The phone call with Dr Rahman is what I was waiting for, since we last spoke to him, but I had a surge of emotion straight after that. It is a reminder that what is going on is out of my control, also that the treatment will have an impact on me physically (Dr Rahman went through what to expect), but also that whatever comes next is also an unknown, regarding actual physical impact in the short term, but also the impact on the development for the disease on my body. The next rollercoaster ride is underway…………….

Back to mid-week and the very warm day we had here, following the bike ride, I then washed and cleaned the inside and outside of my car, then when Sandra got home, washed hers too. I followed up the next morning with completing the inside cleaning of hers. That day equated to my ‘outside day’ for the week.

On the book front, I signed off the main front cover for Volume 7 and the printers have everything green-lighted, with no further holds ups. I hope to have the finished book by the end of the month? Watch FB and my other usual locations, for updates on delivery and how you can obtain your own copy to complete the series for you. Alongside that, further work was done on the ‘117’ project, which included some new files and potential personal material from one of those soldiers, as well as a very detailed biography completed on one of the more interesting former members and thankfully one where I have a lot of info to draw on. I also laid down more photos on the Münkemer book project.

We ended the week with our planned trip to Stratford Upon Avon. That is somewhere we had on our list for a while, but it came with the added bonus of meeting up Sammy and Sheila - friends of ours from the historical group - as they moved to that area last year. The car journey up was challenging and the M25 was jammed up for the whole length of our journey along it. We were very glad to get out of the car at the other end! By the time we got there, then had the call with Dr Rahman, that only gave us an hour or so in the town, before most places closed. Saturday was the main focus and we had a good walk around the town with Sammy and Sheila. The weather was variable, but we missed the showers, thankfully. We took a boat trip down the river and spent some time with Sammy and Sheila at their home, which is in a very nice area of Stratford. By the time we got to the early evening, Sandra and I were wiped out. The impact of our now (shared) cold, took its toll. We made the decision to leave Stratford after breakfast on Sunday morning and get home. Thankfully no hold ups on the way down and after getting home, both us spent the afternoon relaxing and charging our bodie’s batteries.

In hindsight, it may have been wiser not to undertake the trip. However, we discussed the trip on Friday morning and despite Sandra’s obvious relapse, we both agreed that we did not want the health situation (hers and mine) to dominate our lives and prevent us from trying to do some things. This is part of the journey we are in now - trying to do things / get out and about / enjoy new places, but that has to be worked around how I am (mostly), with how Sandra is too (remember, the impact is not solely on me). Nice to see Stratford Upon Avon and its beautiful historic buildings; a place we can recommend. For us, that added bonus of time with Sammy and Sheila made the journey even more worthwhile.

In summary, another very varied week, with lots of ups and downs, but one where we went somewhere new, had time with friends, but also obtained insight into what comes next.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, we are very grateful for that time of yours.

Regards

Peter & Sandra.

Health updates first and the week started with our usual 4-weekly physio, which was straight forward enough for me - some stiffness in the usual lower back, but also on the right hand side, which he got to work on; I did feel a little tired after that.

There are still no updates on the planned radiotherapy, but I did eventually get to talk to Dr Rahman’s secretary. He is off for the Easter weekend, but she will ensure he gets the message, which will hopefully get some activity going.

Whilst I await that, I had a flare up that started late on Wednesday night and lasted through to Friday. Thursday was the crescendo, regarding pain levels, and they started in the early hours of that day. You may know, from previous updates, that I am not a medication taker and avoid basic pain meds, unless really necessary. In a 24-hour period, I consumed 8 tablets; that is probably as much as I would take in a normal year, which hopefully helps illustrate the impact of whatever ‘flared up’. The pain was emanating from the new growth area, but also across my prostate area. That overall ‘central’ location meant that the impact was very debilitating throughout Thursday. Sleep was shot to bits during Wednesday and also Thursday night. I do not know the cause, but certainly felt the impact. By close of play Sunday, the pain had dissipated notably, but was still there.

I did manage 1 walk at the start of the week, with a slow time of 13:32 - the growth is starting to make itself felt, when doing the walks. The arrival of the pain flare up on Wednesday night put paid to any more plans for walks; I did not see sense in exacerbating anything further and will see how the coming week unfolds.

Regarding non-health aspects, the majority of the week was book-shaped. Monday saw me approve the WSS Knights series Index booklet cover, as well as the next non-English language translation of one of my books. I focused on various aspects of both of my new current book projects, the Münkemer book and the ‘117’ book - 3 full biographies completed there!

