Cancer survivor gives the gift of laughter

A Canterbury man has thanked the volunteers and medical personnel who helped him recover from cancer with the gift of laughter.

Brian Taylor, 54, was diagnosed with stage three throat cancer in July last year after going to the doctor with a small painless lump in the side of his neck.

After surgery and treatment he is now cancer free.

Taylor is a stage comedy skit writer and performer, as one half of the performing Ashburton duo Off The Cuff Entertainment, with Gavin Templeton.

After his cancer experience, he compiled a new 40-minute show, called Comedy Versus Cancer.

The show debuted on December 12, when the duo performed at the Cancer Society Mid Canterbury’s Christmas celebration.

They plan to take it to Christchurch for two similar inhouse performances next month, to Cancer Society volunteers and medical personnel in the city.

While going through cancer treatment was by no means a fun journey, Taylor could often see the funny side of situations in hospital he was placed in.

‘‘When I started my treatment, I started making jokes and I thought ‘This is actually a great way to say thank you’.’’

‘‘I was thinking about all the funny things that could happen in my treatment, and also trying to make it relatable to the hospital staff and almost personalise it to them.’’

The first performance at the Cancer Society Mid Canterbury celebration had received good feedback.

Some of those volunteers in the audience had been the ones who drove Taylor to Christchurch for treatment, on days when he was too tired to do it himself.

They and many of their fellow volunteers at the society generally knew people from their own lives affected by cancer.

‘‘So to see them enjoy having a laugh at it, was really good.’’

For his surgery, Taylor had lymph glands in his neck, his tonsils, and a small part from the rear of his tongue removed.

Treatment involved not being able to eat and relying on a feeding tube through his nose for four months, as well as undertaking radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which finished in January.

Taylor said he felt grateful to come through the other side of cancer.

‘‘I never thought about dying. I just always had the feeling ‘Let’s get through this, get it done’.’’

He and Templeton also perform in covers band Kopy Kats.

While he had worried the feeding tube he relied on would stretch or damage his vocal chords, this had not happened and his voice had returned.