Kansas Wrestling
Posted By: Westfahl Hodges Update. - 04/28/04 07:50 PM
Randy Westfahl here. Troy is not doing well. I just left the hospital and it is not very good. There is really nothing that can be done right now and Cathy is so appreciative of everyones thoughts and calls. Now is just a waiting thing for them and they have many friends and family around him when I left the hospital this afternoon. I know so many of you count Troy as your friend and all of us know how much wrestling has meant to him. He has been so courages throughout all of this and it is tough to see him go through all of this. God picks the toughest of us for the tough matches though, and he has the right guy to fight for this one. There is not much of this fight left though and your thoughts and prayers on this night will hopefully be for his family as they go through this rough time. He is in no pain and is able to communicate with people by writing on a pad which he has been doing a lot today. I will come on here again tomorrow and let all of you know how things are going. I am going back to the hospital in a bit and will post more when I get home. Keep him in your thoughts as I know you will. Lukemia is just a very tough hombre. I will let all of you know more in a few hours.
Randy Westfahl
Posted By: superiorsteve Re: Hodges Update. - 04/29/04 12:36 AM
Any news this evening on how coach is doing?
Posted By: CoachDeYoe Re: Hodges Update. - 04/29/04 02:07 AM
Randy, thanks for keeping us updated. I'll check back in the morning.
Posted By: Aaron Sweazy Re: Hodges Update. - 04/29/04 05:12 AM
I don't know you coach Hodges, but let's kick some cancer's rear right now. We can do it!
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 04/29/04 02:13 PM
Westfahl here. No real changes. I was at the hospital last night until about midnight and he was the same. Lots of good friends dropped by to see him but he is really tired and in and out but I think he knows who is there and is glad to see them. I havent been down there as of yet as I am but plan on going over after work today and tonight so I will post more later. Cathy is doing well she is so tough and also so tired. His kids are there, Aaron and Nicole. They are so appreciative of the outpouring of support from everyone. We read Troy the article in the newspaper a few times and he liked that a lot. I will post tonight when I get home where things are at. Once again he is in no pain. He was still on the resirator as of last night and I havent heard anything different today about that. He had a choice of taking it out but he wrote on the pad that he wanted to fight it some more. That is Troy, ever the strategist. God bless him, he is such a good man and has meant so much to me over the years. More to you all later.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 04/29/04 11:45 PM
Ok, finally some good news. Whatever you guys are doing out there, keep doing it. Troy made some improvement today. His temp went down and stayed down, his white counts came up a bit, he has stabilized a bit, and he made a decision this morning to go on dyalisis which is a big decision. In short he got better when last night it looked like that was just not going to happen. I don't want to misslead anyone, he is still gravely ill and a myriad of things can go wrong but the doctors were cautiously optimistic of Troy making it out of this bout. Whether it was the antibotic, his own system fighting it, your thoughts and prayers, they just don't know but they are encouraged. Ain't he tough! So as we go into tonight, there is some reason for hope here and spirits at the hospital reflected that certainly. Will let you know tomorrow. Keep up whatever you are doing, just keep a good thought for Troy.
Posted By: superiorsteve Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 12:23 AM
Thanks for the good news, Randy .... cautionary though it may be, it says hope. Hope everyone grabs some carpet and a few moments of solitude each day to help coach fight this thing ..... just gotta have faith.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 01:38 AM
Yep that is what you hang your hat on here. Troy has a tremendous heart. The people that he has helped in his lifetime including me is endless. I never met a person in my life that would unconditionally give you the shirt off his back in a second if you needed it like Troy. Through all of this we have talked on the phone and at his house about all kinds of things, but his convrsations always found their way to wrestlers and wrestling. Troy just loves everything about wrestling and the people who do it and coach it. I think conversin about it allows him to move to a more normal world for him and helps him a great deal. He is a wrestlers coach and person. I think the heart of that entity sustains him now in a way. All of your thoughts reinforce that idea. There is a lot of power in collective thoughts and prayers. Maybe that has caused this rebound who knows.
Posted By: cody bell_dup1 Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 02:03 AM
Its always sad to here about someone in the wrestling community that isnt doin well. I dont know Coach Hodges personally but I know of him. I know he is a big contribute to the metro classic which I had a wonderful time wrestling an attending this year. Mr.Westfahl I do know an he speaks very highly of Coach Hodges so he must be a real good guy an I hope he gets better an pulls throw. keep fightin the fight.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 02:15 AM
Thanks Cody but you do know him. He is that guy that sits right beside me at the Bobcat Classic and helps run the tourney for us. Do me a favor and let coach Neill and Mr. Keeler about this post because I know they are concerned and want to be kept up on how things are going. They ask me to let them know and I havent done as good a job of that as I should of so just tell them about it and they can check on here and see. They have known him for many many years. Thanks Cody.
Posted By: cody bell_dup1 Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 03:50 AM
Will do.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 01:59 PM
This is a email letter from Cathy this morning thzt tells all the details of Troy's condition. Many of you have called me this past twenty four hours and I have not been as good at remembering the details of it all like Cathy can. This is as of this morning.
Randy

