Happy New Year to everyone. Cody had his botox injections today, one in the lower arm above his wrist and another one in his thumb. He is so tough, that was one of the longest needles I have ever seen used on a person. We should see some results from the injections in about a week. As soon as I see some movement in his hand we are going to start working with lots of different exercises. His right hand and wrist is frozen and he cannot use it at all right now. I just want Cody back to where he was before the surgery. But of course he has made such great progress that we cannot complain at all. One day this week, I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, and Cody was still eating at the table and he started talking very loud and clearly to me. I just wiped my hands and went to get the video camera and sat down and let him talk to me. I could not believe how clear and strong his voice was on that day. Our next big thing this month is his MRI. I always start dreading it and worry. But I know that it will be even better than the previous one. I try to keep worry and fear out of my head. Please pray that it will be a clear MRI and nothing shows up that should not be there. Taking-it-one-day-at-a-time...The Hallcox's
Hello all, Cody's doctor visit went well. We are going to have some blood work done next week, then on 1/2/09 he is getting another botox injection in his right wrist. He will have more therapy after the shot takes effect. It is possible he will get a brace on his right leg to help him step better. A MRI is scheduled for Jan. 29th. Cody is feeling GREAT, especially after he got his deer. HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR. MERRY CHRISTMAS to all. I'm sorry about being so late updating, but NO news is GOOD news. Cody has an appointment tomorrow with his doctor at P. Neal. She mainly scheduled this in case Cody wanted to take a class at Roane State in the Spring. We visited the campus Nov. 25th and he got so tired, we decided a Summer class might be easier on him. He did enjoy seeing some friends that day. SOME VERY EXCITING NEWS........ Cody got his deer! Him and his dad went out and he shot a good size doe. Cody is tickled to death. His right hand does not look so good, but he had enough pull in his finger to get the shot off. I am going to talk to the doctor tomorrow about another botox shot to relax the muscle. We want to wish every one a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a "healthy" and Happy New Year. Also to thank all for continuing to pray for Cody, he has come a long way, but still has some hurdles to cross, but he has THAT smile on his face and he will make it. The Hallcox Family: Gerry, Pat and Cody October has just flew by. Cody celebrated his 21st Birthday on October 23rd. He also early voted in his first Presidential election. Now if he could get that deer he wants, he would be totally happy. He has been feeling good and NO new problems. His right hand is still very spastic. We see progress every day, so we have no complaints. We know that Cody is being prayed for and God is answering. Cody's girlfriend, Jami, is the best medicine for Cody. She talks to him every day and visits when college and job permits. She has been a great inspiration for him. Cody enjoys reading his Caringbridge, so please leave him a message. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/codyhallcox19
Hello everyone, Cody had his Neurologist appointment last Friday. She said the same thing as the Oncologist said last week; " it will just take time", Cody has been through so much trauma to his whole body and brain that it will have to re-map and re-wire itself. We think he is doing "GREAT", he always has a smile on his face and seems to tolerate each day as it comes. He still is not talkng as we would like but we understand everything he is saying. We know his vision is good, you should see him hit the target deer with his crossbow. His right hand is so spastic that that it keeps his fingers bent, but he still has enough pull in his index finger to pull the trigger on the bow. You should see the big smile when he hits that target. His neurologist says that using the Botox injections will be the best route to go with Cody's spastic muscles and that we should continue using them. She also gave him another pill to take for it also. His hand is relaxed and straight when he is sleeping, but as soon as his feet hit the floor, that hand knots up. So you can see how his brain needs to re-map. Cody has made so much progress and he will keep making that same progress no matter how long it takes. God has been so good to our family and we feel so bLESSED. Keep us in your prayers. The Hallcox Family
Cody had a scheduled appointment with his Oncologist today. He went over the MRI that was done September 12th. He thinks Cody is making great progress and thinks that the Dystonia that has developed in his right hand will eventually resolve itself as the brain heals and the scar tissue thins out. He is strong in his upper arm but the hand is a different story. He has scheduled another MRI for Jan. 29th. Cody drove for the first time a couple weeks ago and he did just fine. He is ready for deer season, he and his dad have gone out several evenings looking for deer. I sure hope he gets one this year. Cody still has a lot of healing to do, he gets tired very easy. We have stopped the outpatient therapy for now, it seems like he has hit a plateau, but we will be working with him at home everyday. Cody just needs more time to heal and then things should fall back in place. I will update again, especially if he gets a deer this week, but he has another scheduled appointment with his Neurologist next Friday. Have a good week!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Hallcox Family
Update: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 12:44 PM, CDT I got a call Monday after 4 pm that Cody's MRI was good, no change from the March MRI. It's like having a elephant sitting on your chest until you hear the good news. Cody is making progress each day, and keeps a positive attitude. We really appreciate everyone praying for his recovery, it means a lot to us. We know that if it had not been for prayers he would not be where he is now. God is GOOD............ FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 09:10 AM, CDT Cody's blood work and EEG looked good the doctor said. Today I am taking him for his MRI. Pray that everything is still looking good and clear. Hope that the doctor can come up with a plan to jump start his hand to working, along with everything else. He is feeling pretty good, want's to help me mow his yards and go fishing. He is so ready to get up and go, just waiting on the body to co-operate. Thursday evening I ask him if he remembered any of his kata's from karate. He got up and did two of them. We could not believe it. We had to film him doing these. It has been over 3 years since they stopped taking karate after getting their black belts, and it brought tears to our eyes to see he remembered two of them, Clint said he a great job. Cody's tip of the week: go buy a new truck while gas prices are up, he says gas will go down after the election. Cody has spoken! God bless. Update: I have intended to update the journal every since we went to the neurologist on Wednesday. Dr. "G" spent over an hour checking Cody out, she is ordering an MRI to be done and also some blood work and EEG. She wants to try to figure out why his right hand developed the dystonia. She is big on vitamin B-12 and Folic acid, but will wait until he has the bloodwork done. This could help his short term memory loss, if it works for him, I also need it, I can't remember as much as he does. He has been feeling good and continues to make progress each day. We thank God for all that he has given back to Cody each day. I will update when we get the first round of test done this Friday, then the next Friday will be the MRI. Sept. 5 and Sept 12.
Update: Cody had a scheduled appointment with Dr. Dillon at Patricia Neal in Knoxville on Wednesday. She was quite happy with the progress that Cody is making. She said that since his last visit his color was better, his eyes had made big improvements and he looked straight at her and answered questions. She said that the "rule of thumb" is that for every day you spend in the hospital it takes ten days to recover. So Cody spend a total of 105 day in and then when when got to go home it was another 50 days before he completed his radiation treatments which kept him pretty low. We know that it will take lots of time, but Cody is pushing himself a little more each day to get back. We walked into the gym to see his favorite therapist's for a hug and pep talk. I asked Cody if he remembered anything about ever being in the gym, she did remember a tiny bit about it. We don't go back until mid December to see her, then we will talk about Cody getting ready to start a class or two in the spring. His arm and hand is making progress, at least he can open and close it now. I will update again after we see our Neurologist next Wednesday. Have a good day.
Cody's botox shots seems to be relaxing his hand and arm. He is able to close his hand and try to grasp at things he is trying to pick up. I think he still has some numbness in some of the fingers. I hope that with the muscles relaxed he can get back some of his grip strength, and hopefully start using the right hand a little more than he has been. He has an appointment with his Patricia Neal rehab doctor this Wednesday, and then August 27 he has an appointment with a new neurologist in Oak Ridge, which may have some new thoughts on his treatment and recovery from the stroke . His short term memory is improving a tiny bit now, we are always asking him questions about what went on during the day, sometime he can remember a few things. Jami came down on Friday and Gerry took them fishing. This always makes Cody happy and carefree when Ms. Jami comes to visit. Cody continues to take therapy twice a week at Harriman. And lots of home therapy too. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.
