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by Syd Barnes (Author)
Take your seat on the ghost train for a trip from heaven to hell and back out again
Psycho Syd was living the dream and loving it. He sparkled, as he luxuriated in living the life of Mr. Riley in tropical seventh heaven. He sported a deep golden tan working as a filmmaker in The People's Democratic Republic of Laos. Hand in hand and blissfully heart in heart with his beautiful wife. He was so deeply in love. His two gorgeous kids were studying in international schools.
The family lived in a modest 2-bedroomed bungalow with a magnificent lush equatorial garden; dazzling tropical fruit trees bearing delicious phenomenal mouth-watering drops of heaven. The jungle was on their doorstep which was a far Tarzan cry away from Syd's old council house with its tiny lawn and flowerbed in Manchester. Jane was usually indoors in the air-conditioned atmosphere living the life of Mrs. Riley. An organic vegetable plot and a Wunderbar herb garden spiced up and flavoured this exotic paradise. A bubbling thirst-quenching spring water well-provided skin tingling and mind revitalising cascading power showers in this steamy wonderland. Deep green creepers, vines and plants grew wild in this luscious Oases camouflaging the Wonderwall which encircled their heavenly garden of Eden.
Welcome to Paradise
In the blink of an eye, he awoke from the dream to a ghastly nightmare. He was as white as a ghost with one foot in the grave, claiming benefits in cold grey rainy Blackpool. He had been diagnosed with inoperable stage four mouth cancer and given a prognosis of just six months to live. Join him on his trip to hell as he graphically takes you step by step through the harrowing cancer treatment. After the ordeal, he was a death warmed up burnt and blistered bag of bones sprawled on his sick sofa eight miles high on morphine pouring sickly yucky liquid into his peg tube to keep him alive to the fact that he was dying. You think that is bad? Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Accompany him on the journey to the centre of his mind after his mother died to join his father on the other side. Next, his wife abandons him and the children. He was all alone dying of cancer, with two young children aged 14 and 4 who were completely dependent on him. Very scary indeed. What would you do?
Psycho Syd hid under the duvet and screamed. Then he forced his broken body to fight. He was going to beat this bloody cancer because his kids needed him. They had no one else
He cut out all processed food and became a raw vegan, drinking a rainbow of fruit and vegetable juices, as well as forcing his feeble frame to exercise.
Watch in wonder as he devotes his life to his children. Sit next to him each time he visits the hospital for test after test. Clench your fists in frustration as he keeps getting knocked down by one cruel twist of fate after another. Then let your jaw drop in astonishment as he gets up once again and fights on.
This is not just another cancer memoir; This is something unique. Written in nitty-gritty council estate Mancunian. Raw and edgy with shed loads of dark eye-popping humour. He takes you right there. Taste the madness, hurt and despair as you are gripped in spine-tingling suspense page after page. Get ready to rage, cry, smile, shout, dance, scream and laugh. You will be spellbound as Psycho Syd inspires you into believing that maybe, just maybe, you can achieve the unthinkable too. You will never forget this startling true-life story for as long as you live. You have been warned
