Peter's Funeral

Peter's funeral was at Fetlar Kirk on 24 November 2014 at 11:30.

It was a fine day with a light breeze.

Here is a link to a video of the first part of the service:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjPj6Yj7xeg

After the first hymn (The Lord’s my shepherd), the Vicar spoke, followed by Michael senior, Mark and Michael junior and then Mother Mary. Then the final hymn (Come let us sing of a wonderful love).

Michael's Speech

My Brother (1)

We grew up in West London during the war. Many of the people who lived in our road were from other parts of London and from other parts of the country. They were making a life for themselves. After surviving the hardships of the 1930s they were uniting to survive the war. Because of this time and place there was a very strong good neighbourly spirit and a feeling of cooperation. “We are all in this together.” There was also a feeling of optimism which seemed to contradict all logic.

Perhaps it was this background that led Peter to develop two of his most notable characteristics.

He was very good at making – and keeping – friends.

And he had an optimistic and positive attitude; the ability to find enjoyment and humour in every experience – however unlikely some of them seemed.

As a young boy he was rather quiet and diffident. I used to go fishing with my friends and sometimes we would take him along as a treat, to be with the big boys. We would find an old rod and a few scraps of tackle for him, and tell him to sit quietly and see how it is done. Once we went out at three o’clock in the morning to catch carp. We were not successful but Peter pulled out the biggest roach that any of us had ever seen. On a similar occasion we put a scrap of worm on a tiny hook for him and he caught a pike. And his most notable achievement was to hook a rod and line. And when he wound it in there was a barbel on the hook. I attribute these successes to his optimism; if you expect to succeed you do.

My Brother (2)

We were members of the first generation of working class children to be able to compete for places in secondary education. First me, then Peter and then Margaret went to Southall Grammar School and in secondary school Peter was in his element. He became a member of a group of lively fellow spirits who were soon well known throughout the school. It was a little disconcerting for me. I had entered the school two years before him but found that I was being addressed as “KB” - Kelly’s Brother.

He enjoyed a great laugh when he took a holiday job – in a sewage works. He had to dress and undress in the garden when he went to work and when he came home.

It took him no time at all to launch his career. He managed to by-pass the tedious round of application forms and interviews. He went along to the labour exchange to make enquiries and was offered a place in the Ministry of Labour where he stayed for the rest of his working life, making his way through the civil service hierarchy.

Of course, he was soon very well known in the office. I remember trying to telephone him at the Hayes Labour Exchange. Unfortunately, the girl on the switchboard found my voice very like his. When I asked for him, she just burst into laughter assuming that Peter was playing a practical joke and she refused to connect us.

He enjoyed some hilarious holidays. At Robin Hood’s Bay he spent a night up a cliff after being trapped when the tide came in. I went hitch hiking with him in France but we were not very successful. The only time that we were offered a lift was when we had been standing for hours in the pouring rain and somebody took pity on us. We were given a very long ride but , unfortunately, it was in almost the opposite direction from where we had been aiming.

He was a few months after me in completing National Service. My attitude was to keep my head down and avoid being recognised but his was the complete opposite. His stories of the badinage that he exchanged with the Sergeant Major made my flesh creep. He was polishing the floor under a bed before an inspection when the CSM came in and said, “What are you doing there?” Peter said, “I’m digging a tunnel”. On the range, his machine gun jammed. The corporal in charge became very excited, “Keep still, don’t move!” The problem was solved and the corporal said, “That wasn’t difficult was it..” Peter replied, “Well, it took two of us.

Peter has gone but his qualities of optimism, humour and enjoyment of life remain. We can see them in his children and in his grandchildren. And that is how we will remember him.

Mark’s speech

Our Dad was a real one off, looking back to our childhood years it is difficult to know where to start.

I completed our family of five when I was born in Bishop’s Road in Hayes End. We didn’t have a car then, and often travelled by bus. When the bus conductor cranked out the long family ticket, Dad would amuse us by folding the ticket up, then a rip here a rip there and hey presto, a boring ticket was transformed into a line of happy people. Great fun for us, but it left him red faced on at least one occasion when the ticket inspector stepped on at the next stop, and asked to see our tickets.

He was practical, innovative and liked to do things in a traditional way. Bath time took on a new dimension one evening in the early 1970’s, when we encountered a large blue plastic bath full of grapes to the side of the bath tub. Then the fun began! In age order, after a quick bath, we hopped into the blue bath full of grapes, and with whoops of encouragement from Dad, commenced to tread the grapes, a crucial step in creating a fine wine.

He was creative and imaginative, telling us bed time stories about the amazing adventures of Egbert the magic carrot. He added sound effects and dramatic animations, which brought the characters to life holding our attention throughout. We always wanted to know what happened next, to which he would reply “you’ll have to wait till tomorrow”. This is probably because he hadn’t written it yet and didn’t know himself! We always thought he should have had these stories published.

He had an interest and knowledge in so many different things. I can remember as a child standing with my brothers in the garden looking up into the heavens on a cold and starry night. Dad would point out Orion, Ursa Major and Minor and other constellations, as well as Jupiter and Mars.

He enriched our inquisitive minds by introducing us to the natural world. Showing us different birds and animals. At one stage he had a grass snake and slow worm, which he encouraged us to handle carefully. Michael took the grass snake to school and I took the slow worm. Not your average pets, and our teachers were not particularly impressed, especially when the slow worm bit me as I presented her to the class. Dad was surprised (although probably not as surprised as my teacher), but on investigation he established that they could be a little grumpy when pregnant. The next day we discovered that our snake population had increased from two to about 100! 

He was a patient teacher, helping us all to learn games such as chess, ride bikes, ice skate, swim, sail and in later years he was an oracle when it came to helping us with homework.

Dad was a talented singer, could play the guitar (and apparently the washboard) and was a good actor. I remember going to watch him starring in the Mikado. At the Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy he co-wrote and starred in pantomimes put on by staff for the entertainment of residents. I regularly recall waking in the morning to a burst of song (usually Mikado or Tom Lerer) coming from the bathroom. 

He had a great sense for adventure. We had some marvellous boating holidays over the years. In Scotland one year we were all on a 35” yacht, heading to Arran, when Dad could see something in the water ahead. At first we thought it was a Submarine, then as we got closer an overturned boat, then he realised it was a Shark, with what looked like a smaller one swimming behind. Still he bore down on it. I’d recently watched the film “Jaws” and the phrase “We’re going to need a bigger boat” sprang to mind. With just yards to go we suddenly realised it was a single basking shark probably as long as the boat. Just before it dived clear, Dad always says I had started to climb the mast.

And Finally, how could I not mention his wonderful sense of humour. He grew up listening to the Goons Show, and enjoyed many different comedy’s. The sixty’s and seventies had a wealth of classic comedy’s and sitcoms like Monty Python, Dad’s Army, and Fawlty Towers which Dad used to enjoy. His musical taste included classical, jazz as well as the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. 

