Trosclair reflects on toughest challenge

Heading into his 21st season as the head football coach at Eunice High, Paul Trosclair has celebrated historic victories and helped his teams recover from dissapointing losses.
But this season, the veteran coach has a different perspective after battling to recover from multiple myeloma.
Trosclair shared his story Thursday with the Eunice Kiwanis Club.
“Last year around springtime I started feeling dizzy and fatigued,” the coach reflected. “At first they thought I had a heart problem so I did all the tests and passed.
“The creatinine level in my kidneys continued to rise anad the kidney doctor couldn’t figure it out.”
Then they did a biospy and he knew something wasn’t right when the doctor called.
“Doctors don’t call to wish you a good day,” Trosclair joked. “So when Dr. (Michael) Liu called and starting talking I didn’t know anything about multiple myeloma or light chain desposition disease.
“So when I got off the phone I looked it up and thought - wow I will be dead in a couple of years.”
Multiple myeloma is a relatively uncommon cancer that starts in the plasma cells in the bone marrow.
Light chain deposition disease is a rare blood cell disease which is characterized by deposition of fragments of infection-fighting immunoglobulins, called light chains in the body.
LCs are normally cleared by the kidneys, but in LCDD, these light chain deposits damage organs and cause disease.
“About 20,000 people in the USA get diagnosed each year with this blood disorder so it is kind of rare,” Trosclair explained. “We then started the plan with M.D. Anderson and went through chemotherapy, taking steroids and tryring to fight through the process.
“As football coaches we always teach our players to be mentally tough,” the coach said.
“It was chance to show what mental toughness was.”
Early in his battle, Trosclair earned his 200th career win in the season opener against Northwest (28-21).
The Bobcats struggled with just three more wins as Eunice High finished with a 4-6 record before their coach began his treatments at M.D. Anderson in Houston.
“It was a down year for us,” Trosclair said. “It was also the worst year of my life.
“I didn’t do my best as a coach,” he said. “But I did the best I could do.
“The doctor didn’t think it would be good for me to stay coaching through that but coaching is what I do - I wasn’t going to sit at my house.”
After four months of treatments and the conclusion of the 2014 football season, Trosclair went to Houston for the stem cell transplant.
Trosclair’s own stem cells were removed from his bone marrow and stored until they were needed for the transplant.
When the cancer cells were killed, the stored stem cells were infused back into his blood.
“I am now 5 1/2 months out and I just starting feeling better,” he said. “I have had two haircuts and I have energy again.
“Last time I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago she said I might be in complete remission.”
Trosclair said complete remission would be “awesome” for a disease that has no cure.
Trosclair still undergoes slow-dose chemotherapy, taking a pill 21 days a month.
The coach said he is looking foward to the football season but also joked about his record.
“We might be better than we were last year,” he said. “If we aren’t then they need to fire the head coach.”
While Trosclair was fighting the battle, the Bobcat nation was rallying around him.
“It was awesome,” Trosclair said of the bands sold with “Team Tros” on them to support the coach. “It was more support than anybobdy could expect.
“I still wear one of the bracelets that a student gave me while I was in Houston.
“I am appreciative of all the support I got from the students and community.”
Trosclair began his days at Eunice High as an assistant coach in 1984 under head coach Johnny Bourque before taking over the Oakdale program in 1990.
After five years with the Warriors, Trosclair returned to the Bobcat sidelines.
Troslair is a member of the LHSAA 200-win club with a 203-92 overall record.