Sunday, April 12, 2009

"I'm afraid we're keen on keeping you tonight"

(Written by Philippe)

The title of this post must be heard said by Paul imitating doctors delivering the bad news to him ...

Paul is still in hospital, on antibiotics. His fever hovers between 37.4 and 37.9, he is neutropenic, and we noticed a warm patch of redness near his scar (it was already there perhaps, but we just noticed it).

Yesterday, Mireille was justifiably exhausted and asked me to take her place in Paul's room for the night without telling him so he would at least accept to go to sleep, thinking his mother was coming. For those who didn't follow the reports of my two nights spent with Paul some two months ago, Paul had deleted me from his roster of sleeping partners because of my snoring! Hard to believe if you ask me.

So he went to sleep and I followed suit a few minutes later, waking up every half hour or so because I was scared I might be snoring. Crazy!

Laura, the excellent and very good humoured night nurse confirmed today that I was awake every time she came to check on Paul.

But in the morning, Paul said very light-heartedly that I had basically ruined his night. Yet he didn't blame me or his mother too much for her treason and me for my complicity and we spent a very nice morning crowned by the ritual destruction of the egg using a crutch. I filmed it but it is too embarrassing.

This evening, when I attempted a repeat of yesterday's performance on permutations, but by being more transparent about it, he showed his displeasure in no uncertain terms (Paul's official statement on the matter) and I had to call his mother who promised she would come to sleep with him after her dinner out in town.

While awaiting Mireille's arrival, I spent an excellent evening with Paul, recollecting together all the great time we've had together, the people we've met during our vacations, the places we visited (including the incredibly boring "Ferme des Crocodiles" in Pierrelatte, the moray eels we had spotted in Akaba, Jordan, our ping pong games and tournaments at ATCL, our visit of Mount Vesuvio, etc ...

Paul promised himself he would do even more things, as soon as his treatment ends, even already planning to go to the swimming pool at night so as to avoid the sun which will always be more dangerous for him than for people not having gone through chemo.

At around 10:30 pm, results from his blood tests came in: Despite all the G-CSF injections given to him, his neutrophils level remained stuck at zero (some six days now!) which means he'll remain on antibiotics and under close observation. He looks in such a great shape that it is hard to imagine he is so vulnerable.

James, the registrar on call tonight, assured me that he had a few tricks up his sleeves in addition to the antibiotics he is currently giving him.

1 comment:

  1. Make sure you fit California and San Francisco in all your travel plans. We'll show you The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, The redwood forests, the beaches, Yosemite... We are ready for you and Clara so get better quick!
    We love you sooo much and you are always in our thoughts,
    Marie, Marc, Peter, and John

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