On Wednesday, I spent the day clearing out the garage of junk and tidying things up a little. Great to get done and Karl helped me do a dump run on Friday, to dispose of that junk. There are a few residual aspects to finish off, but they involve going through items that have a resell opportunity. That was my ‘outdoors day’ for the week and is an evolution of my usual Thursday, when Karl would have come around. His working pattern has changed, but I have kept my mindset on retaining one day (weather driven) for that sort of DIY / outdoors type of stuff.

As I started to feel better, Sandra developed a cold, which hit her over the whole remainder of the weekend. We therefore rested up over the weekend, which did neither of us any harm.

Late on Friday evening, Alanna, Dan and the grandkids called in. It was my grandson’s birthday and we helped him celebrate that, after they had spent the day at Harry Potter Studios, north of London. Great to be able to take part in another family birthday celebration; key dates like these really matter to us all.

In summary, an enforced slower week, but as always, adjustments made and progress achieved in other areas. The impact of the disease is not under my control, but how I cope with what it brings, then try to adjust, is.

Regards, Peter

Alongside that focus, I began the week with the usual back and forth tweaks with the publishers, around the cover for the WSS Knights Index booklet, still to be completed. This aspect is always like that, with various back and forth - one book took a month of liaison before we had it nailed. In the afternoon, I took my scooter out for a jaunt, but the weather was cooler than it looked, so I did not remain out for long. After lunch I conducted a deep clean of that scooter, ahead of a planned event at the weekend.

Tuesday was an ‘activity’ day that started with another trip to the farm. That was to load 2 vehicles and 1 anti-aircraft gun. They were being picked up by a German collector, another collector from the west country and another well-known UK collector (whom I count as a very good friend). That multi-person pick up required a fair degree of ‘herding the cats’, but pleased to say that everything went well and I was departing the farm at 11:00. Whilst in that area, I covered off a quick, but necessary, scooter related task. In the afternoon, I finished off the garage roof job, undertook 2 more DIY tasks, then cut the grass. Just as I finished that, it started to drizzle - so perfect timing. Wednesday was my usual consultancy day, with Thursday and Friday being book focused days - work on the ‘117’ and also the Münkemer projects.

Saturday morning seen Sandra and I travel to the Worthing area to attend the Worthing Scooter Custom Show; our first time there. I had booked my Vespa in as one of the show scoots. Some great scooters on show and very varied on how each owner has tackled their concept, using the same basic Vespa or Lambretta. My personal favourite was put together by another owner names Peter. His vintage Lammie LD was superb and contained a myriad of period accessories; it rightfully won one of the awards. A nice opportunity to meet many other scooterists and talk about our shared interests, alongside telling people about the story of my scooter and its restoration. Whilst in that area, I managed to find a nice establishment to have an evening meal. That was located within a picturesque gardens and nearby valley walk. We took a short stroll around the gardens, as it was closing soon after we arrived, but then went and enjoyed our meal (yes, ice cream was consumed - 2 varieties by myself……..). The drive down and back, was a pleasant one, through some lovely countryside, but more importantly, gave Sandra and I a nice day together, that covered a variety of enjoyable aspects.

We finished off the week with some chores catch up, then in the afternoon we had some childminding with the grandkids, as Alanna and Dan went out to enjoy a movie and a bite to eat.

Another very varied week, with some key, time-critical, tasks covered off (the group vehicle collections was the - almost - culmination of a 6-month project). Hopefully, those of you reading this, whilst dealing with your own health situations, are seeing that those health impacts do not always mean a halt to enjoying life (I appreciate that some situations absolutely do!). Keep fighting the fight, keep forging ahead and keep trying to enjoy this life. Whilst doing so though, remember the impact of your situation on those closest to you. That impact is very deep, intensely visceral and can take longer to adjust for them, than it does for you. Unless you are literally living alone, without having anyone that cares deeply for you, be mindful of how your personal situation extends beyond you personally.

Thanks for your time with reading and feeding back on these Blogs. I know you find them helpful and I will continue to aim to make them interesting.

Regards, Peter

The middle of the week is when I made the most of the very nice weather we are enjoying at the moment. I focused on some much needed, but intensive DIY. I have a small 2-metre roof extension to the garage / workshop at the bottom of the garden. The existing one needed a more effective and durable solution. I had to measure and design a pent frame, then fit the new roof panels. An intense couple of days that required a lot of awkward positioning, which left me with lots of aches and pains, but 99% of the task is done, with just two smaller follow tasks to undertake.