Monday, July 7th, we went Stripe fishing and caught over 50. Cody caught several by himself. It was good to see him setting the hook and reeling them in by himself. It did look hard for him to be doing it backwards than before. Dad had to remove all the hooks from the fish so he was the only one who smelled fishy at the end of the day. Wednesday is the last day for physical therapy; he will only be doing occupational therapy and speech for now. Have a BLESSED DAY, the Hallcox family; Gerry, Pat and Cody
Hello to all, Cody will be getting his second botox injection in his right hand this Wednesday. The first botox did open his hand, which had been in a tight fist, but since it has opened, it is still very tight. They will be injecting into a different muscle which hopefully it will relax his hand more. Cody is so patient, he seems to just tolerate anything new that happens to him. I hope that I am learning a good lesson from watching him each day. Jeremiah 33:6 - I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. Cody is slowly but surely healing each day, we thank God each day for the new progress. We know that in time he will be back to our "old" Cody who loves life and enjoying the fullness of it. Prayers are being answered every day. The Hallcox's
Update: Hello to everyone, Cody got his botox injection in his right hand on Tuesday morning. Doctor says it will take about 10 days to two weeks for it to release the spastic muscle. I have noticed that he is lifting his index finger every now and then. But for the most part, it is still tight right now. His hand therapist has some things she will be trying on him in the upcoming weeks. he had the phenol injection last month in his right calf muscle but not much improvements yet, although he has been saying that his calf muscle is sore. So hopefully this is a good sign. He has started a journal to help him remember what he has done during the day. His speech therapist wanted him to write down as much as he could remember for each day. He is getting good on his journal, his left hand is doing all the work right now, but at least he is doing it. We see big improvements each day, Cody is eating better and gaining a little weight now. We want to ask that everyone continue praying for his full recovery, we see it coming, but the prayers will make it happen. Love, The Hallcox Family
Cody continues to make progress each day. I have noticed BIG improvements since I went back to work and not being home during the day. He is talking more each day. We are not sure yet if the phenol shot in the leg is helping all that much. He needs to build muscles to help him walk. He gets his botox shot in his hand Tuesday, we hope it will release his spastic muscle and hopefully he will start using his right hand. Big week ahead, Clint is graduating high school. He has done well, despite everything that has happened his senior year with Cody. Prayers are being answered, God bless; Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint Hallcox Hello everyone, I just wanted to update everyone on Cody's recent doctors visits. He went to P. Neal on Tuesday, he received a shot of Phenol in his right calf muscle. The doctor thinks that botox will work better in his hand because the muscles are smaller. So it is going through approval and then it has to be ordered, so not sure when he will get the botox for the hand yet. But when he walks now, it looks like he setting his right leg down much better now. He said that his leg and foot felt different, not tight and out of control as before. Cody still gets very tired during the day, but other than that he is coming around more each day to the normal Cody. He turns on the computer himself and plays some card games, which helps his eyes and memory. He is still using his left hand completely and not letting his right hand help with anything. Cody has asked me on several occasions, the question, What happened to me? He knows he is disabled and can't just jump up and go, but he can't remember what happened to him. He remembers having the headaches and the MRI finding the tumor but nothing else since then. I tell him about Texas and how God was there, he just listens like it is a story he has never heard before. He may never remember all the wonderful doctors, nurses, therapists and most of all, everyone and every church who is praying so hard for Cody's full recovery. But everyone who is on this journey with Cody has been uplifted and inspired by Cody. He also had an eye appointment on Tuesday, she gave him a thorough exam and thinks his eyes are healthy. He needs to keep working his eye muscles. This too will come back in time. We know everything is going to come back in time and that is why we always take it "One Day At A Time"; today is all that matters. We love everyone, keep praying, it's working. If you are new to this site, you can read Cody's journal and also sign it by going to; http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/codyhallcox19 God Bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody Hallcox Cody is going to the doctor at Patricia Neal Fort Sanders to get shots in his right hand and right leg to see if it won't "loosen up" those muscles. His right thumb and first finger do some strange things, like they are in a bind. He has to pry the thumb away from the finger. With God's help, it will all work out. The eye doctor said it is up to Cody's brain to tell his eyes to look down, the muscles are working. Speech is getting better. Therapy is starting up again, on Monday and Wednesday. Some days Cody is in good shape, other days he just wants to lay around and nap. Looking forward to the day he can start driving and get out of the house by himself, never thought I would say something like that! God Bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
PRAISE GOD!!! HE is a mighty LORD we serve. Impression- Excellent postoperative appearance. No obvious residual tumor or abnormal enhancement seen at the site of thalamic resection. Only scar tissue. WOW! Our prayers and all those of our friends have been answered. Cody has no more tumor, the LORD has taken care of that. Today was the most important day of our lives since the surgery and recovery. He does not have another MRI until he is 21 years old, at the end of October. Everything looks good, just have to let the brain heal now . He still has all the physical recovery to go through, but he is tough and GOD is on his side, so he will come back in time. Positive thinking, faith in GOD, and determination will make you aVictor and not a victim.
Cody got to do a little fishing on Saturday, he reeled in two small bass. I will try to post those pictures this week in his journal, so be watching for them. He rode the ATV also, found a couple of good mud holes. He can't control the gas with his right thumb, so I did the gas and he drove. His right thumb and finger are not being team players right now, I hope they come around and join the rest of his body getting better. FRIDAY is the BIG DAY, the MRI, so please be in prayer that day. God bless and Happy Easter The Hallcox Family; Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint
Hello everyone, Cody is about to finish up his outpatient therapy at Harriman. He started out 3 days a week, then went to 2 days a week and now he is at the 1 day a week, except we go 2 days for his speech. We finish all next week, but he will have to continue to work hard at home to keep building up muscle, stamina and strength. He is slowly getting stronger each day, he is talking a little better each day also. He still has a long road ahead of him to get back to where he was. He has to go to his vision doctor tomorrow to check the progress of his eyes. He cannot look down yet, he has trouble feeding himself, he just has to guess and stab his fork to find his food. He also goes back to his rehab doctor at Patricia Neal in Knoxville next week. Then on Friday March 28th is the big one, he gets his first MRI since he left Texas and since he finished his radiation. Please keep him in your prayers and pray that the remaining tumor has disappeared. We want to say a big "THANK-YOU" to everyone who is keeping up with Cody's progress. He receives cards and calls and is reading the Caring Bridge Guest Book. Cody has been on a lot of minds and in their hearts and we know that Cody is loved by many who want the best for him. Please keep praying for him and especially for the MRI next week. God bless, The Hallcox Family: Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint
Well, Cody has tried out the new Buddy's BBQ two times already, says it meets his approval. Waiting on better weather so he can join dad fishing on Watts Bar lake, it has been a little to cool and windy to get Cody out on the water yet. He has been doing some therapy at home and walking up and down the drive way when ever weather permits. Plans on going to watch Jami play softball, again, when ever the weather allows. He is doing pretty good, talking a little better also. The MRI will be sometime this month, don't know exact date yet. Will be going back to eye doctor in a couple of weeks also, can't tell that it has been a big improvement, but some improvement is better than none. He got on My space and face book, had a good laugh or two at some of his buddies. The best news right now is that his hair is growing back out, he is beginning to look like the old Cody again. Still needs to add some weight and muscle back, I told him he could have my fat if I could give it to him. God bless and hang in there if you think you are all alone and have troubles, there is always someone else that has more problems than you do. Keep on Praying, and GOD will keep on anwsering.
