Arizona Artist Discovers the Art of Healing After Brain Tumor Surgery
Bonnie Hill-Dowdy has always used art to express her thoughts and emotions and to reflect on her experiences. Over the years, the Arizona artist has amassed an extensive portfolio. Yet, there are two pieces Bonnie always finds herself coming back to. The first is a painting of a brain in a state of chaos, with a large tumor at its center. The second is a scan of the same brain, only this time, five small flowers are attacking the tumor. These are Bonnie’s most personal works because they portray her own harrowing brain tumor journey.
An Unexpected Diagnosis
In December 2006, Bonnie and her mother were visiting family friends in Utah when she was struck with a piercing headache and began to feel weak and disoriented. In the next moment, she fell to the ground hard.
Bonnie’s mother rushed her to the local hospital, where an MRI revealed that she had a large neurocytoma on her brain. While neurocytomas are non-cancerous tumors, leaving one untreated can cause severe vision, speech, and memory problems, as well as life-threatening seizures. Bonnie needed surgery immediately. Although she was still reeling from the news, she was certain about one thing—the tumor had to be removed at Barrow Neurological Institute.
Bonnie still recalls the first time she came to Barrow to meet with her surgeon, Robert Spetzler, MD, emeritus professor of neurosurgery. “I was anxious about the surgery, but as soon as Dr. Spetzler entered the room, I felt comfortable. Somehow, I knew he would take good care of me,” she says. “My parents and husband, who were there with me, all felt the same way. It was very reassuring.”
A Long Journey
On January 29, 2007, Dr. Spetzler operated on Bonnie’s tumor. Although the surgery went well, there was too much fluid in her brain to remove the tumor entirely. Bonnie had to stay in the hospital until she recovered enough to receive a shunt to drain the excess fluid.
A little over a week later, Dr. Spetzler placed the shunt on Bonnie’s brain with no complications. However, Bonnie now had to recover from a second surgery, and being bedbound for so long took a toll on her. Her muscles had started to atrophy, and she spent weeks in physical therapy to regain her strength and balance, in addition to working on her memory and cognition.
In early March, Bonnie received the call she had been anxiously awaiting. The shunt had drained enough fluid for Dr. Spetzler to safely remove the rest of the tumor. Bonnie had her final surgery with Dr. Spetzler on March 19, 2007, and it was a success.
“I couldn’t have picked a better place to receive care than Barrow. Everyone there was phenomenal, from Dr. Spetzler to the nurses, physical therapists, and even the cooking staff. I will never forget their kindness,” she says.
The Art of Healing
Bonnie has now been tumor-free for 16 years! Every year on January 29, she goes through all her tumor scans from Barrow to celebrate how far she has come in her journey and all the people who helped get her there.
“Dr. Spetzler not only saved my life, but he also gave me back everything I loved. Because of him, I could return to teaching art, continue painting, enjoy reading novels, and travel with my husband. I will always be grateful for that.”
Dr. Spetzler was President and CEO of Barrow from 1986 until his retirement in 2017. During this time, he created a legacy of saving lives by accepting challenges, rejecting norms, and pushing boundaries. That legacy still lives on under Barrow’s current President and CEO, Michael T. Lawton, MD, and all the doctors who work tirelessly to treat challenging neurological conditions so patients like Bonnie can celebrate recovery milestones.