He was truly a wonderful father and role model to us. His love and encouragement throughout our formative years has helped each of us successfully through our various pathways in life.

Michael's speech

In November last year Dad kept having stubborn infections which got to the stage that he needed intravenous antibiotics which have to be administered in hospital. After this he had some scans in Aberdeen where they diagnosed secondaries of lung and bone cancer, and eventually primary prostate cancer.

This meant that there were lots of people all across the country who wanted to be kept up to date with Dad’s condition. 

So I started a blog. This meant that I could put information online where friends and relatives, whether in Lerwick, London or Australia, could be kept informed.

Initially Dad was too ill to post himself, but as his health improved it was all but impossible for him to ignore this captive audience.

So we have a number of pieces of his writing that perhaps we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

In January and February, one of Dad’s ambitions was to make his 75th birthday in April and get his free TV licence. In the blog, he says: 

‘My new walking sticks are good, light, and easy to trip up passers-by with’.

and

‘My dietitian has said that my liking for dark chocolate should be encouraged as it is a good source of iron. So I am often to be found with an After Eight mint or a Fry’s Chocolate Cream’.

and

‘Over the holiday I have checked that I can still drink Champagne with no ill-effect.’

In March and April, Mum and Dad began moving into their new house. This process had a few problems, including the saga of the phone line.

This began when their old number was moved to a non-existent line at their new house, and their existing number changed without their being told. From this inauspicious beginning things went downhill.

Peter says: 

‘A man came yesterday with a spade to say that he would connect the telephone wire but people didn’t like him digging on their land.

So we would have to dig the cable in ourselves.

Janet told him that we did not mind him digging on our land, and why did he carry a spade if he didn’t do any digging? Did he have the ferry timetable engraved on it?

She then started to tell him the story of our phone line. 

The man soon realised that there are only a limited number of ferries each day, and if he waited for the end of the story, he and his spade would be spending the night on Fetlar.

So he agreed to dig in the cable.’

In May and June, Dad and Mum had at last moved into their new house, just in time for an influx of visitors. After a visit to Yell, Peter writes: 

‘We went to Yell and saw a peewit with a young one. It was just a ball of fluff with a dark mark on its head and long legs.

The thing is – what do you call a young peewit? We have tried split pea and half wit.’

He also writes: 

‘The South West window is interesting because there is always a view of Papil Water and the beach to the south of it. Sometimes this is just a lovely view, and sometimes it is decorated with ducks.’

In July and August Dad’s chemotherapy was stopped as it was having no effect on the cancer but it was certainly making him feel unwell.

And then in September, while trying to escape from his armchair, Dad slipped backwards to a loud cracking noise and a lot of pain from his hip. This led to more scans and the discovery that he had very bad arthritis in his hip along with more cancer.

I am so very glad that I started the blog, but I cannot claim any credit for Dad’s wonderful writing. His humour, wit and positivity shine through it. 

If anybody is interested in reading the blog, there are QR codes for the technically minded, and the web address for normal people, at the back of the church.

Remembering Peter

Hello everyone,

If anyone wants to put any memories of Peter into the comments, here would be a good place.
If you are unable to post for any reason, please send me an email and I will post it in the comments section for you.

I will try to post some comments later today.

Love

Michael

Peter is at peace

Peter died just before 4 pm this afternoon.

He was at home with family and friends.

Love 

Michael

Home again

Hi All,

Peter got home last week and his bed has been moved to the living room as the view is so much better from there.
He is sleeping a lot more now, but is able to keep an eye on the swans on the loch and the ponies in the paddock.

Love
Michael

Update from Aberdeen

Hi All,

Peter is in Aberdeen for radiotherapy to his hip that has been causing a lot of pain.

His CT scan has discovered cancer secondaries in his liver. 

It looks like the cancer is progressing more quickly than we had hoped.

He should be home at some time over the weekend (weather permitting).

Michael

Once more into the breech.

It may be once more into the breaches buoy.
There is  lot of discussion about how to get me to Aberdeen at the end of the month.
It will be time for them to wheel out the ray guns.
As I am so remote and have a lot of problems it is not easy to arrange bed to bed transfer with a break (no puns) in GBH.
They have tried and are trying other therapies but will now run out the machinery to try Radio Therapy
I was sitting by my heap of Happy Pills the other day deciding that I will not be holding back on them any more when it occurred to me that it is not only policemen who seem to be getting younger. It also people like me who appear to be getting older.
I know nurses should be grateful to us for keeping them from becoming redundant but there is a lot to be grateful for in the NHS.
The whooper swans are coming back for the winter and other birds have stopped on their journeys as they passed the house. A yellow browed warbler sat on the verandah the other day looking in at people having lunch.
Hopefully we will have a discussion next week about using the astronomical telescopes and watching shooting stars and trying to see the Araura. We will see.
I need to get other people organised and of course explain to Janet how to mix concrete.
I will keep in touch and if we decide that the happy pills could lead to a new lifestyle I will arrange for cheaper rates for family to install their tents.

Progress!

I got there. I am now in the top 50 in Scotland (48).
This made me feel pleased with myself but getting any higher is extremely difficult.
I need to meet good players on their bad days while I am on a series of good days.
Still worried about travel to Aberdeen. If I can get stretcher to the airport, possibly overnight in hospital in GBH then I have the transfer from stretcher to wheelchair to plane seat and v.v. at the end of each flight it could work. Given extra morphine.
I would be looking in on the nurses I keep meeting as I go in for treatments from time to time.
The hip was a large part of my body, I thought, when it gained my full attention by hurting more. Then the other day the extra painkiller kicked in and it appeared to shrink a bit.
I seem to have lost the first part of this entry so I will abandon for the moment and keep what I have.
I am keeping my chins up.

Back Home

I am sitting in my bed having returned yesterday from another stay at GBH.
They changed my tablets so that I do not have a slow release patch but tablets daily and an extra tablet when extra pain occurs or I want to get into an artistic mood.
Sadly I was tired and gloomy last night with a more cheerful state of mind this morning but a lot of vomiting.
My trip in was to deal with the big problem of the left hip. Both cancer and arthritis have been working on it and my confidence in it has been diminishing. I'm less worried now.
I was worrying about my next trip to Aberdeen where I will be going in a few weeks.
This will be for Zapping, the only thing they have not tried yet. They say it will slow the growth of the cancer in the bone. So I get a tattoo to ensure they send the ray gun in at the same place and the same angle each tine.
I looked on the website while I was in hospital where I find the top hundred players from each country. I am in the top hundred in Scotland. There are no Scots in the top hundred in the world.
I shall try and get into the top 50 in Scotland. It is  possible but not likely, although I may play some amazing stuff under the influence of my latest drugs. I'll keep trying; its good to have an ambition.
I'll be putting in short bulletins as I feel able.