On Saturday, I travelled back to the farm where our historical group stores their vehicles. It was a key day and the culmination of 6-months worth of prep and countless conversations with group members and prospective buyers. We sold off 3 of our key vehicles and the core team from our group, who have been onsite with me for those past 6-months, were on hand to load those vehicles and see them off for the final time. An emotional day for all involved, as it is a true ‘end of an era’. Those vehicles have been part of our group for more than 3-decades and we have had a lot of enjoyment in them. Everything from participation in Saving Private Ryan, Fury, countless documentaries (included the London Invasion series, where the halftrack drove around Parliament Square, up Whitehall and Horse Guards), plus a long list of public and private events. We have reached this natural evolution now and it is nice to see them go to a good home, where the public can continue to see them (Jersey War Tunnels museum). Not an easy decision to make / stage to reach, but certainly a necessity for us now.

That, added to the 2-full days of DIY, brought out the aches and pains, but nice to be in a position to do them and push myself, against the health backdrop. As mentioned at various times, living in the AD world does not mean life is over, it just means life has to adjust and I continue to do that. The key focus is to go with how I feel and make the most of time / weather / opportunities and what life has to offer.

I rounded off the week by completing some of the book tasks, alongside Sandra and I taking a nice drive out to the countryside and along the coast, to get some provisions.

Thanks for all of the very recent supportive words. I have also had some 1-to-1 messaging that focused on how helpful my ramblings have been to others. I write these weekly updates for precise reasons and it is very nice when I can see those reasons resonate with others in the most personal and helpful manner.

Regards, Peter

In comparison, the past week was a fairly uneventful one - deliberately. The Consultant meeting coincided with the completion of Volume 7 of the WSS Knights series of books. Both of those things have dominated my life for, what seemed like, forever. As a result of the news and the completion of book, I have taken my foot off the pedal, so to speak and focused more on variety and doing a bit of what I feel like on the day.

As per normal, the health situation does not stand still, just because we await the treatment date confirmation. The discomfort continues to increase and driving can be more challenging, due to the location of the identified growth. I also had my first dental appointment in a long time. That first became complicated during the 2020 lockdown and then the aftermath of not being able to get a medical appointment for ‘normal’ aspects (in the UK at least). I did manage one a couple of years ago, but against the backdrop of the AD world, impact on the bone structure and focus on the main chemo treatments, sorting a dental check up was wayyyyy down the list. Thankfully, my normal routine has ensured no dental issues have been added to the my health list. A fairly straightforward check up, with another one booked for 6-months. This aspect of my body may seem an odd thing to focus on, but at the height of chemo, and knowing what my prognosis showed, I expected notable impact on my bones and therefore, teeth, as a knock-on effect. The dental aspect has just not been high on the list, because I had much more important considerations to work through. For those of you in similar situations, you will know and understand that the main prognosis has many tentacles and this is just one potential.

I managed 3 walks with variable times of  13:34, 13:14 and 13:20. One of those was last Monday and the same day, I left a sunny Folkestone and drove down to the nearby Hythe / Sandgate promenade for a cycle. When I got there, there was a heavy sea mist and the temperature was a few degrees lower. I did not undertake a full cycle route (done around 3 miles instead of the usual 4.6 miles), but did focus on a sustained rate of pedalling and my breathing too.

Besides the all-present health side of things, I done a spot of DIY, spent time working on 2 different book projects, whilst also helping with another - all at a much more select pace than normal. I also had a hair cut towards the end of the week. Saturday was my daughter Alanna’s birthday and we spent some time with her and her family (this week’s photo shows Alanna and I on the train coming home from London the week before). Then Sunday was a mostly relaxed day and in the UK, was Mother’s Day. Sandra and I undertook a mid-morning walk, then had a relaxing afternoon at home - self-indulging and recharging our mental batteries from the recent onslaught.

In summary, a distinct change of physical and mental pace, by choice, which is a very nice place to be; I intend to carry on as such, until we get the confirmed treatment dates.

Regards, Peter

If you are regular readers, you will know that we had the latest face to face meeting with Dr Rahmen on Friday late-afternoon. That was to get the results of the scans done around 6-weeks ago; those results have shown 2 main things. The first is that the medication and treatment regime over the past 3-years has resulted in some of the initial bone cancer being removed, which is great to hear! The second is what is pushing up the PSA and also causing my discomfort. That is a new growth on the right pelvic bone area, which is jutting out, pressing on my bladder and prostate area. Whilst it is good to know what is going on, it is not ideal that a new growth has appeared. After discussing this with the consultant, he confirmed that the reduction in the old lesions is not uncommon, as is the new appearance. As it is localised to one spot, the treatment plan is straight forward. He plans to zap it with targeted radiotherapy, either through 3 sessions of higher dosage, or 10 sessions of lower dosage. They will be done in a short duration, rather than drawn out. The expected outcome is a shrinking of that new growth, with the corresponding reduction in the PSA level. He will hold discussions with other experts in the coming couple of weeks, to determine the best treatment, then he will contact me to get that booked in.

