Blue attended Fitzpatrick Referrals today for his follow up blood test. This is following two weeks of medication in tablet /capsule form.
We are all becoming anxious with each visit, but in truth Blue continues to pull us all through, continuing to prove what a remarkable character he is.
Today he had 5 sedatives, to take the edge off ahead of his visit, these make him wobbly, but aware of what is going on.
Leaving home just after 2.00pm we were being guided through reception into the consultation room, to the welcome greetings from the ladies on reception, who instantly recognise Blue as we enter.
Weighing in at 50.8kg Blue soon settles and waits, the sedatives doing the job, even when a curious dog stands the other side of the door looking in through the viewing glass, Blue remains calm and comfortable.
Change occurs when Dr Kelvin Kow enters with a nurse, but soon subsides to a few sighs and puffs of his cheeks, Blue that is.
We talk through how Blue has been, namely less energetic, more sleepy, but with bouts of energy bursts, appetite is fine and with credit to Sue, not one tablet missed. (Thin chicken slices or ham wrapped around each one soon sees them down the back of Blue's throat).
Dr Kelvin explains that once the blood tests are done, he will have a better idea of if the dosage requires increasing or decreasing.
As Dr Kelvin held out his hand to take Blue's lead, Blue objected, but accepted a split second later, they were building their bond of trust with each other, that on it's own should not be underestimated as a significant change.
No sooner had Sue and I settled in the reception pod, and Blue was back, his paws scurrying across the floor, but not with the Dr, but the nurse, either those sedatives are working abnormally well, or the hard work and patience of the whole "FROST" team was paying dividends. In my opinion it has taken both, but the FROST team have really begun to win Blue's trust, even to the point where the Nurse said that she had stolen a kiss on the top of Blue's head, we all smiled.
We had to wait longer than we should have for the blood results, and during this time Blue even allowed a dog in the next pod to look at him without reacting to protect us.
The results as always are delivered in person by Dr Kelvin, this time the white blood cell count was slightly down, no anaemia, but it was still too early to tell if the dosage is causing the periodic lethargy or it is his body getting used to the new medicines.
Blue will return in two weeks for another blood test, and dependent on the results, if all is well his visits could be extended to a month interval, looking further forward he could have two of those, and in two and half months from now we will have a decision to make. That decision will be whether to have a CT scan to see what is happening inside of Blue, but it is not a decision that we have to make yet.
We have heard the phrase #frostfamily and we are in no doubt all the staff that work there are like one big extended family, that welcome you all, and share every moment with you. Dr Kelvin is viewed as a friend of Blue, and us too. He explained that the day Blue laid on the operating table, he was consulted on his condition, and is so genuinely pleased to see where Blue is today compared to that dark afternoon in November last year.
Blue is a reward to all those that have helped along this journey and those that will ensure to see him get the best he can, from life.
Tomorrow Blue will be swimming at Aquadoggies, last week it invigorated him so much, he did not settle until 3 hours after getting home.
On a lighter note, Sue and I have been set a challenge, to get a wee sample for his next visit;
This will take a bit of strategy and a steady gloved hand!
Thank you for following Blue's story
