Wow. Cancer is no joke.




[Edited 2/19/10 13:36pm]

Cancer be damned Ebert has found his voice on Twitter and he's not letting anyone forget it.

I saw this recently. When I read who it was, I couldn't believe my eyes.

lazycrockett said:

TOTALLY AGREED!!!

I think he's an even more powerful voice now than ever before...

Roger Ebert has cancer??

JoeTyler said:

Where you been? He's had it. He had a lot of surgeries, and now they've removed his lower jaw (and I think tongue?), so he can't speak. His last words were something like, "What have I gotten myself into this time?" in a joking manner, to his wife, just before he went into surgery for the jaw removal.

Quite a switch from this guy:

ernestsewell said:

I guess I don't give a damn about cinema critics anymore. I mean, I remember his 80's show with Roeper, but even then I didn't watch that show as much as other kids did back then, and I completely forgot him after that. Ask me about 5 "famous" cinema critics and my answer will be: "ummm, ok, whatever"

Glad he's at least alive; but that pic of his without the jaw...shit, poor fella

Working at a cancer hospital, I see this everyday. The thread title says it all.

"Cancer is no joke."

Is this due to throat cancer? Why remove the jaw?

I'm used to seeing him like this now. He's my favorite critics and an excellent writer. I disagree with him so much but he reviews paint a beautiful picture, it's almost like watching the movie itself.

paintedlady said:

It started out as cancer of his thyroid and spread to his jaw bone.
[Edited 2/19/10 19:12pm]

As of February 2010, Ebert has a full-time, live-in nurse attend to him when needed. Although doctors have asked him to allow them to make one more attempt to restore his voice, Ebert has refused, indicating that he is done with surgery, and will also probably decline significant intervention even if his cancer returns, as the last procedure he underwent did more harm than good. Regarding his death one day, he has written in a journal entry titled, "Go Gently into That Good Night":

I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. What I am grateful for is the gift of intelligence, and for life, love, wonder, and laughter. You can't say it wasn't interesting. My lifetime's memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris.[55]

SCNDLS said:

Wow.

SCNDLS said:

I don't understand. That rather sad entry indirectly implies that he could be dying, but it seems that he has left the cancer behind right?

Sad to see him in this condition. Didn't know it got
to this point for him. I recently lost my uncle to
cancer in January and it was only two months after
he was diagnosed.

Damn if Ebert treated cancer like this thread is he'd already be in the ground.

SCNDLS said:

Co-sign

JoeTyler said:

If the thyroid cancer spread to his jaw, there's a good chance it has metastasized to elsewhere in his body. I think he may be working under that assumption.

lazycrockett said:

Good point. It's heartening to see he continues to work, to live, to enjoy those many things he's still able to do. He's not dead.

Vendetta1 said:

For real; even when I don't agree with him disliking certain movies, his writing has a distinct "voice" that jaw/tongue cancer cannot rob him of.
[Edited 2/20/10 6:28am]

SCNDLS said:

That is so beautiful.

fucking hell!! i didn't think this was real, i thought it was a Photoshop joke or a puppet or something.

i am astonished.

whistle said:

Yeah, it's quite real. Very shocking. Check Esquire's site. The article should still be up there. There are pictures of him in his home library writing reviews, and such.

Siskel and Ebert were the dudes!!

RIP Gene Siskel

My prayers to Ebert for staying strong and not being silenced.

Lammastide said:

It was also in his salivary glands. He's had several surgeries some of which went badly and led to other issues including a broken hip. So, I can totally understand if he's done fucking with treatment that will prolly make the quality of life during his remaining time alive excruciating. Why prolong the inevitable if you're ready to go?

BklynBabe said:

It was never the same after Gene died. They were the perfect balance for each other's opinions.

I didn't know it had gotten this bad But he seems to have a healthy outlook on the future. I admire his courage

Yeah, its absolutely No joke

And seeing that picture really broke my heart, I wish him well, I hope that horrible disease gets eliminated forever and from everyone.

Speaking of Gene, its the anniversary of his death today. Ebert tweeted about it yesterday.

SCNDLS said:

Wow. he's handling this like a champion.