Journal entry by Judd Maslansky —
Hello everyone,
How y'all doing. Today is November 6th, 2018 (My brother's birthday!!! & Election Day!!!) Sorry it has taken so long to update my CB journal. As I explained last time, procrastination is one of my most prevalent character defects that to date I have yet to conquer. I justify by saying baby steps....To say these last 5 weeks since I have last written on this site have been an incredible journey is an understatement. Every day seems to have stimulated many thoughts trite and some thoughts profound (in my mind). What I did do is videotape a short message after all 25 of my radiation treatments that I will attach as a file on this site so you can sort of have a day by day account of how I looked as I progressed through those treatments. Also, as a special bonus for your viewing pleasure I have included video that was actually shot by my son Cole inside the control room of the radiation treatment facility. Gives you the POV that I did not have of what was going on behind that closed door as I was being blasted with radiation.
I have been basically spared a lot of the side effects that I was warned about from my doctors. However, low level nausea has sort of been the constant starting about a day or two after Chemo that would usually last through the weekend that letting me start to feel normal by Monday or Tuesday. Just in time to have another chemo session every Wednesday for the last five weeks. My hair has thinned and is starting to come out in more clumps. May have to pay a visit to Eddie to buzz me or maybe just give me the sexy bald look. The swallowing issues that i was told I may experience have been held at bay. However, since finishing radiation I have started experiencing a more metallic taste in my mouth. My weight has fluctuated by about 5 to 8 pounds. I started treatment weighing in at about 170 and am now down to 162. Can't lose anymore weight before my surgery. Exhaustion is definitely something I have been battling everyday which is due to the radiation. Has made it difficult to work these last several weeks which leads me to let you know what I am doing now. Basically it's the period where radiation, even though I am done, will still continue to work for another few weeks. I had a Pet Scan this past Tuesday. The results were very encouraging!! My tumors have shrunk by about 1.5 cm. No further metastases to lymph nodes or spreading to other organs. My oncologist is very pleased. Hopefully, when I see the surgeon tomorrow he will be equally pleased. I am still on track for surgery slated for the 2nd week of December. Surgery and recovery from surgery will be the most challenging part of this journey. It is a 7-8 hour procedure that will probably mean a 7-10 day hospital stay. I will most likely have a feeding tube for about 3 weeks while the portion of my new esophagus created by stomach tissue has a chance to meld and heal within my digestive tract...out with the old, in with the new. Total recuperation should last about 6-8 weeks from surgery, maybe a little less depending on how good a shape I am in at the out set of my hospital stay. Right now, I feel strong and positive that I will get through this, which leads me to the title of this entry....
Red Rover Red Rover send Judd right over....That was a game we use to play at day camp where 2 lines of kids would face each other about 20 yards apart. One line of kids would yell out to send someone from the other line to come over. That kid would have to run as fast as they could in order to break through the line. If that kid didn't break through, then they would join their captors. First team that has no one left on their side loses. Well, I had a dream the other night...little Judd at Camp Teko, dressed in his plaid shorts, Camp Teko T-shirt, and PF Flyers...all the sudden my name is called "Red Rover Red Rover send Juddykins over", I build up a burst of speed, feet do your thing!!!, as I am running I realize all the people I am running toward are friends and family who have passed away over the last several years. No way! No way! No way are they catching me!!! I burst through that line!!! Cancer will not beat me. I am beating it!!!! As much as I love all of those people and miss them all tremendously, I am not ready to join them. I WILL KICK CANCER'S ASS!!!
I WILL LIVE ANOTHER 40-50 YEARS! I WILL WALK MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER CHLOE DOWN THE AISLE ON HER WEDDING DAY! I WILL SEE MY TWO SON'S COLE AND JARED GET MARRIED! I WILL LOVE, HOLD, CHERISH, PLAY WITH, AND TEACH INSIGHTS INTO LIVING AND LIFE TO MY GRANDCHILDREN! I WILL SEE MY THREE WONDERFUL CHILDREN ACHIEVE THE KIND OF HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF AND SO RICHLY DESERVE!!!
Through all that I've endured, I am grateful to all the shared love and prayers that have been sent my way. Your support is cherished, appreciated, and incredibly humbling. Surgery is set for December 18th. Getting through that and the ensuing recovery will be my biggest challenge to date.
Sending all of you much love and gratitude! THANK YOU!!!!