As I have detailed over the past while, the psychological impact of knowing something was changing and the thought processes of trying to work out what it could be, then how that would impact me, has been tough. The strain it has placed upon me has been notable, as it has for my immediate family. It has particularly impacted Sandra, Alanna and Karl, more than at any point in this journey through the AD world to date. I have taken a pragmatic approach, as I am very conscious that whatever was at play, I could do little about it. Whilst the past while has been far from easy, what has made it harder is watching the almost subliminal, but visual impact on my family. That has extended into the wider close circle of family and friends. Many of us a breathing a sigh of relief for the time being. My personal journey through this disease continues, with this next development providing clarity and a plan to improve the health situation a little. We will absolutely take this ‘win’, if that is the appropriate terminology. There were countless alternative outcomes swimming around my brain, and those of the people closest to me. This is a manageable development, according to Dr Rahman, so now we wait and see what unfolds. I do not know what the impact of what is coming will mean to my short term health, but the fact that we are discussing a treatment plan, can only be viewed as a positive part of this overall journey. I am certainly feeling much more buoyant  about the short to mid-term future. Both Sandra and I took time to relax over the weekend and indulge ourselves with nothing strenuous, just enjoyable music and letting our heads clear somewhat.

You may also recall my references to Game of Thrones recently and the aforementioned God of Death. That has really resonated with me of late, since starting to rewatch that epic fictional work. I consider those fictional words very apt for my thought process at this point in the journey. Whilst doing my walks, I even took the time to embellish the words from the book / series. That ‘God of Death’, it is factual to state, cares not for which faith we may choose to follow, what type of house we live in, what mode of transport we have picked for ourselves, how much money we may possess, nor how our physical appearance is. If we are lucky, we do get to say to that ‘God of Death’, “Not today!”. For me, as this past week came to a close, I felt I could say that, with a degree of mid-term confidence.

Other health related aspects this week were; physio on Monday, where he done a lot of muscle work. I managed 3 walks this week, with slightly improved times of 13:09, 13:12 and 13:14. I also done my first bike ride in many months and that was nice to do; I hope that becomes a regular occurrence in the coming months - but let’s see what the weather does!

The rest of the week was busy with Sandra and I meeting up with Martin (our former work colleague) on Tuesday evening. Great to see him after so many months and the catch up was good. I went to London with Alanna on Wednesday, where we indulged ourselves by visiting a wide variety of bookshops, viewing everything from the brand new, to the antique classics. The weather improved during the past week and that allowed Karl and I to get out for a bike ride along the coastal promenade near us. I had done one of my walks just before lunch that day, then the bike ride after lunch, then went home and done the first grass cut of the season. That evening, I met up with Howard and Matt, where we all discussed our latest respective situations. A lot of health related conversations, which was to be expected, but cathartic for us all, I think. The grandkids visited us on Saturday, with Dan and Alanna, which was welcomed; Time with Howard, Matt, Martin, my children and grandchildren  is always welcome. Not just for the free time they give up, but for the positive impact it has on the mindset.

Alongside all of the above, I also managed to complete Volume 7, with a small list of important adjustments undertaken. I wanted this done prior to having the consultant meeting, as I was unsure where my head would be after that. I have also begun the base work on preparing a book title to be printed by my publishing brand, for another author - the first of someone else’s books I have done for a number of years.

In summary, a busy week and one that was mostly filled with apprehension, but one that finished well.

Thanks to all of you who also give up your own precious time to read these and comment on them, you provide a key part of my battle and I sincerely appreciate it.

