Congratulations to Ronald Desormeaux on his promotion to 6 dan

http://judotalk.com/profile/Ronalddesormeaux

It is with great sadness that I report the following from Ron - this is one of the bravest and touching things I have read:

Hajime (Lets Begin)
Update on my health situation as of 22june 2014

The combat mental and physical preparations phases are coming to an end before I undertake the new challenge or Shai. it looks like we are going for the golden score without a set time limit.

My opponent is the pancreatic cancer, a monster who do not respect any courtesy nor the IJF rules of combat, it also as a reputation of aggressiveness that surpass the exploits of ex judo champions the likes of Kimura, Yamashita, Roska, and Riner at the international scene. This opponent is known for its multiple attacks from different angles and at different time and it is adamant to win at all cost. It is already there, on the tatami and waits for my entry.

On my side, I have a wonderful coach who stood by me for the last 50 years in the person of Marie-Claire who has had the experience to win a cousin/cancer which was similarly labelled as being as deadly. She came out as a true champion and she is putting her experience to my strategies. Also in my corner, there are my children Marc and Nathalie who continuously supply intelligence gathering and offer tactical moves. I cannot forget the grand children who provide joy and recreation to an array of diversified tactics.

I have an excellent team of tacticians and experts from the Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto who have a long experience in combatting this kind of opponent. This combination of support groups, members of the extended family and all the friends’ energy that is conveyed by your messages add to my mental disposition to give it the best I can.

As a judoka I am ready to salute the potential enemy and with respect and begin my fight in earnest. Even at 73 on June 30th, I have more than one technique and strategies to use. Recently accepted amongst the rank of Rokudan ( 6th dan) by the Federation, I will step on the tatami dressed in my white judogi and wearing my red and white belt. Those colors will surely confused my opponent as the red stand for the courage and determination to go forward while the white is indicative of my calmness before danger and the purity and sincerity of my intentions to overcome the present dangers.

I have now received all the counselling for the match. I even received my number in the form of a set of tattoos on my abdomen which tattoos I have not chosen neither the color nor the design but which is intended as guides for the precise the Radiology treatments to be performed daily and at the right angle. This preliminary attack is to begin next Thursday and which will last for most of July. A companion of this renzoku waza, I will be served a chemo cocktail that I will intake through the veins and not orally.

I need not make the emphasis that I had to cancel my trip to the Kodokan for July to pursue my kata development. It looks like I will not be on the tatami for July and August but hope to improve my conditions for the fall program.

Rest assured that this older judoka has not said that the task is too overwhelming and will not let his defence or his offensive spirit slow down.

Thank you all for your support.
Ronald

Godspeed, Ron.

I wish Ronald all mental strength to face this terrible health challenge, and I sincerely hope that his treatment will be successful. I also wish his loved one strength in supporting him through this ordeal.

Gutwrenching read.
But also inspiring.

True courage!

Cher Ronald, mes félicitations pour ton rokudan. Sois assuré que mes pensées sont avec toi pour le terrible combat auquel tu dois faire face.

J'adresse mes salutations amicales à toi et aux membres de ta famille.


Martin

Dear friends. I wish to thank you all for your encouragements about  my new found struggle. I wish that my experience and my approach may be of some help to other colleagues who may have to go through something similar in he future. This is an update called Sono Mama/Yoshi as of Sept 11. With my  deepest friendships. Ron