Reading the bones

We have a conference daily. It goes a bit like this.
Nurse(or Janet) "Does it hurt?"
Me: "Yes.",
Both of them. "Ha Ha.)
They then manhandle me out of bed and into a wheelchair wheel me to the next room and pour me into the electric chair.
I make obligatory noises like Ooo! and Aaa! while they either laugh happily or tell me keep a stiff upper lip.
My favourite is one of them telling me "It doesn't hurt that bad."
The doctor rings daily and asks how I feel about being X-Rayed. I tell her I will need an ambulance door to door  each way. She agrees but I do not trust the people in Lerwick to do it.
Anyway I need to recover to enable me to have the checks in Aberdeen in November.
I'm not keen on travelling anywhere at present.
We still have two house but are gradually clearing the old one. It would be impossible to live there at present so the sooner it becomes our ex house properly the better.
Apart from asking about the pain, looking for wiggly bones, and assessing my ability to move things they can do little before getting me under the machinery. So coming soon may be the trip to Lerwick.

Frail old bones

I was trying to get from the armchair into the wheelchair. I slipped backwards and decided to throw myself forward again. There appeared to me to be a cracking noise and a lot of pain. I lay in the armchair shouting Oh! and things like that. Janet got the nurse and they got me into bed where I stayed for the rest of the day.  I am taking all the painkillers now. I got up for a couple of hours yesterday but just  a minute or two today.
They mentioned Xrays but I cannot go into Lerwick by car. I will need an ambulance each ways.
The nurse has ideas to stop bedsores and I am taking her advice.
I can watch films on the computer so have some entertainment besides internet chess.
Meanwhile I am reading Frank Muir's autobiography.

Foiled Again

Having arrived at the hospital with my entourage, Janet with Graham and Jeff, I was given a bed but decided not to change and get in in. I was thinking, give me the blood and I'll go.
Anyway the long and short of it was that I had no lung infection and that I would not get any blood. They thought it could give me more problems rather than fewer.
So I got the free lunch which was fish and chips - but the chips were last weeks by the taste. They also had a strange sponge pudding with odd dark bits in it. I thought I would steer clear of that. When I saw someone I knew from previous visits to GBH I asked her to remove the plate.
Since then we have been talking pain management.
They are very keen to have paracetamol in the background whatever else I take. I wonder about steroids as they gave me an appetite and I was able to drink beer and wine. My visitors had the odd drink but I seemed less able to bend the elbow as I had done earlier.
So Graham and Jeff have gone, Margaret and John arrived, Barnaby and Erin dropped in and Emma (Oscar's fiancée) and her father Andrew looked in and stayed a night.
Apart from the doctor on Friday, the local nurses every other day. the MacMillan nurse on Thursday, Rose and Murray on Monday to play Scrabble, and of course some neighbours with a few very healthy looking mackerel, no one else called except the man to fix the door handles.
So I am back in the groove watching the chess competition in St. Louis and looking forward to one in California later this year with a 1 million dollar first prize, oh, and a world championship match coming soon.
I hope to have a star night in September but have not decided which night. I may let people know we have telescopes here and they can ring saying when they want to come. I have to be able to at least get them started before going back into the warm. We'll see. 

Ham it up

Janet asked me what I had been shouting about. I hadn't realised I was shouting.
I had been wondering why my doctor had been cowering against the far wall when I was making what I considered a reasonable request,
Anyway the doctor rang me today to say that Gilbert Bain Hospital (you remember Grevious Bodily Harm)  were getting blood in and would arrange for a transplant - hopefully this week.
It made me wonder whether a group of vampires is called a battery.
If my circulation is still going round next week we should nave fun.
They had sheep dog trials today; no winner yet as they continue 'til all the fish and chips have been sold. No mushy peas but a reasonable curry sauce.

Now then

A greeting used in Shetland. It is  sometimes taken as a  precursor to an argument by incomers. Anyway it's "How are you?"
I am fed up having things I can't spell.
I had anaemia and thought I might have had two neemias but they said no. Then septicaemia which you would think might be called septiposher to keep up appearances, but no.
Then the other night I had a temperature again. I was told I was getting rigor which I thought came later.
The nurse told me dipped a sample of mine and it lit up the test paper like a rainbow. I had some of everything.
I had to be quiet the other day while the other nurse took blood. (They toss when Janet calls and the loser gets me.) I waited for her to finish before warning her that if she pushed the needle in too far the mattress would pop.
I am riding the bed today watching films from a hoard I was given. Tomorrow I will gather the trusty walking stick and sally forth to my electric chair.
I put my email on a previous blog so you can contact me individually if you want to do so.
Look after yourselves - I have a team looking after me..

Now Read on

There has been a break because the chemotherapy had a worse  and worse affect. They have now given me a scan and decided that there is no discernible improvement in my situation following the chemotherapy but an increasing downward change to my quality of life.
The hormone therapy had been partly successful.
They have a new wonder pill that I will start about 18th. August.
They will take a baseline blood test first. In November I will be checked again. If all is well I will stay on the palliative treatment.
I had another relapse the other day and gave the District Nurse some overtime. She went home at 2 a.m. leaving Janet to care for me until she returned after breakfast.
I am now relaxing and recovering.
I am looking forward to a visit from a couple of ex colleagues who used to march round the SW Coastal Path with me. We will look at the sights, try the local food and sample the output from our local brewery.
We should be able to make a good chilli sauce so I am trying to work out what to have with it.
The anaemia is still trying to take over but I am not yet needing more blood. Maybe I will manage with my own for a good while.
I  will update this site a little more frequently if I don't get feverish again.

And Another thing

I had a problem with my last email address. Now  you can contact me on @outlook.com 
I use this for emails and the blog one only for the blog.
We went to Yell and saw a peewit with a young one. It was just a ball of fluff with a dark mark on its head and long legs.
The thing is, what do you call a young peewit. We have tried, split pee, half wit and something else which currently eludes me.
I am looking out of the North Window or for those of you who watch television, the square window. There is a small house we were offered when we decided to move from the old manse. There was a lot to do and we decided against it. The people who bought it worked on the roof, the insulation, painted it and it now looks quite pretty from a distance. It is going to be auctioned as a two bedroom cottage with services and some land. There may be an acre or so but there are two buildings that could be repaired. One a barn needing quite a bit of work, the other a store shed  if a roof was added. The guide price is £30,000 to £40,000. The auction will be held in Glasgow. I don't think people in Glasgow will think it worth going to Shetland to check it out or people from Shetland go to Glasgow for the auction. I wonder if the Fetlar Development people are interested.
By early July it will all be over.
The South/West window is interesting because there is always a view of Papil Water and the beach to the South of it. Sometimes this is just a lovely view and sometimes it is decorated by ducks, waders, terns, skuas etc.
In the winter we will have Whooper swans a variety of passing ducks and dramatic weather.
Now I am going to plan what to eat today. It is probably going to include smoked trout, or salmon, or mackerel or..........

