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.