FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

My father's funeral arrangements are as follows:

11:00 am on Thursday
Bernheim, Apter, Kreitzman (funeral home)
68 Old Short Hills Road
Livingston, NJ
973-422-0600

Shiva will be at my dad's house starting after the cemetary on Thursday, Friday day and Saturday night.
47 Gregory Avenue
West Orange, NJ 07052

JUNE 24, 2008

Today my father lost his battle against this horrible disease. We are so very thankful that he went peacefully. We want to thank everyone for all your love and support through these difficult months. We love him so much and will miss him like crazy. I will post the funeral arrangements as soon as we know.

JUNE 23, 2008

My father is still hanging on. He is strong as an ox. He has been on a very high dose of morphine but his heart is still beating. It is just a waiting game at this moment. We are just hoping and praying he is at peace and happy. This is a very trying time for my whole family but we are happy knowing my father will finally be with my brother. We will keep you posted....

JUNE 20, 2008

My father was brought back to St. Barnabas very early yesterday morning. He was having trouble breathing and had a high fever. The doctors presume he has pneumonia. Unfortunately we had to call in hospice. He is now resting comfortably with morphine. My dad has been so incredibly brave and strong. We will keep you posted.............

JUNE 17, 2008

My dad has not been doing well. He has been in terrible pain and the doctors are giving him tons of drugs. The drugs make him very loopy and sleep all the time. We will keep you posted.....

JUNE 2, 2008

Today my dad was moved back to Ingelmoor. His calcium levels are back to normal. We will keep you posted.....

MAY 28, 2008

Today my father was taken back to St. Barnabas Hospital. He is being treated for hypercalcimia. He will also have a blood transfusion which he needs. They are going to run some other tests and take some x-rays. We will keep you posted....

MAY 27, 2008

Unfortunately my father has taken a turn for the worst. He has been diagnosed with Hypercalcemia (abnormally high calcium levels). The most common cause of hypercalcemia is advanced stages of cancer. The doctors are confident that they will be able to get this under control within 24 hours. If he does not respond to the medication by then he will have to go into the hospital for further treatment. My father has been pretty much unresponsive and confused. We are praying he will respond to the medication. We will keep you posted......

MAY 18, 2008

Sorry I have not posted a blog in such a long time but there has been nothing new to report. My father is still at Inglemoor. He has now been in the hospital and rehab for almost 4 months. My dad is being fed intravenously 12 hours a day instead of 24. We are hoping this will increase his appetite and he will eat. My father's goal is to be able to eat in order to have the feeding tube removed and go home. We are praying this will happen. It will give him joy to finally go home.

MAY 5, 2007

My father is still at Inglemoor. He has been experiencing a lot of pain in his back. The doctor will take x-rays tomorrow to make sure the tumor is not causing the pain. He is trying very hard in rehab but he is only making very small steps. He still isn't eating which is very upsetting. The doctor today took him off a lot of medication that he has been on. We are hoping this will help with his taste buds and appetite. He is still extremely tired and weak and sleeps most of the time. We are just taking it day by day. We will keep you posted.....

APRIL 22, 2008

My dad is still at Inglemoor. He is still very very weak and sleeps a lot. We are hoping he can regain some of his strength. We have been working with the doctor to figure out how we can help him. We will keep you posted......

APRIL 14, 2008

My father is still at Ingelmoor. He is still getting physical therapy every day. He is coming along slowly and he is getting a bit stronger. Diana and Michael, thank you for offering to send something for my dad's birthday. I wish I could tell you to send him food. We are dying for him to eat but he has no appetite and is still being fed through a feeding tube. If you would like to send something, flowers would be great. His room is a bit depressing and the flowers might brighten his day. Thank you!! If anyone wants to contact me to find out how my dad is doing please e-mail me at stacylipstein@gmail.com. I will do my best to keep everyone updated. Thank you for everyone's support and love.

APRIL 7, 2008

My dad is still at Ingelmoor and is doing great. His biggest complaint is that he is so weak. He is getting physical therapy twice a day and is slowly improving. I saw him get out of the bed on his own today and stand. This is something he was not able to do last week. He is making progress. My dad is turning 70 years old next Tuesday, April 16th and we are so thrilled that he made it this far. He is a survivor. We will keep you posted.....