A year

I mentioned planning 2015.
As a Shetlander I think the year starts with Up Helly Aa. There are a number of things that come up in sequence, The Boat Race, The Grand National, The Cup Final,Henley, Ascot. Wimbledon. I'm getting lost with order and items. /if anyone has ideas (I may be busy in August) pleae let me know.
I will then try to monitor each one.
There is always crunching dead leaves in the autumn and roast chestnuts in the autumn too. When I have a long list, possibly with meteor showers included, I will publish it here.
Spent today on Yell with Dave today and we are just about to have a Chinese meal to celebrate our return home.
Thank you Michael for the smoked Father's Day presents. We will celebrate this tomorrow.
I have to go now for discussion about something or other and food.

Third Chemo

There appears to be a cumulative effect. So I am not looking forward to the next one.
Because of the problems I have agreement from my doctor to spend the first night after each of the next sessions in Aberdeen. Also to have an escort on all future visits.
If they were able to get rid of the cancer I would still need the wheelchair, sticks etc.
I was told today that they would not get rid of it. My doctor says they are trying to shrink it or at least stop its further growth. How long they can do this I don't know. My  hope is that it will be a substantial time.
The problem with bone cancer is that it creates the anaemia. I then need a blood transfusion, I am then able to face the next chemotherapy. It could be that going six weeks without another transfusion is good news. I must be stronger than I was.
Friday - so one week since the last session. I kept thinking I had recovered but I hadn't. Now I feel I might have. So I am wondering whether I am on a slow recovery.
Every session is likely to set me back more but the three weeks between will see my gradual recovery.
I spoke to the MacMillan nurse about my online chess. When I told her that I lost a queen every three weeks she said, "Chemo brain."
Evidently it is a regular thing. Someone told her one day they had forgotten to take the children to school after a session.
Christina is going back to the states this month instead of next.
Dave is here for a while but he has to get home too.
We look forward to Michael and Tamsin coming when we will get more work done.
The blinds for our new house arrive tomorrow. I may try to go  with Dave to pick them up. It will mean a few hours on Yell and a trip to Mary's shop. We will be collecting the blinds from the Ulsta shop. If they arrive. Have to check with Alasdair to see how things are going.
We got three 4ft by 4ft windows today. They are part of a plan to have cold frames behind the house.
There is probably a bit of usable wood still in the ruin. There is also a floor covering of sheep manure we may be able to use in the composting.
When we find the fencing hammer we may be able to free some old fence posts and use them for the cold frames.
I think I am now on an even keel and will start planning 2015.

Second Chemo

I know some of my friends and relatives around the world are waiting for my next bit of news.
So here goes....
I went to the second session but they said that as it was a Friday there would be no-one there on the Saturday to give me the boost with the hypodermic I had last time. We took the stuff home and one of our nurses plugged me with it on Saturday. Each following session will go the same way - dash home and get a fix.,
I was rather run down, but the journey alone could do that and I decided in the end that the only real difference from the first round was the tenderness in my mouth. If I am careful with drinks and food so that it is warm rather than hot when I eat it I should get by. It may be that later chemotherapy sessions will cause other problems or more sensitivity in the mouth. I have been advised to prepare a mouth wash and use it immediately after the next session.
I went out for a drive with Mark and Penny day before yesterday. That was my first time out of the house since session two. We saw 26 different birds and it was rather misty so next trip we may see more.
Today Hnefi got out of his field. Everyone went out to try to wrestle him back in. I was pushed up in the wheelchair and first of all I made a fuss of Hiedi. Next I approached Hnefi with the head collar and some apple. He let me put the head collar on and walked back with Mark. Poor old Heidi thought she was being deserted and we had to follow her round the ruin to get her in her collar. She finally understood and then Sruart led her.
The two of them are now back in their lower paddock. This leaves the upper paddock for the dogs to exercise in. There are so many lambs and besting birds about that this is one of the few places they have a degree of freedom.
There is a lot of bustle in the kitchen. We will have Margaret and Christina here at lunch time so that makes eight of us. Normal roast beef and roast spuds and parsnips.
Until today I have kept away from people as the therapy gives the immune system a smack. Living dangerously today.
One more week for Mark and family. They have moved a lot of furniture from the house, started building a windbreak at the north side of the back gardern and retrieved the trailer so that we can use it if required. He brought plants in pots from the old house and there are more to come. We will talk to people with vans (two have already volunteered) and then clear the house. I use the royal we nowadays, It means someone else will do it but I will shout at them.
Anyway it is a busy day so I'm off for lunch and then a siesta.
Thanks for you comments and kind thoughts.
 

1st. Chemo

Had to go to Aberdeen for my first chemotherapy. They said I was borderline when I got there but decided to give me a couple of blood transfusions so that they could go ahead with the chemotherapy. It seemed a long time in the ward, about 8 hours all together. They asked me to go back the next day to get an injection to help boost my immune system. I was then able to go back to Shetland with a few additional tablets to take.
They have given me a red book to show all the things that I must look out for. These appear in green amber and red in answer to questions down the page. If the answer is red I have to phone the hot line. Presumably they send out a helicopter for me. Is that safer than wrapping up warm and hoping for the best?
There are aches and pains today, partly from being marooned in the car on Yell. partly from walking too far after the blood transfusions and partly from the hard bed on the Aberdeen ferry.
The worst thing at present is the taste of water. Because of the tablets I suppose, they include antibiotics. I am doing my best to maintain my appetite. I may have to resort to curries and chillies to ensure I taste the food.
A three week course of new tablets will keep me going until the next visit to Aberdeen. I wonder
whether to sail or fly next time. I will try to establish which will be least traumatic.
The thing is that all the things I am warned about will be likely to be met with later in the course rather than earlier. Infection could be more likely on the plane than the boat. Hair loss doesn;t matter it could happen anytime anyway.
I will decide in a week or so depending on how I feel.
I was surprised to be feeling washed out after the meal tonight. I expected to feel full of energy.
Anyway nothing drastic has happened so far. So here's to the next time.

Onward & Upward

I  am less feverish, seem to have thrown off the infection and no longer talk to the clock. In fact I don't remember doing this so maybe it was Janet having a dream.
Anyway they are willing to see me in Aberdeen next week and my chemo may start then.
One of the nurses came today to look at my bedsores and take  an arm full of blood.
If Aberdeen like the blood they will go ahead. If my local expert in Lerwick is unhappy with it he will give me a blood transfusion.
Meanwhile the daga of the lack of telephone continues. A little man came yesterday to say he would connect the telephone wire bt people did not like him digging on their land so we would need to dig the cable in. Janet told him she did not mind him digging on her land and why did he carry a spade. Had it got the ferry times written on it? She then started to tell him the story of our telephone. He realised that there were only a limited number of ferries each day and if he waited for the end of the story he and his spade could be marooned overnight on Fetlar.
He agreed to dig in the cable. When it was done he said she needed a man with a screwdriver to do the technical bits. He only had a spade.
She let him go, hotfoot and warm handed to the ferry.
The second mattress for the bed arrives courtesy of Kate tomorrow.
We will then be able to return the one we borrowed for Janet.
There  is a Russian grandmaster talking about the women chess championship in Siberia so I will go and listen to him now. He has a terrific accent.

