithfuls, we interrupt today's broadcast for the following update. We are now up to 4,000 visits. That's right,


visits from people who care about Bonnie. (Now if I could just convince one of you to leave a comment by clicking on the COMMENT button just below this post it would really make my day.) Or, for the big chickens among you who don't dare to have your comments be seen, you can send me an email by clicking here.

Bonus points, as always, for updates on Bonnie or her family.

Pablo Fuentes, up close and personal

I couldn't resist posting this photo of Pablo Fuentes, who is doing the Maui Marathon as a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (Bonnie is his honoree.)

The post below provides his update, but you can visit his site by clicking here or you can send Pablo an email by clicking here.

Pablo Fuentes Team in Training Update

I received an email from Pablo Fuentes, who is running the Maui Marathon on September 18th, as part of a Team in Training fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Here is his update:

I just completed the SF Half Marathon last weekend, as part of the preparation for the Maui Marathon on September 18.

I have raised about $5,100 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society so far. I have also written Bonnie's name on the "Team Banner" for the Peninsula TNT team so she is there as an inspiration to my teammates and myself. It should make last 10 miles or so more doable -- I hope.

I can't wait until Bonnie is better and back from MN so I can see her. Go Bonnie!

If you'd like to learn more about Pablo's quest to raise $7K for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, or if you would like to make a donation, click here. You can also send Pablo an email by clicking here. Go Team!

Day Two: Contact info for Bonnie

Bonnie's FAX is 612-273-1158. Make sure the Fax has Bonnie's number on it, along with the room number(218), too.

Bonnie's email access has been sporadic, but you can give it a try by emailing btonneson@yahoo.com, or by clicking here.

Bonnie's hospital phone number is 612 273 0202.

Bonnie on Day One

It is day one of Bonnie's new life (post-transplant) and here is an update from Betsy Berman, our newest "guest blogger";

Just a quick note to let you know that I talked to Bonnie today. She sounded good - making jokes as always and talking about her new pet project - knitting! Knowing Bonnie, Isabel and Devon will have an abundance of darling, hand-knitted outfits by the time Bonnie is out of the hospital.

Bonnie mentioned that while the procedure yesterday was "a non-event," she did not take it lightly. She wore a Tibetan prayer shawl given to her by a friend who climbed Mt. Everest and had a chaplain there to read one of her favorite poems. She had one of the nurses take a picture of her with the bag of cord blood and hopes the photo will make its way to the blog.

According to Bonnie, today is officially "day one." On day 21, they will do another bone marrow biopsy to ensure that the stem cells are doing their jobs, "moving in, setting up shop, and getting to work," as Bonnie puts it. She is now taking immunosuppressant drugs which are making her feel not so great. Bonnie thinks that as things go forward, she will probably feel best in the mornings and then not as great in the afternoon as the drugs are generally given to her mid-day. She said she loves talking to people on the phone (hospital phone; her cell doesn't work in
the hospital), and she does have an answering machine in her room.

Bonnie also talked about her setup in the hospital - her room is smaller than her room at UCSF and they do not allow patients to walk the halls. We all know how much Bonnie loved to do her laps at UCSF, so nobody will be surprised to learn that she used her negotiation skills to acquire an in-room treadmill from the physical therapy department! (Go, Bonnie!)

Bonnie is looking forward to visits from Mike (next week), Isabel and Devon (later this month), and girlfriends (September and October). She said to give her love and to say hi to everyone.

-Betsy

Thanks, Betsy for the update.

Bonnie on Day Zero: The transplant -- from Mike

Here is the latest from Mike on Bonnie's progress:


Transplant Procedure Went Fine Today; Bonnie is Now Blood-Type O+

As expected, the transplant itself today was, in many respects, anti-climactic. There was some "cleansing" done in preparation -- which consisted of transfusing lots of fluids to flush out her system. Then the procedure itself started at about 1:30pm and took all of 10 minutes. That's to be expected when one considers that the transplant amounts to a transfusion consisting of roughly 4-6 ounces of blood. ...Now we sit back and wait for the stem cells to do their thing. It is truly remarkable.

In the meantime Bonnie is now the owner of a new and very immature immune system that will grow up to be one that produces O+ blood. See attached photo where she is displaying the goods.

