*bttt*
Posted on 10/08/2019 7:35:34 AM PDT by EdnaMode
Despite his commitment to hosting Jeopardy! while undergoing cancer treatment, Alex Trebek has revealed that his skills behind the podium “have started to diminish.”
In a new interview with the Canadian newsmagazine W5, Trebek spoke candidly about his future at Jeopardy!, acknowledging that the side effects of chemotherapy may cause him to leave the show earlier than anticipated. “I talk to the producers about this all the time now. I say, ‘Look, I’m slurring my words. My tongue doesn’t work as well as it used to,'” Trebek began. “The chemo has caused sores inside my mouth. It makes it difficult for me to speak and enunciate properly. And they say, ‘Well, we don’t notice.’ I say, ‘I notice those things.’ And I’m sure there are observant members of the television audience who notice also. But they’re forgiving, and I’ll accept that.”
When asked if he would depart the show once he feels too dissatisfied with his own performance, Trebek agreed that would “probably” be the deciding factor.
“[It will be] when I feel that my skills have diminished to the point that I notice and am bothered by it,” he continued. “I notice now, but I’m not as bothered by it because all of the people around me are saying, ‘No, it’s OK.’ But there will come a point where they will no longer be able to say, ‘It’s OK.'”
Trebek recently announced that he has had to restart chemotherapy treatments, in the wake of a setback that caused his cancer markers to go “sky high.” Following his initial diagnosis, his first rounds of chemo had been successful, and doctors predicted that he was near remission. But after a brief experiment with immunotherapy — which “did diddly-squat,” Trebek told W5 — he is back on his original chemo regimen.
“What I’ve discovered is not only have I become the de facto flag carrier for [pancreatic cancer], but a lot of people are coming to me and looking for help, reassurance. And that’s tough,” Trebek added. “It’s tough trying to be as optimistic as you can when the other person feels none of that optimism. They feel only despair. I don’t know if I’m strong enough or intelligent enough to help alleviate some of that despair, so it’s tough on me. But it is what it is, and I do the best I can.
DITTO
For a lot of people who are in "important" positions, their work routine gives their life meaning and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. They have a good measure of control over what they do and familiarity with their acquaintences and tasks. Leaving that life for people in those positions isn't a break, it's a disruption and an admission that the end is near.
And they were right.
I don’t know. I laughed pretty hard whenever Howard Stern did his “Homeless Jeopardy”.
It depends on the type of cancer, stage, and the kind of "chemo" used.
I was a stage 2+ head & neck cancer patient over six years ago. They treated me with radiation and a targeted cancer drug (unlike the more traditional chemotherapies.) I've been cancer-free since my treatments.
The medical community is making progress on the cancer front, especially with immunotherapy and targeted cancer treatments. They don't work on all cancers, and pancreatic cancer still poses many challenges, but they are making progress.
I don't know your cousin's situation, but rarely does NOT choosing a course of treatment play out well for the patient. There are some slower-moving cancers and some cancers that go into remission for several years, but I think those are more rare.
“...Alex Trebek is dying in a wretched way, Rosie O’Donald flourishes. ...”
I’ve had those same sentiments many times. There is no justice.
Hire Cliff Claven.
If he were to get the gig and treated it just like a play-by-play announcer with no stupid jokes or any politics, I think he could do it.
Plus we could stop seeing his idiocy spewing on HBO.
I’m surprised he kept going this long.
No one beats Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. There is no such thing as near-remission for Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Most people diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer die within 12-18 months. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer is a death sentence.
Wish it wasn’t so, but those are the facts.
I was GLAD to see that the younger generation still had respect and treated him with such.
But there was no reason to make some who didn’t really know him remember him like that.
it was sad
It would be like seeing a brilliant FReeper whose posts we loved keep posting after a severe brain injury and making almost no sense.
Oh wait...that’s me :)
Blessings and praise to God that he let me heal remarkably well over 12 years except for a few hiccups.
He is truly Great.
And I’m not exactly a thumper :)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s pancreatic cancer was caught very early only because she had a followup CT scan for her colon cancer.
Anyone who is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer needs to go to www.mdanderson.org for a second opinion.
They have more experience and more clinical trials for pancreatic cancer than any other cancer center in the world.
It’s also consistently rated as the best cancer center in the U.S., which means it is also #1 in the world. People from all over the world come to Houston to be treated at M.D. Anderson. A Saudi royal family member was so thankful, he made a $175 million donation.
Who should replace him?
I vote for Dennis Miller or Norm MacDonald.
Bravo! It’s insanity for sure!
*bttt*
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