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'I’m sorry to have to announce that my cancer situation has developed not necessarily to my advantage' - Jersey Evening Post

jerseyeveningpost.com · 1,172 words · saved by 2 readers

MY favourite bit of understatement ever comes not from a Brit or a Spartan but from the Japanese Emperor Hirohito. In August 1945, following Japan’s defeats in every recent battle and the obliteration of two cities with nuclear bombs, he broadcast that “the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan’s advantage”. Well, I’m sorry to have to announce that my cancer situation has also developed not necessarily to my advantage. Last September, I described in these pages my diagnosis of throat cancer, and likened my upcoming treatment to a journey to the South Pole. Sadly, although the chemo and radiation did a good job on the tumours in my throat and neck, my lungs are now riddled with the bloody things. The prognosis is not quite “Don’t buy any green bananas”, but it’s pretty close to “Don’t start any long books”. So it seems I’m going to hop the twig, and probably sooner rather than later. But many things give me comfort at the minute. The huge support and compassion which my w

MY favourite bit of understatement ever comes not from a Brit or a Spartan but from the Japanese Emperor Hirohito. In August 1945, following Japan’s defeats in every recent battle and the obliteration of two cities with nuclear bombs, he broadcast that “the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan’s advantage”. Well, I’m sorry to have to announce that my cancer situation has also developed not necessarily to my advantage. Last September, I described in these pages my diagnosis of throat cancer, and likened my upcoming treatment to a journey to the South Pole. Sadly, although the ch

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