Taking stock of her health leads local artist to breast cancer discovery

Veronica “Bonnie” Flanagan, 81, a painter and fine artist who lives in Greenwich, said she has always tried to listen to her body and what it might be telling her about her health.

“For example,” she said, “ever since menopause, I’ve had hot flashes regularly. And then one day I realized that they had stopped. I thought, ‘well that’s weird.’”

Bonnie began to make an overall assessment of anything else that might be different. While doing a self-exam, she discovered a lump in her breast that had not been there before. Though the two incidents - the cessation of the flashes and the discovery of the lump - turned out to likely be coincidental, Bonnie knew she had to act.

She called her Inspira primary care physician, Steven Meskin, M.D., immediately. Dr. Meskin referred Bonnie to Nandini Kulkarni, M.D., medical director of Surgical Oncology for Inspira Health.

Bonnie, no stranger to research after a career working in libraries, looked up Dr. Kulkarni, Inspira, and other doctors.

“I not only wanted to see what their experience was and where they trained, but I wanted to be able to get treatment close to home,” she said. “I didn’t want my husband, Bob, to be driving back and forth to a hospital far away.”

A breast biopsy confirmed that two small lumps in her breast were cancer. Bonnie and Bob met with Dr. Kulkarni to go over the next steps.

“Dr. Kulkarni sat with us and went over all the options,” Bonnie said. “She gave me the information I needed to make a decision. We never felt rushed. Anything positive that anyone has ever said about her is true. She was compassionate and caring. She drew diagrams for us, gave us all the plusses and minuses. You end up trusting a person like that.”

Bonnie said she had the same feeling when she met with Erev Tubb, M.D., medical director of the Leading-Edge Cancer Center at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill.

“I looked for doctors who were not only very smart, but those who also truly listen to patients, trusting that they may know a thing or two about their own bodies,” Bonnie said. “Just about everyone we met at Inspira did that with us. It’s comforting to know that you are in good hands with people who really care about you as a person.”

Dr. Kulkarni performed Bonnie’s surgery, a mastectomy, with reconstruction performed by plastic surgeon Vinay Gundlapalli, M.D.

“There can be two parts to a cancer journey,” Bonnie said. “The first is to get rid of the cancer and follow the treatment plan. The second, which I chose, is having reconstruction surgery. Dr. Gundlapalli guided me through the possibilities and the reality of reconstruction. He was caring, approachable and understanding. He helped me make decisions that, for me, were life changing. My successful outcome reassured me that my trust in him was well-placed.”

“I was out of the hospital within three days, and I had very little pain. I only took some over-the-counter medications,” she said.

After the surgery, Bonnie began radiation therapy under the care of Inspira radiation oncologist David Lowther, M.D., medical director of Radiation Oncology at Inspira Mullica Hill.

“Oh my gosh, Dr. Lowther is terrific. I told him that I knew very little about him – or radiation therapy - when we were referred to him,” Bonnie said. “I asked lots of questions and he answered them all. He never seemed to be too busy. He was a real human being. So kind.”

Bonnie said that the teams that work with all the physicians she saw continued that trend.

“Suzie [Strang, R.N.], a nurse who works with Dr. Lowther, was especially open and helpful to me,” she said. “The nurse navigators we worked with throughout my treatment were wonderful too. We could get in touch with them whenever we needed to. They walked us through everything. And the radiation techs do everything they can to make you feel comfortable. We saw so many people and everyone worked as a team. I had the best experience, and it is mostly about how we were treated. If you asked a question, it was answered honestly and completely. We got notified of results of tests very soon after they were available.”

Bonnie said that now, many months after her surgery and radiation, she is back to doing what she loves most, painting and exhibiting her artwork.

“Nothing much has changed for me,” she said.

For Bonnie, attitude is key when dealing with a health issue.

“I made up my mind to not lie around thinking about cancer. Cancer affected one part of me, and I think it is important for everyone to recognize that women are more, much more, than their breasts. I got right back to painting and volunteering in the community and being around my friends, many of whom are also painters. Most of them are twenty or more years younger than me. I have children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It’s a busy life and I love it.”

Of her breast cancer journey, at Inspira, Bonnie said, “Each woman’s experience is different. But one thing I can say is that I would recommend Inspira to anyone. They are all so smart, but they are real people. They get it.”