Authors: Regine Stokke
Regine's Book (19 page)
Later, I met Anne Marthe and Eli Ann. We watched three episodes of
Twin Peaks
. I think I've gotten them hooked on the series. It's just brilliant.
I also just want to give a quick thank you to the fans of the Kristiansund BK soccer team. They raised more than 9,000 crowns during today's game against Alesund. Great initiative!
www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/more_og_romsdal/1.6627347
The only thing I'm not happy about in that article is that they wrote that the Norwegian doctors have given up. That's not really true, even though they're not sure where the transplant will happen (if I get that far).
I've worked on some new photos. Here are a few of them.
1
Quart is short for the Quart Festival—an annual music festival in Kristiansand.
2
Dagbladet
is one of Norway's largest newspapers. It's done in a tabloid style, and on Fridays
Dagbladet
publishes a special issue devoted to pop culture and young adult issues.
3
Artist and art teacher who commented on Regine's blog in November.
4
Local TV news stations.
5
In support of Regine Stokke.
6
Blog-publishing service that posts “top lists” of its most read and active blogs.
7
Annual one-week international photography event.
8
Ann Olaug Slatlem is a volunteer with
Nordic Light.
9
See artwork on page 127.
10
Line Victoria Husby is the program director at TV2 television station who followed Regine's blog from the beginning.
11
Movie about Nazi zombies in the snow.
12
Blogger and Regine's friend.
13
Artistic director of
Nordic Light
.
14
On April 17 Regine's blog moved from the twentieth most visited blog on
www.blogg.no
to the second most visited blog, and on the same day, NN asked his blog readers if she deserved a top spot on the list. NN blogs about fashion, makeup, and his life.
15
Maren-Sofie blogs about living with ALL (acute lymphoid leukemia); Anne Marie is the wife of cancer patient Svein Kåre Handeland, who passed away in March 2009; and Sofie Frøysaa is the blogger known here as Sofsen.
16
From the children's book
When the Robbers Came to Cardemom Town
(Thorbjorn Egner, 1952). Residents of Cardemom Town live by the law “You shouldn't bother others, You should be nice and kind, And otherwise you can do as you please.”
17
Platelets help stop bleeding by forming blood clots. With leukemia, the abnormal white cells crowd out healthy blood cells, including the platelets.
18
Traditional folk costumes that vary from region to region.
19
Norway's national holiday.
Summer, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
A
fter a lot of planning, everything was all set for the Ulver show on Saturday. They were going to be performing at the Literature Festival in Lillehammer, and this was the first time in fifteen years that Ulver was playing live, so people from all over the world came to see them. (Some even came from as far away as Alaska and Brazil.) It was definitely an historic evening for Ulver fans.
And I was lucky enough to get to go backstage before and after the show!
It was so cool. I got to meet all the band members, and they were all really nice. I was a little nervous and didn't know exactly what to say, but it wasn't really a problem. They were down to earth and didn't take themselves too seriously—which I liked. It was very special to meet them!
I'm so glad that I could even make it to the show. I never thought it would happen, but it was great to just get away for a while.
I bought myself a
Shadows of the Sun
LP. It came in a wooden box, and I think only a thousand copies were printed, so that's pretty cool (not to mention expensive).
I thought the show was good, and the sound was incredible. They should have played longer! They also had some really affecting videos that worked as a kind of background to the show. The first one was a rebuke to author David Irving,
1
and showed how awful things were for Jews during the war.
Regine and Ulver band members Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg and Tore Ylwizaker at the Lillehammer Literature Festival, June 2009
P.S. It looks like my bone marrow has started working again. My immune system has also gotten a lot better, so that's good news. I hope I can stay healthy enough so I can stay home all next week, too. I've already made plans for my birthday—so there!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
I
n this entry I just want to take a second to say thank you to Beltspenner (
www.Beltespenner.com
) for all the work that they've done. Thomas Adams (the man behind the company) has given me so much support. He and his employees have worked hard to create clothes to benefit my support fund, and the amazing thing is that they're not taking any money for it. The profits go directly to the support
fund. Isn't that amazing? It makes me think that the world isn't such a bad place after all (and it's not—thanks to people like Thomas Adams!).
