Day +57, and caring doctors

A few days after we got home, I suddenly felt the need for a total break from blogging and Facebook. I went into a kind of computer hibernation. Now I feel like it's time to start digging myself out of it. This post is long overdue, and I really want to get going again.

Last Sunday it was 2 months since Sigve was admitted to hospital, and he's already been out of it for two weeks! This has been such a smooth and amazing journey. We talk about it almost every day; how we expected it to be a lot more bumpy, and last so much longer. In one of my early posts I wrote that "knowing Sigve, I won't be at all surprised if he just casually breezes through this", and this is mostly how it's been.

So far he's been going to Stord Hospital twice a week for blood tests and fluid refills. He was going to have an easy chair for the duration of the refill, but the room was so cold that he had to get a bed with a duvet and warm blankets. 

Sigve never used to get cold before, so in that respect he has changed. He used to be able to wear just a shirt, and maybe a light sweater in the winter, but now he needs at least 2 layers of wool to stay warm. Can you imagine what it was like the first few days at home: Sigve was freezing, and I was having hot flashes! An electric blanket came in handy to avoid having tropical conditions in the living room, and prevent me from having to move out on the deck. 

The refill usually takes about 4 hours, so I've been trying to find things to do. Last Monday I went for a lovely walk in the Hystad forrest, which is close by the hospital, and a beautiful place, with an easy path.

Last Thursday I was scheduled to go to Bergen with Geir Espen, so Sigve had to make his own way to the hospital. As we tried to get him transportation, we learned that he is entitled to free taxi transport, so from now on he will take advantage of that. When we drive ourselves, we have to cover the expenses first (gas and road toll) and then apply for a refund. 

On Friday last week the hematologist at Haugesund Hospital who followed up Sigve this spring until he was admitted to Haukeland for the transplant, phoned us. He had received a report from Haukeland and learned that Sigve was being followed up at Stord now. He was not happy about that arrangement as Haugesund has a hematology department, and obviously more expertise and experience in following up stem cell transplant patients. Especially at this stage they would be more likely to catch up on early signs of gvh (graft-versus-host) disease.

This doctor has actually phoned to check up on Sigve before, the last time was the day before he was off on his holidays. By then Sigve was scheduled for admittance to Haukeland, and did his preliminary check-ups there, and he just wanted to find out  how he was doing. I think that's pretty neat and unusual!

He wanted Sigve to come to Haugesund for at least one of the two weekly check-ups, so now he'll be going there on Mondays. Haugesund is only half an hour further away than Stord (1 hour versus 1/2 hour by car) so no big deal. He's entitled to free taxi transport there too, so I won't have to spend the whole day in Haugesund. On Thursdays he'll go to our local doctor's office and take the required blood tests in their lab. So it turns out he doesn't have to go to Stord at all any more.

Today I am grateful for:
*Sigve's continued smooth ride
*Every day that goes by without complications
*Doctors who care and take an interest