Regards

Peter

On Friday, Sandra and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary. We took some time and went away for three days. Day One was to the Duxford aircraft museum and somewhere I have not been to for more than 40-years. Back then, I was a member of the Air Training Corps (RAF Cadets) and we went there as a day trip from our nearby summer camp base. The set up of the museum is different now and many of the surviving aircraft are more packed in, especially the USA hanger. Great to see some of them again and amongst them was an SR-71 - the second one I have seen up close. The B-52, Warthog, Concorde and Victor were amongst the highlights. We stayed nearby and enjoyed a very nice Thai meal on Friday night. On Saturday, we spent a few hours walking around Saffron Walden, before making the journey back southwards, into our second hotel. That was next to the Excel exhibition hall, as we had booked a couple of tickets for the immersive Pompeii experience for Sunday. The hotel was very nice and as we had made them aware that it was our anniversary weekend, they upgraded us to a full waterside suite, plus some other small benefits. Our Saturday afternoon and evening was enjoyable, as we had time to relax, before going down to the restaurant to a superb meal. We rounded off the weekend with visiting the Pompeii experience. It uses a mix of artefacts, replica artefacts and VR headsets, which makes for a unique insight into what took place in 79 AD. We got back home on Sunday mid-afternoon, but en-route, we stopped in with Karl, Rachel and Grace to say hello.

On the book front, the main focus was the corrections for Chapter 8 & the Appendices, plus some final clear up of a couple of aspects. This book is very close to completion and may be done by the end of this coming week.

In summary, great to be able to celebrate another key date in the story of Sandra and I, whilst doing so in pleasant surroundings.

Thank you for the ongoing interest in my story of live in the AD world.

Regards
Peter

As I awaited the final chapter of Volume 7, I continued the ground work on the Malmedy project and connected to that, I received some key research from fellow historians within my network. Those additional elements have helped ensure the project is accurate, but also has more depth to it. That final chapter arrived with me on Friday afternoon, but due to a busy weekend, the main focus for that will be in this coming week.

As part of my vintage scooter interests and my annual partaking in the Skabour event each September, I met a fellow scooter enthusiast called Davy, a few years back. We always have a chat at the event, but on Friday, we got together for a coffee and longer catch up. That was a very enjoyable few hours and something different to break up the week. Hopefully we can repeat this in the coming weeks.

Sandra and I made another trip to the farm on Saturday, where we were joined by a number of our group members. More tasks were ticked off the list, which was great, but we also had another visitor who had come to peruse the remaining vehicles. We squeezed in some retail therapy on the way home, which was nice.

The weekend was rounded off with some time with the grandkids, due to us being busy on the usual Saturday.

A quieter week, compared to recently, but one with key tasks being moved on / ticked off the lists.

Thanks for the ongoing input to these posts.

Regards, Peter.

A bit of an up and down week, firstly with physical aspects. Whilst I have the discomfort in the groin area, top of my right leg, and suspect that something is going on in that area, I had an oddity on Tuesday. I had a sharp increase in stomach discomfort, top of my groin. Impossible to say what is driving this and until March the 6th, it would all be guess work. I was very concerned about this, as it got worse as the evening went on. Unable to determine the cause, I have slightly adjusted the diet - I like a lot of fruit and I have recently increased the intake of watermelon. Unsure if it is connected, but will see what unfolds between now and the 6th. The pain has dissipated a lot, but is not 100% gone. I also had a bout of upset tummy later in the week, but again, may be connected, may be down to something I ate. The second aspect if the psychological. This is a constant fight and never leaves my head. It was more prominent this week, partly because of what I was dealing with, partly with having a less busy week / more time to ponder what is coming. However, I continue to plough through the days and keep myself focused on forward progress with various normal tasks. I also had my 3-monthly hormone injection on Thursday - the one that is meant to keep the PSA at bay, but appears to be ineffective at the moment.

Due to the continued horrendously wet weather, I only managed 2 walks this week, at different times than normal and the impact showed, as both of them were slower than the times of late; 13:26 and 13:31. The key focus here is to keep them going, as they are helpful in various ways. I do not like doing less than the 3 walks, but I have also been busy finishing off my Ark, as I am sure many of you are too! For us in the UK, parts of it have now endured the 40-days of continuous rainfall.

Whilst working with Alanna during the week, we had a connected oddity. During the mid-morning, I witnessed a strange phenomenon in the sky. It was very bright and began to hurt my eyes. I got very concerned, rapidly, and at one point compelled Alanna to maybe contact the authorities, to see if we were in the midst of an alien invasion (the type that come from outside of our planet), or the like. However, Alanna was able to conduct some quick research and we determined that it was a thing called The Sun. I seem to remember a similar thing, but wayyyyy back in my consciousness; a weird 10-15 minutes for both of us, maybe you witnessed it to?