From Cathy Hodges at St. Lukes Hospital

Good morning from St. Luke’s ICU. We had an amazing day yesterday! Troy’s medical problems did not significantly improve except that his temperature dropped throughout the day and was normal all night. He is still very, very ill. The term they are using now is sepsis. This is an infection that involves the organs. Heart, kidneys and to a lesser extent lungs are involved. The failure of his kidneys came to a critical point today. We needed to decide if we would start dialysis due to the kidney failure. Thankfully Troy was awake this morning rather than just responding to simulation as he was yesterday. He was able to participate in the discussion with the Dr. He heard the possibilities and Troy made the decision to begin dialysis. They will use a continuous type of dialysis that will reduce the amount of excess fluid gradually while it removes the toxins from his system. So, we are in a fighting mood here! Because he needs to concentrate on fighting he has been sedated even more today. We are not able to talk with him right now. Sedation is necessary due to the ventilator tube and now the dialysis. You are welcome to visit the family and to call us but will not be able to talk with Troy for the time being. You can call us in Troy’s room at 816 932 3268. Our faithful friend Larry Weis is staying at the house and can give updates on Troy’s condition. (913 362 2533)



I want to clarify one thing. The ventilator that Troy is on is set to assist his breathing. It is not breathing for him. Right now Troy is doing 60% of the work and the machine in doing 40%. Our nurse today kept pointing this out to me as a very positive sign. His

blood pressure is very good. His temp is normal. There has been a new concern in the last few hours. There has been some breathing in his stomach. Upper GI scope shows an irritation due to the feeding tube complicated by the low platelet count which allows bleeding. They will keep his platelet count higher by transfusion to allow healing and this should be a minor bump in the road. There was also a problem today with labored breathing. There turned out to be a blockage in the ventilator tube making it harder to breath. Problem has been solved and he is breathing easier.



We just had a conversation with the Dr. He is very encouraged with Troy’s progress.



We had an amazing day yesterday. More than 50 people came to see Troy. This highlight of the day was a period of about 30 minutes where Troy navigated a fantasy baseball trade with his friend Gary. He wrote out his players and Gary’s and knew both team rosters. It was amazing coming from someone who cannot talk and had barely been able to keep one eye open due to his level of sedation. We had a great day visiting and enjoying the company of your friends and family. I know that this meant a lot to me and no matter what happens the memory of that day will be important to us.



I send my apologies for not getting this e-mail out today. I started it before 8:00 this morning but every time I sat down there was a Dr or a visitor or a phone call to distract me. I appreciate your need to know. I guess I should resort to the one liners. I will try to do better.