Hello everyone, Cody continues to heal every day. Not much going on this month except for his therapy twice a week. Next month he gets his first MRI since he finished taking his radiation. We will continue to pray God has finished taking care of the nasty remains of the tumor. Cody has been a little more tired the past couple of days. He eats and then takes a nap, I guess his body knows best about the rest. We have been lucky that he has not been sick with any of the different sicknesses that are going around. We try to keep him home as much as possible. He did have to take his girlfriend Jami out for a Valentine dinner but they agreed to let dad and I double date with them. Please continue to pray for Cody's complete healing. He has started looking at his caring bridge site and has read a few of the guest book entries. God Bless; the Hallcox family; Gerry, Pat, Clint and Cody
Cody's grandmother passed away on 02/08/08. She was 86 years old. Cody is going to try to be a pall-bearer. He had blood work done last week; it looks like it was within the boundaries. His eyes are looking down a little better now, the eye doctor said we would really see good results in the next 6 weeks; we hope so. Still hoping and praying for that right hand to come around better, he says he still feels numb in the thumb and first two fingers on that hand. I am having a hard time waiting on him to get better, but that and praying is all I can do. God bless until next time; Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint Hallcox
Cody did get to walk into his appointment at Patricia Neal today. I think that he surprised everyone who saw him. Dr. Dillon was happy with his progress. She thought that he has made tremendous progress. She then took Cody to the gym to see his therapist, and they (Beccy, Jodi, Tanya and Susie) came running to give Cody big hugs and well wishes. I think it brought some tears to their eyes to see him up and walking. They worked more than 2 months to get him where he is now. To see him when he got there and to see him now is amazing. We feel that the therapy Cody received was top of the line in rehab. He also has top-notch therapist in Harriman, and they are working so hard for Cody. Lots of hard work and lots of patience and time to be Cody's best friend to get him back to normal. With lots of prayers, and we know that Cody has lots of friends and family who are doing that for him. PLEASE keep praying, it's working!!!! God Bless; Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint Hallcox
Hello everyone, Cody continues to improve each day. He actually got up and walked to the kitchen without me having to wake him up. He has to go to Knoxville tomorrow and see his Patricia Neal rehab doctor, I think that I will walk him in, instead of using his wheelchair, if I can find a close parking space. He has to go Friday to see his Oncologist, it has been a month since he finished his radiation. I guess he will order a MRI to be done within a couple of weeks. Please keep praying that the MRI will show that everything is back to normal and any remains are gone. Cody has a very positive attitude and we know that he is going to be alright. He continues to work hard on his rehab therapy, but everything will just take time, and that's all we have is "One Day at a Time". Please keep praying for Cody's complete healing. I will update again after we see our doctors this week. God Bless, The Hallcox Family: Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint
Cody had a pretty good week. Nothing really new to report. He has been staying inside on the weekends because it is so cold. We are watching old tapes of him and all of us when he was 2 years old and up. It is so cold to get him out for therapy, but a "man has to do what a man has to do" to get better in his case. Keep Praying and Believing, Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint Hallcox Hi everyone, sorry about not updating lately, it just seems like we are so busy. Cody is doing well! He is going to finish up the eye therapy by the end of this month and has a doctor appointment on Feb. 5th to examine his eyes. They are doing better, but still not down like they should be. Still in physical therapy, they love to work with him because he does everything they ask him to do and doesn't give any lip. He has a brace on the right ankle to help with his gait, he does toe/heel instead of heel/toe, but at least he is walking. His right arm is getting stronger but he still does not use it like he should. The speech therapy is coming along slowly also but I am beginning to understand some things he says now. His mom took by the BCM at Roane State 2 times this week, everyone was surprised to see him. They ate a great lunch on Wed. at the "B". Cody is going to take a summer class at school, just like last year, he has a lot of determination. Cody is a fighter and he has God on his side, so that doesn't hurt at all. He still has a long way to go but is getting closer with each passing day. Continue in prayer for Cody, he wants to go fishing this Spring. It's just a matter of TIME. Oh yeah, he still has the Marine look hair cut. May have to put him on Rogaine next. God Bless, Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint Hallcox Well Cody finished his radiation on Monday, the last day of December. What a relief! They say he will really start getting stronger in about 2 weeks. I guess he will want to grow his hair back out too, I'm kind a getting used to the Marine Corp look. He is doing really good, never lost his love for food. The therapist say he has come a long way in just two weeks. He will finish up the eye therapy at the end of the month. He is walking better now, he walked into church on Sunday to applause. The last time he was in his wheelchair. I still believe what I told the doctors in Houston back in September when we left, that he would be doing about anything he wants by March. I still believe that! Can't wait to take him fishing and see him on his lawnmower again. God has been our Hope, Refuge, Redeemer and Source of Strength to get us all through this ordeal. HE is a GREAT and MIGHTY GOD that we serve, and HE does answer prayers if you BELIEVE and CLAIM them. This is going to be a GREAT YEAR!! Greetings, Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint Hallcox
Well for some reason I think Cody came out ahead on the Christmas gift receiving end of things, wonder how that happened? I guess 105 days in the hospital is good for something. He is my gift this year, just to have him here at home. He is getting close to being done with the radiation, about 7 more I think. Then he will have another MRI in Feb. or March. His right arm is coming around slowly as is his speech, but it will get there. We have had a great Christmas, hope that all of you did too. Don't forget what the "reason for the season" is all about. May God bless each of you that have helped us get through this rough time in our lives. But like the old Jefferson's T.V. show theme, We're moving on up, yes moving on up. Keep the FAITH. Love Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint
Cody had some visitors from Texas on Thursday. One of his therapist, Beth, but Cody could not remember her. That is understandable. He does not remember staying there either. Maybe it is for the best that he not remember those times in the hospitals and just looks forward to the good times ahead. Jami is here for a few days so his spirits are up. It is going to be a big Christmas here in the Little House on the Hill. I heard Jimmy Swaggart singing; "It's going to be alright". You know, he's right, it is going to be alright. Merry Christmas to everyone, don't forget what Christmas is really about, it is the Birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's not about all the sales and junk that has been pushed into this Holiday, it is about Jesus. Let's keep it that way, OK! Greetings, Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint Hallcox
Cody has finished a total of 18 treatments now, he got one everyday last week. I stopped in Knoxville on Friday and got his hair buzzed off because it was really coming out on each side. He looks like a little army boy now. It will grow back as soon as he finishes his treatments.He is still feeling good and is also doing good with his physical rehab therapies. He has been walking with a cane in rehab, he is still working on his balance. We are keeping him at home as much as possible to keep him from getting sick. After he finishes 23 treatments the oncologist is going to narrow the treatment field and just zoom in where he tumor was left for the last 7 treatments. He still cannot see down, but the vision therapy is working on that, it would be nice to see what you are eating. Please keep praying for his full recovery, he is determined to get back fast. Jami got to go with us on Thursday for his vision and radiation treatments, Cody was all smiles that day, for some reason. Thanks for all the prayers, the more the better. God Bless and Merry Christmas.
Hello everyone, Cody started his outpatient rehab on Monday. He is taking it at the Harriman Center. He has not had any radiation treatments so far because the Tomo machine has been acting up ever since he started his treatments. He has finished 12 treatments and it started messing up again. I talked to the Oncologist about my fears of him not getting them everyday, he says that the treatments allow 60 days to finish his 30 treatments. He really wants to use the Tomo machine because it is so precise and does not hit any other part of the brain, which is what they want. There is not another Tomo machine in East Tennessee, so we can't just move. The trips back and forth to Knoxville make Cody tired. Please keep praying for Cody, he is getting stronger each day but still has a ways to go. With the outpatient rehab, we hope he will be walking more on his own soon. PRAYERS ARE BEING ANSWERED!!! Thanks, The Hallcox Family
Cody got through two eye treatments this week, they did not make him "car sick" like the doctor said it might. The radiation machine was broke down on Wednesday and Thursday, so Cody is making up one of the days on Saturday at 11:00 am. They drove to Knoxville on Wed. before they found out that it was down, so that was a wasted trip. Cody is eating popcorn, that is the first since before the surgery. Jami is going with us on Sat., so that will make him feel better too. Next week he starts back on physical therapy at Harriman, plus two days of eye therapy and 5 days of radiation, if it is not broke down. Going to be a busy week, he will have to eat his Cheerios. Have a great weekend, GO VOLS!!!! Love Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint
Saturday night at Roane State, they had a concert for Cody. Thanks to all the people who came out and donated, to the great bands and to Roane State for letting them use the theater. It is so good to know in this screwed up world, that there are still outstanding young men and women out there doing good things for others. Cody really enjoyed the music. He went to church Sunday, the first time since we left here at the end of July. We took him to his favorite place to eat after church, the Mister Twister. Then it was Christmas decorating time for Clint, Tara, Jami and Cody, with mom as supervisor. Cody is going to do his outpatient therapy in Harriman. He started back on his radiation Monday. I have prayed to the Lord to take care of him, to renew his body, to make it stronger, and to rid it of any cancer cells. I asked Cody if he has prayed for all this, he said he has. I asked him if he believes it in his heart, he said he does. It is now in God's hands, His will be done. I told him God is using him in a BIG WAY, to be strong and fight, be the David in our family. God bless him and all of those who are praying for him this holiday season. It is the best gift a dad could ever get, to get him back home. So now we will be still and wait on our Master to complete the work He started!!!!!!! Love Gerry, Pat, Cody and Clint
Cody had a GREAT Sunday. Pat fixed a huge meal, I thought it was already Thanksgiving. We ate till we popped. Cody used his walker to get around the house. He got out of that wheelchair and sat on the "LOVE" seat with Jami. He even went outside and kicked his feet up on the front porch, just like he had never been gone. He enjoyed friends coming over to visit. Monday night will be the last one at the hospital, they will be traveling back and forth for the therapy and radiation. Should be home by 4-4:30 every evening. Maybe sooner if she lets him drive, Ha Ha. It will be great to have them both home. This is the GREATEST THANKSGIVING of all!!!!!!!!!! Love Gerry, Pat and Cody
11/23/07 What a wonderful Thanksgiving day, it was just great to be home with Cody. We got home around 5:30 Tuesday afternoon and had to go back to Knoxville on Wednesday at noon for his eye appointment and his radiation. He was a little tired but was glad we did not have to check back into the hospital. After 105 days in two different hospitals, we have had enough for a while. We have been letting him sleep later since we have been home. When we start outpatient rehab, it will be a little tiring on him to do both rehab and radiation plus eye therapy twice a week and the long drive home. Keep praying for his strength to be able to do all the things that he must do for the rest of the year. He is a strong young man and gives it his all. Thanks for all the Get Well wishes on the guest book, all the cards and phone calls. He really enjoys it. Keep praying for Cody's full recovery, it's coming, WE FEEL IT!!!!