With it being a less busy week, I was able to get more tasks done around Volume 7. Chapters 6 & 7 were both updated to cover off the proof-reading corrections needed. Chapter 7 is a large one, so was done over 2 days. Alongside that, I created the cover for the Index booklet that I plan to do, which will cover this whole series. I also went through and tidied up some formatting inconsistencies around dates of birth and photo captions; all key parts of completing the book. Just Chapter 8 to come and the appendices, but chapter 8 is a beast, so it will take a while for Alanna to work through! I also conducted more base work on a potential new book project. I have not 100% made up my mind on this one, mainly due to the quantity of lower quality photos, but the project is a potentially interesting one, especially to my American readers, as it has a large Malmedy Massacre component; we’ll see. (the 117 project is there, but I needed something ‘visual’ this week, as Volume 7 is word heavy, as is the 117 project - which is moving forwards).

I had a morning of DIY on Saturday, both outside and inside the house. Nice to do something a bit different, even if some of the tasks were not the easiest. We rounded off the week with a spot of bowling, then a meal out, with all of the immediate family (Alanna, Karl, Dan, Rachel and the grandkids). A bit of a rarity ot be able to get all of us together at once, due to our normal routines and work commitments. A very nice way to end a varied week.

Your time with these and support of them is welcomed by me and my family, thank you.

Regards, Peter

The past week began with my 3-monthly blood test. That afternoon, Sandra and I had our next physio sessions and for the first time in months, he used a couple of acupuncture needles, with the usual muscle manipulation. On Wednesday morning, I had the CT scan recently scheduled. That is the last of the 2 scans that Dr. Rahman asked for, but the results will not be shared with me until the 6th of March. On the way home from that, we stopped off the collect my tablets. The results of that blood test were given to me then, with the PSA now at 13.1. I expected it to continue to spike and anticipated a 12+ result. The rate of increase, plus the current level, are indicators that something is most certainly afoot. It is now a case of living through limbo land for another few weeks, whilst I try not to send myself insane with potential outcomes. I managed 3 walks with results of 13:17, 13:21 and 13:10; the first one and third ones felt slower, the latter felt quicker, but hey, the results show otherwise.

As you may appreciate, the current results and scan activity are not welcomed at all, but part of this journey through living with his inescapable disease. I am powerless to control it, or what comes next, but for the moment, am focusing on the fact that I remain upright and mostly capable (the groin discomfort remains and is increasing). The mental battle is very hard for me and my immediate family. I can see the visible and mental impact on Sandra, Alanna and Karl. The anger, frustration and concern are all palpable, all day, every day. That even extended to my grandson on Sunday, when he was visibly upset, but eventually worked up the courage (he does not like to think he is upsetting me) to tell me that he is happy to be spending time with me, but also sad as he thinks about the cancer. They were very hard words to hear coming out of a 7-year old’s mouth! He is at that age of awareness and just another impact of all of the family dealing with this nonsense.

Against this very challenging backdrop, I have to remind myself, daily, that whatever comes next, we know the overall AD world and the end game. I also have to remind myself that I am 3 years into this AD world and many, many people do not get anywhere near that length of time, when dealing with the many variants of this overall disease. I was also reminded this week, that things can very quickly change and be very different. I spent time with a good friend, whom I have known for decades. He had some shock health results this week, that could have meant the absolute end of his story, but thankfully, that was not the case and he remains upright. Every day, people’s stories come to an end for a myriad of reasons and causes, with most of those being out of the control of the individual affected. Today, I am upright, keeping busy and aiming to make the most of my time, I trust you are doing the same; few of us know when the ‘lights will go out’ on our story, but whilst they remain on - enjoy, indulge and spend time with people who matter the most to you.

On the non-medical aspects, the week was a busy one (around the various medical related appointments). On Tuesday night, I met up with my former colleagues from the holiday company. Jennie, Emma, Kim, Erin and Becky were all able to make the evening and it was a great catch up. Discussing our current lives and also reminiscing on some of our shared experiences made for a good catch up, which helped lift all of our souls.

This was the first week where I did not spend any worktime with Alanna, which was odd. That was as a result of the show catch up necessities from the previous weekend, alongside the time impact of the medical appointments, together with the other unmovable commitments; we both missed that time together. She made up for that by coming over and spending Saturday evening with Sandra and I, for some specific catch up time. I did get to spend time with Karl too and due to the continuous UK monsoon / pre-Ark weather, we were prevented from doing any of the many tasks we could do outdoors. We chillaxed at home, spent some time together and had some movies on in the background. On Wednesday night, we had a spot of childminding for our 2 grandkids, which was nice. Due to being at the farm on Saturday, we switched our usual day with the grandkids. They spent a few hours with us on Sunday, where we had some fun and caught up; a nice end to a very busy and mentally challenging week.