There are so many personal e-mails that I have not read yet along with those I have read that I want to respond to. I hope that you will be patient with me. Thanks for your wonderful expressions of support and the outpouring of love and concern. We had a great party yesterday and are down to serious business now. Thanks for being there
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 08:46 PM
Friday night here and Troy continues to make some small yet positive steps. He is doing most of his own breating now and although still sedated and unconscious, his vitals are holding up pretty well and they are thinking of shutting off the ventilator to see if he can handle all the breathing on his own. If that is a go then they will take that out. All of this is positive and a good sign. We are all optimistic about all of that. Keep up your good thoughts they are working.
Randy
Posted By: Joe Keeler Re: Hodges Update. - 04/30/04 09:54 PM
I just found out about Troy's recent condition
and called Cathy for an update.
Please let me know if there is anything I
can do for Troy or his family. My thoughts
and prayers are with him.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/01/04 01:04 AM
Joe since you talked to Cathy you know what I know right now. I will run by the hospital again tomorrow and post another message tomorrow afternoon. They know you are with them and I know it comforts them greatly. We had quite a time with him on Weds afternoon. Gary Veenendall and Troy were making fantasy baseball trades via greaseboard and the sedatives made it tough for him to write but he did anyway and he knew exactly what he wanted. He is a tough trader and gamer no matter how he feels. At one point Bob Brown and I were with him and it got kind of quiet. Troy looked up at us and waved his finger in a circle and pointed at his mouth. Somebody wondered what he meant and I knew exactly what he meant, He meant start talking, telling stories, and laughing, he had had enough of all that doom and gloom. I said thats what I thought and he shook his head yes and rolled his eyes. He is some character and tough beyond imagination. I will let you know what I know as soon as I know.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/01/04 02:39 PM
Talked to Aaron just now (Saturday Morning). Troy continues to improve just a bit. His white cells are up a little bit as is his hemigloben. All of that is good. They were going to try to ween him off the resirator but they are going to wait until Monday to do that. He is still sedated and asleep as he has been since Thursday. Things continue to be guardedly better.
Posted By: Coach Packard Re: Hodges Update. - 05/03/04 02:29 PM
Coach Hodges still has some ties to the Osawatomie Wrestling Community. He was my first "official" Wrestling Coach when I was only in the 4th grade. My brother and brother in law both wrestled for Troy in HS at OZ. And now I teach and coach here. He started some clinics for kid wrestlers down at our City Auditorium and the HS boys helped out showing us the basics. This effort later became what is now the Osawatomie Kid's club. I remember being totally impressed when "that old fat guy" would throw those HS boys all over the mat like rag dolls when he demostrated moves! And I know that each and every boy that wrestled for Mr. Hodges had the utmost respect for him as well we should. He commanded the mat. There are some teachers still around here (and still teaching!) that taught with Troy in the 70's and they are thinking about him as we receive updates. We hope for the best and have good reason for hope considering how tough that guy is!

Coach Packard
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/04/04 08:26 PM
Here is Cathy words as of yesterday ' Phase 2, Day 103, 5/4/04

| | | Inbox


So far today Troy has had an adjustment made on his catheter port for the dialysis and a feeding tube inserted through his nose to his intestines directly. Several have asked how this would get him nutrition and I was wondering also. Stephanie, who is "nurse wonderful," reminded me that the stomach digests but the nutrition is actually absorbed into the body through the intestines. We are just cutting out the middle man. There will be another breathing trial and another dialysis later today. He is slowly waking up. It seems that one of the sedation meds that has a long lasting life in the body is also interacting with one of the other meds with the result being that it is staying around even longer. He is on no sedation now at all and we are having the extra dialysis treatment to try to clear some of this out of his system. Kidneys are trying to work but not up to speed yet. He is comfortable and beginning to open his eyes and move some. He is not often responding to stimulus but that is increasing. DR Abbott, my nominee for "optimist of the century," is still hopeful so I am trying to be also.

Thanks for everything, as your expressions of love continue to comfort and amaze me. Thanks for being there.

