Having been ill for over two years with what he thought was colitis, the author was admitted to hospital in February 2003. He was diagnosed with advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Despite a series of operations his condition steadily deteriorated. By August, he was less than half his normal body weight, had lost two major organs, suffered a massive stroke, and was the subject of a 'do not resuscitate' order. Shortly after this, treatment for the lymphoma was found to be totally ineffective. At this point the doctors deemed survival impossible ...