I had a hair cut on Friday and one where my hairdresser cut my hair shorter. That was due to him going into hospital for a knee operation, with an undetermined impact on his recovery abilities to conduct his normal activities. On Saturday, Sandra joined me at the farm where we store the various military vehicles. I was joined there by 2 good friends who helped to move and load one of the military vehicles that has been sold to a new UK owner. Sad to see that vehicle leave the collection, but a necessity of where the collective situation leaves us, with regards to that overall collection; we had a lot of fun with it over the years though.

On the book front, I clarified some final questions for the next book title to be done in the French language (as part of their final proof reading stages). Alongside that, chapter 5 corrections, photo caption corrections and map replacements all actioned in this past week (I also received chapter 6, but will start that this coming week).

In summary, another action-packed week, but one with increasing medical aspects.

Thanks to everyone who continues their support from the various parts of the world, very much appreciated by us all.

Regards, Peter.

The past week was another very busy one. I had a nice few hours with Karl on Monday, with him helping me to move some of the militaria I took back home from the farm last weekend. We then played around with my scooter in the back of the car, to measure up and see what solutions we could devise, that would allow me to transport the scooter to further away events / shows, therefore Sandra and I to get out and about more. We think we have it nailed and I ordered some tools and straps to facilitate the securing of the scooter and they arrived in the week; next week will hopefully see us try them all out and complete that task.

We had new carpet fitted on Wednesday morning, at the same time as having to visit the garage for a small part replacement (under warranty - so a 90-minute round trip). After the nice new carpet was laid, 2 doors no longer fitted, so instead of working with Alanna on that day, we ended up having to clear up, plus me carrying 2 doors to the garage and trimming them - twice, before I was able to refit them and then carry on normalising the house. That evening brought us a carbon monoxide alarm alert, which resulted in us opening the doors and windows, then sitting in the car - as advised - during heavy rain. A safety guy came out just over 1-hour later, to ensure we were safe, and could go back indoors. As a precaution, he turned all gas supplies off. That carried on into the next day, awaiting an engineer to come out, check over everything and turn everything back on. 2 very impactful days, that were not planned, meaning not only zero consultancy work in the week, but also a general reduction in the tasks I had planned to cover off. The impact on the body too, was there - dodging rain showers to work on the doors, all rushed and lots of clear up.

I undertook another visit to the farm on Saturday, as a group of German specialist vehicle collectors travelled over to view 1 or 2 specific vehicles. A great bunch of people and we had a pleasant day together, which included a nice lunch. Alongside that, I was dealing with many enquiries from the previous weekend, with discussions and deals underway.

Around that, I am up to date with the proof reading and 3 chapters done. Sandra also proof read the maps and I had time to complete the corrections and adjustments to them. As I await the outstanding chapters for corrections, I have begun the very base work on the next planned book project.

I have not seen the grandkids much, as I have been back and forth to the farm. We therefore shifted our days and this week, spent a very nice few hours with them on Sunday, instead of the usual Saturday. We are very close, which is very heart-warming, and I had to explain myself to my grandson, as to why I am away so much at the moment! (the coming weekend sees me away for 3-days, for the Stoneleigh show).

Sunday proved to be a busy day, with us starting that by catching up on domestic tasks - following the challenges from earlier in the week and the time impact of them. After spending time with the grandkids, Alanna and Dan, we travelled over to spend time with Karl and Rachel, which turned into having our evening meal with them too. A nice overall day, spending time with my kids and their families.

Overall, a very, very busy week, which covered many aspects and gave me variety. Nice to move key things on and change aspects of the house, as well as continue the progress on Volume 7. Whilst this is chiefly a health Blog with a secondary aspect of living in the AD world, there are times like this 'limbo-land' where there are less health aspects to report back on, more day to day monotony.

Thanks for the unrelenting support you give to these Blogs.

Regards

Peter

Dodging the weather again, I fitted in 3 walks with times of 13:09, 13:20 and 13:25 - with that last one feeling quicker than the first one! These walks continue to be a key part of my overall battle and I do like getting them done, even if the mind and body are not always willing! I also had Physio on Monday, which was straight forward enough. No more needles, but plenty of kneading and machine massaging.

As touched on above, the past week was a very busy one, with Monday being one task after the other, which was helpful in distracting my mind. Tuesday evening seen me out with Howard (Matt was due to be with us, but had a last minute important change) and once again I forgot to get a photo! That was a very enjoyable catch up with both of us chatting about a wide variety of topics; the next date is in the diary for early March, for the 3 of us.

