PORT TOWNSEND — Superior Court Judge Craddock Verser hopes to be able to work while he undergoes aggressive chemotherapy treatment to combat stage one pancreatic cancer.
“I’m anxious to come back to work, although I don’t know when that will be,” Verser said Saturday.
“Treatment will be for one day a week, and hopefully, I can work the other four.
“But nothing’s certain,” he added.
“With cancer treatment, there are a million ifs, ands or buts.”
Stage one is the earliest stage of cancer. The most severe is stage four.
Verser, 62, said he is in good spirits as long as his pain is managed.
He has been working from home and emailing opinions about pending cases, he said.
Treatment begins next week and is expected to last for 10 weeks.
Chemotherapy will be followed by surgery to remove the tumor.
His treatment is a joint effort between the University of Washington Northwest Hospital and Medical Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Verser said his medical team is optimistic, calling him “young and strong” in comparison with other cancer patients.
He has been impressed by the treatment, which addresses nutritional and spiritual issues in addition to fighting the tumor.
“I have never been in a hospital in my life,” he said.
“This has been a new experience for me.”
Verser, the Jefferson County Superior Court judge since 1994, went on vacation July 15.
He was initially hospitalized July 19 in Kalispell, Mont., where he had traveled with his wife after her mother died.
He was admitted to the Kalispell Regional Medical Center with a complex abdominal situation that included a suspicious spot on his pancreas, Moore said.
He was released July 22 with medication and a care plan and returned home, but the symptoms recurred.
The situation was determined to be too complicated for Jefferson Healthcare hospital, so Verser sought treatment in Seattle.
During his absence, the judge’s chair has been occupied by visiting judges from Kitsap and Clallam counties along with court commissioners, who can hear all trials aside from jury trials unless both parties agree to the substitution.
“I’m grateful for all the sacrifices and support from my fellow judges,” Verser said.
Verser said his wife, Joyce, whom he married in February in a small courthouse ceremony, was his “savior” for her keeping track of his treatment regimen and getting him to appointments on time.
He also singled out court administrator Michelle Moore for managing the court schedule and keeping people informed.
“Everyone has pitched in, and I want to thank them for that,” he said.
Verser, a native of Virginia, arrived in Port Townsend in 1986 and began work as the Clallam-Jefferson public defender, according to his Superior Court biography.
He practiced law in Jefferson County from 1991 to 2004, representing the Port of Port Townsend and serving as a part-time public defender during that time.
Cards for Verser can be sent in care of Michelle Moore, Superior Court, P.O. Box 1220, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
