- It's so much fun to know what breathing is !, says heart transplanted Tonje Rolland to the Oslo Marathon.
As of today, the happy 47-year-old has three pairs of running shoes, she chases Strava segments like never before and adorns herself with a running watch that she wears with at least 3 running sessions per week. But at the beginning of 2020, Tonje could barely walk three meters before she gasped for breath. A donor changes the life of the eager running enthusiast, who this year runs 10 for Grete for the second time.
But we actually have to go even further back to understand all that Tonje's body has been through. Yes, for only 10 years old, Tonje Rolland (47) got acute myelogenous leukemia with a 30% chance of survival. Despite low odds, her body battled the tough disease and won. Six months later, she experienced a relapse, and was therefore put on a strong chemotherapy regimen, but without a bone marrow transplant.
- The doctors did not know of anyone else who had survived this without having a bone marrow transplant. At the age of 13, Tonje was declared healthy and put on heart medicine. The Oslo girl lived as normal despite some tough years of illness that followed. A career as a fighter pilot had to be dropped, the doctors could tell her - otherwise anything was possible. Tonje chose the film industry with late nights, little sitting still and a hectic but very rewarding working life. And she loved it. She traveled a lot, did a lot of physical activity and had a generally high pace in her life. At the age of 30, Tonje had children, and was once again to experience that her heart failed. A new pregnancy would not be tolerated by her heart, the doctors at the hospital said. A very tough message to get for the new mom. A couple of years later, Tonje was diagnosed with the precursor to breast cancer, and had to undergo radiation treatment. Another strain on her body, and very stressful on the heart. Tonje continued at his usual pace with an active job and a life consisting of a lot of travel. And it went. To a certain extent.
Run the Oslo Marathon for Organ Donation!
January 2020 said both pulse and heart from. 3 meters walk uphill, and Tonje had to recover for each step she took. With an oxygen uptake of 10.3, it was urgent to get on the waiting list and be transplanted. And Tonje was lucky. She came through the eye of the needle on all the tests, and was approved for an operation. But how long the wait will be, you never know.
That spring, however, she received a phone call from Rikshospitalet. "Now we have a heart for you. Can't you hop in a taxi and come to us? ”With the corona ravaging the community, she had to go to the hospital alone. She gave her son and her husband a hug and jumped in the taxi. 1.5 days later she was out of the intensive care unit and the training was in full swing.
- It was a strange feeling with a new heart in the beginning. There is so much symbolism in the heart! Still, I feel like myself. It is not in the heart that the soul itself lies!
Got the running dilemma
The summer after the operation, Tonje went on several summit hikes without gasping for breath. Being breathless / tired became something completely new for her.
- Before, I was out of breath as long as I walked five meters uphill! I thought this was the breath everyone got when they exercised, but afterwards I noticed that my breathing was something completely different! When I first get out of breath now, it feels completely different. Yes, it's delicious simply! I actually manage to get my breath back when I recover.
And that summer she had her very first run in a long time.
- For a full 2 minutes I managed to run continuously without having to throw for breath. It was an absolutely beautiful feeling! For the next 6 months, she trained regularly in a rehab group at NIMI. It worked wonders for progress, motivation and running joy, and after 1 year she had a Vo2max of 40% compared to 10.3% in March 2020. An enormous progress, but also a reminder of the family that had lost someone.
- The first Christmas with a new heart, I often thought about how lucky I was, at the same time as I thought about the family that did not have such a nice Christmas. It puts life in perspective.
Tonje quickly got a running dilemma of her own progression on the training front, and she stayed motivated throughout the year by, among other things, participating in our virtual races. During the Easter race, she took up skiing, she participated in the 17th marathon and the Romjulsløpet race , and finally she was on the starting line for the BMW Oslo Marathon . Barely a week before 10 for Grete, she tested running 10 km in a row for the very first time, and prepared both her body and head for the race itself. When race day came, her nerves were high, and she ran in the red zone all the way, terrified of bursting. Still, she found a good flow during the race, and the smile went around all the way. The goal was between 1.10 and 1.20, but Tonje clocked in at 1.06 after putting in a sprint towards the finish line. - For a feeling of mastery, and for a race! And that it helped so incredibly much with so much life along the trail. From the lovely Garmin girls to the gorillas- I really felt cheering and cheering all the way.
10 for Grete gave her more taste, and she is now registered for this year's 10 km, and is well underway with a running program.
- It is so fun and wonderful to run, train and have a specific goal! It gives me so much kick and energy, and I can hardly understand that not everyone wants it :) And Tonje has infected friends with her running dilemma.
- I have started several friends to run with me. Well, they can not say no to a heart transplant, haha! Now I have become the one who has 4 running shoes, who devours devouring running and training programs, hangs on Strava and has an expensive heart rate monitor. Well, it's absolutely fantastic that it works! I'm so insanely grateful for my donor. I think I run for and with my donor!
