TV comic John Bishop has revealed how a terrifying cancer scare left him “contemplating death”.
The 52-year-old Liverpudlian was sent for an X-ray after suffering a prolonged cough three years ago.
He explained: “I was told that unless I heard anything, I should regard everything as normal and the cough would go.
“I heard nothing and gradually my chest cleared, so I thought no more about it.
“Three months later I received a call saying the results of the X-ray had been misreported by one of the junior staff.
His GP said he needed an emergency CT scan – “and something in his tone suggested it needing doing sooner rather than later,” said John.
“So I organised a private CT scan at the local hospital. I spent a few hours alone thinking it could be the start of the end.
“This is because a Google search of ‘shadows on lungs’ does not make you believe the prognosis will be good.”
John, who has three sons with wife Melanie, says: “It was the first time I had seriously contemplated my own death. I was filled with sadness for all the things I’d miss – my family, my sons getting married, my parents, becoming a grandparent, laughing, blue sky days when you are so happy that you almost feel guilty to be so lucky. Football, music, films.
“Death takes away everything, although this isn’t all bad. I suddenly realised I did not have to care any more about what Donald Trump did, if the ice caps were going to melt and the Brexit vote.
“I had seen this before with people facing terminal illness. There is a sense of contentment and balance hard to explain. All that matters are those you love.”
In his book How to Grow Old, John told how Melanie came with him to the scan and that they were both “nervous”.
“The GP called me as soon as he had the results. I had shadows on both lungs but it was nothing sinister and was caused by increased bone mass in my sternum.
“I put the phone down grateful for the life I had ahead of me.
"I embraced Melanie and then on the radio in the background I heard Trump was saying global warming was a myth, and I started worrying again.”
