Week 10: w/e 20th September 2026

Hi Folks and thanks for returning to my waffling. 

The health aspects will be covered first, as usual and this week is one where the side effects have mostly settled down. I did not suffer much, just some fuzzy headedness, but that was slight and not often. I had some tiredness, but again, intermittent and nothing too drastic. Towards the end of the week, I started to develop cold-like symptoms, and unclear as to whether they are just ‘normal’, or related to the chemo?; they impacted Friday and the weekend, with us taking things very easy over those days. 

Although the pain / discomfort has not changed yet, the one thing I have noted as this week has unfolded, is the increase of my appetite. I do not know if that is the chemo working on the lymph nodes, or not, but I will take it nevertheless. On the note of my weight, I am now 10 stone 12 pounds, of around 69kg. I have not been below 11 stone in a long time, so I am happy about that. The challenge now is to monitor, not let it decrease too much, but also be mindful of the increased appetite and the impact that may have; a balancing act to be had. 

We had our catch up phone call with Dr. Rahman, which is him checking in after chemo session no. 1 and the side effects impact. I did push him on the delayed prescription, but he was unable to shed any light on that and stated that, despite him being on holiday, other consultants could have prescribed the chemo; he suggested that I raise a complaint, if I want to pursue why. I also asked him about the 80% strength and how that compared to three years ago. He confirmed that the very first session was done at 100%, but then by session 5, it was at 84%. I asked if the current 5x 80% is just the same as 4x 100%; he replied with a firm no. The reduced strength is aimed at easing the side effects impact, but it will not reduce the efficacy of the chemotherapy itself. The plan is to undertake the next 2 sessions, then get some scans done, see the outcome, then decide whether the planned final 2 sessions go ahead. The unanswered question is, if the scans show little or no impact, what comes after that? We are, as always, in the lap of the Gods and just passengers on this current journey. We live in hope and will continue to fight the fight, but we have no real overall impact on what is taking place within my AD world. 

Wednesday was one of Sandra’s days off this week, so we took that cheeky mid-week day off and revitalised her ‘lost birthday’. We went out for the day for some shopping and birthday waffle treats (this week’s photo) at our favourite waffle emporium. That gave us a very enjoyable day of light hearted activities, time together and just enjoying life. The settling of the side effects made that all possible and we are grateful for days like that. 

What I will focus on now is an aspect of life in the AD world, where the decisions and choices are more within the control of the person battling ill-health. I have touched on this many, many times, but I have been acutely aware of this aspect during the week that has just ended, so wanted to share some thoughts with you all. 

As stated above, I cannot control the development of the disease and the impact it will have on my body, and ultimately my existence. What I can do, however, is control what I do with the time I have left - something that we all have the potential to do, if we choose. There are many of you suffering with illness, or you are helping a close family / friend through an illness. It is easy to let the impact of the illness take over, psychologically, and therefore dominate your actions and life; I choose a different path. 

I have been retired for two and a half years now (thanks Sandra) and in that time, I have spent more of my time researching my historical interest sphere and producing more books. I have set myself a target of 2 books published per year, which is highly ambitious, when you factor in the nature of the complex subject matter, but so far, I have achieved that. I have been keeping you briefly updated on the current books and the Münkemer book, which just this weekend, moved one key step forwards (thanks Mike S!) and is almost ready to go to the final pre-print stage. Whilst awaiting that stage completion, I focused on another book project that was originally completed in 2023. However, I did not feel that the project (a companion to the Sommer 1943 project released in 2021) contained enough material for it to be a stand alone book. In the intervening couple of weeks, awaiting the next Münkemer stage completion, I had a rethink of how to evolve the concept, but keep it true to the base objective. I am pleased to say that I have completed that book now too and it is a planned 2027 release (the Münkemer book will hopefully be the next 2026 release, pre-Xmas). Alongside that, I have completed a further 10 ‘117’ biographies, which takes me to 50 individuals now done. In between all of that, further material has arrived, connected to that project, which has allowed me to obtain more depth on some of those people. 

Although I know how I work and also know that it is not standard to be producing the quantity of books I do (I am a one-man band, so to speak), I have become slightly unnerved by the current pace, as I am noticing that it is much accelerated, compared to my norm. I am not complaining, but instead reveling in the progress and advances made, but it is a tad odd and not sure if there is a connection to the health situation. In talking to my close friend Colin this week, he remarked on the fact that it sounded like a real ‘tonic’ and I will have to say, it is! Indulging in my deep passion for history and being able to produce material that helps others deepen their understanding of history, is superb. I am thoroughly enjoying it and it is very helpful right now, against a backdrop of a disease that is spreading and impacting my health even more. 

The reason for sharing is to see if my ramblings, on that specific aspect of life with a serious illness / disease, may help others who are struggling with their mindsets, as they battle their own illnesses; I hope they do. 

We rounded off our week with a stroll along the nearby seafront promenade, the one I used to cycle along. Although the past week or two has been autumnal in feel, today was like a summer’s day, so we took an hour, sat by the sea and watched the world go by. Overall, a relaxing Sunday, with a few things covered off and a nice way to end the week. 

In summary, a settled health week, huge advances on the writing front and a superb day out with Sandra; I'll take weeks like that anytime!

Thanks for your time and input. 

Regards, Peter