It is a lazy Saturday. Too cool and windy to go out so Cody is napping. Cody's fishing buddy, Andy and his wife Morgan, came to visit before the game. For rehab today, we tossed a ball around among the three of us. A couple of times I think Cody tried to knock me down, that left arm is pretty strong. Andy told us there was going to be a concert next Saturday at Roane State for Cody. These kids and the good people at Roane State are just awesome doing this. I don't know much about it other than the time (4-9 pm). God bless and continue those prayers, he still has a long road ahead of him. Gerry, Pat and Cody
Day 100! It's hard to believe that Cody has been in the hospital this many days. He has jus his fourth radiation treatment, it does not seem to bother or affect him in any way. He still sleeps and eats good. He just comes out with a red face where the mask fits so tight that it leaves a red print on his face for a few minutes. We may get to come home on Sunday (just for the day), to let Cody get used to home with his wheelchair and walker. We have to be back here until he is released on Tuesday. Yesterday we had some surprise visitors we met while we were in Houston, Texas. In this 100 days we have had so much support from all over the country. We can only say a big THANK-YOU, you will never know how much we appreciate everything that has been done for Cody. God bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
Day 97 in the hospital, Cody is counting down the days until he goes "South of the River" to HOME. He looks at the calendar everyday and let's me know how many more days to go. He has finished his first radiation treatment, and he came out smiling and talking to the tech. So, seems like everything went well, it was all so fast, that when I got finished talking to the nutritionist, he was already finished. Please pray that he keeps up his healthy appetite, and that he will not have any weight loss or nausea, which are possible during radiation. He also had a good day in rehab, he is getting more stable walking and he is practicing going up and down stairs. He has made lots of progress in the 56 days that we have been at Patricia Neal. We still have a long way to go, we have to come back to Knoxville everyday for radiation, and at least 3 days a week for outpatient rehab. But we see a light at the end of the tunnel, and we are ready to bust out of it and start 2008 with a bang. We will be very thankful to be home for THANKSGIVING. I asked Cody, what he wanted to do first when he gets home? He said: "I want to go hunting" so I guess, somehow he will be in the woods. He will have to break in his new wheelchair anyway. See you soon. Cody & Mom
We spent Sat. watching the game on the big screen here at the hospital. I had Cody doing arm curls with his right arm during comercials. He will be getting his radiation starting Monday. He is coming home on Nov 20th, I think they are going to drive back and forth now instead of staying up there, we'll see how it goes. Today is day 95 in hospitals, 54 here at Fort Sanders. Cody has missed a lot of fishing and hunting this year, so watch out next year you bass and deer! He will be in hospitals for over 100 days!!! Think about that. Laying in a hospital bed that long. But you know what, he hasn't cried or complained about anything. He is truly FORD tuff, as he likes to say. Our suffering is our link to Jesus Christ. He endured frustrations of the flesh while living in a sinful world. We still live in that fallen world. But HE is our comfort in this world. Trust in HIM.
Cody got the peg tube and picc line both out today, this has got to make him feel better. They had been in all this time form when we came from Texas, and they were always in the way. Thank you God!! We talked to the oncologist today and they will start his radiation on Friday. We felt better after talking to the doctor about it, it will "clean up" any of the bad cells that remain. It will be 6 weeks long, and maybe a chemo pill a day also. It is a light dose of chemo. They want to make sure they take care of it, to hit any thing that remains with all they have. Cody will be getting out of the hospital on November 20, but he and Pat may be going to the hospital apartments until he finishes the radiation.. He goes to be marked for the radiation tomorrow at 1 pm. He will wear a mask , and that is what they mark. His radiation will be at 2:40 every day, takes about 20 minutes each day, This includes the set up time and everything. He is looking so good, our friends over in Texas wouldn't recognize him now. God has led us through the wilderness and is getting ready to take us up to the top of the mountain. Be strong and God bless!!
11/4/07 Cody says hi to everyone, he is still working hard in therapy. He saw a doctor Nov. 2nd to check his throat and make sure it had not been damaged, since he is still having problems trying to talk. The doctor said it looked fine and just to give it time, it would come around. I think it is going to get better as the lungs get stronger. The eye doctor should have his new glasses ready soon, hopefully they will get his eyes to focus better. The doctor said he is still working on the program for Cody's radiation: but here is the interesting part, he said he did not see any tumor left in his brain. Here is the side story to this; Friday at work I was trying to read my daily devotional book that Chris gave me when we were in Texas, he said I probably wouldn't read it, but I have read it each day. It is unreal how it has followed our and Cody's journey. It was too loud in the break room to really grasp what it was saying, so I went somewhere else to read and study what it was saying to me. It said God promised to answer prayers, and to demand that HE give us what we ask for. So I prayed and held that little book up over my head, and I told God that Cody had gone through enough and that I wanted my prayers answered that the tumor be completely gone and I was giving it to HIM to do, and I expected HIM to take care of it. HE has answered prayers before like this for me, but not on this scale. When I told Pat about my prayer, she asked me what time it was when I prayed. I said it was my 9:00 break. She said that was when the doctor came into the room and said he did not see anything on the scan!! God worked yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Ask and you will receive, but you have to totally believe in your heart and soul, and claim it. Cody will come through all this alright, you just let God work things out in his own time and quit trying to be in control of everything, give it to HIM to do. Well, we watched Joel and another preacher on tv this morning, so that is how we have church on Sunday mornings when I stay. Joel's message is that whatever you have gone through, God will bring you out on top of it and you will have more than when you started. I told Cody this is God's plan for him and asked if he believed it, and he shook his head yes and said he did. He never took his eyes off the tv when Joel was preaching this message. Well enough preaching on my part, everyone have a great Sunday and do something for someone today. Give them that front parking spot, or open a door for someone. It is the little things that matter the most.
10-30-07 Update... Cody had a big birthday with about 60 guests. He received a new fishing rod so he can keep in practice and tomorrow he will get to make a trip to either the Bass pro shop or Gander Mountain. He is walking a little but can't see down so walking is a bit difficult. He is expecting new glasses which will help his vision. He also has regained some usage of hid right arm. The Tomotherapy may start this week. He wishes all to know he is very appreciative of the prayers and good will from so many people. Please continue to pray. God Bless all!
