Having terminal cancer is not getting Wilko Johnson down. In fact, the Game of Thrones actor and Dr. Feelgood musician tells Radio 4's Front Row that his pancreatic cancer diagnosis has made him feel more alive and happier than ever.
"We walked out of there and I felt an elation of spirit,” he said of leaving the doctor’s office after receiving the news. “You're walking along and suddenly you're vividly alive. You're looking at the trees and the sky and everything and it's just 'whoah.’ I am actually a miserable person. I've spent most of my life moping in depressions and things, but this has all lifted."
“This position I'm in is so strange, in that I do feel fit and yet I know death is upon me,” Johnson continued.
With about 10 months left to live, the 65-year-old plans to complete a CD, tour in France and play a series of final concerts. "I'm not hoping for a miracle cure or anything. I just hope it spares me long enough to do these gigs -- then I'll be a happy man,” he added.
Johnson announced his cancer diagnosis on his official Facebook page on January 10. "I am very sad to announce that Wilko has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer of the pancreas. He has chosen not to receive any chemotherapy," his manager Robert Hoy wrote in a statement. "He is currently in good spirits, is not yet suffering any physical effects and can expect to enjoy at least another few months of reasonable health and activity."
“He has just set off on a trip to Japan; on his return we plan to complete a new CD, make a short tour of France, then give a series of farewell gigs in the U.K.," Hoy added. "Wilko wishes to offer his sincere thanks for all the support he has had over his long career, from those who have worked with him to, above all, those devoted fans and admirers who have attended his live gigs, bought his recordings and generally made his life such an extraordinarily full and eventful experience. Thank you.”
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