UPDATES

4/15/10

Don't even want to figure how long it has been since I posted my last update!!! How did that happen? But, this time it's "No news was GOOD news".  I am so happy to write that Bruce has been doing AWESOME! He made it through a very difficult winter without a hospitalization, and he is doing great! I credit all the love and prayers sent his way, the loving daily care he receives, and the tons of energy work that has been given to him during this past year. The Thursday before Easter, our Physical Therapist/CranioSacaral therapist and ever present angel, Ed had a very powerful healing session with Bruce. I was there and I wouldn't begin to know how to describe it other than to say that it was a Godly experience.-The room was filled with every prayer that was ever said for Bruce. And for the first time ever, he stayed awake and participating throughout the session. It was amazing. Three days later on Easter morning, Bruce turned his head when I called to him and made vocal sounds all morning. He is not completely consistent with this, but hearing him has become a regular event. I think it's safe to say that Bruce has found his voice. Now we need to help him find words to go with it. The tears we witnessed all winter have gone for the most part. Bruce looks peaceful and comfortable most of the time and his smiles are back. He isn't struggling with anything at the moment (although allergy season is here, and that may change with the pollen count) and he is alert and observing all the time now. He blinks accurate responses regularly and interacts with the environment as much as he can. It's a whole new ball game for us all, and we are all so excited about it.

This past Sunday, our wonderful and loving angles, Sue and Aaron Singleton, the healer couple who have been doing distance healing on Bruce for a year now, came to meet Bruce in person and gave us a the gift of a healing session for Bruce (and for me, but more on that later.) They also had a powerful session with Bruce, bringing in so much love, encouragement, and healing energy. It was clear that Bruce "knew" them, although he had never seen them before. What an incredible joy it was to meet them. More angles brought into my life by Bruce.  And, Bruce's daughter Chanel, has experienced her own miraculous healing after a bone marrow transplant on Dec 5, 2009. As of March 25, 2010, she is completely cancer free, and back at work! This is how your prayers work in our lives!

As for me... I am okay, but struggling with a few issues. I finally gave into having a root canal that I have been dreading for more than a year-Now I know why! By Easter, the area became infected. I held onto the antibiotic prescription hoping I wouldn't need it, but after rolling over one night with the world spinning around and around in my head, I thought an infection might have gotten to my inner ear, and I broke down and took it. It's been 4 days but I am still experiencing vertigo when I lay down flat. So, it probably was not an infection. I have been busy seeing the acupuncturist and a CrsnioSacaral therapist who both feel it is an alignment problem in my spine probably caused by tension in my neck. So, a little root canal work has turned into king sized drama! No wonder my inner guide was dreading it! I ask for your prayers for a speedy resolution to this little inconvenience that has kept me from visiting Bruce for more than a few days.

I do apologize for the long absence in updates, but please know that your spirit and prayers appear in our lives every day-We are never far away for you! I thank you for your continued prayers for Bruce, for me and for our family. Please don't stop checking this site. I will keep posting on this site as long as Bruce continues his wondrous and miraculous journey. Our continued love and gratitude-Joyce