APRIL 1, 2008

Today my dad was transferred to Ingelmor (rehab) in Livingston. The move was very tiring for him. The physical therapist will evaluate him tomorrow. Not sure how much he is going to be able to do because he is very sick. We will keep you posted......

MARCH 27, 2008

After seeking out all of our options, my dad has decided to go to rehab. The doctors can no longer treat his cancer or the infection if it comes back. At the present moment my dad's stats (blood results) are perfect, except he can't move from being so weak. My dad's goal in rehab is to learn to walk and perform every day tasks that we take for granted. If he achieves this we can possibly get him home and have some quality of time with him. Remember today is thursday and with cancer things change every day, hour and minute. So as of now this is our plan. Once again thank you all for your overwhelming support and love. We will keep you posted....

MARCH 25, 2008

My dad is still very weak and unable to move. He still is in terrible pain. The doctors feel that they will not be able to treat him anymore. The cancer can't be cured or treated. We have been speaking with hospice and finding out our options. We will keep you posted....

MARCH 20, 2008

Last Friday we transferred my dad to Morristown Memorial. We met with a thoracic surgeon who would possibly remove my father's lung. The surgery was too involved and the risks are too great. My father was then transferred back to St. Barnabas on Monday. I know many of you have heard my father will be on hospice. We met with the hospice people and he is not ready for this yet. Every time we think we are at the end, my father seems to come back fighting. The doctors still want to treat him. As of today, he is stablized. He is fighting like crazy. He is forcing himself to eat every meal. In addition, he is also being fed through the feeding tube 24 hours. He has been trying to sit in a chair for couple hours a day even though he is in pain. Yesterday he even took a couple steps with a great deal of assistance. He is trying to regain his strength in order to continue radiation. The doctors have switched my dad's medication for the infection. We will keep you posted.....

MARCH 13, 2008

According to the x-rays taken today it appears the infection is still there. My dad will not be going to rehab tomorrow. The doctors have told us that we just have to take it day by day and see if he gets better. We are praying for a miracle....

MARCH 12, 2008

The doctors took the chest tube out two days ago. The infection seems to be clearing. From being in a hospital bed since January 28, my dad's body has deconditioned to a point where he can barely stand. He is going to rehab on Friday. We are not sure if he will be going to Kessler (West Orange) or Ingelmor (Livingston). My dad is starting radiation again tomorrow. The doctors had stopped the radiation when he had the surgery last monday. The doctors are keeping the feeding tube in place. My dad is eating during the day and being fed through the tube at night. This is necessary for him to gain weight.

This has been an extremely trying and difficult time for us and we are so appreciative of everyone's good thoughts. We will keep you posted.....

MARCH 6, 2008

GOOD NEWS. My dad has improved 100%. It is truly amazing that a week ago the doctors told us to call hospice and today my dad is eating, talking and sitting in a chair. The power of positive thinking!!!! The doctors are amazed with my father's progress. The surgery was a success and all the medications he is on for the infection are working. The chest tube is still in and my dad is still experiencing pain. The doctors are hopeful the chest tube will come out within the next day or two. If my dad continues in this direction he will be out of the hospital soon and into a rehabilitation center (hopefully Kessler). Once he gets rehabilitated and is feeling good we can then work on treating the cancer. We will keep you posted.

MARCH 3, 2008

I have not posted a blog in a while because there has been no good news. But today we had some good news. My dad suvived major surgery called decortication. Without this surgery he would have had no chance of surviving. The doctors cleaned out the infection in his chest and put in a chest tube. The chest tube will remain in for couple days to drain. The procedure was very risky due to my dad's condition of being malnutritioned and the problems he had experienced with his heart. We are thrilled he made it through. He is in lots of pain but very happy to be alive. He is a real fighter and we are so proud of him!!! We will keep you posted.

