The comedian reflects on his harrowing experience with a rare spinal tumour and chordoma, a slow-growing type of bone cancer, and how he has coped with the resulting chronic pain and lasting damage.
Comedian Matt Forde reflects on his harrowing experience with a rare spinal tumour and chordoma, a slow-growing type of bone cancer that was diagnosed when he was 40.
Forde, who hosts the popular The Matt Forde Focus Group radio show on BBC Radio 4, had been feeling severely ill after a exercise bike session in June 2023. He had initially thought it was a twisted hamstring or sciatica, but after months of investigations, a spinal tumour was discovered. Forde's doctor gave him a cocktail of codeine and diazepam to manage his pain, but despite the weekend's adrenaline-fueled performances, the pain persisted.
He was eventually diagnosed with chordoma, a condition that affects eight in a million people in the UK. Since the late diagnosis, Forde has undergone a 13-hour operation at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, followed by a lengthy recovery that left him with lasting damage, including a colostomy bag, a stoma and chronic nerve pain. Despite this, Forde has taken his health into his hands and has adopted daily painkillers such as gabapentin to manage his symptoms.
Three years after his diagnosis, Forde is preparing to return to the Edinburgh Fringe, where he will perform his stand-up show Project Holy Moly as well as recording his podcast, The Political Party. Despite some positive developments in his health, including the complete transformation of his 'appalling' eczema, Forde remains determined to make a full recovery and return to his normal life
Matt Forde Comedian Chordoma Spinal Tumour Bone Cancer Chronic Pain Edinburgh Fringe The Matt Forde Focus Group BBC Radio 4 Comedy Routine Cancer Diagnosis Health Journey Medical Treatment Pain Management Recovery Illness Disability Humour Entertainment Industries
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