How I got here

 I got here by taking the bus and then the bybanen (the city tram). After the number of times I have come to the hospital for tests and probes over the last couple of weeks, I feel like I know the route by heart.

It feels like it's been a long time, but it's barely been over a month. I felt a lump in my armpit. I was having my period (I still bleed, though it's getting more irregular). Lumps and swellings are normal during these. But this one felt strange. Bigger.

I checked with my partner to see if he also felt it was out of the ordinary. We both agreed that I should have it checked. I requested an appointment with my fastlege (appointed GP) on 14.01.26. They are the gateway to the rest of the system. Them and the emergency services. 

I got an appointment for the following week (21.01.26). She looked concerned. The lump was big, she agreed. And the right breast also seemed to have a large calcification, which usually comes and goes during my periods, but the left no longer had.

On 30.01.26, I went for a biopsy at Haraldsplass. I was always going to be followed at Haukeland (the main hospital). But they had a backlog and could not fit me in immediately, and there was no time to waste.

I had my first scare a few years ago. A strange lump appeared in my left breast. I took a biopsy then, too. The attitude of that radiologist was completely different from what it was this time. He was sure the biopsy wouldn't turn up anything. And it didn't. And after a few months, the lump vanished as quick as it had appeared.

This time it was very different. When I asked if the radiologist was concerned about anything, after a lengthy observation and collection of samples, she affirmed that she had no doubt that it was cancer. The biopsy would only confirm what kind. I was also invited to participate in a study to improve diagnostics.

The additional diagnostics followed at record speed. First, an MRI without contrast at Betanien on 05.02.26, followed by a PET/MRI at Haukeland on 06.02.26, and a CT at Haukeland on 10.02.26.

The meeting for the final diagnostics was on 16.02.26. There were two possibilities still. One of the MRis showed something on my hip that could indicate that the cancer had spread. In that case, the treatment would be only to prolong life. There was little chance for cure. I would need to take another biopsy of the bone in that area. That would take at least another week.

I was shocked, I teared up, and the doctor also showed sorrow to have to give me this news. I had kept a positive attitude, but this shattered a bit of my optimism. 

The other possibility, if the new biopsy didn't find that the two were related, was that the cancer was localised and the treatment would be curative.

The cancer is very aggressive, meaning that it reproduces quickly. It is called HER2+, with positive estrogen and progesterone receptors. But the knowledge about how to handle this type of cancer has improved a lot in the last few decades. So, the outcomes in this case are much improved. The treatment would be the same, but the expectation was that it would lead to a cure.

I head home with a heavy heart. bracing for the worst. I knew it was a possibility, but I didn't expect to be in those statistics. Then a call came from the clinic. Another radiologist (a very good one, they stressed) reviewed the images and said with strong confidence that the area did not appear metastatic. It was something else entirely; even the doctors have difficulty pronouncing it, so I am not bothering with learning the name. Something everyone can have and doesn't even need treatment. But I would need a new MRI to confirm. That happened today, 20.02.26.

This was the view as I waited to be called in for the MRI:

It is a view from the hospital building called Protonbygget (The Proton Building). It sits behind and away from the other buildings. In the view, one can see a kindergarten. The prams are all parked outside, probably with babies napping in them. A practice common in all Nordic countries, but frowned upon elsewhere. Beyond it, the city of Bergen.

It is best accessed from the underground tunnels from the Sentralblokken (The Central Block). The names of the buildings are very obvious; they name their function or characteristic, like the Glassblokkene (The Glass Blocks). The building where I will have most of my appointments is the Parkbygget or Parken (that one seems more confusing).

The underground tunnels are a maze, but well signposted and informative. Like this sign, which informed me how far it was to the Proton Building and that I could stop along the way and rest if needed. I didn't need it. I am determined to keep active as much as possible and only rest if the body absolutely requires it.

Tomorrow I have to come back for an injection that will boost my immune system, since the chemo is attacking it. I will have a round every three weeks. The next appointment is on 11.03.06 for a conversation with the doctor and 12.03.06 for the actual treatment. There will be a similar routine, prep-meds the day before, and on the day. Treatment, post meds on the day, the day after and the second day. Immune boost between 24 and 48 hours.

After every 3 rounds, I will undergo a new MRI. Depending on how the cancer is reacting, that will determine how long the treatment will last and when I might be operated on.

It seems scary and daunting, but there are several silver linings, and I chose to focus on them...