And so it starts

Thanks so much you guys for all the awesome moral support yesterday!! I am back, my liver is a bit smaller because of the biopsy done and I have discovered yet another big hospital in Norway´s capital city. 

A lot of people asked me whether I was worried or stressed or both for the procedure. And you know what? With everything my Norwegian onco and I talked about just a few weeks ago, it felt like yesterday was a bit of a festive day instead of a stressful day. The day the preparations for the research study have well and truly started. With every procedure that is to follow, I will keep in mind that this is all on the way of getting (even) better. Or at least live longer. Keeping that in mind will make sure I stay as positive as possible during all this. Not that I will consider writing ´having a liver biopsy´ on my list of hobbies now, but it is all for a good cause! 

I got down to Oslo on the, by now, infamous Helsebuss. They dropped me off at Rikshospital where I caught the crowded internal bus line to Radium Hospital. The latter is housed in one of those enormous buildings where you can get lost just by walking in through the main entrance. It took me 4 kind employees and a good 20 minutes to find the laboratory to get my blood tests taken. 

After they had tapped what felt like at least 3 liters of blood, I was checked into the day care unit where they prepped me for the biopsy. A really kind and communicatively gifted doctor led the biopsy procedure and luckily they had the best local anesthesia so during the procedure I felt a minimum amount of discomfort. When we were done, I intended to walk back to the day care unit but they would have none of that. I was installed on the wheelie bed and brought back to the unit for the obligatory 4 hours rest after the procedure. 

As I was the last patient to come back from procedure and with the day care unit closing at 15.30, I got transferred to a regular hospital department for my last 2 hours of obligatory rest. Once there I made 2 new friends, an elderly lady from Ireland who moved to Norway 60 years ago and another elderly lady from just outside Oslo. 3,5 hours into my obligatory rest I was kind of done and felt strong enough to get up and leave. So I did. 

Luckily I had a great friend picking me up for a drive back to Ensby. I was so happy to be back home after a 14 hour day! 

Today my liver feels like it has been in a boxing match but I have enough ´excitement´ to keep me distracted as the car battery was flat as a pancake this morning. Several weeks of temps below -16 Celsius have left their mark and now the battery is officially old. Even though it is only 5 years old. After the cute Norwegian car dude came to revive the battery, I have already been on an obligatory road trip to recharge the battery. 

So the car is taken care of and now I am gonna recharge a bit. 

Oh before I forget: another question I heard a lot is ´when will I hear the results of the liver biopsy?´. Well, that depends on when the IMPRESS research study will actually start. Can be any day or can be after summer. Whenever it is, I for sure will keep you updated! Promise! 

Time to recharge now.