"I would consider Phil cured," proclaimed Judge, speaking during a news conference late yesterday afternoon on the ninth floor of the Garden, "with a very low likelihood of recurrence."
Toughness takes many forms, in many professions, in men, women, and children. But how many people do you know, including the one who greeted you in the mirror this morning, who are able to accept a diagnosis of cancer, be scheduled for imminent surgery, and then report directly for the next shift?
Maybe there is some denial in that. Maybe there is some teenage avoidance, even adolescent naivete. Who knows exactly, or totally, what enables someone to steel himself against the word "cancer" and try as he may to take it in stride?
But there most certainly is a degree of courage and toughness to it all, and Kessel showed beyond a doubt last weekend that he has a mental strength and focus that many of us could only hope to own -- even in times far less ominous than being told, yes, the foreign growth you have detected indeed is cancer (in Kessel's case: embryonal testicular carcinoma).
"I couldn't believe it, to tell you the truth," said Kessel, speaking some two hours before his teammates faced the Florida Panthers last night on Causeway Street. "It was tough. I had a hard time with it."
According to Kessel, he visited Judge's office a week ago Friday, after a couple of months of not feeling well. He was tired. A lingering cold was bothering him.
"Not feeling great," he said. "Just not feeling myself."
Also, said Judge, Kessel could feel a lump on his right testis, something the doctor confirmed in Kessel's initial physical examination that Friday. Tests were ordered. More doctor visits were scheduled, including with a urologist and an oncologist. Within 24 hours, prior to last Saturday's opening faceoff, the diagnosis was confirmed.