Cody had his 20th birthday party on day 82 in the hospital. He has been at Patricia Neal for 39 days now. It was an exciting day for him to get outside and to enjoy his family and friends. He had around 60 people show up for the party. He gave everyone a little treat, he walked a little for everyone to see. He got a small fishing rod, so he can keep up some practice while up here. He did make a cast or two outside with it. He worked hard in rehab today, he walked up some steps and then back down again. He also walked with his walker again today.I think that when his new lenses come in for his glasses he will do a lot better with the walking. Right now he can't see down, so that makes it harder to walk.Everything is coming together a little bit at a time. He gets to go on a trip tomorrow, they are either going to the Bass Pro Shop or Gander Mountain.Cody got gift cards from both places for his birthday, so he is happy with either one. We may be starting our TomoTherapy later this week , they are getting the program ready for him. Please keep praying that it will go smoothly an that the 6 weeks will pass quickly.Just today, he has started getting more movement out of his right arm, we know that prayer are being answered. Cody says Hi to everyone and thanks for keeping him in your daily prayers. Without that we would have not be where we are now. We still have a long way to go, but it does not look so bad now. We will make it, with all of the prayers. Thanks again, Cody and family
Cody has had another busy week in rehab, he is walking every day, (with assistance) but getting more and more balance in his walking. He is beginning to talk more and he is working hard with his right arm to get it working better. He went to the eye specialist yesterday and has some new lenses coming to help with his vision problems. He also had a consultation with one of the radiation doctors from Thompson Cancer Center yesterday. We have decided to get his radiation here, so we went back to Thompson today for a scan and they made him a mold for his head to use each time he gets his Tomo Therapy. We are so excited that he can begin taking his treatments while he is still doing rehab. We are going to schedule his treatments after he finishes his therapy each day. That way he can come back to the room and rest for the rest of the day. This should work out good for us, maybe we can finish both before we leave here. Cody is feeling good and has gained over 10 lbs. of his weight back. The girls in rehab have been teaching Cody some dance moves and he really seems to enjoy that and he has started laughing a lot more. I think there is going to be some kind of competition coming up. I will be sure to video tape it as it might come in handy on America's Funniest Video's. We also moved across the hall yesterday, to a room with 2 beds, so I can sleep in one and get out of that chair. The new room number is Room 427. Please remember Cody's birthday party Sunday, 2 until 4 pm. Everyone is welcome. God Bless: Gerry, Pat and Cody
Cody was taught a little of the Charleston by one of the P.T.'s today to help with his balance. Now they are wanting to get on Dancing with the Stars! Today is Cody's 20th birthday and he is doing good. The staff here gave him lots of balloons and a cake. His aunt gave him a cookie and presents. He also got a North Face jacket he had wanted. There are a lot of cards and stuff from others also. Please remember his PARTY Sunday, from 2 to 4 pm, and come if you can. Everyone is invited!!! He is trying to talk more and is looking more and more like our Cody. He is eating everything in sight too! Thursday he will be seeing a special eye doctor to see if they can help him with his eyes. He is having trouble looking down. Keep praying for his balance for walking, his strength in his right arm and for his eyes to improve. Also, please pray for God to take the rest of that old tumor and cast it where the sun don't shine. This boy has got stuff to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless: Gerry, Pat and Cody
Cody had a great day with lots of visitors all day long, some bringing pre-birthday presents. On Tuesday he will no longer be a teenager. There were several times when we wondered if he was going to make it this far, but he has showed what GOD can do in a person's life. He is getting better each day, stronger and eating like a horse again. I used to kid him about how much he would eat, now I am grateful for each bite I see him take. A special friend came by with cookies, fishing lures and a free eye exam. It's good to have such great friends. He also got an early Birthday Cake from his cousins and a pocket knife. This party next Sunday may be bigger than this hospital can take. When you look back, you can see where we have asked for prayer for particular things to happen in Cody's recovery, and they have. The infections are gone, the trach is gone, all the I.V.'s are gone, the feeding tube is next on the list, then the pic line. Now our next goal is to get him talking, to get those lungs stronger. IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN SOON. I wish all of you the best!! Good night from Room 425. God Bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
GOD is GOOD. Cody's weekly update from the therapy staff and doctors this week was, "Cody, do you know that you are doing very, very well?? If you continue to make the same progress as you have this past week, you will be going home a lot sooner than the 7 to 9 weeks that we scheduled you for." Cody just shook his head yes, he knows that he is getting stronger and able to work harder for them. Doctor said that he meets and exceeds every daily goal that they set for him, so they have to continually set new goals for him. He eats everything on his plate at each meal and drinks lots of milk. He walked today with a walker, this was the first time for that. Our goal is for him to continually get stronger each day and walk out of here so he can take his next step on this journey and get his seven weeks of radiation. Cody is really looking good, he has good color and his face is filling out some. He smiles a lot each day and he continually works with his right arm, he really wants it to be the same as the left. He is really trying to talk more each day. Speech therapy is working very hard with him on his breathing exercises for him to speak. You never really appreciate what our muscles do for us each day, until you lose all of them and then have to try to regain them back. Cody is going to get back everything that he has lost, we BELIEVE this and we feel it in our hearts. You will never know how much all the prayers and entries in the guest book has meant to us, we could not have made it through this without it. We want everyone to continue with us, and cheer Cody to his full recovery. Cody has his 20th birthday on Tuesday, Oct. 23, we are planning him a party, here at Patricia Neal on Sunday, Oct. 28, from 2 pm to 4 pm. If you would like to drop by and wish Cody a Happy Birthday and have some cake, please do so, we want all of Cody's friends to show up. (No Gifts Please) a card if you like , only. It will be in the Garden Courtyard or in the Rec room on the 4th floor, depending on the weather. Thank you all for everything. God Bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
Cody has had a very busy, but productive week. He has walked this week, used a big exercise ball and also did some push-ups, to build up strength in his right arm. He is eating 100% at every meal, so the doctor ordered that he did not need his tube feeding any longer, so as of last night, they took the whole machine out of here. That is a BIG step in the right direction, she also told him if he felt like he needed more food, she would order him double portions. He will surely gain back his weight fast. He does a good job feeding himself and he is so glad to get his milk back. He is really getting stronger and maybe the tube will be removed soon from his stomach. That will only leave the pic line in his arm and that will probably stay until we go home. Cody is talking a little more, he is working on voice muscles in speech, his trach site is almost healed over, so look out, Cody will soon be updating this site himself, just don't believe him if he says that Mom has treated him like a "baby". I am so happy that he is getting back to his normal self. He has had a long, hard journey and still has a long few months to go. We ask that everyone pray with us, that when we go to do another MRI, that the remaining tumor will be gone and that there be no need for radiation. Cody has the determination of a little bulldog, no matter how tired he is, he gives his all in therapy. All of his therapy team loves working with him because of that determination and they like that. Gerry has gone back to work and did fine, but sure was glad to see everyone again. He is going to try to put some new pictures on the site, so be watching. Gerry is going to spend the night with the ole fisherman, so they can plan how to catch all those fish next year! He is so proud of his "boy" and the job he is doing. Cody says HI to everyone that reads this site. Keep praying for a FULL recovery, Gerry, Pat and Cody And I say "PRAISE GOD" for what He's done in Cody's life. Amen, Deb
Hi everyone, it's a Sunday afternoon and we are having a great day. We got to feed Cody some "real" food, he enjoyed it so much, especially the tea. He is swallowing very good, he pointed to what he wanted to eat. We only gave him a few bites, but he enjoyed it. He will be able to eat more tomorrow, they just want to make sure that he doesn't choke. I think this will make a big difference in his rehab this week, it will make him stronger. He was able to say "Happy Birthday" to his great aunt today and that made her so happy. Gerry is going back to work tomorrow. I'm sure Cody will miss seeing him almost every day, he enjoys us cheering him on in rehab. Cody is working so hard in rehab and is determined to get back doing everything that he did before his surgery. PLEASE keep praying, we know that is why Cody is making such progress. Each day we see improvement and Cody knows that he is improving because his mind is functioning good. We are expecting "BIG" things this next week. Will update soon. God bless: Gerry, Pat and Cody
Cody has done well since the trach was taken out. He worked hard in PT, stood up in a chair they raise them up in, and sat up on the mat, Preacher Jay got to see that as he came by. Cody will probably have to see a special eye doctor to see what he can do about getting his eyes more focused, may be some eye exercises or special glasses that will help him. He took a shower and was able to wash his legs and arms, this was something new for him to do. He is going to have a swallow test Friday at 9:00 am, this will give them some idea as how good he is swallowing, making sure it doesn't go to the lungs. We went outside on the deck twice today. He enjoys the outdoors, and even though we are in the city, its better than sitting in the room. God bless: Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 10/3/2007Monday, GUESS WHAT? The trach is GONE!! Took it out at 3:00 pm today. Now he just has a bandage on his throat. The infections are now gone and the rash has for the most part cleared up also. It will probably be 2 weeks before the throat is healed completely, as there are no stitches, it just closes up on it's own. He is looking good and doing great in PT and Speech. Of course, he can't really speak yet, except he can say hi. I know his throat has to be really sore. God bless: Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 10/1/2007 The message above is from Cody, but he did have a little help from dad. He had a fever last night (102), but seems to be doing better today. He has a rash but we don't know why. When you ask him if he is ok, he always nods that head yes, he is and always has been a positive person. He has had to pick me up at times. He beat me in arm wrestling 2 out of 3 times with his "bad" arm today. He did not go to PT this afternoon since he had a fever last night. His Speech girl came in and he did great on the questions, so she isn't going to give him any more because his mind is good. Now it is mostly getting those muscles going. Hope the fever doesn't come back so he can get back in PT tomorrow. He really works hard when he is in there. God bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/30/2007 GUESS WHAT? Cody go his trach downsized on Sunday morning about 9am. He had a few miscues on Sat. night; his feeding tube came loose 2 times, so the milkshake was pouring all over him and the bed. He had an x-ray at 6am and they also got a sample of sputum. They did all this to make sure it was ok to downsize the trach. He had about 20 visitors today and we had Jami's party for her 20th birthday. Cody got to go outside for a while today also. He still has a rash, so they stopped the antibiotics. Monday we are back in therapy, hope he has another good week. God bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/27/2007 Cody had a good day