Author Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer

[Jokerman]

I just saw this.

Reliable Source - Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens is being treated for cancer, forcing the D.C. writer to cut short his latest book tour. In a statement released through his publisher Twelve, the British-born provocateur, 61, said that he has "been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me." The notorious chainsmoker announced in 2008 he had given up tobacco -- driven, he said, by "fear." (His wife Carol Blue told us then he "wants to live -- live to see his political enemies defeated.") But he was still sneaking a smoke or two when our colleague Manuel Roig-Franzia interviewed him last month.

He always oozed unhealth to me. Esophageal cancer is very hard to treat and I doubt he'll recover from it, esp since he's going the conventional route. It's usually caused by acid reflux syndrome, and cigarettes mixed with alcohol sure wasn't going to help. Another dumb smart person gets his wake up call. I know the religious ppl are going to have a field day with this. I can just see it: "Maybe God is great."

 

[Elmira]

Not lookin' good. This almost makes me want to stop smoking.

 

[Sebastian]

Bad news.

 

[Ristol]

Read that a few weeks back. Much too bad. He is an endlessly articulate and very funny man.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I just saw this.

Reliable Source - Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens is being treated for cancer, forcing the D.C. writer to cut short his latest book tour. In a statement released through his publisher Twelve, the British-born provocateur, 61, said that he has "been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me." The notorious chainsmoker announced in 2008 he had given up tobacco -- driven, he said, by "fear." (His wife Carol Blue told us then he "wants to live -- live to see his political enemies defeated.") But he was still sneaking a smoke or two when our colleague Manuel Roig-Franzia interviewed him last month.

He always oozed unhealth to me. Esophageal cancer is very hard to treat and I doubt he'll recover from it, esp since he's going the conventional route. It's usually caused by acid reflux syndrome, and cigarettes mixed with alcohol sure wasn't going to help. Another dumb smart person gets his wake up call. I know the religious ppl are going to have a field day with this. I can just see it: "Maybe God is great."

i think i have this. i get heartburn an awful lot especially over the last year or so and a couple of weeks back i found it very difficult to swallow food. it seemed to get caught in my chest.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I just saw this.

Reliable Source - Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens is being treated for cancer, forcing the D.C. writer to cut short his latest book tour. In a statement released through his publisher Twelve, the British-born provocateur, 61, said that he has "been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me." The notorious chainsmoker announced in 2008 he had given up tobacco -- driven, he said, by "fear." (His wife Carol Blue told us then he "wants to live -- live to see his political enemies defeated.") But he was still sneaking a smoke or two when our colleague Manuel Roig-Franzia interviewed him last month.

He always oozed unhealth to me. Esophageal cancer is very hard to treat and I doubt he'll recover from it, esp since he's going the conventional route. It's usually caused by acid reflux syndrome, and cigarettes mixed with alcohol sure wasn't going to help. Another dumb smart person gets his wake up call. I know the religious ppl are going to have a field day with this. I can just see it: "Maybe God is great."

yea because all those awful religious people love to see someone get cancer. every single one of them.

best of luck to Mr Hitchens. i hope he can recover from this.

 

[Synful*Luv]

I just saw this.

Reliable Source - Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens diagnosed with cancer, cuts short his book tour

Christopher Hitchens is being treated for cancer, forcing the D.C. writer to cut short his latest book tour. In a statement released through his publisher Twelve, the British-born provocateur, 61, said that he has "been advised by my physician that I must undergo a course of chemotherapy on my esophagus. This advice seems persuasive to me." The notorious chainsmoker announced in 2008 he had given up tobacco -- driven, he said, by "fear." (His wife Carol Blue told us then he "wants to live -- live to see his political enemies defeated.") But he was still sneaking a smoke or two when our colleague Manuel Roig-Franzia interviewed him last month.

He always oozed unhealth to me. Esophageal cancer is very hard to treat and I doubt he'll recover from it, esp since he's going the conventional route. It's usually caused by acid reflux syndrome, and cigarettes mixed with alcohol sure wasn't going to help. Another dumb smart person gets his wake up call. I know the religious ppl are going to have a field day with this. I can just see it: "Maybe God is great."

What is the "unconventional" route that you allude to with this post? Just curious.

My grandmother had diabetes and thyroid problems.. but changed her eating habits and got rid of them both. Unfortunately.. she passed away from cancer a few years later. Cancer is an ugly beast... it's one of those things that I'm always worrying about because there's no clear reason to why some forms of cancer show up.. so I try to alleviate most things i'm aware of that cause cancer and cross my fingers.

But yeah.. just awful.

yea because all those awful religious people love to see someone get cancer. every single one of them.

best of luck to Mr Hitchens. i hope he can recover from this.

I doubt he meant that every single religious person in the world would feel this way.. but certainly there are going to be some who try to form a link between their deity and his cancer.

 

[Elmira]

yea because all those awful religious people love to see someone get cancer. every single one of them.

best of luck to Mr Hitchens. i hope he can recover from this.

Hitchens published 'God Is Not Great' in 2007. Very anti-religion — described as the author's 'atheist manifesto.'

 

[Bobby Sands]

^^i know this. but its no reason for anyone to wish cancer on him. it felt as if Jokerman was referring to the religious people on streethop.

but yea i guess its forseeable that people will be happy with this. i hate people like that.

i remember we were watching Father Ted (people from UK and Ireland will only know this) at work one evening and my supervisor was watching with us. now a lot of these very religious type idiots got awful offended by Father Ted even though it was just a laugh and most people loved it. my supervisor was one of these types and he made a comment during it to the effect that he got what he deserved in the end. The main actor Dermot Morgan died suddenly of a heart attack back in 96 or 97. thats what he was referring to. fucking cunt.