Many of you have asked for a situation report about my ongoing match. I appreciate your concern and want to reinsure you all as a group that the match is still on and that things have somewhat changed. The month of August was taken by numerous trips to the hospitals for checkups, photos shoots, Pt scans. MRI,Blood tests Nuclear scans and several radiology interventions. Upon insistence to further analyse the endoscopy results and having an additional specialist in neuro endocrine tumour joining the group we were able to better identified the rare cancer as a neuro-endocrine ill-defined mass at the head of my pancreas and which block my principal conduits to transform my liquids and my foods with the bile. It is even one of  rarest form of cancer for which there is very little case study reported. I decided to call it my “NEXT Opponent” The acronym taken stands for the neuro endocrine and the x stands for its imprecise form and the t is tumour. In this beast there are apparent different cells that are very active and others that are more latent.
Now, for the Yoshi part`:
Our team has decided to proceed to feed my `` NEXT opponent`` with a cocktail of chemicals made of Cisplatin and Etoposide two brotherly and complementary companions that will entice the active cells of the cancers and make them feed on their little cocktail of their poison for the next 9 weeks. Simultaneously, I have been equipped with a bile thinner medication  and an external valve to pick up the extra waste in order to not impede their progress. I wear a leg bag to carry the excess, I feel like a cowboy with his holster…but it is all for a good cause.
As I said, I have accepted this challenge, and this veteran fighter has added an additional arrow to his arc: it is the mental mediation that I perform every day thinking about the good life, the good deeds, the good projects and the love that I have received and that which I can still project around me in the months to come. I have accepted this challenge and understand that it may last for a long time and I am prepared and motivated for this longest fight and thus far I keep very alert to detect and observe that changes so that I can apply SEN NO SEN or anticipatory moves just in time to profit from the NEXT opponent mistakes.

We all know that our life is made up of different cycles and changes that are part of the continuity in our development.  As I enter this new cycle of my life, I pursue the desire that it will continue to be rich in good experiences and that love will always be present to cheer me up and give me additional strength.  
I will keep you inform once this cycle of treatment is changed.
In friendships
Ronald

My best wishes to you, and I wish you continued, strength and endurance, and that you may conquer your adversary decisively and unambiguously.

I hope you feel well during treatment and earn a clear ippon that holds up even upon video review. Good luck Ron.

All the best Ron - my prayers are with you and your family. Gord also passes on best wishes.

regards,
Kelly Palmer

Thank you all for the good wishes and encouragements. i howe you an update of my baille situation. I have reached 60 percent of my treatment. I am now beginning to feel both the positive and négative impacts of my chemical combination, i lots most of my immune system for a ewhile and now reçovering some réserver energy to pursue my battle. The warcdrums or taiko full of your wishes are heard on the battle fiels and have propelled me to the advanced guard with confidence. Our conter attack has bègue and we continue to feel for some weaknesses on the opposent which I intendant to take the most d'avantages. My immédiate goals is to reçoveri my second wind and And use all the weapons and learned stratégies to make a surprise finish worthy of a senior warrior. Take care and keep up the spirit as I am détermine to gavi all my best. The next appraisal lis at the end of oct, i shall keep you abréaction.
ronald

The last summer and fall were the longest periods of continuous fighting that I have experienced so far in my 73 years. I can now describe the in and out of the h0spital corridors and specialized rooms for treatments. I have terminated the last continuous 15 treatments of radiation performed at its highest dosage to burn what was possible without killing me in the process. The chimeo and radio combination have been done to their limits. The last scan demonstrated that the tumor had somewhat taken a slow path of shrinking in size and that there are dead tissues accumulating in my pancreas. I am now on leave of all treatment and returned home since Jan 2nd. I am awaiting another evaluation in mid march, meanwhile I am trying to recuperate the strength and stamina lost during my stay in the hospital.
My judo spirit is high and wish to thank all those who have offered mental support over the past months.
Ron

The match with the pancreas cancer neuro-endocrine has lasted 10 months so far, it is my longest and most difficult encounter. The treatment combinations have taken 40 pounds out of my body, part of my hearing is lost but my spirit is higher than ever. JIKAN and Sono mama.
My last meeting of this morning with the team of doctor revealed that the cancer has retracted and made no progress during the last 3 month, a small advantage for me, but, as a preventive measure and to get rid of the non aggressive residues that may be hidden in the dead tissue, I will be on a monthly injection of lanreotide or a type soumatuline gel for the next while. It may take more time to shout complete victory but in the meanwhile, I will pursue my judo teaching at the University of Toronto and renew with my classmates for kata reviews when I can.
Thanks to all of you for your good vibes and wishes. The positive ondulations have made their ways and helped a lot. THANKS, Ron

That is very positive news.