Love Judd
PS. To view a 9.5 minute video that I created of my journey through radiation please enter the following link into your browser - Judd's Radiation Video. This video is password protected. The password is jmRad
How y'all doing. Today is November 6th, 2018 (My brother's birthday!!! & Election Day!!!) Sorry it has taken so long to update my CB journal. As I explained last time, procrastination is one of my most prevalent character defects that to date I have yet to conquer. I justify by saying baby steps....To say these last 5 weeks since I have last written on this site have been an incredible journey is an understatement. Every day seems to have stimulated many thoughts trite and some thoughts profound (in my mind). What I did do is videotape a short message after all 25 of my radiation treatments that I will attach as a file on this site so you can sort of have a day by day account of how I looked as I progressed through those treatments. Also, as a special bonus for your viewing pleasure I have included video that was actually shot by my son Cole inside the control room of the radiation treatment facility. Gives you the POV that I did not have of what was going on behind that closed door as I was being blasted with radiation.
I have been basically spared a lot of the side effects that I was warned about from my doctors. However, low level nausea has sort of been the constant starting about a day or two after Chemo that would usually last through the weekend that letting me start to feel normal by Monday or Tuesday. Just in time to have another chemo session every Wednesday for the last five weeks. My hair has thinned and is starting to come out in more clumps. May have to pay a visit to Eddie to buzz me or maybe just give me the sexy bald look. The swallowing issues that i was told I may experience have been held at bay. However, since finishing radiation I have started experiencing a more metallic taste in my mouth. My weight has fluctuated by about 5 to 8 pounds. I started treatment weighing in at about 170 and am now down to 162. Can't lose anymore weight before my surgery. Exhaustion is definitely something I have been battling everyday which is due to the radiation. Has made it difficult to work these last several weeks which leads me to let you know what I am doing now. Basically it's the period where radiation, even though I am done, will still continue to work for another few weeks. I had a Pet Scan this past Tuesday. The results were very encouraging!! My tumors have shrunk by about 1.5 cm. No further metastases to lymph nodes or spreading to other organs. My oncologist is very pleased. Hopefully, when I see the surgeon tomorrow he will be equally pleased. I am still on track for surgery slated for the 2nd week of December. Surgery and recovery from surgery will be the most challenging part of this journey. It is a 7-8 hour procedure that will probably mean a 7-10 day hospital stay. I will most likely have a feeding tube for about 3 weeks while the portion of my new esophagus created by stomach tissue has a chance to meld and heal within my digestive tract...out with the old, in with the new. Total recuperation should last about 6-8 weeks from surgery, maybe a little less depending on how good a shape I am in at the out set of my hospital stay. Right now, I feel strong and positive that I will get through this, which leads me to the title of this entry....
Red Rover Red Rover send Judd right over....That was a game we use to play at day camp where 2 lines of kids would face each other about 20 yards apart. One line of kids would yell out to send someone from the other line to come over. That kid would have to run as fast as they could in order to break through the line. If that kid didn't break through, then they would join their captors. First team that has no one left on their side loses. Well, I had a dream the other night...little Judd at Camp Teko, dressed in his plaid shorts, Camp Teko T-shirt, and PF Flyers...all the sudden my name is called "Red Rover Red Rover send Juddykins over", I build up a burst of speed, feet do your thing!!!, as I am running I realize all the people I am running toward are friends and family who have passed away over the last several years. No way! No way! No way are they catching me!!! I burst through that line!!! Cancer will not beat me. I am beating it!!!! As much as I love all of those people and miss them all tremendously, I am not ready to join them. I WILL KICK CANCER'S ASS!!!
I WILL LIVE ANOTHER 40-50 YEARS! I WILL WALK MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER CHLOE DOWN THE AISLE ON HER WEDDING DAY! I WILL SEE MY TWO SON'S COLE AND JARED GET MARRIED! I WILL LOVE, HOLD, CHERISH, PLAY WITH, AND TEACH INSIGHTS INTO LIVING AND LIFE TO MY GRANDCHILDREN! I WILL SEE MY THREE WONDERFUL CHILDREN ACHIEVE THE KIND OF HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF AND SO RICHLY DESERVE!!!
Through all that I've endured, I am grateful to all the shared love and prayers that have been sent my way. Your support is cherished, appreciated, and incredibly humbling. Surgery is set for December 18th. Getting through that and the ensuing recovery will be my biggest challenge to date.
Sending all of you much love and gratitude! THANK YOU!!!!
Love Judd
PS. To view a 9.5 minute video that I created of my journey through radiation please enter the following link into your browser - Judd's Radiation Video. This video is password protected. The password is jmRad
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