Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

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jeopardyfan939
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by jeopardyfan939 »

James also mentioned after Alex making the announcement, that it was hard for everyone to get ready to play when they were taping the ToC. Hopefully that doesn't hinder his performance.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by seaborgium »

jeopardyfan939 wrote: Fri Sep 20, 2019 10:09 pm James also mentioned after Alex making the announcement, that it was hard for everyone to get ready to play when they were taping the ToC. Hopefully that doesn't hinder his performance.
I personally couldn't care less how Alex's news affected James.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by Spiny Norman »

I was in the studio today to watch a taping of shows that will air November 18-20. Alex was very open about his health condition as he bantered with the audience and took their questions. He said that one of the side effects of the chemo so far is that his vision has changed. He sees better at a distance now without his glasses. None of the doctors can explain why.

Alex showed no sign of mental stress or fatigue at least to my observation. He sounded fine. He ran the game and reacted to the game play just as he always has done. He did get very emotional over an audience question about his life growing up. Alex's parents divorced when he was a kid and he became an unruly student at boarding school. The head priest wanted to kick him out, but another priest stood up for him. Alex had to take a few seconds to compose himself before he said that the latter priest changed the course of his life. It was a poignant moment.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by davey »

Spiny Norman wrote: Tue Sep 24, 2019 6:41 pm I was in the studio today to watch a taping of shows that will air November 18-20. Alex was very open about his health condition as he bantered with the audience and took their questions. He said that one of the side effects of the chemo so far is that his vision has changed. He sees better at a distance now without his glasses. None of the doctors can explain why.

Alex showed no sign of mental stress or fatigue at least to my observation. He sounded fine. He ran the game and reacted to the game play just as he always has done. He did get very emotional over an audience question about his life growing up. Alex's parents divorced when he was a kid and he became an unruly student at boarding school. The head priest wanted to kick him out, but another priest stood up for him. Alex had to take a few seconds to compose himself before he said that the latter priest changed the course of his life. It was a poignant moment.
Thanks for this.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

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yclept
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by yclept »

alietr wrote: Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:08 pm This doesn't sound good at all ...

Alex Trebek says his pancreatic cancer may mean the end of his time at 'Jeopardy!'
I would be surprised if he finished the season - there is simply only so much our bodies can take. It is very sad but he is at peace with it. I hope he can get a very proper send off. It would be kinda nice if his last day of hosting was some sort of Brad - Ken - James match for charity or something like that.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by goongas »

I would be surprised if he finished the season - there is simply only so much our bodies can take. It is very sad but he is at peace with it. I hope he can get a very proper send off. It would be kinda nice if his last day of hosting was some sort of Brad - Ken - James match for charity or something like that.
Years ago before this diagnosis, he had said on his last show, he would ask the director for one minute to address the audience. It doesn't seem his style to make a big deal of his departure whenever it happens.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by kablamfan11 »

He's probably not returning after this season

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-trebe ... 0Do987tLrw
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by CasualJeopardyFan19 »

Honestly if Alex decides to retire even by the end of this year, I will totally understand and be 100% supportive of his decision. It is sad what he's going through, and I wish he could continue hosting in spite of it, but pancreatic cancer is no joke and dealing with stuff like mouth sores and poorer enunciation will certainly take a toll on you.

Alex has made so many people happy for 35 years with his marvelous and iconic game show hosting. If he decides to call it a career to focus on his health, now more than ever is a good time to do so.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by kablamfan11 »

CasualJeopardyFan19 wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 12:39 am Honestly if Alex decides to retire even by the end of this year, I will totally understand and be 100% supportive of his decision. It is sad what he's going through, and I wish he could continue hosting in spite of it, but pancreatic cancer is no joke and dealing with stuff like mouth sores and poorer enunciation will certainly take a toll on you.

Alex has made so many people happy for 35 years with his marvelous and iconic game show hosting. If he decides to call it a career to focus on his health, now more than ever is a good time to do so.
Yep. That's right
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by harrumph »

As a person who has pancreatic cancer and is on an aggressive chemotherapy cocktail, I can offer these comments.

Mouth sores are a common side effect. They came on strong after my second round of chemo and made my tongue feel enlarged and it was hard to even move my tongue around. They have a special chemical cocktail mouthwash for it. I've had a less intense version of it in the rounds that followed (I'm on my fifth). The sores make me feel like I'm talking funny, but people tell me that I sound the same. This may be true is Alex's case; he may honestly feel that he's enunciating poorly when he isn't. I personally haven't seen any drop off in his articulations and I hope that he saw the genre compilation that Alex Jacob put together as it would undoubtedly have given him a good laugh and good laughs are a positive thing.