Love, Cathy
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/04/04 08:30 PM
I talked to Cathy about five minutes ago. Sounds like the doc is a gung ho guy. She said she thought he would have made a good coach and she ought to know, she has put up with so many of us over the years. Cathy is my nominee for Saint of the year. As all of you pray, and I know you are, save a little one for her. God bless wives and coaches wives in particular. Many of you out there have your favorite stories about Coach Hodges, I know I have about a million of them. Feel free to share here as we wait, might make the time go faster. Troy has touched a lot of people and he has hundreds of friends out there from coaching, fishing, poker, you name it, he gets around. Feel free to share.
Posted By: ROBERT M. GONZALES Re: Hodges Update. - 05/05/04 11:55 AM
Good Morning Coach Hodges: I know you are improving cause Coach Westfhal has been able to keep us informed. I also just recently was able to master the computer and send this message. I know POWER of PRAYER is helping you and I would ask that all of us contiune to ask GOD to look over you. I know that PRAYER helped that man from Macon Georgia, get home safe from IRAQ. You have given so much to us in the teaching and coaching field and have been one of the finest role models we coaches could emulate. As Cathy reads this to you GET WELL MY FRIEND. RMG
Posted By: Strengthman Re: Hodges Update. - 05/05/04 10:34 PM
Troy,
You are in our thoughts and prayers - keep battling my friend!!!!
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/06/04 08:44 PM
Hey how bout some good news for a change. I just came back from the hospital and whatI saw was just a miracle. Troy is awake! He was taken off the sedatives about three days ago and he was not waking up well he is now. I think he very much regognizes us and he squeezes my hand tightly and he looks to me like he is struggling to get out of that bed he is in. He really wrestles around trying to. He is no longer on the respirator and is breathing well on his own now. His heart is good, and he responds to the touch and when you speak to him with his eyes. He is trying to talk and struggling phisically with the bed and the wires and all of that. I think that is a good sign personally. It really is unbelievable that he is even awake, let alone showing signs of strength and recognition. It is working people, what you are all doing is working. Keep it up, he is fighting the very very hard fight and it is working. Cathy is so tired and has worked so hard every day with all of this. But today is a good day, no holds barred it is a good day!! Going back up there tonight after he has had some rest. I will write more later but he is working that is for sure and when he sets his mind on something he is a tough hombre. Your prayers and thoughts are paying off here and I know you will all continue it. I will print off your messages and take them with me tonight if you dont mind putting your name on them that would be helpful to Cathy. I will read each of them to him.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/07/04 04:03 AM
Just got back from the hospital tonight and he was doing better still. He was able to tell me to get him out of that bed. I couldn't do that but he kept trying to sneak a foot out and then a leg. I don't know where he is planning on going but he is in a hurry to get there. I think that is very good. He ask me about ten times. I think he thinks I am crooked enough to get him out of there somehow. He is making more sense tonight and I think he will be speaking in complete sentances by tomorrow and have a better awareness of what is happening to him as he goes along. They are moving him to his own room tomorrow and out of ICU. Another good thing. He was drinking on his own and his kidneys have begun functioning a little more all the time and that too is a great sign. If some of you would like to write him a note if you will send it to my email at rcwbud@aol.com, I will take any and all of them up and read them to him. He could use some things to get his attention right now and some of the names I told him tonight that I had heard from seemed to get his attention. He recognized Bob Brown and Me and some of his other friends and was making more sense all the time. More later, Randy
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/07/04 08:39 PM
Bob Brown just called me as he was leaving Troys new room. I will get that info for you later but he has been moved to a new room out of ICU. I think it is 5642 but I will check and varify that for you all. I got three letters from good old coaches today and forwarded them to Cathy and will also take them down tomorrow and read them to him again. I am sure Cathy will as well. Bob said that he has continued to improve and is talking a lot better today, formulating some sentences and sitting up a bit. His kidneys continue to improve and that was a real long shot a few days ago as is all of this. In general all of his workups have been better.

The following is what Cathy wrote today in her daily email and she is so much better than I am at explaining things so I will let her do that here as well:

Sorry to leave you wondering but we have been very busy! The ventilator was removed on Wednesday and he is breathing with a very low level of oxygen assistance. He sat in a chair this morning for 45 minutes. He asked for a Coke and drank the entire thing. He has ordered butterscotch pudding for lunch. He is asking questions and trying to figure out what has happened to him. He remembers coming to the hospital two weeks ago today but has no memory of the 12 days in ICU. We are waiting for them to come to take us upstairs to East 5 to our new room. The catheter was removed this morning and his kidneys are putting out a normal amount of urine. We are not sure if he will need more dialysis treatments but are hopeful that the kidneys have healed. They have just arrived to do an echocardiogram to check on the progress of his heart. The infection is under control and Dr. Abbott says if he works hard to gain his strength he might be able to go home. More later with room number and phone. We will be on 5 East where you will need to sign in about your health status. More soon.