Time with both Alanna and Karl took place on the usual Wednesday and Thursday, but once again, heavy rain impacted what Karl and I could do. Sandra was off Friday, which then gave us most of the afternoon together (she had appointments to take care of too). Saturday saw me up at the farm where we store the military vehicles, with me meeting up with various friends from our historical society, but also hosting 2 visitors who came to view some of the vehicles that are being sold.

Sunday was more relaxed and I had plenty of laptop tasks to catch up on - contacting many people (following the vehicle activity) and sorting book orders and the like. Although we initially planned not to go out, Sandra had a change of heart after lunch and we ventured out for a stroll along a nearby promenade. We had hoped to meet up with Karl and Rachel en route, as they had asked us earlier in the day about joining them, but as we had left our decision a little later, they were ending their walk, as we were starting ours. It turned out to be a bit colder than anticipated, so we did not stay out too long. Our walk took us along the coastline that was recently badly impacted by a storm; the evidence of the damage was notable and parts of our walk was through deep shingle that made the promenade indistinguishable from the beach; that shingle is usually 4-6 feet beneath the concrete promenade!! (this week’s photo was taken on that walk)

Last, but not least, I began the proof reading phase of Volume 7 and I have completed 2 chapters of that. Sandra has also checked through the maps for me - with some corrections needed on those, plus I received the last couple of photos from a historian friend in the USA. That gives me plenty to work through in the coming weeks, but the final elements are coming together nicely.

In summary, a very active week that proved a good distraction from the recent negative health developments.

Your supportive words were very helpful last week and I thank you all for those.

Regards

Peter

As I am sure you can all appreciate, we are in the utmost of mental turmoil. Since then, I have been down every conceivable ‘rabbit hole’, as has Sandra and my children. It is 3 years since we were given the initial confirmed prognosis (10th of January 2023, with Friday’s phone call being the 9th of January). We are well and truly back to square one and begin another wait for the scans and then their results, which he hopes to have wrapped in the the next 4 weeks. In the meantime we are trying to get on with normal things, but that is proving a tad challenging. I will not spend too much time boring you with the full extent of the thought processes we are in, nor the anxiety, as there is not enough space here to articulate that all!

The other health related aspects were 2 walks that I managed to fit in around very poor weather in the past week. We had very cold weather in the first half of the week and the first walk on Tuesday was 13:23 - impacted a little by the frosty paths going up the hill. After a heavy wind and rain storm that lasted 3 days, I managed the second one, which was 13:14. That was 24-hours after the call and lots of thought processes going on during that one!

Around all of that, I continued to focus on the outstanding elements of Volume 7. I am almost done with the photos (just awaiting 2 more potentials from another historian) and have now numbered and placed all of the 25 maps within this volume. There is some small additions to be made to those, but they will not take long. Next focus will be to begin the actual corrections from the proof reading work.

In summary, not a week we wanted, but the reality of where we are / all part of living with this disease. There in lies the key point - right now, still breathing and a lot to get on with!

Your continued interest is very much appreciated.

Regards, Peter

Due to a routine that was impacted by the NY, plus the very cold weather we have in the UK at the moment, I only managed 1 walk, which was Sunday. That had a time of 13:17, which i was happy enough with, as the coldness had an impact, and the walk felt slower than that.

As Sandra had the week off work, we took the opportunity to visit the RAF museum at Hendon on Tuesday. An easy enough drive with no dramas - there and back, this was a location I have wanted to visit for a number of years. There is a superb selection of very rare aircraft and amongst the ones we went to see specifically were the intact Stuka and the Me110. The Lancaster and Vulcan were very impressive, as were many others; one location I can recommend a trip to. Whilst there, we took the time to sit in some of the kids planes, just for fun and this week’s image is one of those. Not the only Spitfire I sat in, but this one was a bit more basic!

After seeing in the New Year - not something we have ever really got over-excited about, the rest of the week seen a mix of de-Chritsmassing the house, covering off start of the month essentials and clearing up end of year aspects too.

The book focus continues with the placing of the photos being the main task, a time consuming, but key aspect of any book, with photo captions being added along the way; that will be completed in this coming week.

Overall, a mostly relaxing mixed week of seeing out the end of the forgettable 2025 and welcoming in 2026, which we hope will be a better year than the one that has just ended.

I wish all of you a very good 2026 and look forward to catching up with some of you face to face; thank you for the ongoing support of these Blogs.

Regards

Peter