(Nov. 22) -- Did you hear the one about the British comedian who was told he had three months to live so he set out to complete his own "bucket list," only to find out that he wasn't dying after all?
This is no joke. It's a true story.
Dave Ismay was told by doctors he had cirrhosis of the liver, a condition often resulting from excessive alcohol use, reports the Daily Mail.
But Ismay, 64, of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, who is not a heavy drinker, was so devastated by the diagnosis that he decided to live out his last days in style, much like the terminally ill characters portrayed by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in the 2007 film "The Bucket List."
"To be told you only have three months left to live really focuses your mind and brings everything into perspective," Ismay said. "All the things that you said you were going to do but never did suddenly seem really important."
Some of the things on Ismay's list included buying a new Mercedes, traveling to Australia, playing golf in Ireland, appearing in a pantomime production and, not surprisingly, immortality.
But, two months after his initial diagnosis, Ismay found out he wasn't near death. Instead, he was suffering from haemochromatosis, a treatable, hereditary condition caused by an excess of iron in his blood but which displays symptoms similar to liver cirrhosis.
Now, after treatment has lowered Ismay's iron levels, setting him on the path to a healthier lifestyle, his new lease on life hasn't diminished his zest for living.
"I might have written 'immortality' on the list, thinking I would never achieve it, but it turns out I wasn't as far off as I imagined," he said.
Read more at the Daily Mail.
Comic Puts Together 'Bucket List,' Only to Be Told He Wasn't Dying
Nov 22, 2010 – 5:30 PM
PHOTOS: Tornado Aftermath Leaves Trail Of Destruction
Child Identified As Tornado Victim
Oklahoma Senators Face Difficult Options On Disaster Relief
State GOP Staffer: I Was Fired After Reporting Sexual Harassment
BEFORE/AFTER PHOTOS: Oklahoma Tornado Destruction
CBS Reporter's Grave Allegations
WATCH: Tornadoes Rip Through Central U.S.
Will She Get Life Or Death?
Shocking New Details About DOJ Spying On Fox News
WATCH: McCain Asks Apple CEO One Extremely Pressing Question
WATCH: Tornado Victim Finds Dog During CBS Interview
Jamie Dimon Win Sends A Dangerous Message To Wall Street
IRS Commissioner Contradicts Earlier Testimony, Admits Tea Party Targeting Was Partisan
Major IRS Scandal Figure To Plead Fifth
Obama Reportedly Suggests Putting Off Gay Marriage Controversy In Immigration
RFK Jr.: GOP To Blame For IRS Scandal
Inhofe: Oklahoma Aid Will Be 'Totally Different' From Sandy Aid
After Oklahoma Devastation, Storm Shelter Business Surges
PHOTO: Russian Officer 'Posed At Putin's Desk To Impress Girls'
SHOCKING: Abusive Priest Was Paid To Pray For Catholics
Report: ESPN Laying Off Hundreds
Student Debt Reaches New Heights
'LET'S GET READY TO SCANDAAAAAL!'
Xbox One Unveiled!
WATCH: Gawker Editor Details Allegedly Incriminating Rob Ford Tape
Jon Has Had Enough
Tornado-Proof Homes Are Possible, Expensive And Hideous
Peaceful Protester Tasered Outside DOJ (VIDEO)
Rand Paul Rips Congress For 'Bullying' Apple
Texas Passes 'Merry Christmas Bill'