FEBRUARY 25, 2008

My dad has had a fever for 2 days now. According to the x-rays he has an infection again. We are not sure the extend of the infection. A thoracic surgeon was in to see him today. They are trying to figure out how to drain the infection. An infectious disease specialist will be in to see my dad tomorrow. This is a major setback for us. We are just hoping he responds well to the new antibiotics and the infection goes away. We will keep you posted.

FEBRUARY 21, 2008

My dad is still not doing well. The feeding tube goes in tomorrow. We have hope that he will regain his strength. The doctors have told us this might take a couple weeks. We are asking everyone to refrain from visiting and calling my dad during this crucial time. My dad is aware of everyone's thoughts and good wishes. The entire Boff, Lipstein, Miller and Lerman family appreciates all your love and support.

FEBRUARY 20, 2008

Well Todd isn't doing too well. He hasn't been able to eat because he is too weak. The doctors are putting a feeding tube in on Friday. As far as the cancer is concerned, Todd had a favorable response to the first round of chemo and the tumor is breaking apart and cancer cells are dying. They are not sure to what extend but the doctors are pleased. We need to get Todd strong so he can go through another round of chemo. We are hoping with this feeding tube he will gain his strength back.

FEBRUARY 18, 2008

Todd is still in St. Barnabas. He has been getting radiation every day. Todd is extremely tired and weak. We were hoping to get him into a rehabilitation center this week to get him walking again but he is just not strong enough to leave the hospital. We are meeting with the doctors tomorrow to figure out a game plan....

FEBRUARY 14, 2008

Todd started radiation today. He will have radiation for 5 days a week for 6 1/2 weeks. Todd is extremely weak and is unable to walk and do things we take for granted. We are looking into a rehab place to send Todd once the hospital releases him. We are not sure when he will be released but probably in the next week or two. I wish I had something better to report.....

FEBRUARY 12, 2008

Todd was transferred to St. Barnabus today. Dana took the ride with him in the ambulance. It was a long ride taking over 4 hours from NYC to Livingston NJ because of the traffic and snow. Todd has appointment with the radiologist tomorrow and hopefully they will start right away. We will keep you posted....

FEBRUARY 9, 2008

I finally got to see Todd yesterday and today. It was so good to see him. Yesterday he got up and walked around (with a walker) and we were thrilled. Today he was just too tired to take a walk. It seems some days are better than others. Todd saw the radiologist on Friday who has referred him to a radiologist at St. Barnabas. We are hoping that Todd will be transferred to St. Barnabas this week so he can start radiation as soon as possible. We will keep you posted...

Todd,

Everyone at the Roth house is thinking about you. Let us know if there is anything you or Sue Ellen need.

All our love,

Greg

FEBRUARY 7, 2008

Good news. Todd was moved out of the ICU into a regular room. He is so thrilled not to hear all the beeping from the machines. I still haven't been able to see him but I did get to speak to him a couple of times. He sounded great. Sue Ellen brought him his pajamas and said he was so happy to be out of the hospital gown. I spoke to the oncologist today. They are unable to start chemo on the scheduled date of February 12th because of all the antibiotics Todd is on for the infection. They are looking into starting radiation soon. I am heading into the city tomorrow morning to see Todd and I can't wait. I will keep you posted....

FEBRUARY 6, 2008

I have been unable to visit Todd for the past two days because I a horrible stomach flu. Sue Ellen and Dana visited today and I have been told Todd has snapped out of his depression. He spoke to me on the phone for the first time. This actually was the first time he spoke on the phone to anyone since he has been hospitalized. When he got on the phone I was so happy I cried. He said he "Woke Up". He conveyed to Sue Ellen that he wants to live and will fight!!! We are so thrilled we have our Todd back. So with a good attitude we are hoping Todd will get his strength back and start walking. Hopefully once that happens he will be able to come home. We will keep you posted.

FEBRUARY 5, 2008

Unfortunately Todd has not been in good spirits. He has been down in the dumps and we are trying desparately to cheer him up. It is very hard for him to accept the fact that he is sick and much harder for him that he has been bedridden. We are hoping that the physical therapists will get him up and walking soon. With all of our constant love and support we are hoping Todd will cheer up and fight this battle with a vengeance.

