26. august 2023
Climbing Mount Cancer
I imagined my journey with brain surgery and cancer treatment as if I was to climb Mount Everest, with personal milestones along the climb, paralleling actual places along the the ascent to the summit.
This analogy helped me understand and communicate my goals and progress in a more meaningful way, and feel success along the long and tough journey.
Climbing Mount Cancer
1. Base Camp (Starting place) 5364 m
Survive brain surgery (11.01.24)
2. Icefall Doctors’ (Sherpa) Camp 5450 m
Survive operation convalescence (14.01.24)
3. Khumbu Icefall (cracks and shifting blocks of ice) 5486 m
Complete first chemotherapy (28.01.24)
4. Camp 1 (The valley of silence) 6065 m
Move home (01.02.24)
5. Camp 2 (Extra oxygen need from here) 6400 m
Complete second and third chemotherapy (09.03.24)
6. Camp 3 (Entrance to the "Death Zone") 7200 m
Complete fourth and final 'standard' chemotherapy (30.03.24)
7. Camp 4 (Last camp before the summit) 7950 m
Complete the final high-dose chemotherapy course with stem cell transplantation and isolation. Cancer-free! (16.05.24)
8. The Balcony (A small plateau with fantastic view) 8400 m
Complete rehabilitation stay at Sunnaas facility (31.07.24)
9. South Col (getting close to the summit) 8750 m
Lift our child like Simba without being afraid of losing it (06.09.24)
10. Hillary Steps (Last obstacle before the summit) 8790 m
Complete 10 k at Oslo Marathon (21.09.24)
11. The Summit 8848 m
Back at work and giving the presentation 'Mount Cancer' for Wiersholm (06.01.25)