173, Christmas

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Day 172, Ski

Have been on the first skiing trip this season. I am going to do 300 miles (500km) this winter, so now I only have 292 miles (487km) left.

Day 165, Day 4 Round 6

In the morning, day 4 feels in the whole body. But it gets better. Today I have been shoveling snow, cycled 6 miles (10km) and had dinner away. But I have also felt nauseous, slow and been in bed.

Day 161, Winter

The air is ice cold and the Norwegian winter has taken over. I try to walk og cycle to work every day. This picture is taken on the way a couple of days ago. It is important to stop from time to time and get reminded about the beauty you live in.

Day 150

This is day 150 since I started chemotherapi. I am on round 5 of 8. After round 8 we will take a new MR in my head to see if we want to stop or go for another round. My health is getting and better. Did 200 km (124 miles) of walking and cycling in November.

Day 146, Yoga

Have startet doing yoga and meditation again. It feels good to be back.

Day 137, Day 4 Round 5

I feel the pills take energy out of my body. Round 5 is soon over.

Day 134, Day 1 Round 5

I am back in Norway and have started round 5 today. Was on the hospital yesterday and got the message that the chemotherapy has been working well. Will continue with 4 new rounds and hope that takes the rest.

Day 130, Maldives

I am on vacation and it is great. Except from all the water I drink that makes me go to the bathroom 4 times a night.

Day 118, Pills

A couple days ago I forgot to take my pill number two. This is the pill I take in the morning and evening every day for the seizures I have. It was the first time in two years I forgot.

Day 112, Deer in My Garden

It's a bit of a surprise to stare a deer into the eyes in your own garden. Feels like a dream.

Day 107, Hot Dog

There are hot dogs at my office every friday. I have done so much with changing what I eat, but the friday hot dog I will never quit.

Day 100, Work Hard To Keep The Thumb Up

Day four on round four and my day number 100 of chemotherapy. Today I found out that I was missing a chemotherapy pill in the glass. I had to speak with 4 different people and go to the hospital to get the last one. When I came home I found out that the date, of the pill I got today, ran out in August 2012...

Day 97, Day 1 Round 4

I feel that my muscles get weaker already. 

Day 96, Ready for Round 4

After 12 days with an extra break I am ready to start again. The blood test i took today is ok. Round 4 of Temozolomid starts tomorrow morning.

Day 90

I am now on day 90 of chemotherapy. Nobody knows how many days I will continue.

Day 89, New

How do you like my new "camera"? I think I will use them both from now.
From now you can also reach this blog from this web address www.pettershode.com
or www.pettershode.no for Norwegians.

Day 85, Should have Started on Round 4

Today I was supposed to start round 4 of Temozolomid Ratiopharm, but I have to wait over a week because of my latest blood test. I am ready, but my body is not.

Day 78, Hurtigruten

It is between round 3 and 4 and I feel in ok. I am now the very north of Norway on a trip with my mother. Good to have a little relaxation.

Day 71, a friend

This is the dog we watch from time to time. She is very nice.

Day 65, "It sits in the head"

Yesterday and today, Kristine and I have been on courses run by the Brain Tumor Society. The course is called "It sits in the head." There have been some interesting days with various lectures from professionals and we've met others in the same situation as us. We are now hoping for more such courses in the future.

Day 64, dentist

It's expensive to go to the dentist. But now I save 70$ since I'm on chemotherapy. Finally something positive!

Day 60, day 4 round 3

Day 4 and I feel that I have chemotherapy in the body. I'm tired and often have a headache.

Day 50

I have had chemotherapy for 50 days now and I have no idea how long it will take.

Day 43, work out

I work out to keep in shape. If I did just stay at home on the sofa, everything would feel a lot worse.

Day 29, day 1 of round 2

Today I started round 2. It has taken some of my energy and I have had to cancel appointments. Now I feel a little better and I hope the next few days will be more ok.

