Rick Steves, a journey author who has constructed an empire of journey guides, radio exhibits and tv packages specializing in Europe, mentioned Wednesday that he was not too long ago identified with prostate most cancers.
For greater than 4 many years, Mr. Steeves, 69, has written dozens of journey guides and hosted packages resembling “Rick Steves’ Europe,” a sequence that started in 2000 and has now aired for 12 seasons on public tv in the US. He additionally hosts a radio present and podcast known as “Travel with Rick Steves.” He introduced the prognosis in a social media post on Wednesday.
He mentioned in an interview from his house in Seattle on Wednesday that his years of journey have taught him to hunt out experiences that broaden his views, together with tradition shock, and his most cancers prognosis was no completely different.
“Typically you be taught much more about your property by leaving it and taking a look at it from a distance,” he mentioned by telephone.
“If you’re on the street, it is leaving your consolation zone, it is leaving your property — and for me, the hospital is a really overseas place,” he added. “The expertise is that I meet fantastic individuals, achieve an appreciation for issues I would not have gained in any other case, and am reminded of what is essential in life.”
Mr Steeves mentioned he obtained the prognosis a number of weeks in the past after his new physician urged he get a blood check. Though he had no signs, he agreed, making a call that his physician would later say saved his life.
“It is a lot better to examine issues upfront than discover out about them when it is too late,” he mentioned.
Scans confirmed the most cancers had not unfold, so he had a transparent path to restoration. However he mentioned it led to an uncomfortable however novel expertise that compelled him to confront the fragility of well being. Prostate cancer is a reasonably frequent most cancers in males and is the second main reason behind most cancers loss of life amongst American males. However the illness often progresses slowly.
“Statistically, the chances are in my favor,” he mentioned. “However I am going into it with my eyes open — I imply, I’ve most cancers. That is severe stuff.”
Because the prognosis, he mentioned he has gained a brand new appreciation for contemporary drugs and medical know-how. He additionally mentioned he was confronted with the pressure on the well being care system and the inequitable methods during which most cancers can upend the lives of those that can not pay for therapy.
“This should not be one thing that privileged individuals can do,” he mentioned.
Till his surgical procedure in late September in Seattle, Mr. Steeves plans to be in France for a number of weeks to movie a one-hour particular on the sights of Paris and a half-hour present on the delicacies and barges of Burgundy. He’s additionally scheduled to seem with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in Cincinnati.
“After which I’ll have surgical procedure,” he mentioned, “and I’ll be round my home in my pajamas for a few weeks.”