As of now, they've sold about 1,500 pieces of clothing. That means we've made over 100,000 crowns. It's so exciting to see that people are buying the clothes. I never thought so many pieces would sell. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported the project!
Just think how much money there will be in the support fund. It means so much to me, and I'm sure it means a lot to other cancer patients and their families as well.
I really want to give some money to Thomas Adams and his team, but right now all I can do is thank them. I hope they know how much it means to me.
One other thing: Don't get upset if it takes a while for the clothes to arrive. You'll get them sooner or later. It's a lot of work to print all of these clothes!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Y
es! Today's the day—I'm finally eighteen. Who would have thought I'd make it! I'm so glad I started treatment; it means there's a real chance that I'll live longer. If I hadn't started, I probably wouldn't be sitting here today. It's a thought I can hardly get my mind around. I've waited so long for my eighteenth birthday and now it's finally here (even though it's not quite like I thought it would be). Before, I used to look forward to turning eighteen so that I could buy alcohol, drive a car, vote in elections, and basically be a normal and independent adult. And I can pretty much do that now, but I can't really enjoy the benefits like a normal person can. But on the other
hand, my eighteenth birthday is a symbol that I'm still alive, and that I'm going to continue fighting against this horrible disease.
Earlier (on Friday), I went out to dinner with Martin just like we'd always planned. It was really nice—and the restaurant was almost empty, which worked out well.
Later today I'm going to celebrate with my best friends. We're eating at Peppe's, going bowling, and later we're going to my house for some drinks. I'm really looking forward to it!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that, thanks to Ann Olaug, I met Morten Krogvold yesterday. Ann's been amazing and has come through for me in so many ways. (Thank you so much, Ann!) It was great to get to meet Morten. He's a really knowledgeable and interesting man. He was also very engaged and sincere with me. I really appreciated that.
Photo of Regine taken by her friend Silje Sund for a school project on donating blood
Am posting a photo of me that Silje Sund took for her final exam project. She decided to do a project on donating blood. You're very talented, Silje! I'm sure you'll get an A!
By the way, I'm not going up to Trondheim on Sunday after all. Things look good right now, so the trip can wait a few days. I don't know exactly how long, but I'll probably go some time next week.
During the following days, 1,300 blog readers congratulated Regine. Here's a small selection:
Dear Regine: Happy birthday and congratulations with your battle. I'm following your blog and I'm really impressed. I think you'll win this fight (as a 58-year-old grandmother, I have to believe it)! Your biggest strength is the positive attitude you and your family all share. St. Olav's Hospital in Trondheim is very professional, and you're in excellent hands there (I know this firsthand, from when my daughter was sick). Keep it up, Regine, and things will work out in the end!!
—
Hug from a grandmother in Hitra
My dear young lady,
Turning eighteen is a milestone for most people. It means that you can drive, buy alcohol, and vote in elections. But for you it's even more important. A lot of people were afraid that this day would never come for you. Your family, your friends, and after a while, all of Norway, shared your fear and horror—although of course they weren't able to fully put themselves in your situation. In your blog you've given us insights we would otherwise never have had, and given us a glimpse of your painful reality.
Now the day is here. You've won for now, and there are thousands of people hoping that you have many more birthdays ahead of you.
Being as strong and courageous as you are, you'll continue fighting, and we'll keep on admiring you.
It might sound crazy, but my hope is that today, on your birthday, you have the chance to let yourself go and stop fighting; let other people care for you for a while. Then you can go back to your struggle tomorrow. On your birthday I want you to eat birthday cake and open presents and just enjoy yourself and your loved ones. I want you to let your cares go, and just be happy and “normal” for a while. There will obviously be many normal days still to come. And many difficult days, too, when you'll need to be strong and clever and tough. There are a lot of us who follow your story, who think of you, and hope and believe that you'll get better. But today is YOUR day. Enjoy every second of it.