Day 28, the summer is over

The summer is over. Now I am back in Oslo and the holiday season has turned into everyday life. Had a meeting with the doctor at the Norwegian Radium Hospital today and tomorrow I start day 1 of chemotherapy number 2. What should I call tomorrow do you think? Day 1 or 29 ...

Day 13, live a double life

I feel I live a normal life, but not. I live a life where everything is nice and normal on one side. On the other side, there is always something that sets limits and that means I can not live as I want. Today is day 13 and I'm tired at the same time I want a bike ride.

22 days before next round

The chemotherapy had the last day on monday. Now it's 22 days before I start on round two. Had hoped to have a good day today, but have felt pretty sick. We were just entering the boat, and I felt like I was going to throw up.

Day 5 chemotherapy

This is Day 5 of 5, and I'm more tired. It will be nice tomorrow to start the 23 days without chemotherapy and feel having a real summer vacation.

Day 2 chemotherapy

Driving is a challenge - I get nauseated as soon as I sit in the car. Otherwise, I feel a little nausea on and off and have had seizures, both yesterday and today.

Day 1 of chemotherapy

Today is my first day of chemotherapy. I will eat 4 pills every morning for 5 days and then have 23 days' break before the next round. In addition, I take pills against nausea in the morning and evening. I must say that I don't feel much right now, but we will see. The chemotherapy is at least starting.

Three amazing gifts

From my good friends, I got three gifts after I told them I have to enter the cell treatment. My wife and I can choose one of them.
1. Three dinners for two in Oslo: Maaemo, Oscarstreet and the Palace Grill.
2. Weekend for two in Copenhagen, dinner at Noma - the world's best restaurant.
3. Dog!

It looks we choose the Copenhagen tour. Thank you!

Chemotherapy

Unfortunately, I must continue treatment. After surgery and radiotherapy I now start with chemotherapy. There is something up there that will not go away, and that continues to grow. I start next week and will continue over a few months. I thought I could finally relax, but there is one more fight...

Weight

In August 2010 I weighed over 95 kg. Now I am under 80. Where is the limit of weighing too much or too little?

Speech therapist

I now go to a speech therapist once in a week and I think this picture describes it well.

Friends and enemies

This is an interesting building in Oslo. It says; British American Tobacco Norway, University in Oslo and at the end it says: Oslo city Health- and Welfare services. I wonder if they share a lunchroom.

Summer

There was a time in life I did not care so much about a dinner with my mother, father, brother, sister and grandparents around the table. Now it means a lot.

Day 30 of 30

Today was the final day. The radiation is complete. Now I hope that my hair grows back quickly.

Two days left

Now there are only two days left of the radiation therapy. It will be good to have it over, I've been really tired the last few days. All hair has been lost on both sides of my head, so I shaved the rest of it too. It's strange how this was not a problem in the first three weeks, but now has taken over my life more and more.

Radiotherapy on me

Monday April 2nd I brought my camera to film my radiotherapy. There is a tumor in my brain. I was operated in February, but they could not remove everything. The radiotherapy will hopefully remove the rest of it. In the film i cut between two cameras but the time is held like reality.

Life

Some days I think I'm struggling to be 40 years, other days that I will easily get 80. But how can I say that when a friend dies in an accident? None of us can know how long we live, so enjoy every day.

Staples

In my head i had:
63  staples to keep the wound again
   9 staples around to keep the patch in place over the wound
   2 staples on the right side of my forehead where my head was bolted during surgery.
 74 TOTAL staples

Mountain

In the weekend I try to connect off and relax in the mountain. I am still tired, but it helps to get out to the nature and away from the city.

Day 20 of 30

The radiation is the same every day. I have started to loose my hair and am very tired.

I am back

Here is a picture of my head after surgery

The tumor in my brain has grown again, so I was operated February 13th. They could not remove everything so now I receive radiation. You can now call what i have cancer. Today is radiation day 18 of 30.