Question
I bought an orchid 2 weeks ago, the flowers fell off 3 days later. Now the stem is turning brown and is soft to the touch(mostly at the top)!? Also the leaves are looking droopy.Is there any hope? Also, when you mention cutting back to the "rode", is that where the old flower was? Im new to this as you can tell, any help is appreciated! If my plant was healthy, is it always necessary to cut back the stem?

Answer
Kelly, I assume you have a phalaenopsis orchid.  The "stem" that bears the flowers is called a flower spike.  It has nodes (joints).  These nodes have a small sheath.  Under that sheath is a special tissue which can develop either new plants or a branch in the flower spike.  If that stays green , one or more of the nodes may develop either new plantlets or a flower spike.  If the spike stays green after flowering, you may cut it off above any node or remove the entire spike.  Cutting the old flower spike will not affect the health of the plant.  However, many phalaenopsis hybrids naturally have their old flower spike dry up and die-- this is natural so don't be concerned about it.

My greatest concern is your comment that the leaves look droopy.  That is a sign of root rot and suggests that the potting mix has deteriorated to the extent that the potting mix holds water and doesn't let air pass through.  You need to find a source of orchid potting mix and purchase a small bag of it.  It is a special potting mix just for orchids.  When you have it, soak a portion of it in room temperature water while you are preparing the plant for repotting.  To prepare the plant, unpot it and discard the old potting mix.  Then, wash the roots carefully.  You should find a number of roots that are stringy and/ or mushy.  These are dead roots and need to be removed.  Only the firm roots are healthy.  The plant will need one or more healthy roots to recover from the bad potting mix after repotting.  Choose a plastic pot that is just the right size for the remaining roots.  Place the new pot in a location where the new wet potting mix can drain as you add it to the pot.  Place your plant in the pot so the top of the roots are about 2 inches from the top of the pot.  Try to get all of the roots into the pot and slowly add the new potting mix, tapping the pot to settle the mix as you add it.  Once the roots are entirely covered, set the plant in an east window, or under growing lights.  It may be a month or more before you see new growth.  you may lose one or more or your droopy leaves as they may not have a healthy root system that has supported their growth in the past.