Bonni Brodnick Blog

Nicknames are lovingly given to replace someone's real name. For example, is there anything more endearing than "Schmoopey"? (It's what I sometimes call my dog. A pet name, so to speak.)  Or, the diminutive for someone who is "ace" at something might be my daughter. Her initials are "ACB," thus the spinoffs "Ace," or "Acey."  My entire name is Bonni Dee Kogen Brodnick . Over the years, I've accumulated multifarious sobriquets:           Bon         Bon-Bon          Miss Bon-Bon           Bon-Ton        Benni (I think Elton John wrote a song about me.  Click here. )        Bonnzi          Bobo          Bonni B.          BB           B.        Bononni...

So here I am, doing research for a new writing project. I googled "atrial fibrillation." In the right-hand column I see ... no, wait ... is it really ... ME ?  ( Click here ) The chick in the photo looks exactly like me (plus 30 lbs. ... like, me when I was in college and cooking at Helio's, a Greek restaurant on Martha's Vineyard, and I couldn't get enough of the tahini frosting).  Can you believe I'm the poster child for A-Fib? I look crabby and disgruntled to have disorganized electric signals and heart palpitations. Plus, I appear to have the grimace of being irregular ... with heartbeat, that is.  My mother said, "Bon, do you have glasses like that? I really think it's you. Maybe they took it of you and you didn't know." And my sister said, "Call Central Casting!" Let's just say ... it's a beautiful coincidence.

(Left to right) My sister Pamela and my brother Michael. I am so thankful for them. I was returning to Phelps Hospital, where I was for two weeks on the acute in-patient rehabilitation floor. My stroke was mid-April. Perched in my room on the 4th floor, I could watch the seasons change as the grass, flowers and  trees turned from spring to summer. Then during follow-up therapies, I watched them go from fall to winter. Today, the scenery is once again on the cusp of bloom. I was back to have my post-stroke, 1-year anniversary.          The entrance to Phelps has “P” in black and “helps” in red. Phelps Helps . The boxwood were trimmed just below the word “Emergency.” (Once when I was leaving in June, the flowers had grown to nearly cover the word. I thought, “How can you have a sign with the word ‘Emergency’ covered? What if there was an EMERGENCY?)          Today,  I left enough time so that I co...

Today is the 1-year anniversary since I had my stroke. I am thankful and grateful for many, many, many things. My family, for their patience, love and encouragement. My friends, for their steadfastness and love. I'm grate-full (new word for "full of gratitude") for being able to walk, talk, think, see, feel ... and dance at my son's wedding. And I am thank-full to  Joe Manno  and  Janie Parks  for stopping on I-95, calling for help immediately, and being my Good Samaritan saviors. The County Journal story,   "South Jersey Couple Hailed as Good Samaritan Saviors,"  appeared on the front page ( top-of-the-fold!). Many thanks to reporter Deb Marko and her editors for deeming it worthy of this attention.  Today, it runs i n the Chicago Tribune ... joining Philadelphia Inquirer , U.S. News and World Report , Washington Times , and many other publications in spreading good news. In a country that is so divisive, it sends a national message: B...

It's 4:30 a.m. and she wants to go out. It's so early. It's too early.  Maggie, our 1-year old Cavapoo ( Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle combo)   has  been getting into bad habits. The night before it was 4 a.m. "Go back to sleep." I reach down the bed to pet her.  She stands up and shakes her head. Then she jumps off the bed. "Maggie, go to sleep," my husband says.  We weren't giving in.  She jumps back into bed.  Power to the people.

In the swimming pool at 9 a.m. for Aqua Fit. This easy-on-the-joints exercise was recommended for post-stroke.  "Kick, kick!" said the instructor. I admired her verve. "Now move to the right ... and puuuuulllll your arms to the left." When I had my stroke on Interstate-95, my 86-year old mother (who was in the passenger seat) quickly jerked the car off the highway over to the right. "You were slumped at the wheel," she said. "I had to take control of the situation." That quick veer to the right, I believe, is the reason for the continued pain. "Here, take these.. They're lighter," the instructor noticed I was having trouble with the weights. I told her I had a stroke. She said this would be easier. I can move up to heavier ones later. My lack of strength on the right was obvious. I felt like crying. Will it ever be strong? Am I being overly hopeful that it will be equal to the left?  I flashed back to be...

Clearly, our weather is meshugganah .   It's sno wing.  Again.  The fourth nor'easter in three weeks ... and it's the first day of spring.  (Happy Spring!)   The trend for global warming is accelerating. If we don't curb emissions, average temperatures in the U.S. could increase by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century. Internationally, Alliance for Climate Protection advocates laws to reduce CO2 emissions, working to persuade everyone -- from individuals to corporations -- to become "carbon neutral." What does our esteemed and lucid president think?  "Well, I think the climate change is just a very, very expensive form of tax.  A lot of people are making a lot of money. I know much about climate change. I'd be—received environmental awards. And I often joke that this is done for the benefit of China. Obviously, I joke. But this is done for the benefit of China, because China does not do anything to help c...