again, he is smiling more too. He lifted his right leg for Dr. Dillon today, had not seen that before. They are supposed to downsize the trach Friday(today). Maybe he will be able to talk some this weekend. He can tell mom to quit washing his face, man he hates that. Jami and Cody will be "going to the movies" here at the hospital on Sunday, as we are celebrating her birthday. He likes those older women, she will be 20. Cody will be 20 on Oct. 23rd. I wish he could "eat" some cake, but he is still on the feeding tube. Well, maybe by his birthday. I pray that right arm will start coming around like the right leg is, then we will see some real progress. He casts right handed when he fishes you know. God bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/26/2007 Cody did good in morning therapy. Last night, cousins Anthony and Ennette brought him a signed picture of Hank Parker, autographed cap and tee shirt, a get well card that Hank and Martha both signed and a signed picture of Bill Dance and a Blooper video about fishing. WOW!! Cody is popular. He got a cap and poster Monday, signed by the UT football players. Today he got a black TY dog and balloons from Denso. He has gotten more cards than I can count, this shows how many people are thinking and praying for him. The doctor said today he may have 2-3 more months of rehab., it will depend on how fast those muscles start working. Looking for the Pulmonary doctor today to make a decision on downsizing the trach. It's been in since Aug. 14th. He will start more rehab from 1:00 until 3:00 pm today. He is resting up after rehab this morning. God Bless; Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/25/2007 Cody is doing good in his visual, memory type testing but gets really tired after physical therapy. He took a nap afterwards, and is now wide awake. Watching TV and answering my stupid questions with a nod of the head. Still need to get rid of the trach. We've been waiting 2 days for the doctors to come and check on it. Don't know what's taking so long! We will be glad when it is downsized and then gone!!! I know he has a lot to say. Aunt Karen and a certain little red head (Cody's girlfriend, Jami) just walked in. He is making a lot of progress, can't wait for that day to come when he can walk out of here on his own. I KNOW it is going to happen. I will update again when I can. God bless: Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/23/2007 It feels so good to be home! Cody only coughed one time last night, so he had a restful night. His cough is pretty dry now, it is good not to see all that "stuff" coming up. Jami came up early, so there was a smile on his face. He is nodding his head for yes now. The nurses told us they think he will really take off this next week in therapy, so we can't wait. He used his left hand and wrote Jami's name and a heart on a piece of paper, wrote mom and dad too. We know that God is beside Cody, putting strength back in his body and putting those smiles on his face. We know everything will be alright. God bless, Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/22/2007 The weekend is for rest, only 30 minutes of therapy in the bed today. He sat in his wheelchair for a couple of hours, but got tired, so we put him back in bed. Acts 14:22; We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. The sweetest joys of life are the fruits of sorrow. Human nature seems to need suffering to make it fit to be a blessing to the world. It is a common misconception that the Christians walk of faith is strewn with flowers and that when God intervenes in the lives of His people,He does it in such a wonderful way as to always lift us out of our difficult surroundings. The message of the Bible is one of alternating trials and triumphs in the lives of "a great cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) everyone from Abel to the last martyr. Don't ask why this happened to Cody, Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, put in prison, every bad thing you can imagine. God's promises and his providence do not lift us from the world of common sense and everyday trials, for it is through these very things that our faith is perfected. You young friends out there who are saying "Cody always went to Church and this happened to him, why do I need to go to Church"? Because if God was not there working in Cody's life through this hardship, he would not be here right now. You are missing the point. Please start reading your Bibles, and you will learn many important lessons and how you are to live your lives. You are in this world, but don't be of this world. GOD BLESS YOU ALL, Gerry, Pat and Cody I would like to add something to this beautiful witness. This was given to me by a good friend. It was written by Kathryn Hulme; NEVER FORGET THAT GOD TESTS HIS REAL FRIENDS MORE SEVERELY THAN THE LUKEWARM ONES. In His name, Debbie
Update; 9/21/2007 Cody rode the "bike" again today and did real well. He did a visual test on a computer screen, she said he did very good and she would have to make it harder for him. He also answered a lot of questions, and got them all right. Maybe he can ace this stuff and be out of here in 6 weeks, we can only pray for so much. He still has a long go of it, but he is making strides each day. GOD IS GOOD, Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/20/2007 Hey everyone, guess what? I am using Cody's laptop to do the "bridge" tonight "live" here at Patricia Neal. He is looking so good it is scary. Pat stayed last night, so she was with him today in therapy. He was on a bike today pedaling, can you believe it. He is doing a little more each day. They put a new pic line in his right arm, so no more awful IV lines that have to be changed every two days. This line should last until he is finished with the antibiotics. Cody got on a wedge on his stomach and raised his head with his own neck muscles and also did body stretches on a tilt table. He is working with the speech team, but still responds to me and Pat more than anyone. He still has his cough but that too is getting better. I think we came to the right place. Preacher Jay also came to visit today. God bless everyone. "Good night John boy".
Update; 9/17/2007 We did not get to leave Houston until 12:00 noon, but we are here in Knoxville. The flight went smooth and we had welcome home committee waiting at the airport. Cody did well, he is in room 460 on the 4th floor of Patricia Neal Rehab Center at Ft. Sanders Hospital. They are going to do assessments on Tuesday. Pat spent the night and sent me home. The dogs didn't know me!! A ton of mail to sort through. If we owe you money, wait until I look at the mail. Someone mowed the yard, thanks!! Truck looks awful, I will run it through car wash Tuesday to see what color it is. We are keeping a book for everyone to sign when they come to see Cody. He is in Isolation because he is still on the antibiotics for the infection in his lungs. Everyone has to wear gloves, mask and gowns around him. I am on dial-up here and I am going to have to find something faster to keep this updated. Hope Cody has a good Tuesday and from here on out. God bless everyone, Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/15/2007 and 9/16/2007 Cody smiled a few times today, moving and looking more to the right side. We asked him what speed his truck was, he held up 5 fingers, asked about his pappaws old black truck, he held up 3 fingers. He remembers things good. He is practices writing his name with his left hand and he is doing good. We want to thank everyone back home for all the fund raisers and donations. Because of you, the flight is all paid for. We will miss our Texas family and remember them forever. I will not be updating the site for a few days until we are settled back in at Knoxville. Continue to pray that the physical therapy goes well and fast, that he regains all use of his muscles, that his lungs continue to clear up and heal and that the tumor cells die out by the hand of out mighty Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This would be such a miracle for Cody to be a living testimony for what prayer and a strong Christian belief can do in a person's life. We have to be positive and believe to get through this, and we have that going for us along with a caring Church at Luminary, caring family,friends and classmates. God bless everyone and we cannot wait to get home tomorrow around 2:30 pm. Don't know where we will be landing at airport, if it was in a cow pasture, it would be alright with me, just watch out for the cows. Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/14/2007 It's Friday and we get to come home on Monday!!!! Our flight is at 11:00 am (Texas time). We have had a great day, Cody did good on his physical therapy, he is so much stronger than just a few weeks ago. He used to sit up and his body was like a rag doll, it just flopped over and he could not hold up his head. He holds his head up now, turns it around and he looks great. Chris came today and gave Cody a "private concert". Cody likes Johnny Cash and Chris has been practicing up. I hope Cody can get some rest when we get to Knoxville, and can hang in there with that rehab. Cody sleeps pretty good at night except for the "junk" he still has coming up and he has to try to get it up. 3am is suctioning time, 4am is bathing and turning time, 4:30am is blood drawing time and 6am is when the doctors come in and say "raise 2 fingers". Would you feel like raising 2 fingers at 6:00am? I have to run, they are here to clean this room. See you on Monday, Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/13/2007 Cody is looking goooood!!! He is doing very good today. He is getting a little better each day with his physical therapy. Beth has taught him some more sign language and played a game with him, Cody won. Our friends, Terry and Kimberly have come to visit. Terry gave Cody a hair cut and we added some new pictures to the web site, check them out. I am staying with Cody tonight, so I can go to the Astro's game with Terry tomorrow night while Pat pulls night duty. Looks like Monday for the plane trip back home. Pat. Neal had no beds for this week. We can wait a few more days. love Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/12/2007 Cody slept good last night, he is still breathing on his own, so good they are taking the ventilator out of his room today. He has done good today, he acts like he is going to get out of that bed himself. Cody is so aware today of everything we ask him and his mind is working overtime. Can't wait for him to actually get to talk to us instead of raising his fingers to answer. We are still waiting for the case manager to get final bids for flights back home. We may have to pack in a hurry, but it will probably be Friday or even Saturday. We are still waiting for the insurance to approve him coming to Pat. Neal Center. Wait, wait,wait and wait some more. I have grown to have a lot of patience, something I did not have much of before this happened. Thanks guys, hope to see you soon! Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/11/2007 Cody is doing real good breathing on his own. He did not use the ventilator at all last night, so hopefully he will be breathing on his own from here on out. They said he will be on antibiotics for a few more days to make sure they fight off the lung infection he had. His x-rays look good and the urinary tract infection has cleared up. Beth got him to do some more sign language, pointing to words and adding & subtraction by using his fingers on his left hand. He is moving more and doing better holding up his head and turning it. Cody has done his P.T. therapy for today. He does keep having some redness every time they do a new IV. The Case Worker is getting bids for flights back to Knoxville, maybe this Friday. We will be in a specialty unit on the 4th floor at Pat. Neal at Fort Sanders. Cody has a long road ahead of him on therapy because of the atrophy of his muscles. Chris is supposed to come visit today. Maybe he'll play Cody some songs on his guitar. They may do a MRI or a CAT scan today. A lot of stuff still to do, but getting real close. Love, Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/10/2007 Cody is awake and doing ok. We are waiting on P.T. to come in and work with Cody. The doctor said he might want another MRI or CAT scan this week, just to check everything out. Cody has been on the breathing collar since 6:00 am and they might leave him on it all night tonight. He is doing well on his own. He has a little swelling in his arm where they took the IV out yesterday. We are keeping a warm towel on it. Our Case Worker is off this week, what great timing. We are waiting for her replacement to come talk to us about Cody's transfer. I hope someone is working on this while she is off. Even when Cody leaves here, he will still have the trach and the feeding tube in his stomach. The doctor said it would be safer to leave in the trach in case they needed it later in Knoxville, than it would be to try and do it again. The feeding tube will be in I guess until he can eat on his own.
