Happy birthday Susie

15 years have passed since this photo was taken in Singapore, but the memories of my fantastic well qualified secretary Susie Valsalan pop up when I find that she has birthday today.
The photo above is the view I had in front of me through my office door at Science Park. Susie working, smiling and always ready to help a Norwegian in his challenges of being HR Director for DNV in Asia Pacific. Well done Susie, and a pity that your career in DNV became limited.
Thank you also for the personal help given to me and my family through my severe illness during our stay in Singapore. You helped us beyond what could be expected, but kindness and service was always in front of your attitudes.
Happy birthday from me and the rest of my family.

Planning for winter season?

If you so far have not decided what to do in the coming months, the above map from Nyhetsgrafikk.no may give you some ideas. The Alpine Tour around European Ski Resorts can give you a spectacular frame for checking out your Bucket List.

For me I will have a short visit to Munich and German beer before Christmas, and hopefully spend part of the winter months in southern Spain enjoying the pleasure of Dionysus or Bacchus. During that time I have probably got more used to the side effect of my injections of Degarelix / Firmagon. Up to now it has been a challenge, but everything is an adaptation, said the fox when skinned.

Fighting Cancer - Treatment has begun

Yesterday my waiting period for getting treatment for cancer started.

It has gone 20 weeks since my doctor at Rikshospitalet based upon a PSA value of 39 asked another department / hospital at OUS, Radiumhospitalet, to perform thorough evaluations of me and my body.
Eight weeks later I received a short letter stating: …. your biopsy samples show unfortunately Prostate Cancer."
Since that letter arrived 67 days of tests, discussions and waiting time have passed. The PSA value has increased to 46, and the "Warranty for treatment within 20 working days" from our PM J.Stoltenberg has been documented as empty electoral words only. I can absolutely copy another government member´s statement: Jens, "du veit ikkje ka du snakkar om" (you don´t know what you talking about).
Well, I must admit that I am probably among those 20% with cancer that are not included in his warranty, but is 20 weeks waiting time  an acceptable process time for starting the treatment?.

However, yesterday the Treatment started.
I am happy, my family is happy and although the treatment is "only" palliative for the coming three to six months, I expect to go on with my life as before.
I have had over 17 years since Dr Arthur T H Tan and his teams in Singapore saved my life after severe anterior myocardial infarctions, and nearly 14 years since the highly qualified and professional staff at Rikshospitalet made it possible to replace my destroyed heart and kidney through a simultaneous TX-Cor and TX-Renis operation.
If a new surgery within some months will remove the cancer tumor through prostatectomy, or the present treatment for me will be the final conclusion, remain to be seen.
I know that doctors and nurses are doing their best every day. Hopefully the politicians will give them the resources needed to fill their words, and help more people getting started with cancer fighting treatment.

In the meantime join the Movember movement.

Autumn at the best for 60+

Yesterday, those of you following me on Facebook could see that the 60+ group Majorstuen made a walk from Frognerseteren to Sognsvann with break at Ullevålseter.
The weather was perfect for this stroll and the coffee break outdoor for the twelve participants lasted longer than planned due to the sun beams.
Tomorrow it is strolling Frognerparken with start from the car parking at NHO/NVE at 10.30. Welcome.

Birthday dinner 2011

 Birthday dinner. Wild Cod with normal accessories and red wine. The life is great although new side effect challenges are faced.

 The wild Cod fish of 500 gr. slices.

Potatoes and carrots, melted butter and red wine from Tuscany. The desert was posted yesterday.

Happy birthday to me

Friday dinner, Klippfisk a la Lutefisk

 Yesterday dinner. Klippfisk (Dried and salted Cod) prepared as Lutefisk the Norwegian way with Mushy Peas, Potatoes and Bacon Cubes. Gammel Opland Aquavit accompanied with Beer from Munic Hofbrau Original for me and Franziskaner Weissbier for my wife.
However,

as my birthday on Monday is coming closer, a new gadget has arrived and connected to the network in the apartment. The Black Box, or Apple-TV is purchased with contribution from my sisters and may be some others. Increased download capacity to 50Mbps by Get, streaming of music, movies and photos through iTunes and iCloud will be a new experience.

Later today Maja will arrive for an overnight stay. The weekend activities are planned and set.

11.11.11.11.11

I made it. Exactly on November 11, 2011 at 11:11 cet i posted this Blogpost.

Baby Swimming, First Maja now Mari

Mari is three and a half months old and have started her Baby Swimming career.
Her sister Maja also started her swimming education when she was very young and on the photo below she is 10 months old with Rikke as a secure harbor on deep water.

Movember 2011

I overcame my fear, changed my look, from full beard to a single mustache.
It´s MOVEMBER

Movember (a neologism that is a portmanteau of the slang word "mo" for moustache and "November") is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November.
Since 2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. In 2010, Movember merged with the testicular cancer event Tacheback. 

Being a baldish grey-bearded man since the late 60s (well, color has changed in line with age) makes removing of the hair in my face a much bigger challenge than growing a mustache above the upper lip. However, if  supporting the Movember movement I have to sacrifices some good looking style and swap into a new one. At least for a shorter period.
If you have not started yet, for the rest of the month razors should be forsaken as mo’s of varying lengths, shapes and colours are grown.

Sunday stroll before Cup final football 2011, and Saturday memories

 Before gathering in front of the TV this afternoon to see AaFK, Aalesund beat Brann, Bergen 2 - 1 in the Norwegian Football Cup, the body had to recover from the weekend activities. Our traditional Sunday stroll along the ward areas in Oslo made it´s turn at Akershus Castle today. This photo is from the eastern side of the fortress.

 Yesterday we had lunch with Maja at Sorgenfri´s Lille and the 2 and a half year old girl made almost her own lunch based on the cafe´s breakfast deliveries.

 She is very concentrated when cutting the slices of breads. Not so concentrated when eating the bread with brown cheese, but food is food and she eats when hungry. Her yoghurt tasted very good.

On the way home we could see some of the consequences of 22/7 in Oslo. The entrance to our Foreign Ministry (UD) is now closed with security controlled automatic obstacles. On the day of terror they had places an old car and security guards at the same spot an hour after the blast. Similar obstacles are now or will be built at other high protected areas.

Norwegian Champions 2011 - AaFK

Where to post your information

From KForum, Copenhagen the flowchart below can give you some advice where to inform family, friends and the world about different status about yourself.
If for example you have been informed by the doctor at your hospital that the diagnosis from the last tests have showed that you have Cancer. That you within some weeks will be under treatment of professional medical personnel and that your preferred life-style may be further limited due to possible side effects of this treatment.
Is it time to close down your sites, be silent about your situation or continue to communicate openly through the social media about your daily activities, thoughts and experiences. Individual choices of course, but the flowchart may be at some help. How and when is also a part of this.

The chart is only an advice. It is up to you to make the decisions. As choosing the appropriate treatment among various possibilities described in the article from Anne-Karine Strøm, hjemmet, uncovering your situation is also a decision among multiple choices made by yourself.

1-11-11 It´s November

Yesterday I received a photo from four of my friends participating in a "vacuum course" at the Canary Islands under the label "all inclusive".
Showing the image to the blogging world of how they manage to follow the training and exercises, could be in violation of the code of conduct, so instead I give you an image of my day at Solvang. The leaves from the apple trees and hedges are removed from the lawn and used as cover on perennials in the flowerbeds.
Although there is no night frost arriving according to the long term weather forecast, and neither any snow falling, it feels rather good to be prepared an knowing that the cottage season is over for 2011.
See you in spring 2012.