Early Easter News

Things ain't what they used to be.
Margaret and Janet got back from Aberdeen after Margaret's chemotherapy. She must not have contact with me because her treatment means her immune system is less effective and I contracted an infection while they were away.
Although she had nurses coming in she collapsed one day and it was decided that she should go back to hospital to be safe.
Meanwhile I had nurses coming in to see me. They told Aberdeen that I was infected.
Aberdeen says that I need to be fitter before I become ill enough to have chemotherapy.
Meanwhile BT and Outreach are trying to find the meaning of the word liaise. BT took our old number when they should not have done. They then took days to give it back but it was a different number without the facility to leave messages. They did not tell us we had the phone back nor that it was a different number. We picked it up one morning and thought we had everything back to normal. Next the builder sent his daughter to see us to say he could not get through. We rang him and he sais his mobile showed a different number. We phoned BT and told us they could give back our original number but it would delay the installation of that number in the new house. We decided to bite the bullet. They did not come to put in the phone on the appointed day.
We rang them./ They swore blind that the little man was on his merry way. We asked which ferry. They checked and said the job was booked to be done but they had not allocated an engineer to do it.
They told us not to worry it would be done forthwith or some such time. They sent us an  email saying that they were unable to contact us. Hardly surprising as they had not given the line the facility to accept messages. They gave us a new date by which they would have arranged something. (This email address does not accept messages.) They did not give name email or telephone number where someone could be reached. Next we got another email saying that something would be arranged by a later date. During this time Margaret was in and out of hospital and back in again.
We are not holding our breath. We are working out ways we might send smoke signals.
If I became a Trappist monk I would nt need the phone.
The trouble is we do need to phone nurses, doctors, MacMillan nurses and Occupational Therapists.
We also get calls from Specialists in Aberdeen and Lerwick and their secretaries. We also need to arrange accommodation in Aberdeen before we get there for treatment.
Stop Press.
I have just received a letter from Aberdeen.
The new date for treatment is 22nd. April 2014. Then 14th. May, 4th. June, 25th. July and 6th. August.
These dates will be kept if I supply an arm full of blood before each visit , subject to it being mine and fairly healthy.
Also, if I start picking up more infections they may have to put me in hospital and drip antibiotics into me.
So I may be ready for next football season.
I think my treatment in Aberdeen has been synchronised with Margaret's but I'm not sure. If it has then we will all go by plane. This could be a bigger risk of infection than the boat but Janet will have to run after us to make sure we don't wander off whichever way we go.
I am creaking and so on now so will leave the stage.
Barbara is feeding and watering the ponies and me as well as packing books for the move. Janet has started the rally drive to Lerwick to see Margaret. Michael is not far short of the Aberdeen ferry.
Now watch this space.

Some results

My consultant in Aberdeen rang last week. He says that the lung cancer is responding to the treatment but the bone cancer is not. I thought that we could now rule out Malignant Melanoma as the source of any cancer. He did not agree. He called it a good working hypothesis.
He is to get me into Aberdeen in a short while and has prescribed steroids to pump me up beforehand.
We are still moving things from Stakkafletts to the new house at Springfield. There seems to be a never ending supply of bags and boxes with things that have no clear home in the new house.
At least the ponies are happy to see us when we go there.
We feed them every day and they wait for us to see that we are doing things as they want.
Tomorrow will have to be a lighter day. We will sort out the horses, take a few light things and look at the sighting scope on the big telescope, then put it in the garage. We will take the hand held sat nav to add some sophistication to the set up.
We may also put the tripod for the other telescope in the garage to tempt the stargazers to set that one up too.
The sound has gone on my computer so I may now have to learn sign language to use Skype.
We did a tour of the island today to see the sights. There was a redshank ensconced on the Loch of Funzie (Finnie remember).
I think today must have been heavier because I feel like having a rest now and I have only just had a siesta.
No golden plover, lapwings or red necked phalaropes yet. Plenty to look forward too.
Now I'm on steroids I might have a walk on the beach to see whether there is anyone there for me to kick sand over.
I will add more when they have chemofied me. 

Going, going........

We have now got three beds set up in the new house. Of course the telephone did not arrive on time and after last weeks promises that they would definitely talk to us this week and get it done we are not surprised to have had no word and still to be unconnected.
The TV and internet were probably not as bad. We left it to the two grandchildren and their partners to set it up at Springfield but they had TV and internet facilities elsewhere so Oscar and Emma left to watch that.
Barnaby set up the old bookcase from the Glebe and unloaded tons of books. He also organised the chest of drawers and the bed in the spare bedroom. He then set up a table in our bedroom and he, Janet and I watched or sort of helped Becky, the nurse set up my hospital bed and inflatable matress. The two of them, bed and mattress are plugged into the wall and hum when I go to bed. They also have a slight steady movement to stop bed sores. I may be sleeping there in a couple of weeks.
I got the chance to get on the bed eventually but was not allowed to treat it as a trampoline. Becky thought I should have a second mattress because power cuts lead to gradual collapse of the mattress onto the bed. I thought she wanted to see what effect a pea would have if she put it underneath, but no.
I went to the consultant in Lerwick last week. I asked about the anaemia and he said they would monitor my blood. If figures show it is worsening I will get a blood transfusion. They do not recommend iron tablets as this could lead to a build up of iron and the body would have to deposit it somewhere. I thought of finding my kneecaps getting rusty and dropping off so agreed with him.
He cannot be definite about the effect of the hormone therapy but will probably know this week and let me know. The main thing is the lung cancer. If it does not respond we will suspect the it is driven by Malignant Melanoma rather than the prostate gland. They may then try other treatment, chemotherapy or radiotherapy but we will know this week. That may not be very effective against M.M. but the positive view is that it may not be necessary.
The medical people respond quickly to things at present. Janet had to take her sister to Lerwick the other day for a check. Following the checks they called her in suddenly yesterday. Today they are off to Aberdeen Hospital (ARI) for more tests, checks and possibly treatment before coming back.
While Janet is away the nurse will stay longer with me when she visits. She comes every other day now including week-ends. One of the ladies at SOLI will also check me out and the lady who looks after the old people here will also come in to check on me regularly. That is Frances. I expect she wants to see if I am aging.
Barbara, my sister-in-law will arrive on Thursday. She will be able to drive our car while she is here so will help move more bits and pieces from Stakkafletts.
The second astronomical telescope has now been removed from the loft here and taken to Springfield. The next thing will be the fishing rods and their supports. I'll get one of our neighbours to do this later.
Barbara will help me move the two telescopes to the garage for use in the near future and next year when we start sky watching again. I have tried to get all the interested parties here interested in setting the big telescope up. Some of them watched but I do not think they will try it alone.
I have received comments from readers of this blog. It is possible to add them using the facility at the bottom of each entry.
I expect to have constant internet access at both house until the final day here. So I will see and read the comments. I may then comment on the comments. Then people could comment on my comments on the comments. Then the whole blog thing will run itself. You will not know I'm not here until some time after I am gone. But my present estimate is that I will be here for at least a year. The medical profession may also be worried that this is true. I can remind consultants and such that I am a statistic. They will certainly concentrate then.
Those comments may be smart but in fact I have had a consultant in Lerwick go out of his way to help and it appears that he was not popular with Aberdeen consultants who had their hypodermics at the ready. My District nurses are very good. The MacMillan's nurse has gone out of her way to help and the OT has arranged so much we will have to throw furniture away to fit all the goodies into the new house.
No more sightings of the red kite since last week.We have had redshank in numbers on the field behind us at Stakkafletts and there seem to be tufted duck in Papil Water behind Springfield. All the geese seem to be in that area too. If we set up a telescope on the back porch at the new house we should catch the long-tailed ducks soon.
I can't write much more as I will have to read it before signing off.
Once Janet leaves today I will comb my hair and prepare for scrabble with senior citizens. They are very good and tolerate me. Of course they may not understand my accent.