You also get cold sensitivities where touching anything remotely cold makes your hand feel like you're having electric shocks. While eating and preparing food is the primary problem that comes from this, touching anything metallic also brings it on. My own symptoms are becoming more and more severe. If anything on Alex's podium is metallic the producers should cover it. I may have to start wearing thin gloves all the time.

The largest by far side effect of chemotherapy is lethargy. It makes you tired and physically weak. You rest for a while and when you get up to walk you have to pause to hold onto something. Days go by and if I get just one minor thing done that's a lot. The effects are cumulative; the deeper you go into your rounds of chemo the more it kicks the crap out of you. It isn't painful, but I wind up groaning anyway. I don't know how Alex performs as well as he does while on chemo. Alex is in an elderly demographic and he may be feeling the cumulative effects of chemo and weighing the likely outcomes. The smartest option may be for him to take a break from J! while on chemo and and assess whether he can come back when his strength returns after chemo. For fill in hosts I think the best thing would be to have some of the all time great champions (as in the ones we saw in the last all star tournament) take the hosting role for one week at a time.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by triviawayne »

CasualJeopardyFan19 wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 12:39 am Honestly if Alex decides to retire even by the end of this year, I will totally understand and be 100% supportive of his decision. It is sad what he's going through, and I wish he could continue hosting in spite of it, but pancreatic cancer is no joke and dealing with stuff like mouth sores and poorer enunciation will certainly take a toll on you.

Alex has made so many people happy for 35 years with his marvelous and iconic game show hosting. If he decides to call it a career to focus on his health, now more than ever is a good time to do so.
More than 35 years, the past 35 has included Jeopardy, but go back more than 10 years before that for the amount of time he's been in my living room with other shows. Some of my earliest memories are of him on High Rollers.
Total game show career losings = $171,522
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by alietr »

Thanks for the insight, Harrumph, and I wish you the very best. Beat that bastard!
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by britt408 »

KICKING myself for not snagging audience tickets for the Oct 23 taping (last on the schedule for October). I'm in the pool but thought I'd at least like to see a taping if I can't be on myself before Alex can't continue. Saw them pop up on the website last week and decided to wait until November...then the news comes out two days later that he may not be able to continue.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by hbomb1947 »

alietr wrote: Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:30 am Thanks for the insight, Harrumph, and I wish you the very best. Beat that bastard!
+ 1. Harrumph, thanks for being so open about your own experience and I'm so sorry you're going through it and I wish you the best for a positive long-term outcome.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by goongas »

TMZ says today full steam ahead for Alex taping shows.

https://www.tmz.com/2019/10/14/alex-tre ... ardy-host/
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by britt408 »

Yes, there are December 3-4 tapings on the website calendar that are "available soon". Secretly hoping I get called for one of those, but I'll be happy to just snag some audience tickets and use my Southwest miles to fly out!
goongas wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:58 pm TMZ says today full steam ahead for Alex taping shows.

https://www.tmz.com/2019/10/14/alex-tre ... ardy-host/
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by triviawayne »

britt408 wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 7:39 pm Yes, there are December 3-4 tapings on the website calendar that are "available soon". Secretly hoping I get called for one of those, but I'll be happy to just snag some audience tickets and use my Southwest miles to fly out!
goongas wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:58 pm TMZ says today full steam ahead for Alex taping shows.

https://www.tmz.com/2019/10/14/alex-tre ... ardy-host/
I’m making no secret about hoping I get the call
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by TenPoundHammer »

triviawayne wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:27 pm
britt408 wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 7:39 pm Yes, there are December 3-4 tapings on the website calendar that are "available soon". Secretly hoping I get called for one of those, but I'll be happy to just snag some audience tickets and use my Southwest miles to fly out!
goongas wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:58 pm TMZ says today full steam ahead for Alex taping shows.

https://www.tmz.com/2019/10/14/alex-tre ... ardy-host/
I’m making no secret about hoping I get the call
You and me both. We tried out together so maybe we've got that good karma.
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Re: Alex Trebek Announces Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Post by alietr »

Posted elsewhere:

A friend of mine went to a Jeopardy! taping last Wednesday. She saw the Thurs. and Fri. games. They have changed the schedule, and Alex does three games one day and two on another. He can't do five a day anymore. She said he didn't look well, and he had to re-record quite a few answers. He also had a coughing fit and was doubled over in pain because he had fallen and injured, but not broken, a rib. They had to stop the tape. He then announced that he would be taking two weeks off for various tests. He was done with the latest round of chemo and was stopping immunotherapy because it wasn't working. This doesn't sound promising. (These shows will air in January. Alex joked that the audience should have been there for the Christmas show, because they gave out gifts. Then he admitted he was joking; he doesn't have the kind of money Oprah does.)
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