Update; 9/9/2007 Cody rested well last night and was put back on the collar at 6:00 am. He used it all day yesterday, breathing on his own, and has been on it all day today. We got him up into the neuro chair and exercised his legs and arms. The nurse had to move his IV back to his right arm because the left one was getting red. Our friend, Beth, has been teaching him sign language again today after we went to Houston First Baptist Church for worship. We met some amazing young people there, I think one is going to sneak his guitar into the room and play Cody some songs. We are still bringing him back to Knoxville next week, if he stays stable. He is showing a little emotion since he has been on the Ritalin. If we mention Jami's name or anything about her, he looks like he is going to cry and quivers his chin. Its sad to see him do this, but it is good he is showing emotions. He knows everything we talk about, his brain is working good, its just his muscles that are weak. Cody is ready to get on with his life, school and his many, many friends and family. He is back in bed for the night now to rest up. We want to THANK everyone for all the prayers, cards and concern during this difficult time. Cody has never had any fear by having this tumor, as he said back in January, mom don't worry,GOD will take care of me. I keep that in my head everyday, and yes, God is taking care of Cody. Please continue to pray for his full recovery. Hope for more good news on Monday. Love, Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/8/2007 Cody was on the collar for over 10 hours yesterday, he slept good last night and they came at 7:00 am and put the collar back on, so he will be breathing on his own all day. Pat and I have been working with Cody, arms and legs, and we have him up in the neuro chair. Cody is moving more, understands everything you say and all signs are looking good. He has to be totally off the ventilator before we can come back to Knoxville It is supposed to happen this week, so cross your fingers, get out your 4 leaf clovers, hold on to your rabbit's foot and PRAY LIKE CRAZY. We are coming back soon. God bless all family, friends and all the people we don't even know who have prayed so hard. God answers prayers!!! Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update; 9/7/2007 Cody is waiting on P.T. to come in. He has a low grade fever, but he is responsive. Well Cody sweated through the physical therapy ok. Can't wait to get HOME!!! Pray that Cody makes BIG progress getting off that ventilator.
Update 9/6/2007: Cody was stood up today on the table from 9am to 10am by P.T.. He did a good job, doing a little more each day. They changed his IV to the right arm because his left arm was turning red. Speech therapy is coming in today to work with him also. The only lines in him now is his feeding tube and the IV line. HURRAY..., no fevers and his blood work is also good. It was a big day, getting the trach and the catheter out. They come in at 2:30 am to do x-rays, breathing treatments and whatever and then want to know why he is sleeping in the day time. Go figure!!! Cody and I have been watching "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?", and Cody actually watched the whole show. He is turning his head from left to right, so the P.T. is really working. He is getting stronger each day, working as hard as he can. The left side is still stronger than the right. The doctors come in every morning at 6:00 am and ask Cody to show them two fingers. His dad has taught him how to do the Texas Longhorn sign, so that is what the doctors get in the mornings.
Update; 9/5/2007 Cody had his physical therapy this morning and I did too as I held him up. He is doing good today, but they still have not hooked up to his feeding tube. Cody sat up in the neuro chair from 10am til 4:30pm today. He is also breathing on his own with the breathing collar. They finally started his feeding in the new tube at 12:00 today. They are going to cap off the trach tomorrow to see if he can do without it and maybe try to talk. The doctor also said they may remove the catheter on Thursday. If he can get that out and maybe get over the urinary tract infection, that is one step closer to moving out into a room. He will be keeping the PEG in the stomach so they can feed him and put his medications through the tube.
Update on surgery 9/4/07 It has been a busy day! Cody had his feeding tube put in around noon and it went very well. He is actually more alert after this tube was put in and the one in his nose removed. We are in isolation again for the second time, he has the UTI and a little infection in his lungs, so the Infectious Disease tapes off his room and we have to put on robes, rubber gloves and masks to enter. They put him on another new antibiotic so maybe he will feel better tomorrow. He has a small blood clot in his left arm due to where he had the pic line in. The doctor says it will take care of itself. He is back on the ventilator since surgery until in the morning. Keep praying for his full recovery, as he has had a rough time the last 4 weeks in CCU. We are ready to get out of CCU and move into a regular room and then HOME!!!! Thanks for everything that everyone has done for us. We really appreciate it. Gerry, Pat and Cody
Update 9/4/2007: Cody is doing pretty good today. P.T. came in and worked with him. We are waiting for them to come get him for the PEG tube surgery. He has not had any food since midnight, so Dr. Lang put him on some liquids so he won't dry out. He is breathing on his own right now, so far, so good. They also may start Cody on some drugs to kick start his brain and get him more alert, probably tomorrow. Please buy or check out the book "90 Minutes in Heaven". It will have an impact on your life if you have any kind of life changing experience. Stay tuned for update after surgery!
Update on Cody; 9/3/2007 Today is a little brighter. Cody's fever is gone and it was a urinary tract infection. They are treating him with some different antibiotics, so this makes 3 that he is on now. The doctor says you have to try and stay ahead of these bugs. You take care of some, then new ones try to take over. P.T. came in and sat him up on the bed and worked on him for awhile. Then they put him in the neuro chair so he could sit and look outside. He is breathing on the collar again (on his own), so things are better today. We don't know if they will go ahead with PEG tomorrow, since he has this infection. Now Cody has been sitting up and breathing on his own for about 6 hours. He is moving his left leg and was actually able to pick it up some. Please pray that he can fight this infection off and Tuesday will be an even better day. God Bless
Update 9/2/07: We got out for awhile today and took Clint to a real Mexican restaurant, not Taco Bell stuff, to celebrate his 18th birthday coming up on the 16th. Cody is still running a fever and has a rash around his upper body. They have changed his antibiotics again and did ultra sounds to make sure he did not have any blood clots. His blood gases look good. They think he has a urinary tract infection. I think he is trying to break the record for someone staying in CCU. We can't have a good week without something else happening. Had alot of plans for this weekend with Cody and family. Don"t know why all this keeps happening, maybe I will someday. I told him he better get better before deer season. He loves to make deer jerky! Oh well, maybe tomorrow will be a brighter day for Cody and for us. Pray for fever to go away and good health to start coming back to his body. Clint and Jami will be flying back to Knoxville tomorrow. Please pray for them a safe trip.
Update 9/1/2007: Well we have the family here safe and sound, and Cody was feeling good yesterday, but around midnight he started running a temperature. They have placed a cooling blanket under him and have called in the IV team to see if his "Pic" line is the problem. He had not ran a temp. for the last week and we were so excited. We had hoped he would be able to sit in the neuro chair today and take some good pictures with the family. Looks like, with the fever, he will be in bed all day. One step forward and one step back seems to be the pattern. Clint was happy to see Cody looking as good as he does after not seeing him for 4 weeks.They have scheduled surgery for Tuesday to put in his "Peg" tube. any surgery is a setback, so please pray for this. Love to all!
