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.