Area Basketball Star Undergoes Major Surgery

Former Lake City and Coeur d’Alene High basketball star Melissa Dodge is “doing well” after having emergency surgery Sunday night in Rhode Island, according to her father, Mike.

“She had what the doctor diagnosed as acute appendicitis and when that was removed, they found a little tumor,” said Mike Dodge, who, along with his wife, Sally, traveled to South County Memorial Hospital in Wakefield, R.I., on Monday. “We won’t know until Thursday or Friday, but they, and we, are hopeful it’s benign.”

Melissa Dodge, who started on three state championship teams, including Lake City’s 1994-95 titlists, is a freshman back-up forward at the University of Vermont. She’ll be hospitalized about 10 days.

“I think it’s getting a little better,” Mike Dodge said. “It was awfully scary there for a while. She had pretty major surgery.”

Melissa Dodge, already sidelined with a stress fracture in one foot, was with the team for a Sunday road game against Rhode Island. She had complained about stomach pain on Saturday and apparently visited the hospital that night. By halftime of Sunday’s game, the pain was acute.

“She couldn’t move,” Mike Dodge said. During the surgery, part of his daughter’s intestine and colon were removed.

Melissa Dodge had recently rejoined the team after coming home for the holidays. During her five-day stay, Dodge said his daughter, “seemed to be in a little bit of discomfort, but we just figured it was from getting knocked around in basketball. This all came kind of out of the blue.

“Her mother, Sally, says, ‘Tell everybody to think good thoughts.”’

Dodge probably will return to Coeur d’Alene to continue her recuperation.

Dodge, who will miss the remainder of the season, played in nine games, averaging 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Cards or letters can be sent to South County Hospital, 100 Kenyon Avenue, Wakefield, R.I., 02879.

, DataTimes