– As soon as I heard about cancer on the radio, I changed the channel, because then I felt the nausea come over my body right away. That’s what farmer Kristian Hovde from Brumunddal in Ringsaker says. As a 24-year-old, he received discouraging news: He had contracted lymphoma. After six rounds of chemotherapy and 36 radiation treatments, he could finally say that he was rid of the cancer. But the very word left a nasty taste in his mouth. 17 years later, the nausea has given Kristian an idea – now he sells cow shit to raise income for cancer research. Was drained of energy In the autumn of 2006, Kristian noticed that something was wrong. He had taken over the farm at home, and the days were hectic. But he couldn’t take as much as before – he was tired, spent longer at work and had to sleep more. At Christmas, he began to swell on one side of his body. – Then my mother became strict and sent me to the doctor, says Kristian. TIRED: Kristian noticed that he couldn’t take as much as before, and realized that something must be wrong. Photo: Frode Meskau / news It was at the last minute. If he had come one day later, it might have been too late. – The tumor was behind the heart and had grown so large that there were only millimeters left before the main artery was pinched again by the tumor. Kristian says that the tumor could not be surgically removed, and he had to go through tough treatment with chemotherapy and radiation. Lymphatic cancer Lymphatic cancer can be divided into two variants: Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Symptoms: Infection and bleeding tendencies, swollen lymph nodes – which can lead to coughing or breathing problems because swollen/enlarged lymph nodes press on the airways. Can also lead to reduced kidney function where the lymph nodes pinch the ureters. Hogdkin’s lymphoma is usually treated with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a group of diseases that manifest themselves very differently and thus also have different treatment and prognosis. Some cases are aggressive and need to be treated quickly, most recover. Others have a slow-growing disease from which you cannot always recover, but which you can live with for decades. What these patients have in common is that they are often treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and drugs that use the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer (monoclonal antibodies). Hodgkin’s lymphoma often occurs in the 20s and 30s. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma most often occurs in people aged 40-50. Source: kreftforeningen.no The treatment drained him of strength. But the illness also affected him psychologically for a long time, even after he was “well”. – As soon as I heard about cancer on the radio, I changed the channel, because then I felt the nausea come over my body right away. But this nausea has given him a unique idea. Want to give something back Kristian sells cow dung for income for the cancer association. He got the idea of separating dung after seeing it in Germany and the Netherlands. – Normally we recycle the dry part as bedding and root material for the pig, but now we sell some of it as fertilizer to generate income for the cancer association. GIVING BACK: The farmer wants to give something back, and thanks research and the cancer association for being here today. Here together with special adviser Anne Rui at the Cancer Society. Photo: Frode Meskau / news Kristian wants to give something back. – It is thanks to research and the Cancer Society that I am standing here today. Last weekend he handed over the first part of the proceeds from the dung sale: Around NOK 7,000. – It’s incredibly creative The first proceeds were given to the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Anne Rui, special adviser at the Cancer Society, thinks the idea of selling cow dung is fantastic. – It is incredibly creative. We are very happy with the efforts Kristian is making to raise money for cancer research, says Rui. Rui says that three out of four people who get cancer today survive. – We couldn’t say that fifty years ago, so we can see that things are moving forward. It is largely thanks to Kristian and others who make an effort and collect money. CREATIVE: Special adviser Anne Rui at the Cancer Society thinks the idea of selling cow dung to generate income for the Cancer Society is fun and creative. Photo: Frode Meskau / news Separator as a climate measure It is not only the Swedish Cancer Society that benefits from Kristian’s dung. He says that the separator that separates the dry from the wet has been purchased as a climate measure. – By separating and reusing the dung, we save the annual purchase of over 1,000 m³ litter. We also save on driving the same amount of manure onto the field. Separators are not yet common in Norwegian gardens. In the interior, there are five or six farmers who have taken that investment. Kristian has received a grant from Innovation Norway for the purchase. FERTILIZER: Kristian bought a separator as a climate measure, and sells the dry part of the manure as fertiliser. Photo: Stein S Eide / news Plans to expand The Ringsaker farmer says that he collects the dung at the entrance to the barn, where people can come “self-pick”. He has also placed a tractor trailer on the edge of Brumunddal town center where people can help themselves and shake what they want. Now he has plans to expand the store. – The hope is that we can get garden centers to sell my cow compost, and donate part of the proceeds to the Cancer Society. That has to be the next goal. SELF-PICKING: Outside the center of Brumunddal, Kristian has set up a trailer with fertilizer where people can supply themselves. Photo: Frode Meskau / news
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The former cancer survivor Kristian Hovde from Brumunddal sells cow dung to raise income for the cancer cause – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
