Man evades death
Victoria resident stays upbeat, positive, despite 6 close calls
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Churchgoers discovered Ric Godfrey passed out lifeless right outside the sanctuary.
Dr. William Campbell Jr., who was sitting inside John Wesley United Methodist Church, rushed back and saw a gray and ashen Godfrey with no pulse.
Campbell started cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but found Godfrey's airway blocked.
"I was basically dead then," Godfrey recalled.
But the cardiologist wouldn't let him die, no matter how forceful the CPR needed to be. In fact, Godfrey's stomach ruptured during the process.
"We saved his life, but we almost killed him," Campbell remembered, but added Godfrey came back to consciousness "reasonably nicely."
The 64-year-old Victoria resident still struggles with speaking, but realizes he's lucky, especially because he evaded death six times during the past 20 years.
On that day in July 2004, Godfrey was rushed to Citizens Medical Center after his esophagus closed and his heart stopped. Dr. Craig Chang, a general surgeon, performed a tracheotomy to install an airway, inserted a feeding tube and fixed his stomach.
"I joke the good Lord and I have an understanding," the ornery Godfrey said. "He doesn't want me yet and the devil's afraid I'll open an ice water stand."
The first time doctors told him he may die was when specialists found squamous cell carcinoma, or skin cancer, in his thyroid and left tonsil at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in July 1997. Surgery removed those, along with a tumor wrapped around his esophagus, larynx, vocal cords, carotid artery and spine.
"That's when I started being stubborn," Godfrey joked.
He wouldn't let cancer beat him and was back mowing the yard two weeks after surgery.
Five years later, the radiation he received as cancer treatment created problems for an angioplasty, a surgery that would clear his heart's three blocked arteries. Radiation takes away the rejuvenation abilities of the arteries, Godfrey explained.
He went back to work as a wholesale industrial salesman three days after that surgery, he said.
The years 2003 through 2007 offered bouts with severe allergies, carpal tunnel, another instance of skin cancer on his nose and diagnoses of diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The chronic disease means the respiratory system slowly degrades, making it harder to breathe. This disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
Godfrey's latest near-death experience came in the form of a quadruple coronary artery bypass at Houston Northwest Medical Center in October 2008. Nuclear heart scans showed blockages in the arteries - again.
While disabled now, Godfrey didn't let his health problems tear down his spirit. He keeps strong through his faith in God and the support of his family, including his wife, Dee, a school child nutrition secretary. He predicts he'll stay around long enough to see his great-grandchildren marry.
Dee doesn't know if that'll happen, but loves his attitude.
She recalls once, when her husband was suffering through a depression spell, he thought that his problems could not get any worse, but they did.
"And they did, many times over," she said. "So, he just doesn't worry about it anymore. He doesn't dwell on it and he tries to get better."
"Yeah, I've been through a bunch," he said nonchalantly. "I think the good Lord put me here to teach people not to give up. There's always hope."
Godfrey's "hope" comes off as "stubborn." In 2004, after the church incident, he spent 30 days in the surgical intensive care unit. All the while, he told his nurses he would walk right on out of there.
"And he did," Laura West, registered nurse, recalled. "The man has nine lives, I swear."
Godfrey refers to the day he was brought back to life as his "new birthday." So, to celebrate, the foodie bakes a cherry chocolate cake every year for those nurses. Godfrey himself cannot swallow food and eats solely through a feeding tube, which he says depresses him at times because he used to plan whole vacations around food.
But now he enjoys telling friends his amazing life story and shows off his life's battle wounds.
Dr. Chang can't remember many patients like him, who keep such a positive attitude and spirit.
"I think it is an amazing story on resiliency," Chang said. "How this guy bounced back."
RIC GODFREY'S BATTLES:
July 1997: Cancer in thyroid and tonsil, tumor wrapped around esophagus, larynx, vocal cords, carotid artery and spine
June 2001: Carpal tunnel syndrome, surgery fails
July 2002: Blockage of five arteries, surgery
October 2003: Pneumonia and dehydration
...- SHOW ALL »
RIC GODFREY'S BATTLES:
July 1997: Cancer in thyroid and tonsil, tumor wrapped around esophagus, larynx, vocal cords, carotid artery and spine
June 2001: Carpal tunnel syndrome, surgery fails
July 2002: Blockage of five arteries, surgery
October 2003: Pneumonia and dehydration
December 2003: Jawbone dies, all teeth removed
July 2004: Esophagus closed, heart stopped, stomach ruptured from CPR; emergency surgery to fix stomach, breathing and feeding tubes
September 2006: Removal of skin cancer from nose
November 2006: Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
June 2008: Diagnosed with diabetes
October 2008: Quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery
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Mr. Godfrey hired my company to build a section of fence for him some time back. He was actually out there helping me build it, and he's the only customer I've ever had who gave me a letter of recommendation without me asking for it. He told me that the worst thing in the world is smelling a gourmet meal and not being able to eat it. Then he sort of chuckled.
January 8, 2009 at 5:51 a.m.Sometimes when I feel troubled about things, I think about Mr. Godfrey and the example he sets for humanity in general. Life here is a gift to be cherished, not expected, and if anyone can remind me of this...it's this man.
Mr. Godfrey, if you're reading this, thank you again for your business and for the letter of recommendation. I thank God you're still around and I sure wish I had more customers like you.
Mark Krueger