Moving Soon??

We went to the house the other day to set the sighting scope on the Dobsonian telescope.  I had a spot of bother and took it off completely so that I could start from scratch on another day.
We went again on a bright sunny day and saw about 40 greylag geese in the field below the house. Then I realised there were as many again on the water.
Suddenly they all started fluttering about and I saw a large bird above them. I thought it must be a buzzard but it flew closer and I realised it was a red kite. It had evidently been around for about three days.
I sat on the back veranda in the wheel chair. They had fitted the glass panels and there was a gravel path coming round the house to the steps leading up. The front of the house was drying out and they had started putting down hard-core.
They also agreed to put a shelf in the entrance hall and a rail under it for hanging coats.
The various hand rails that re being supplied by Occupational Therapy should be put in by someone other than our builders so we agreed to that.
We have got to the point where we know the date we move in but not whether the removal men can deliver on time. The hospital beds are included in this little problem. We have asked for the chair to be delivered but have no guarantee of a date for this. Otherwise everything is going very well.
The ponies have somehow managed to move themselves again. We will have to arrange for them to be moved back to one of our bits of land.
 There is another when? for this activity.
All the potential visitors will be given jobs when they arrive. We have not told any of them yet that they might have to bring tents if the moving arrangements have not been finalised.
I see the Woodland Trust have 3 million trees to plant. Problem is we would need 3 million visitors to help plant them - not that we  would get all of them. We will do something but perhaps on a smaller scale.
Janet has been advised about the under floor heating and has two remote controls for opening the garage doors. We can spend  an afternoon  sitting in the car opening and closing the door.
Today I played a couple of games of chess on a 10 by 10 square board.
There are three extra pieces to contend with and certain complications inherent in the use of one of them. It makes a change but is quite tiring.
There are oystercatchers, curlew and the odd wimbril about. I have yet to see or hear the golden plover. It can't be long now.
I have put on almost all the weight I lost before Christmas so I shall start being careful about what I eat.
I have discovered that I can take a little wine for my health's sake.

Progress

We went to the house where I tried to set up the big telescope and failed.
The heating engineers were there. They said they had tried the under floor heating earlier and that they would finish the heat exchange system this week.
We will be able to move in before the path from road to house is finished and I think we will.
Next we will arrange for the easy chair to be delivered and then the bed and bits and pieces of furniture and fittings.
After that we have to prepare for the removal of heavy stuff from the current house. This means packing a lot of stuff to get it out of the way of the heavy mob.
I have had offers of help with moving and will get a couple of people to help move pots of plants, various implements, pressure washer, strimmer etc. from the front garden. They will not look so much like a rubbish dump when they are rearranged over our new land.
Meanwhile we are playing Scrabble every Monday and go to the old peoples club every fortnight.
I am playing chess every couple of weeks and tafl every month or so.
I also play a version of chess with a board 10 squares by 10 plus four extra corner squares. There are three extra pieces. I think they are counsellor, wizard and fool but I'm not certain about counsellor.
I will try to play more frequently when we move and at home to avoid too much travelling.
It still keeps raining. The ponies paddocks are a mess. They were chopped up by their hooves and have not recovered yet. The ponies themselves are quite happy trespassing on Harry's land. We will put them in the croft house (ruin) garden again soon. But by we I mean Janet and a co-opted neighbour.
We have to contact Gregor to finish the en suite. He has a cupboard to put up in their. It was designed for various medical equipment I used before but we will use it for stuff I need now.
We have seen redwing and fieldfare passing through recently and curlew, wimbril, oystercatcher on their way back to Fetlar to breed.
When we move in we hope to see snipe, redshank, curlew and possibly greylag geese all nesting in the back garden.
I have seen more rabbits about. One of  them looked really big. I may have to be sure I have someone with me when I go out in the garden.
We are looking forward to a succession of visitors and will encourage them to smack in fence posts, move furniture, plant spuds and help build rubbish sack containers in the garden. Luckily the days are getting longer so they may have time to go fishing for our tea etc.
I'm not sure who's reading this stuff. If there are readers I should say that I am indoors at present with a strong wind outside and driving rain. I have a cold...well its probably man flu but I will get over it soon.
Mycomputer is getting stroppy so I will publish this before it gets eaten by gremlins.

March 5th.

Lets start with the Loch of Velzie. This is pronounced Villy. The alternative name Papil Water is easier to pronounce and used more by us. It is the fish pond at the bottom of our garden. Only brown trout but a favourite of many.
At the other end of the island is the Loch of Funzie, naturally enough it is pronounced Finny and we use the name all the time because it is here that the red necked phalarope is to be found in the spring.
If you visit us at the new house you will be able to see some of these wonders of Fetlar.
There is a short title to each picture. That should give you some info but there is a "comments" option on this blog so I will take it that everything is crystal clear unless I get a query from you.

Pictures

I am about to put a number of photographs on this blog to show the development of the house and the area around it. This will show where we used to live, the old croft house we are buying, the view to the lake (Loch of Funzie) and how near we are to the existing road.
We hope to be able to move in this month but there will be difficulties.
At present we have lost our telephone number. They took it away because we were moving but didn't and gave back a different number, not telling us this. We should be on our original number by the end of the week.