 

[Jokerman]

it felt as if Jokerman was referring to the religious people on streethop.

No not at all. I meant on the blogs and so forth. There's a bigger world out there than Streethop.

Here's an example I just easily found:

Christian claims that Hitchens' cancer is a kindness from god

 

[Jokerman]

there's no clear reason to why some forms of cancer show up..

There's genetic reasons, viral reasons, plus we have some 80,000 man-made chemicals in use, most of which have not been tested at all or inadequately. Some have been and have been shown to be cancerous. Which part of the body someone manifests cancer (first) depends on exposure, of course, but also on that person's area of vulnerability.

What is the "unconventional" route that you allude to with this post?

Homeopathy and crystals, of course. Healing wands and pyramids. Water from Lourdes. Virgin Mary statues and rosary beads. Easter eggs, Hanukkah candles, and 72 virgins. Copious amounts of bacon, the white meat. The Secret. The I Ching. The Pineal Eye.

No, there are many alternative cancer therapies that have shown far better success than chemo. Instead of continuing to view cancer as a single disease in need of a single cure, cancer must be addressed as a complex phenomenon, since multiple factors are involved. Attention needs to be focused on environmental, nutritional and body/mind considerations. So the diet has to be totally overhauled. Not just to a healthier one, but to a cancer-fighting one. Nutrients way beyond vitamins and minerals need to be taken. I could give a protocol to start with. Depends on the condition. One needs to work with a health practitioner who is offering alternative therapies. Different ones offer different or unique therapies. One needs to do research. No one therapy is the best. I could direct someone to a combination of the best. The Gerson Therapy is a good place to start. The Gerson Institute - Alternative Cancer Treatment

Of course, financial considerations are involved, since insurance doesn’t usually cover most of them.

 

[Elmira]

What's with the immediate jump to religion as a saving grace? Isn't there a more modest means of salvation you can seek out? Is it so impossible to be at peace with yourself without the Almighty's intervening hand?

 

[Synful*Luv]

There's genetic reasons, viral reasons, plus we have some 80,000 man-made chemicals in use, most of which have not been tested at all or inadequately. Some have been and have been shown to be cancerous. Which part of the body someone manifests cancer (first) depends on exposure, of course, but also on that person's area of vulnerability.

Homeopathy and crystals, of course. Healing wands and pyramids. Water from Lourdes. Virgin Mary statues and rosary beads. Easter eggs, Hanukkah candles, and 72 virgins. Copious amounts of bacon, the white meat. The Secret. The I Ching. The Pineal Eye.

No, there are many alternative cancer therapies that have shown far better success than chemo. Instead of continuing to view cancer as a single disease in need of a single cure, cancer must be addressed as a complex phenomenon, since multiple factors are involved. Attention needs to be focused on environmental, nutritional and body/mind considerations. So the diet has to be totally overhauled. Not just to a healthier one, but to a cancer-fighting one. Nutrients way beyond vitamins and minerals need to be taken. I could give a protocol to start with. Depends on the condition. One needs to work with a health practitioner who is offering alternative therapies. Different ones offer different or unique therapies. One needs to do research. No one therapy is the best. I could direct someone to a combination of the best. The Gerson Therapy is a good place to start. The Gerson Institute - Alternative Cancer Treatment

Of course, financial considerations are involved, since insurance doesn’t usually cover most of them.

Thanks for the response. Somehow I missed this posting. Yeah, i'm a bit of a hypochondriac myself.. that combined with two close relatives who have passed away from cancer and me being anti- most western medicines... leaves me leading a very healthy lifestyle. LOL. But since insurance won't cover something like those treatments if I need it... I guess I can always get them done on credit (thankfully I have good credit) and file bankruptcy shortly after. Hey, at least i'll be alive. LOL

 

[Ristol]

Hitchens was on Charlie Rose last week. I DVRed it. Very interesting interview.

 

[Jokerman]

^Yeah, saw that. "It's necessary that people die. It would be terrible if they didn't."

 

[Jokerman]

i think i have this. i get heartburn an awful lot especially over the last year or so and a couple of weeks back i found it very difficult to swallow food. it seemed to get caught in my chest.

That's not good. Lose weight if you're overweight and cut out caffeine from any source, coffee, colas, even chocolate. Eat smaller portions at meals. And of course, don't drink alcohol or smoke. Take curcumin and grapeseed extract supplements to help heal the cancer-causing damage caused by the stomach acid to your esophagus. Call me in 6 months.

 

[Jokerman]

New article by Hitchins about his illness:

Unanswerable Prayers | Culture | Vanity Fair

 

[Sebastian]

Read it yesterday. Good one.

By the way, im looking forward to Harris's new book "The Moral Landscape". Should be really interesting.

 

[Ristol]

Read it yesterday. Good one.

By the way, im looking forward to Harris's new book "The Moral Landscape". Should be really interesting.

Me too. I was going to make a thread about it. What the hell took this guy so long to write another book? Completing a doctorate in neuroscience? Big deal! Write me a new book every year, Sam Harris!

 

[Ristol]

Please watch the whole video.

This guy is pretty much the best guy.