Thanks for being there! Love, Cathy
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/09/04 04:26 AM
This is Troys update for today, Saturday, May 8th. I didnt get to go up today because of baseball games for my son but will go up tomorrow and see him, cant wait to talk to him. Here is what Cathy wrote today:

Subject : Phase 2, Day 106, 5/8/04

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Greetings from 5 East on the 8th of May, five months from Troy's diagnosis with leukemia. We begin the 6th month of treatment back where we began it December 9th, 5 East. This is the 60th day of hospitalization since December 8. Troy is sleeping soundly and the kids have gone for dinner. We finally excavated the paper work yesterday and arrived at room 5442 to find Dr. Abbott with the news that the echocardiogram had confirmed that there was no damage to the heart and it is working just fine. Troy had another dialysis yesterday but we will see how the weekend goes and a decision will be made on Monday about the need for further treatments. Right now kidneys are looking good. Today they were able to reduce his oxygen assistance to 1, down from 3. Soon he may not need it at all. Monday he may be able to have the feeding tube removed. This decision depends on how he is able to eat this weekend. He is doing well at that so far.

The physical issues are all resolving in an amazingly positive fashion. Now before us looms the recovery period. 12 days in ICU and not out of bed once leaves a person extremely week and without muscles, let alone muscle tone. Troy is eager to get rid of his oxygen and the feeding tubes. He is eager to sit in a chair all day as he has done in his other hospital stays. Physical and Occupational therapies were started today but a spike in blood pressure stopped the "out of bed adventure" before it hardly began. This and so many other things are frustrating for him. He is handling it with patience and arranging to sit on the side of the bed every time I leave him alone with the kids. He said he needed to see out the window where the trees in the park have more leaves than the last time he saw them thirteen days ago.

Another part of recovery involves coming to terms with the experience of being so ill. Troy remembers coming to the hospital two weeks ago yesterday and he remembers some things before going to ICU. What he does remember from ICU is the vivid dreams that he had while sedated and while returning from sedation. It is disconcerting to say the least to not know what happened during a 12 day span in your life. It is traumatic to hear of the medical miracle that happened to you without your knowledge. It is overwhelming to hear that over 50 people came to visit you on one day and that scores of others had called, e-mailed and visited on other days. This will be an emotional process that will take some time.

Your outpouring of love and support has touched us both. I told Troy that most people do not get to know how much their friends and family appreciate them. Most people do not get to experience the rewards of 33 years of their life's work in the way that Troy has. Literally dozens and dozens of former students and athletes have shared with him the influence that he has had on their lives. Most people do not get non-medical visits from the medical personnel that treat them. How lucky can you be? The sharing of these experiences speak to Troy's value as a teacher, coach, friend and person. But it also speaks to the wonderful qualities of the people he has been privileged to have as students, athletes, friends, co workers, peers, and medical professionals. Thank you all for sharing yourselves with us throughout this ordeal. We will never ever forget it.

As I finish this update, Troy, Aaron, Nicole and Lisa are playing yet another game of Phase Ten, the official card game of the Hodges Leukemia Cure Tour. We have about worn out the deck given to us by a friend during induction five months ago. Aaron is the winner of this game.

Thanks for being there.

Love, Cathy
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/11/04 01:42 PM
This is really a miracle if you had seen Troy twelve days ago. I will let Cathy tell it in her own words:continues his amazing recovery! Kidneys are the only organs that are not back to normal. He will do dialysis three days a week. The filtration system is not working perfectly although he is producing enough urine. Drs are hopeful that their function will improve within 3 to 4 weeks and dialysis will no longer be necessary. He begins his next treatment at 5:30 am tomorrow and then will have his current dialysis catheter removed and another more permanent one installed. Another big day.

