Roger Ebert in Poor Shape, Will Probably Never Speak Again

[Hack&Lube]

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle...oice_to_t.html

Unfortunately, thyroid cancer has taken away his ability to speak. He's also been fed by tube for over a year now. Looking at his condition, it's quite frightening. Over many surgeries doctors carved bone, tissue and skin from his back, arm, and legs, and transplanted them in an attempt to reconstruct his jaw and throat but those failed and left his shoulders and legs missing flesh (used in the surgeries as grafts) as well.

Here's a blog post he made about food & drink after losing the ability to enjoy both
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010..._by_mouth.html

[OILFAN #81]

Good for him for being in such positive spirits. I wish him the best.

PS........I'm so not used to seeing his picture like that. That picture looks like its from a wax museum or something. Good luck with your battle Roger.

EDIT: I just read in a article online that a firm is using technology to allow him to communicate again. I didn't realize that he lost his voice 4 years ago?

[BuzzardsWife]

So sad. Just a reminder to give to cancer research.

[Ro]

Still the best critic around, in my opinion. I read his new reviews every Friday- here's the link to his website for those interested:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/

And reading this post reminded me of reading about this altercation he had with one of the worst movie critics out there a couple years ago at TIFF:

http://www.theinsider.com/news/11861...tic_TIFF_Tiffs

[Russic]

I was actually going to make a thread on this and completely forgot. Esquire ran an incredible story about him that I loved. I highly recommend you set aside a few minutes today and read this story: http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310

[Bobblehead]

That's been known about for a long time. He has had blog entries talking about his loss of speech, what it would take to get it back, options for technological replacements like voice to speech, and so on. He has also spoke about his own morality.

I mentioned that it was sort of a relief to have that full-page photo of my face. Yes, I winced. What I hated most was that my hair was so neatly combed. Running it that big was good journalism. It made you want to read the article.

One strange result was that many people got the idea that these were my dying words. The line Chaz liked least referred to the time he has left. A blog reader said he hadn't realized I was so frail.

Well, we're all dying in increments. I don't mind people knowing what I look like, but I don't want them thinking I'm dying. To be fair, Chris Jones never said I was. If he took a certain elegiac tone, you know what? I might have, too. And if he structured his elements into a story arc, that's just good writing.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010...ords_cont.html

(note: Chaz is Ebert's wife) His blog is pretty good, he covers a range of topics.

And I like his review style. He has said when he reviews he tries to keep in mind the type of person who enjoys that type of movie and what the movie is trying to achieve. If a movie is a summer action thriller he doesn't try to measure it against an Oscar hopeful, he keeps in mind the audience who will probably go see it and writes his review trying to let those people know what they will see. So even if the movie does have a lot of issues, will it be satisfying to the audience who will go to see it? That is what he tries to do.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by fotze

Jesus, that is a disturbing photo. Fata me!

It could have been worse. They could have have put out a picture of what Gene Siskel looks like these days instead.

[Flames_Gimp]

He makes it seem easy going without food and drinks. I have had a G-tube for 5 years...and its only starting to get a wee bit easier to overcome. Well, I also shoot straight liquor into the tube..that helps