 1. Clearing the plot - See the ruin on the right hand side

2. Looking across the plot towards the road and the ruin.

3. The foundations taking shape with Papil water and the Kirk behind.

4. The Ruin.

5. Close up of the foundations

6. About to put some walls in place

7. At last something higher than 2 feet.

8. Putting the walls up.

9. Looking up towards the road and the ruin.

10. Nearly finished at the back.

11. The new house from the back garden.

12. Seen from the Right hand side.

13. From the road.

14. Looking down from the road.

25th. February

I lost yesterday's blog and came back today to write it again only to find it waiting for me. C'est la vie as the Russians say.
Today two men arrived to put hand rails up here and there. They removed a seat and an old rail from the shower and put in two new rails. When I told them about problems with the door they replaced the lock and gave me three new keys. All very quick and cheerful. They even asked how the new house was getting on. The trouble is I know all the Shetlanders know what is going on but do not know who is related to who. One or other of them probably had relatives on Fetlar.
Today the wind has risen and the sea is splashing up the cliffs on the far side of the bay.
The TV dish has been trembling in the wind for weeks and has given up the ghost. We have to use iplayer on the computer.
The ponies were looking happy contented and safe but the other day they made a break for freedom and are now in someone elses land. Janet phoned them last night to let them know but got no answer on the phone.
She will get the builders to have a longer tea break today so they can round them up and put them back where they belong. The ground is still very wet. I see on the news that the Thames, Severn and other southern rivers have had a lot of flooding. People have had to leave their homes and there have been extensive power cuts.
I wonder how many of them will have hose-pipe bans in the summer. That will probably be Kent again I suppose.
We have to organise the telescope(s) for next week. I want a volunteer to go into my loft and get mine out. The other is a 12" Dobsonian and is waiting in our new house for someone to use it.
I wonder whether I will be able to use it in the summer to look at birds on Papil Water and to use my camera to take photographs through it. Another thing to experiment with. The telescope in the loft is a 10" reflector and needs putting together when we have got it together.
I may have a meeting on Friday to give local people a chance to play with them both.
I ordered more wine a couple of days ago so I am waiting for a large box to be delivered now.
It's all part of life in a quiet island.

Mid February

Not a lot has happened so it should be easy to write this. We have three medals at the winter Olympics and this afternoon we may get a gold in curling.
I have a wheelchair with large wheels at the front. There is no room in the house but we will use it in the new house and the Co-op and Tesco when we go to Lerwick. My new walking sticks are good, light and easy to trip up passers by with.
The OT has ordered my ejector armchair. Again no room here but we will chuck an armchair or a settee so there is room in the new house.
We now have a kitchen and utility room with cupboards and sinks, double oven and hobs. The bathroom furniture has arrived but the plumbers were due yesterday and I am not yet sure whether they arrived. If they did we are well on the way to completion. The handrails have been put up outside but if I am using sticks or a wheelchair they will be redundant. I will have to walk more.
It is much better weather today. The sun has been shining and the wind has abated. The bay looks fairly calm.
Heidi and Hnefi are looking relaxed and satisfied in their new field. This is the land we have almost bought across the road from the new house. A neighbour has been looking after the ponies for some months and put up another fence so that they cannot get to the road a can walk all round the ruin, using it as a windbreak.
My OT has changed the date of the next CT scan bringing it forward a day so that I can see the consultant on the same visit. She was keen that I use my blue card saying that it would be easier to park at the hospital.
We are not inundated by rabbits yet and I wonder whether I can shoot them from the back of the house when they do appear. We shall see. I will have to get the rifle out and oil it and make sure I have enough ammo. It may be a way my visitors can help get meals. We can have some catching trout and others shooting rabbits. Anyone good at shooting can probably go and pop off a few on our neighbours land. They will probably appreciate that.
The celebration of National Astronomy Week (March 1st. to 8th.) will have to be publicised. I have one telescope set up at the new house and need to get another out of my loft here and get that over there too.
I will talk to some interested parties here and get them to try out the telescopes beforehand. I want them to be able to use them any night that week, the more the merrier. I will make sure that Radio Shetland and Shetland Times are aware and they will publicise it for me.
We went out the other night but although the sky was clear to begin it soon became cloudy and unfortunately I soon get cold and have to go back in the warm. Some youngsters came and we saw Jupiter and Orion and bits of other constellations.
There is a date for completion but the house has to be certified before we move in. We can still go and watch the stars from outside until the great day. How long the move may take is a matter for conjecture. I'm not sure how many months it may be.
Mum and her sister are out shopping and will have lunch at the shop. They will bring back something for me later.
I am still munching Fry's Peppermint Creams and having power drinks and putting back the weightr I lost.
I seem to be responding to treatment  but have to get a bit of fresh air and exercise to build myself up.
I spend a lot of time adding these posts to the blog and still haven't mastered the art of adding pictures. With the concentration span of a goldfish I am unlikely to make a lot of progress here. But we will see.

Valentine's Day

Today I used the Blue Card for the first time. I also used my new walking sticks. Both worked well.
I had to go to the dentist because it is so long since I last went. I had a filling which was done rather quickly and easily.
The dentist is in the same building as my doctor in Mid Yell. When I came out and waited for Janet and Margaret who were seeing the other doctor mine came out, shook my hand and told me she had a prescription for me. I said that Janet was probably collecting it at that moment. She was and gave me the envelope with tablets in. I shoved it in  a pocket. When I got home I found it was for something new. I did not know why it was being given me. (I can guess.)
So tomorrow will be spent getting information about why.
Janet and Margaret had lunch at the shop as it does food on Friday lunchtimes only until the tourist season starts. They brought back a soup made with lamb and potatoes. I think the lamb was local.
I'm still knocking back crisps, chocolate and power drinks. I have started to put on weight  again so everyone seems happy with that.
Recently I started having the occasional Ginger Wine but I think I might try and do some damage to a bottle of malt whisky I have had since Christmas.
I have played hnefatafl with Paul, the school teacher and won, chess with Avalina, a neighbour and won. I also played three man chess with Avalina and her husband Peter. I won again. Finally I played a version of chess on a ten by ten squared board with three extra pieces over the normal set. This was against Peter. I only drew. I must go back and try again.
The new super doupper beds are now in Shetland but because of the delays to other work caused by the weather they may not be delivered to the new house this week.
We went to have a look and the doors are on and looking good. The floors are laid and the kitchen is being installed. The bathroom, toilet furniture and sinks are due imminently.
We were able to see the ponies. They were grateful for the apple and seemed very happy in the garden that we have almost bought.
The last thing to happen will be the road surface in front of the house. That should not be long now.

Early February

I've picked up another infection. I have started a new course of antibiotics. Now its a matter of beating the lurgi again.
We found a hospital bed on ebay and are buying it. It is actually two beds side by side working independently. There is also a matress that has to be plugged in too. The whole thing will be collected by the people  storing our furniture in Lerwick. They have a job in London and will collect it from Bucks on the way back. The Charlie Thomason fund will pay for it and we will leave it as a resource for Fetlar when it becomes redundant. I may let Mum have the mattress if they give me the type that massage you while you lie there.
I have also been measured for a reclining chair that will sit me up and eject me when I want to get up.
This means getting rid of a leather settee to make room.
I've been measured for a  wheelchair but don't know when it will arrive. I have also been offered a couple of walking sticks as they thought my walking poles were inappropriate.
There will be deliveries of handrails to the current house and the new house so that everything will be up to date here and ready for moving in when the house is finished.
Meanwhile we had a meeting on Fetlar to discuss the Shetland Astronomical Society. Some people on Fetlar will volunteer to take on posts to stop it folding.
If the society closes we will have a North Isles Group and try to keep regular meetings.
I volunteered to have daytime meetings with whoever volunteers to prepare for sky watching evenings, contact the Federation of Astronomical Societies, prepare  annual reports etc.
We will see how it all goes. Hopefully we will do something during National Astronomy Week from first to eighth of March.
I also have to show two or three people how to run the hnefatafl tournament. Then I can sit back and watch it all happening.
The gales persist but when they stop I will get Janet to take me out in the car with my blue badge so I can park somewhere I've never parked before.
So the future looks exciting.

