This is excerpts from a book called Dead Man Writing, The Joy of Leaukemia by Philip Ledbury. This is his story since he was diagnozed with a terminal illness in 2004, its an account of the good that comes from something as bad as cancer, its his story in his words!
A £1 from the sale of every book will go to Dorothy House Hospice Care.    Charity No. 275745

The book is for sale at Sainsburys in Frome, Midsomer Norton and Gloucester and it will also be in Bath Sainsburys. It is also available in the Poachers Pocket at Chelynch, Shepton Mallet Tourist Information. Horningsham Post Office, it is also available at Dorothy House at Winsley nr Bath. The price is £8.95 and if you want details of buying one please email me at philipledbury@aol.com

"Just after I was diagnosed I decided to buy my funeral as I had strong ideas has to how it should be, no religion just a chance for people to say goodbye, I wanted to write an epitaph but could not think of anything apt enough, I decided that on my tombstone I would have "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" but as I'm being cremated I'd have it on my urn.

I was going to call this chapter Sex but decided after some advice not to, this is not being politically correct but a commercial decision, I love that phrase. This is about love and I have been in numerous places over the last three years where I can feel it.

I have to write about sex, as first of all everyone that knows me expects me to and secondly if there's anything better in the world I have not found it, and I have tried a lot of things over time.

Michaela has been fighting cancer for years and tells me she was meant to die in December 2006, I am full of admiration for the woman; I have met some remarkable people over the years but Michaela takes the prize. Anyhow I ask her numerous questions and one was, was there anything I could do for her, she replied she missed having a conversation with a man, I said here's my card, ring me.

In the last 3 years I have had only 2 major hurts, the first one being diagnosed with Leukaemia, the second is as follows, I spend most of my spare money on art and the pleasures of life, I don't worry about tomorrow any more. In January 2006 we decided to have a holiday in Majorca with Debbie, Adrian and Laura, so I went to First Choice and booked a fortnight in August. Unfortunately I became quite ill and spent most of February in bed, as a result of this illness Dr Merry referred me to Dorothy House.

We took the decision that it was not a good idea to go abroad with my health as it was and as it happened it was the right decision. Anyhow we cancelled the holiday in writing, as you should, in March. We then proceeded to try and get our £600 deposit back, unfortunately I had not bought insurance at this stage, but even if I had it would not have helped as I would have had a £1,000 excess.