Seriously? OMG! WTF?

May 8, 2007

My Dear Faithful Friends,

To those of you who are suffering as I….."don't give up"!! Make up your mind you're going to LIVE !! That is NOT EASY! The path gets so long. I look at young people and wish with all my heart for just one day of "feeling great". You see, God gives out his promises, they do not lie, they do not fail. We do not have to BEG him for them, they are FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You CAN make it!

Love,

Tammy Faye's webiste

I loved her on The Surreal Life, she was just so cool on that show. Way different than I thought she really was like. I hope she gets better, but sounds like her time is coming.  

My Ninth Annual Film Festival opens Wednesday night at the University of Illinois at Urbana, and Chaz and I will be in attendance. This year I won’t be speaking, however, as I await another surgery.

I have received a lot of advice that I should not attend the Festival. I’m told that paparazzi will take unflattering pictures, people will be unkind, etc. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. As a journalist I can take it as well as dish it out.

So let’s talk turkey. What will I look like? To paraphrase a line from “Raging Bull,” I ain’t a pretty boy no more. (Not that I ever was. The original appeal of Siskel & Ebert was that we didn’t look like we belonged on TV.)

What happened was, cancer of the salivary gland spread to my right lower jaw. A segment of the mandible was removed. Two operations to replace the missing segment were unsuccessful, both leading to unanticipated bleeding.

A tracheostomy was necessary so, for the time being, I cannot speak. I make do with written notes and a lot of hand waving and eye-rolling. The doctors now plan an approach that does not involve the risk of unplanned bleeding. If all goes well, my speech will be restored.

So when I turn up in Urbana, I will be wearing a gauze bandage around my neck, and my mouth will be seen to droop. So it goes.

I was told photos of me in this condition would attract the gossip papers. So what? I have been very sick, am getting better and this is how it looks. I still have my brain and my typing fingers.

Although months in bed after the bleeding episodes caused a lack of strength and co-ordination, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago restored my ability to walk on my own, climb stairs, etc. I no longer use a walker much and the wheelchair is more for occasional speed and comfort than need. Just today we went for a long stroll in Lincoln Park.

We spend too much time hiding illness. There is an assumption that I must always look the same. I hope to look better than I look now. But I’m not going to miss my Festival. Why do I want to go? Above all, to see the movies. Then to meet old friends and great directors and personally thank all the loyal audience members who continue to support the Festival. At least, not being able to speak, I am spared the need to explain why every film is “overlooked,” or why I wrote “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.”
Being sick is no fun. But you can have fun while you’re sick. I wouldn’t miss the Festival for anything!

P.S. To Gossip Rags: I have some back pain, and to make it easier for me to sit through screenings, the Festival has installed my very own La-Z-Boy chair. Photos of me in the chair should be captioned, “La-Z-Critic.”

Roger Ebert 

Sounds like he has been through so much over the last several months and I admire him for going to the festival!

Good news out of London as the Daily Mirror reports that Johnny Depp's little girl, Lily-Rose has left the hospital. The news broke Wednesday night that she was seriously ill and that Depp was not leaving her side. Then yesterday his publicist said she was doing better, but did not disclose her illness. Today it is reported that Depp carried her out of the hospital and took her back to his hotel! One onlooker said: "Johnny and Vanessa looked exhausted." Can you blame them?

Depp who is in London filming Sweeny Todd has Dreamworks on his side, "We've adjusted his schedule to fit in with his needs. Everybody's with them in good spirits."

His people also has a message for us, "The family greatly appreciates the continued support." I am so glad she is doing better!

HOLLYWOOD star Johnny Depp's seven-year-old daughter Lily-Rose was seriously ill in hospital last night. The devastated actor and his partner Vanessa Paradis, who also have a four-year-old son, John Jack, are keeping a round-the-clock vigil at Lily-Rose's bedside. She was rushed to a hospital in Britain nine days ago after suddenly falling ill. Details of her condition and exactly where she is being treated are being kept secret. A hospital source said: "Lily is a very sick little girl and Johnny has hardly left her side. It is heartbreaking for him to see her in this state. "She really is very poorly but he is a devoted dad and is spending as much time as he can with her." Depp, 43, has been using a staff entrance to get into the hospital and arriving in a blacked-out car with minders. The source said: "He has not asked for any special favours but just wants the best for his child, like any parent. It is such a difficult time for him but he is hanging in there for the sake of his daughter and the whole family is just praying that she gets better and is taking each day as it comes. "It's been an emotional rollercoaster for all of them and he's been worrying himself silly. He wouldn't wish this on anyone and has been finding it hard keeping it together." Depp, who has been shooting Sweeney Todd in Britain with Edward Scissorhands director Tim Burton, is a dedicated father who often talks about how his children have transformed his life.

The Daily Record (story) and TeeMix (photo)

Johnny Depp has changed for the better since he became a father, so  I really hope she gets better soon.

UPDATE: According to his publicist, “We are happy to report that their daughter is doing much better.   The family greatly appreciates the continued support and respect of their privacy.”
That is good to hear! 

True chaos ensued Thursday at the Taste of Chaos tour stop in El Paso, Texas, resulting in 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared Leto sustaining a broken nose and other injuries. According to a spokesperson for the band's record label, Leto was injured when he ran into the crowd during "The Kill" and thousands of fans overpowered security and rushed toward him on the floor of County Coliseum. Along with his nose, which was unintentionally broken, Leto suffered a foot injury and superficial injuries to his face and body. Leto finished the show and even declared it one of the best of the tour, but eventually checked into a hospital to ensure that none of his injuries would require surgery. 30 Seconds to Mars are scheduled to perform Friday (March 2) in Dallas. "I've been producing shows for 25 years and this was one of the scariest moments I have witnessed," Taste of Chaos organizer Kevin Lyman said in a statement. "We hope Jared's injuries are all minor and that he has a speedy recovery." No fans were seriously injured in the melee, according to the band's spokesperson.

MTV (story) and 30 Seconds to Mars' MySpace (photo) 

He is such a schmuck risking his gorgeous face like that. I remember a few months ago there was video of him at a concert where he dove into the audience and they dropped him. You would think he would learn, but I bet this will make him what to do it more? BTW check out their MySpace page, their music is shockingly really good! 

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