Start February

The OT lady finally got here. She pulled out last time because of the weather.
I was stuck in the car yesterday when it refused to start. I got a lift from a neighbour but got cold and was less energetic today.
Luckily the Gibralter chess tournament started so I could watch that.
There was some discussion about a hospital bed and of course Mum found one on ebay.
I will not touch it if the local NHS/Health Board will not help finance it. After all they are going to supply me with a free one. The thing is, this is a double with the two sides working independently.
Anyway we will see.
I was also measured an easy chair that reclines, lifts your feet and stands you up when you have had enough. This would be OK if we throw out a leather armchair.
She toured the new house offering bars inside and out to help get in the house, the bath, the shower etc. She also offered bars in the current house. I thought that as we are going to move soon the next tenant might want them all out. She said, basically, so what.
I will get a seat removed, a chair for the shower provided and a couple of handrails changed.
I seem to be getting a lot of support from all quarters. As long as they don't start me thinking
 I might be ill that will be OK.
I had an arm full of blood taken yesterday. I'd forgotten about that. They will test it and see how I'm doing fighting the lurgy.
It turns out that the OT lady has my application for a blue card. If I get it I can park the car anywhere when I go to Lerwick. There is a policeman whose toes I'd like to park on.
I gasped when I showed her the bathroom and I leaned against the wall when I walked from the dining room. I didn't realise at the time that she had my application or I could have done some acting. Never mind.
The builders have volunteered to put up all the gadgets she sends to the new house. Daes this mean defering the date of the move??
Now read on.

End January

End January.
The Oncologist from Aberdeen rang yesterday but I was out watching the Hobbit.
He rang again today and had a chat, Dr. MacDonald.
He thinks I am already responding to the treatment although he said the prostate cancer was particularly aggressive. There is a Gleeson scale that goes up to 10. I am a 9.
He suggests that to save a trip to Aberdeen I get a CT scan next month in Lerwick. Also that the nurses continue taking arms full of blood on a regular basis to check PSA levels.
If I have more breathlessness or less mobility I should report it so that they can think about radiotherapy.
I rang my specialists secretary in Lerwick to say I had been told about the Prostate cancer. In the circumstances she said I need not battle the gales and go into Lerwick tomorrow.
I may well need other treatment later but that may be in a few months time.
As far as the malignant melanoma is concerned I can get in touch with them whenever I feel it is doing anything requiring more surgery.
The Aberdeen oncologist has a good reputation with other cancer patients so I  am told.
My dietician also called and said that she recommended I continue the fortified drinks.
She also recommended that if I cannot eat much at a time then I should have more meals.
I told her that my abstinence from chocolate had ceased and she said that my liking for After Eights should be encouraged and that the odd Fry's Peppermint Cream might be good for me. I might talk to her more often.

Mid January.

Here we are one month after I was told about the cancer.
The treatment is mainly tablets and a hypodermic a month. Sherlock Holmes wouldn't last on that little.
The nurses still come three times a week to check me out. They are going to order a hospital bed for the new house and a wheel chair so that I can pretend to be Ironside.
I have started to watch the Wijk aan Zee Chess tournament which is in Eindhoven. It goes to Amsterdam next and finally W-a-Z to end the tournament. All exciting stuff if you like that sort of thing and can concentrate.
I'm not concentrating too well but have weekly Scrabble, some chess and some hnefatafl challenges to meet. I will not become a vegetable in the near future.
I will insist on royalties if the TV pictures of my insides get to the BBC.
I have had one or two short walks recently but it is blowing a hoolie at present so I will have to be careful going next door but one today.
I still have an offer of a visit to a neighbour to see The Hobbit. This is the first one. If I don't go soon it may be a double feature by the time I get there.
A friend in Ireland has sent me a relic. She was worried I might object as she is a different religion but I told her I was grateful for her remembering me and for her prayers. I now find she is lighting candles for me too.
A group on Shetland have sent me a small  handkerchief with a cross embroidered in it.This was prayed over in their healing room.
Meanwhile the SOLI nuns and companions and the Russian Orthodox Mother are also praying for me so I think I am pretty well covered.
The house is coming on. The inside doors are now being finished and fitted. Next it will be the last of the painting, flooring, fitted kitchen, bathroom, en suite, toilet, utility room and electrical bits and pieces.
The ponies spend a lot of time watching the comings and goings. It stops them getting bored.
Will update later.

Peter says:

On 30th of December last year I had a call from the hospital in Lerwick.

They wanted to stick television cameras up inside me and take biopsies using huge hypodermics.

For some strange reason I thanked the specialist when I arrived there on hog whatsname day. It did save me a long drag to Aberdeen.

He told me he had to sit me down for a couple of hours afterwards to see I had no adverse reaction. If anything happens over the next two weeks that makes me ill I will have to be shot back to Lerwick and put on intravenous antibiotics. Luckily nothing happened on New Years Day so no helicopter was called.

Before he let me go he said that in his view there was little doubt I had prostate cancer.  He decided to start treating me immediately!

I was glad I had thanked him for seeing me.

So I am now looking forward to next week when the local nurses will start sticking hypodremics in me as part of the treatment.

So everyone is happy.

So far no one had committed themselves to any timescale. The specialist said he wanted to see me in a month. I took that as commitment on his part.

Having told a doctor in Aberdeen that I had two ambitions-one to move into my new house in February and one to get a free TV licence in April he did not respond. Its nice to have someone planning ahead.

I may now have to get my appointments secretary to work on my events diary.

I have been feeling warm after the application of hypodermics to my backside but I think I am recovering.

Over the holiday I have checked that I can still drink champagne with no ill effect. Also (thank you Mark) Chateau Neuf du Pape.

In fact I would be trying beer at present but everyone is looking at pictures on our new TV, relayed from the computer.

I will struggle on with maple syrup coated cashew nuts until they realise I am starving.

We had venison, kangaroo, chicken and just to be different on one day, turkey over Christmas.

The days sort of merged together after Bah Humbug Day but now we are back to days of the week and a new year we will soon be back in the swing again. 

Happy New Year

Peter had some exploratory examinations and some biopsies taken on Dec 31st.

The doctor has decided that he has prostate cancer and has started treatment although the biopsy results will not be back for about 3-4 weeks.

David and Nicola visited over the New Year.

Peter's first injection is on Tuesday (today). This will be a reduced dose in case of a bad reaction. If all goes well he will have another in one month and thereafter one every three months. Meanwhile he has to continue tablets daily.

Starting treatment and some visitors have definitely improved morale.

Happy New Year.