She seems better today. Slightly more energetic, but nonetheless still tired after all the preparatory chemo and TBI over the last week. Very good spirits. Very hopeful about the outlook. ...She is a rock. Per usual, she wanted to talk more about the girls, and the fact that Isabel had a fun and successful spin on her new bike tonight, than she did about her situation and the day she had just finished. Isabel, of course, was ecstatic and so proud of herself; her enthusiasm was therapeutic for both Bonnie and me.

Next few days will be tough, with delayed side effects associated with the chemo, the TBI, and the prophylactic drugs.

The larger picture is that we now embark on the next phase -- we wait for the stem cells to engraft successfully (as bone marrow cells) in their new home -- while monitoring/managing GVH (graft v. host)and any potential infection.

Gib's note: Thanks, Mike, for the update.

Bonnie Day Zero

Tiny update from Alicia...

We've got guest bloggers logging in from all over the country...

Hope you are well... I am in East Hampton with my family right now, spending time with Kelly Bligh and her family. We are constantly thinking of Bonnie, as it is her big day today. We just tucked into our first Watermelon Saketini and we gave our girl a toast.

I have spoken with Bonnie a number of times over the past few days. She sounds tired, but always finds a way to laugh and smile during the conversations. She is very positive about things...

Alicia

Alicia and pals will be visiting Bonnie in September -- I expect a blog update then.

Update from Blogger Michelle

Here is a note from my ever-faithful blogging correspondent, Michelle Ebersman:

This has been Bonnie's toughest week so far. She is nauseous and weak and generally feeling like shit. The total body irradiation and residual effects of the chemo have really wiped her out. She will have more radiation tomorrow and then the transplant will occur sometime between 11-1 on the 4th. We celebrated the fact that in 2 more days she will never have chemo or radiation again!

She has been told that she should expect to feel crappy for 2 more week from the residual effects of the chemo. She has sprouted some new hair but that will fall out from the recent chemo. But at least the next set of hair will get to stay! And leave it to Bonnie to find something to be excited about: she will have a new blood type (O positive) after the transplant (instead of her current A+).

Bonnie is going to send her mom out to buy the new "Vanity Fair" with Jennifer Anniston on the cover: one of my favorite gossip mongers (Bonnie)is looking forward to discussing Jennifer's interview b/c she dishes about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Michelle

Hum. Remind me to find links to the Brad and Angelina celebrity blog someday. Thanks, Michelle, for the update. Will follow up in a few days with a note from our medical editor about Bonnie's conversion from A+ to O blood type.

T minus 1 Day; Bonnie hanging tough (from Mike)

Bonnie has completed her 4 days of heavy dosage chemo (10x stronger than anything she has endured in the past). That was immediately followed by TBI (Total Body Irradiation), which started Sunday morning. She has two sessions of TBI per day, ending today.

As you can imagine, all the treatments have taken their toll. She is exhausted and has had intermittent bouts with nausea and vomiting. All to be expected and quite usual, however, given the severe regimen; so, she is very much on track. She remains tough-minded and focused, even during this most trying period.

The transplant procedure, which is very much a denouement, will happen Thursday. It entails a 30-minute (non-invasive) IV transfusion.

Her internet connection is down, so she has not been able to respond to emails. (She has also been too tired, even if the connection were up. We're working on getting her re-connected for when she starts to get her strength back at the end of the week and into the weekend).

...More to follow.

Mike

Note from Charlie on Bonnie's Progress

Here is a quick note from Charlie, another blogger faithful:

Hi Gib-

I spoke to Bonnie this evening, and although she sounded exhausted, she was in good spirits- wanted to know what movies I'd seen lately, what everyone is up to, when can we come visit?

Tomorrow is her last day of radiation, and I think she is looking forward to it- to getting it behind her and getting the transplant Thursday. Mike is going out Monday to spend the week with her, and she is really looking forward to that, too.

I know that's not alot, but it was all good news to me!

Charlie

Sounds good to me, too. Thanks, Charlie.

Latest Update on "Alicia's Story"

About a month ago, I posted a link on "Alicia's Story" which has been running in The San Francisco Chronicle. It's a realtime story being written by a young copy editor at The Chronicle who has a rare form of cancer. Pretty in-depth trials and tribulations of a person with cancer that's well-written, too.

In the small world department, I met Alicia's doctor (Terry) from UCSF in Spain a few weeks ago. (Hum, there I go name-dropping and place-dropping in one sentence.) I think the story is worth reading -- full of first party perspective.

You can click here for the latest installment, or here for the first article in the series if you haven't read about Alicia before.