FEBRUARY 4, 2008

Today Todd was very disoriented from all the pain medications. The doctors removed the chest tube. The infection seems to be clearing up. We are praying Todd responds well to the chemo so the infection will not return and his lung will keep expanding. Also they moved Todd to a window room in the Cardiac Care Center (ICU). Maybe seeing the sun will boost his spirits. Todd is still very weak and is not up and walking yet. He will soon start seeing a physical therapist who will help him move. I have been reading Todd the blogs every day and all the comments and he is so thankful to everyone. This is an extremely difficult and stressful time for Todd and his family. It means so much to have so much support from all of you. Thank you.

Sunday, February 3rd

We brought a large screen tv in to the hospital last night so Todd could watch the superbowl and enjoy the game. Wow, it was so worth it to see him enjoy his beloved Giants drive down the field in the closing seconds to win the game. He almost jumped out of bed when Manning escaped being sacked and throw a long pass that Tyree caught practically on his helmet. We had a lot of doctors and nurses "check in" on Todd and stay a few minutes to watch the game with us. Truthfully, I don't think there was another patient in the entire wing that got as much attention last night.

Todd has been getting all your messages of hope and well wishes. He truly appreciates it and really loves hearing from family and friends.

FEBRUARY 2, 2008

Today Todd sat in a chair and ate his meals. Since Todd is so weak the nurses had to lift him in and out of the bed. Todd's major complaint is the chest tube. He is still experiencing a lot of pain. The doctors are hopefully they will remove the chest tube in a couple days. Todd is slowly eating and we are hopeful he will eventually gain his strength back. One day at a time...

FEBRUARY 1, 2008

Todd is still in the Cardiac Care Center Unit. Everyday Todd has x-rays taken of his chest to see if there is progress. The x-ray taken today shows the infection is clearing up however, the chest tube has to remain in for couple days. The tube is causing Todd pain but it needs to stay in place to prevent further infections. The x-ray also shows Todd is responding favorably to the chemo. How favorably we don't know but this is a very very good thing. Todd is very weak and has lost a lot of weight. We are hoping his appetite will return soon. I am going to bring him some of his favorite sloppy joes tomorrow from town hall. I will keep you posted....

Big Man,

I hope you're feeling ok; I'm thinking about you...don't get too crazy on Sunday when your Giants get spanked!!

Miss you and thinking about you...

Trey

JANUARY 31, 2008

Todd is still in the cardiac care center unit and will be there for a while. Last night he had a couple irregular arrhythmias and the doctors had to shock him. They are watching his heart very closely and so far today everything looked good. Todd still has a chest tube in place and the doctors are pleased with the way the fluid around his lung is draining. The doctors will know in a couple of days if the infection is getting any better. We were told to take one day at a time. The good news is that Todd sat up and ate dinner. This is the first time Todd has eaten in about 5 days. We are thrilled. I had a nice conversation with him and his mind is still as sharp as ever.

Dana, Sue Ellen and I (Stacy) have been at his bedside for the past couple days. While we were there today, Sue Ellen had some pains in her chest and was taken to the emergency room. She had a irregular heart beat and the doctors wanted to admit her to the hospital. Michael Lerman and I took turns watching my father and helping Sue Ellen in the emergency room. Just so everyone knows this is a very typical day for the Boff family. Fortunately Sue Ellen felt better and they released her.

We want to thank everyone for all your love and support. We have received so many phone calls and although we would love to call everyone back there is just not enough time in the day. So please forgive us if we do not return your phone call. We love you all.

JANUARY 30, 2008

Yesterday Todd had a procedure to drain the fluid in his lungs. The doctors inserted a chest pump to continue the draining process over the next several days. Because Todd had some complications with his heart during surgery, he is now in the Cardiac Care Center Unit. His vitals are much better and they will be monitoring him for a couple days. Todd has a major infection in and around his lungs which he is being treated with antiobiotics. Once we get over the hurdle with his heart and hopefully clear this infection we can then concentrate on his cancer. With the help of a lot of morphin, Todd is resting comfortably.

