Woman recovers from rare heart cancer

When Kim Bonifield arrived at Canonsburg Hospital in August 2016, she thought she was suffering from food poisoning. Little did she know that it would take weeks for a diligent team of doctors at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, to reach a rare and startling diagnosis: heart cancer."On Aug. 18, my daughter and I had gone to New Kensington for a funeral, and we stopped late at a fast-food restaurant," recalled Bonifield, 51, a bus driver for Canon-McMillan School District."When I woke up the next day, I didn't feel well. I had a high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and I thought it was food poisoning. I waited another day but didn't feel any better, and then my daughter told me I needed to go to the hospital to get checked."After running tests, including a CT scan, doctors at Canonsburg Hospital told her they thought they knew what was making her ill ? infarcts, or tissue death caused by oxygen shortage, that were affecting her kidney and spleen ? but they couldn't locate where those infarcts originated.So, Bonifield was transported to Allegheny General Hospital, where additional tests were performed on the mother of four. But after 23 days, doctors still couldn't figure out what was wrong with Bonifield.Finally, a cardiac MRI revealed a mass on her left ventricle.Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Walter McGregor performed heart surgery on Bonifield, delicately removing a tumor larger than a golf ball that was lodged on the ventricle.The surgery to remove the large mass was complicated. McGregor had to cut out the tumor while avoiding the critical structures that comprise the left ventricle ? which McGregor calls the "workhorse" of the heart ? and taking care to leave intact as much heart muscle as possible.Bonifield's tumor was identified as large B cell lymphoma."We certainly deal with cardiac masses in our field of heart surgery. Fortunately, most of the masses we work with are benign. But sometimes, like in Kimberly's case, we get a cancerous mass," said McGregor.In general, heart tumors are rare; Bonifield's even more so.Oncologist Dr. Prerna Mewawalla, who treated Bonifield, said there have been only 50 reported cases of cancer like Bonifield's."Primary cardiac lymphoma, the type she had, is extremely rare. It is the first case I have personally encountered," said Mewawalla.Because lymphoma doesn't generally respond well to surgery ? in fact, the mass returned weeks after it was removed, Mewawalla said ? doctors determined Bonifield should undergo aggressive chemotherapy.Complicating matters for Bonifield: In mid-October, she contracted MRSA, and had to undergo treatment for the dangerous staph infection.Oct. 22 ? eight days before the wedding of her son, Billy Kosheba ? she underwent the first of 36 rounds of chemotherapy, under Mewawalla's care."I got out of the hospital on a Wednesday, and on that Sunday, Oct. 30, my son got married. It was a struggle, but I was not going to miss my son's wedding for anything. We danced, with me in my wheelchair, to ?My Wish,'" recalled Bonifield.Bonifield said her "life stopped" during her diagnosis and treatment."I could do nothing. I'm the one who always takes care of everybody," said Bonifield. "I don't like anybody having to take care of me, and all of a sudden, I couldn't take care of everything like I always did."Bonifield credits her family, friends and co-workers at the bus garage for helping her through those grueling and frightening months. Her co-workers and neighbors brought dinners and helped ferry her 12-year-old twin sons, one of whom has autism, to school and school events.The bus drivers coordinated Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.She was overwhelmed by the number of get-well cards she received, and she cherishes a prayer shawl knitted for her by a group of nuns."You learn a lot about how much people love you and care about you. I don't know how I would have made it without my family, my work family and my friends," said Bonifield. "My husband was wonderful. His whole world changed. He didn't work the whole time I went through this. He had to pick up everything I did ? packing lunches, filling out school forms, being there for the boys when they got off the bus, all while taking care of me," said Bonifield. "And all the bus drivers pitched in. They were amazing. They called, texted, prayed and visited. I'd be sleeping on the couch, and I'd wake up and someone was there sitting with me."Mewawalla said Bonifield currently is cancer-free and is in full remission.Bonifield returned to work March 16, happy to get behind the wheel of the bus again.In February, her husband Blaine gave her a dachshund puppy, Reese, a Valentine's Day gift and a celebration of her final chemotherapy treatment. She finally feels well enough to enjoy spending time with her granddaughter, now 20 months old.Bonifield's daughter, Kierstin Arcuri, marveled at the strength and courage her mother displayed throughout her diagnosis and treatment."I always knew she was an incredibly strong woman," said Arcuri. "But she was fighting on a daily basis, and I had no doubt she would get through it. She had a great team of doctors who collaborated to come up with the best treatment plan and involved us in every decision. They took all the steps they could in order to make sure she made it back."Bonifield returns to the hospital in December for a PET scan to see if she remains disease-free."It's been an ugly, ugly road," said Bonifield "I'm so afraid something else is going to creep up or this is going to come back, but I'm not going to think about it. I'm just grateful for everyone who helped me get through this."