Troy is working with both occupational and physical therapists and making great progress. He sat in a chair most of the morning and walked some with a walker. His goal is to walk to the bathroom for a shower tomorrow and to walk a half mile on Wednesday. The same fight and determination that got him out of ICU is being applied to the recovery process. One of his nurses refers to Troy as her "overachiever". Megan, his physical therapist had not seen him since Friday in ICU. Her eyeballs about fell out when she entered the room today to see him sitting in a chair and looking so much better. Dr Abbott says that they are "running our of reasons to keep him here" and he probably can go home by the end of this week.

The feeding tube and one of the pic lines were removed yesterday. He has been off of all oxygen this evening. Right now he has no excess appendages except for one IV line giving him his fungus medicine. What a difference a week makes!

Dr Abbott said today that we should look into going to MD Anderson in a few weeks to explore Troy's options. He feels that the regular transplant procedure might be too risk

y now. There is however a fairly new procedure called a "mini" or "low dose" transplant. This one has provided very good results with patients that are not good candidates for the regular kind. The difference is the amount of chemo used before the donor cells are introduced. The idea is for the donor good cells to fight off the leukemia instead of using chemo to kill them. Dr Abbott thinks that even if Troy's kidneys do not fully recover he might do well with this type of transplant.

I hope that all is well in the world outside of St. Luke's Hospital. Aaron returned to CA on Sunday night. Nicole and Lisa brought me home cooked supper tonight. The kids have been so supportive and helpful,
anticipating needs and attending to details. We are so very proud of them!

Thanks for being there!

Love, Cathy
Posted By: Joe Keeler Re: Hodges Update. - 05/11/04 04:38 PM
Fantastic news Cathy! Please give Troy my
best and tell him to hang in there. He has been in my prayers.
Posted By: Westfahl Re: Hodges Update. - 05/13/04 03:48 PM
This post may be for those of us who didnt believe in miracles before this. This is truly a miracle and a very good one. I will let Cathy tell you about it:

Troy will come home today! He is now having a procedure to place a tunnel catheter for outpatient dialysis. He will receive a dialysis treatment and then should be able to check out of here, probably late afternoon or early evening. He will do a Tues., Theresa, Sat, dialysis schedule at a clinic near Providence hospital. They think that the kidneys will heal and improve their filtering ability within three or four weeks. There seems to be confidence that this will happen. Everything else in fine. He gains strength by the minute! He says he feels stronger every time he gets up from his chair or the bed. He has a new walker to take home and he likes the confidence that it gives him. An occupational therapist will come to the house to do a safety assessment and a physical therapist will come as long as necessary to work with him as he recovers.

He has been in the hospital 20 days with 12 of those in ICU. The superb medical knowledge and "sheer guts" of Dr. Brian Abbott, the input of many other Drs. and the care, concern and knowledge of an absolutely fantastic nursing staff gave Troy the very best chance possible of survival. But we also know that Troy's recovery is coming on the wings many, many prayers. We can never thank you enough.

Thanks for being here,
Love, Cathy
Posted By: DOUG MOORE Re: Hodges Update. - 05/13/04 04:50 PM
This is certainly great news indeed. Troy, I want to wish you well on your road to recovery and to your family and friends for their tireless support. Also, thanks Randy and Cathy for keeping us updated. I have read this everyday to keep up-to-date on your journey. This is exactly the type of thing that this forum is good for.

Sincerely,

Doug Moore
Posted By: Strengthman Re: Hodges Update. - 05/13/04 04:59 PM
Great job Troy - keep battling!!
Posted By: P. Pitbull's Old Dog Re: Hodges Update. - 05/14/04 12:17 PM
I'll keep praying also, the good Lord knows who is true disciples are...Stay Positive and God Bless, Troy.

Coach Peterman
Posted By: superiorsteve Re: Hodges Update. - 05/15/04 01:40 AM
Thanks for the great report Randy .... The news that Coach is going home made my day! Troy took it to double overtime and got the escape ..... thanks to his own faith and that of his matside coaches (Cathy et. al.). I believe the doc's ... the kidneys will come on-line as his metabolism rights itself ..... good match Troy .... you're in the medal rounds ..... each time your hand is raised so are our spirits!
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