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