Elf

Some news about my health

UPDATE: I wrote this when my health went wonky. I’m still here, still having enormous fun and although the clever doctors have decided that there are no more options for treatment and that my ETA (Estimated Time of Alive-al) has been reduced to a year (and possibly considerably less), I’m still working and enjoying every moment. In short, I’m taking the various tablets and treatments and otherwise ignoring all this medical stuff.

Here is my original post…

Up until now, this Substack has been mostly used for posting about my music and travels. I’ve decided to post about my health occasionally here too, so people can keep up with everything I’m doing in one place. I’m not going to monetise this, so please subscribe and you’ll be notified when there’s a new post!

Here is the news. You may have noticed that I was a bit quieter on social media last year and that I had to cancel a few trips because of a health issue. I’d been diagnosed with a pretty common and well understood disease (invasive bladder cancer) in early 2024 and the plan then was to have some chemo/immunotherapy and surgery and I’d then be able to return to life as normal.

Unfortunately, this year it’s become apparent that I actually have a rare and very aggressive cancer which is proving resilient to treatment. I have, at most a couple of years left…Maybe considerably less.

I have completely come to terms with this and am not going to mope about it. I used to think that knowing one’s days were numbered would be an awful thing, but really it’s a kind of privilege to know that now is the time to do the things I love and hopefully spread a little joy around. I look and feel fitter than I have done in years, having lost a lot of weight after the surgery, so it’s a rather bizarre situation to be in!

Please don’t feel that you have to walk on eggshells around me or the subject…There’s a lot more fun to be had and I’m not going to be glum! One thing that this experience has taught me is that there really is a funny side to everything!

People are very kindly asking if there is anything they can do. I’d be really grateful if you’d keep playing and listening to my music! You can find me on your favourite DSP as Garry DW Judd and also as sheet music and CDs both hard copies and online via this link HERE. More sheet music and CDs and even some vinyl coming soon.

I’ve been writing a LOT of music recently and will finish the last of the projected three books of ‘imaginary music’ for solo piano in time for a recording session booked in London at the end of March. There’s a lot of other piano repertoire (maybe some flute too!) which I’m going to be recording with some brilliant musicians…Really looking forward and more news on that soon.

There are lots more recordings, premieres and performances coming up, and I’ll keep you posted with those on this Substack, so please do subscribe.