Update 8/31/2007: Cody looks good today and with Clint and Jami here he looks even better. He is responding to questions and points to people. His eyes are open more and more aware of his surroundings, He lifted both legs today showing off for Jami. You know how guys are. He liked his shirts from Roan State and the cards from everyone. Thanks this is a good day.Cody; 8/30/2007, Cody continued sitting in the neuro chair until 9 pm and stayed on the breathing collar that long also. Cody's neurosurgery is healing well, but the myotherapy, which is the muscle shutdown, due to the trauma of surgery and all the medications with surgery, will have to be regained back through therapy. His lung is clear and his liver is balanced back to normal. Thanks for everything and please keep praying for Cody.
Update: 8/30/2007 P.T. got Cody standing up in the tilt bed. He stayed up about 30 min. and held his head up his self for most of it. He is breathing on his own with the breathing collar. The doctors have decided to take the feeding tube out of the nose and put one into the stomach. I came back from lunch at 2:00 pm today and the nurse had Cody sitting up in the neuro chair looking out the window. We may end up down here for quite a while after the trach is out to start his therapy. He is too weak to fly commercial and a special medical plane would cost in the thousands. Hopefully in 4 weeks, he can get strong enough to fly back on Continental. Clint and Jami are flying down Friday at 12:07.pm. My sister is driving down here. We hope to have a good weekend with family. The main prayer we need now is to get completely off theventilator for good and breathing on his own so he can get the trach out. I long for the day we are back home. Just like Dorothy said, there's no place like home.
Update on Cody; 8/29/2007Cody had a quiet, restful night. P.T. has been in and gave Cody a good workout, so now he is sleeping. He is on the C-pap now but they will try to put the breathing collar on his trach when he wakes up. Then he will be totally breathing on his own. They left him on the breathing collar too long Monday and it wore him out. They also washed his hair today. He is going to make a "hair statement" with his hair half long and half short. All the kids will be wearing this look, I'm sure. The doctor thinks that the first thing is ti get him off the ventilator, then move him to a room. After he builds his strength up a little. After they build up hid strength, he can come back to Knoxville for his therapy. It will take 2-3 months to build those "lawn moving muscles" back up.
Update on Cody; 8/28/2007 Cody did P.T. today and was able to turn his head on his own. His blood sugar is 94 and his enzymes are looking good in his Liver. The chest x-rays continues to get better with each one they take. He is still coughing some. He is on the ventilator at a low setting; they will take him off when he recoups from therapy. He can wink with his left eye and was also able to lift both legs today. He makes signs for ( b for Beth, c for Cody and d for dad). We want to thank Salem Church for the big Get Well poster and for all the cards from everyone. We live in Tennessee, God's Country, and everyone is showing what they are made of. We love all of you guys and know that God is going to bless everyone for the things you are doing. Cody is resting now after his "work-out".
Update on Cody; 8/27/2007, Cody has been breathing on his own for 4 hours. This is GREAT news! He had a good night until 3am when the x-ray woman came in. It took her two attempts and on the second one she ripped his feeding tube out of his nose. It took three attempts to get it back in. I have asked for another nurse for Cody. He pressed down on my hand with his right arm today, A FIRST. They took the art. line out of his right arm. He only has the art. line in the left arm and the trach. Hoping they will be taken out this week. The doctor is pleased with his progress. I hope we are back in the great state of Tennessee in the next two weeks.
Update on Cody; 8/26/2007Cody had a good night, but is still coughing. They took him off the ventilator early this morning, trying to wean him off of it in the next 2 or 3 days. We want to thank everyone who participated in the Road Blocks yesterday and the singing last night. God is really blessing our family!
Update on Cody; Saturday 8/25/2007 Cody has had a good day today. Last night he had a late night bath and slept like a baby. He has been off the ventilator about all day today. He is getting stronger, but is weaker on his right side. I asked him a question today and he nodded his head yes in answer and we were thrilled! We found an early morning fishing show this morning and he moved his head to the right to watch it. This also thrilled us. The Therapists are off on weekends, so we do the exercises with him. We have received around 75 cards and net mail here and I am going to read them to him today. God is good all the time, all the time God is Update on Cody; 8/24/2007, We got good news this morning! Cody's enzyme level was lower on one and stable on the other measurement for his Liver. He is pushing with his legs more, so he is getting stronger. When strapped into the chair that stands him up, he kept it up by himself for 20 minutes. He is on a C-pap and has been breathing on his own for about 4 hours. His vital signs are good also. They are going to suction his lungs again so he will have a good weekend. We have put some pictures on his web-site for everyone to see. God Bless good. Thank you and please keep praying, we need it and we feel it. Update: 8/23/07, Cody had a good day! Therapist got him up standing for about 10 minutes. It wore him out and he was quick to go back to sleep. Later, I worked his arms and legs. He was actually able to push back a little with his legs. Enzymes are still spiking up and down in his Liver. They are changing his antibiotics again to see if that is causing it. Hopefully he will rest good tonight. He has coughed some. God bless everyone out there! Updates: 8/22/2007 Cody has been very responsive today. He is attempting to do things I ask him to do. His temp. is down and still no coughing. The white blood count is down. He has been up in a neuro-chair and the Therapist are surprised. He even stayed off the respirator for 2 1/2 hours today. Keep up the prayers, they are working. Love everyone out there in cyber land! 8/21/2007 Cody slept good last night and all day today. They suctioned his lungs yesterday and he had a restful, non-coughing night and day. They changed his antibiotics and took him off the Steroids. A vibrator is being used to break up the congestion. He is not coughing and that is a GOOD sign. Please read Psalm 91, it says it all. Thanks for all the cards and letters also! Update: Cody has pneumonia in his lungs. The left lung is worse than the right. Please pray that this clears up and that he gains strength.
This is from Cody's Family. and we wish to assure them that we are indeed continuing to pray and all our best wishes go out to him and his family and friends.
Just wanted to pass on a new means of connection with Gerry, Pat and Cody Hallcox. We have created through Caring Bridge a web site that Gerry and/or Pat will be updating as often as they can on Cody's condition. This web site will also allow you to post notes to them. Please assist me with getting the word out and forward the address on to anyone and everyone that may want to visit! As you will see, we especially want to be in prayer today. They are reducing the sedation. We pray that he wakes up. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/codyhallcox19
Here is the address to the hospital if you would like to send a card through US Postal.
Cody Hallcox, ICU Rm G722 MD Anderson Cancer Center P.O. Box 300206 Houston, TX 77230
Also, below is a link to the hospital's web page. On the left, there is a link to send a message to patients and they will deliver to them.
https://www2.mdanderson.org/sapp/contact/message.cfm
Thanks as always for your continued prayers and support for the Hallcox family. Love, Pam
Please pray for this family. This is a young boy that is a member of my office manager’s church.
Sue
Cody has had surgery to remove about half of a tumor. They took a sample early in surgery to the lab and found that it is malignant. Needless to say this is not the news they wanted to hear. They had done an MRI late on Monday night and found out after surgery that the tumor had grown even since July. He will have to have radiation and/or chemo. The first concern was to make sure that he wake up and know that there was no damage done during surgery. I ask that you continue to pray for Cody during this recovery of the surgery as well as they days to come. We know that God is much bigger than this tumor and we'll leave it all to Him.
Update: The surgery ended at 10pm last night. The frozen section revealed a fast growing malignant neoplasm. Final pathology should be available on Friday or Monday. Cody has been placed on a ventilator this morning and they haven’t been able to wake him yet. I just received a call and they are pretty frantic this morning. He is in CT scan now and will follow with an MRI. He is responding to stimulation on the left side of the body but not the right. Please continue to pray for Cody and his family. I know that none of this sounds good but God is always in control and I continue to pray for Gods blessing in their lives.
Sandi
Cody is still not awake but has shown some signs of reacting to stimulation during the day. He had crossed his legs at one point and his arms too. She said the nurses pinch him every time they go by and at one point he was almost appearing to be agitated. The doctor told them that the side of the brain that they did not work on sometimes will take longer to "wake up." They did a cat scan earlier in the day which revealed swelling as they expected. He was having an MRI when she talked to Pat. They had to place him on a respirator late Tuesday night and they are trying to ween him off of it. They have allowed them to stay in the room with him the entire time. Let's continue to unite in prayer that he wake up and begin talking and sharing with them as Cody can do so well. Teresa expressed her appreciation to everyone for the thoughts and concerns. Keep praying!
Hi Everyone,
Get ready -- this is a good one! Cody had a pretty good day. He still didn't wake up, however, the doctors told them that's okay because yesterday the brain would swell the most and if he did wake up they would have to probably put him back under. They also told them that the MRI that was done on Wednesday night revealed that they were able to get 90% maybe even 100% of the tumor. Is that not awesome!!! Need I remind you that originally they thought 50-60%. Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray that he wakes up. Pam