JANUARY 28, 2008

Today Todd was taken to the emergency room at New York Presbyterian Hospital. After 10 grueling hours, he was finally admitted and given a room. He is extremely dehydrated and weak. The chest x-rays reveal that Todd has a lot of fluid and air around his lungs. The doctors will decide tomorrow morning the best way to remove the fluid and air. We are very happy Todd is in good hands. His doctors are truly terrific. We will keep you informed...

JANUARY 25, 2008

Today Todd braved his final day of round one of chemotherapy. In addition to the chemo treatments, Todd will begin radiation treatments on Monday. We begin second round of chemo on February 12th. Due to the pain Todd is experiencing and the diffuculties he is having breathing, the doctors are treating this disease very aggressively. Once again Todd is extremely weak and has no appetite. We have been told by the doctors that the side effects from chemo will get worse before they gets better. We have given Todd an ultimatum, either he eats or we check him into the hospital. For all those who know Todd he will probably eat a good meal today.

JANUARY 24, 2008

Today Todd once again braved his second day of round one of chemotherapy. He is very weak but looks a little bit better. God willing after the third day tomorrow he will have some relief. Thank you for everyone's good wishes and prayers. We love you all.

JANUARY 23, 2008

Today Todd braved his first day of the first round of chemotherapy. We have battled the first day of this ugly war. Todd is resting comfortably at home. Second day of round one tomorrow and the third on Friday. Wish us luck.

January 22, 2008

Hello Everyone

Today Todd saw Dr. Smith, an infectious disease specialist and another doctor who is a pulmonary specialist. The tumor in Todd's lung has grown, and it was determined that it is a good thing that the chemotherapy will begin tomorrow. It is very important that Todd have a favorable response to the treatment. We have our fingers crossed. Todd will be very weak over the next couple of days, and we ask that you limit your calls to the house, since it is just not possible to speak to everyone that has reached out to us. Sue Ellen, Stacy, Dana or I will try to keep this site as updated as possible during this critical time.

Once again, thank you to so many of you who have shown your love and support during this challenging and stressful time.

Family and Friends

Today the decision was made to forego the second opinion at Dana Farber in Boston. Todd is just not up for the trip, and everyone wants him to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. Doctors at Cornell Hospital indicated that there would be space available on Wednesday, and we just have to confirm this tomorrow morning. It is our deepest hope that the treatments will quickly improve his health and condition in general.

On a side note, I have contacted the front office of the New York Giants, and asked them for the sake of Todd's health to please not have such a stressful gut-wrenching victory in the Superbowl like they did last night in Green Bay.

Dear Family and Friends

Today, January 18, 2008, we took Todd to Dr. Pasmantier at New York Presbyterian - Cornell Weill. We loved him!! He made Todd and us feel that he cared about his health and well being. We are bringing Todd to Dana Farber in Boston on Tuesday and if all goes well Dr. Pasmanteir will be the local oncologist for chemo treatments. Todd has an appointment with an infectious disease specialist on Thursday to clear up any lung infection he may have. If all goes well, Todd will start chemo on Monday, January 28th in NY. We feel a sense of relief now that we have a plan. We are hopeful that the chemo treatments will shrink the tumor and stop the spread of cancer. Todd was in good spirits today and is so appreciative to all that care about him. He was craving White Castle and his daughters made sure to get him the sliders.

Dear Friends and Family

This is the first posting here on the newly created website for all of us who are concerned about Todd. So many of you have called asking "How's Todd?" that I thought that would be an appropriate name for the website. I will try to update it as often as possible, giving the latest news on doctor visits, treatments and Todd's overall state of health and well-being.

My family and I want to personally thank all of you who have expressed your love and concern for Todd. We would love it if you would add your own thoughts and feelings to this website, sharing stories and photos for all of us to enjoy.

Anyway, we are busy trying to set up appointments with cancer centers and meeting with doctors to try to figure out the best course of action. Hopefully by next week we will have accomplished this, and Todd will have started his first chemotherapy treatments. We met with the doctors at Sloan, and have a meeting with Columbia Presbyterian on Friday. I'll give updates when I can.