But outside the door to the patient room was his doctor, senior physician and hematologist, Yngvar Fløisand, discussing with Knut Lundin, a colleague at Rikshospitalet from another department. – It didn’t look like he would survive. Then we had a lucky and somewhat random conversation in the hallway, says Fløisand. In the hallway, Fløisand told his colleague that he thought it was so terrible that they had nothing more to offer Kile. – But we may have, Lundin is said to have replied. Became seriously ill The year is 2014. The calendar shows that it is time again to bring out Easter chickens and marzipan. After feeling unwell for several days, Øyvind Kile visits the GP. He is pale, cold and almost faints on a trip to Trondheim. Blood samples are taken and the next day he is called to work. The GP is short and direct. – Leukemia, blood cancer, was the brutal message he received. And that will only be the beginning of the story. THE START OF HELL: Øyvind on the day of the transplant. Photo: Private Although the news hits the family of five as a shock, there is little time to think. Shortly after the announcement, Kile is put on chemotherapy. For many with leukemia, chemotherapy is often enough, for others a stem cell transplant is needed. Kile is one of these. In August, after months of chemotherapy, the donor is found and the transplant is carried out. Soon life was going to pick up speed, just like before – but it didn’t happen that way. CONCERNED: When Øyvind was about to take his life back, the fight was only just beginning Photo: Terje Haugnes / news – The sign that something was wrong After a while in isolation, Kile escaped from the hospital. – I quickly noticed that something was wrong. The faeces were black and blood flowed out, he explains. His body is working against itself. The new stem cells are rejected. According to senior doctor Fløisand, many stem cell transplant recipients experience that the body tries to reject it. This is called GVHD, or graft versus host disease. At the hospital, Kile doesn’t stop bleeding. Several different treatments were tried without success. The belief in survival became less and less. In a last attempt to save Kile, he is flown to Trondheim and St. Olav’s hospital. He is now very ill and is not getting any nourishment. Kile is in great pain and weighs only 40 kilos. FINDING STRENGTH IN THE FAMILY: Øyvind’s three children and his wife Line, became important when everything looked darkest. Photo: Private Placed in quiet room He himself has come to terms with the fact that it is now coming to an end. – I heard quiet rooms mentioned several times. And knows well what that means, he says. As he is wheeled up to the ward, he notices that it has been decorated for Advent. The doctor did not give up completely. The treatment is now moving to the palliative phase. In the department for blood diseases, Kile will stay through Christmas and over New Year. Although all hope seemed lost, his doctor had not completely given up. After much discussion, they decided to try what had not been done before. The preparation Entyvio was supposed to be the rescue. A preparation that has long been used for intestinal diseases such as Chron’s and intestinal inflammation, but never on patients like Kile. – We knew that he only had days left if we didn’t try, says Fløisand. After several rounds of discussion, Kile starts on the new medicine. The effect is almost immediate. – We didn’t know if this would work, and I thought it would take much longer than it did. We had never seen anything like this before, explains Fløisand. Against all odds, Kile survives. TOOK A CHANCE: Senior physician and hematologist, Yngve Fløisand, had never heard of the drug that saved Øyvind’s life. Photo: Terje Haugnes – Almost turned around – It’s strange about that. I had made up my mind that I didn’t want to live any longer and was almost turned around when Fløisand came up with a solution that might help, he says. – I really just wanted to let go. That was enough. I also thought about the family. They would no longer have to have a patient in the family. I just wanted to finish everything, continues Kile. Kile sits on the sofa at Frogner in Lillestrøm municipality with his wife of several years, Line Støre Kile. – I couldn’t deal with that. I did not accept that. We wanted him here. She says that the period of illness was extremely tough for the family. – It has affected us badly. At the same time, we have become incredibly close. LONG ROAD: Even though Øyvind is better today, there is still a lot that needs to be done for him to have a normal life again. Photo: Terje Haugnes Global study that saves lives The experiment led to a global study. It showed that by giving the medicine Entyvio preventively before and after a bone marrow transplant, the risk of severe intestinal rejection could be more than halved. Today, almost a decade after Kile first became ill, he is still affected by the disease. The breathing is bad and the days are largely spent on the sofa. He tries to work a few hours here and there, when his body allows it. Just talking costs energy. – I dream of being able to carry on a whole conversation without straining again. In the long term, I hope my health will normalize somewhat and that I can live more as I want, says Kile.
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Øyvind was put in a quiet room to die – then the doctor tried something new – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
