Each Sunday the Observer runs a feature where a celebrity shares with us shreds of wisdom they have accumulated.

So far no nuggets of wisdom have included the following:-

When you get discharged from a Marie Curie hospice they give you a goodie bag to take away. Seriously. Containing cushion, a boxed set of west end musicals, a massage kit, a puzzle book. The large bag of controlled drugs is more useful, but hey...the thought is a good one. With a bit of luck you'll never learn this first hand.

On your final discharge they also give you drugs which are to be used only by the doctor on the final visit....these are the big guns. Nurse Linda and I are very interested, but have so far failed to find time to investigate further on t' Internet.

Cheesetown's district nurses seem to be a whole lot more useful than Queensferry's. They have shown definite signs of initiative, understanding and control...So I take back everything I've said about DN's to date. It relates only to Queensferry's.

Some personal care assistants are very young and pretty. Again, with any luck you'll never need to know this, but then again, if you are diagnosed with a degenerative disease it might be some consolation.

Drawing up syringes of controlled drugs is a doddle. In fact drawing up a couple of syringes in advance each evening is deeply therapeutic. So far only Nurse Linda has joined me in this zen like activity.

States of cancer patient is like the weather. Just because death was imminent on Thursday night, doesn't mean that he won't be having a Big Mac for lunch on Friday.

When some people say they will do anything to help, they really do mean anything; leaving their own business to train in drug administration at the hospice; coming round at 4am to give me a break (thank YOU Linda!); staying sober enough on night out in case they are needed; driving across Scotland to deliver Cherub home after night out; walking NED morning and night (PETAL!); offering to mow my lawn, do my shopping, delivering home made cakes and dinners. I could go on. You all know who you are.

Daytimes and evenings your house will be full of visitors. I have never made so many cups of tea in my life.

The sleepless nights are a damn sight easier if you share a bed. I haven't learned how to administer diamorphine in my sleep yet. but watch this space.

Your mother will not necessarily be convinced that you are doing the right thing. She never was.

Yeah I know this blog continues to go where it shouldn't....