1/31/2010

Bruce has been having a difficult winter. Friday of this week we had an emergency room visit when Bruce was struggling with a few bad nights of asthma and a low grade temperature( an infection somewhere). He seems to be dealing with a number of "little" infections ever since the beginning of the Fall. This will be his second course of antibiotics which will flare up the c-diff and make him miserable again.  The good news is that everyone is always pleasantly surprised at how good Bruce's blood work is in spite of his obvious illnesses. As the docs in the ER say: "The paperwork just doesn't match what I see." It helps me to know that Bruce's caregivers send him off for help BEFORE his underlying good health is compromised. I am beginning to think that Bruce's acid reflux problems may be the root cause of these difficulties. His stomach contents come up on him frequently and that sparks the asthma. Where the infections factor in, I'm not sure , but I have been suspicious of what is going on in his gut ever since the docs at the VA were not able to remove his g-tube last summer. That along with the cyst/infection around his g-tube site makes me wonder what is going on inside the stomach. Bruce has peaceful moments, but many painful moments as well. His Blaire House angels continue to humble me with gratitude for all they do for him. During his recent breathing difficulties, our angel Tanya, stayed with him all night doing every thing she could to help him. They are all quick and ready with compassion and pain medication, but Bruce could use the prayers of all his prayer angels to help him lick this thing for good and get back to the business of recovery. We haven't seen smiles for a long time, and we miss them. In the meanwhile, our angel Ed continues to make weekly visits. Bruce knows him and is always more comfortable when Ed has completed the treatment. Our friends at The Way to Balance continue to provide distance healing on a weekly basis as well. Everyone who deals with Bruce has noticed his increased awareness since all this energy work has begun. All agree that Bruce's energy is getting stronger and he is working harder than ever to get better any way possible. We continue to completely support him in that. Recently, Bruce had a visit from his 2 closest childhood friends: Dirk VanGulden and Todd Freidenburg. Both lived across the street from him growing up. We all had a nice long visit and Bruce stayed awake and with us the entire time. I am so very grateful to them and to all those friends of Bruce's who have taken the time to visit him. The energy surrounding things like that is so very loving and healing.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to keep a few very special friends of our in your prayers: Georgina Dapcevich is battling breast cancer which has spread to her liver. She lives in Sitka, AK and is a dear friend we made when we lived there. Bruce was crazy about her cooking and she always had some goody for him at our church pot-puck breakfasts. She is needing a miracle right now. I know our prayers can move mountains and we need to move one for Georgie. I know I have shared with you in the past that a local church has adopted Bruce. Their pastor, Fr. Mac, has been a strong and loyal support to us. He has spent a few all-nighters in hospital rooms with me when Bruce was as sick as he could possibly be. He has become like family to us. Recently, Fr. Mac had a fall and sustained a head injury. Last I heard, he was up and about, but a few prayers to speed the heal couldn't hurt. And lastly, during our recent ER visit, our nurse Lisa shared with me that her 23 year old son Josh, a Marine, was badly hurt while in Afganistan. His group of 6 were hit by a road side bomb. Four were killed, one lost a leg, and Josh lost vision in one eye, hearing in one ear and sustained a brain injury. She has not been able to see him yet. I know it must have been heart wrenching for her to tend to Bruce fearing the same end for her only son. Needless to say we bonded instantly. I was deeply touched to have another stellar angel placed in our path on this amazing journey. My dear friends, all of these people need the magic that your prayers can bring to them. Please take a minute to pray for each one of them right now.  Please know that we feel your love, your prayers and your healing intentions for Bruce and for me, daily. Blessings-Joyce

1/12/2010

We are in the throws of winter here in New England and Bruce is feeling it as much as the rest of us. He has recovered well from the multitude of infections he had, but he continues to have daily struggles with congestion and gastro issues. We think he may have caught the intestinal bug going around the Blaire House (I know I did!), but it is difficult to tell for certain without Bruce's side of the story-We can only guess at these things. I was very pleased to know that he received his H1N1 flu shot this week -(That is a trip we don't need to take, thank you very much!.) My grandchildren have all been immunized as well. I am very relieved about both happenings. Also, responding to my request, The Blaire House has purchased a new
shower chair for Bruce, which is source of great celebration. The only chair which could accommodate Bruce in his condition had broken many months ago, and I don't think anyone realized how long it had been since Bruce had had a shower. He received regular bed baths of course, but, as you all well know, it just ain't the same. Bruce had developed a number of skin based infections: ingrown hairs, g-tube site, toe nail infections, etc., and I believe the lack of a good shower might have contributed to these conditions. Not to mention how much Bruce LOVES his showers. They are the most peaceful moments of his week- Nothing relaxes him like water pouring over his body. Needless to say, he is looking squeaky clean these days, and is enjoying his showers again. 

Bruce's therapist, our angel Ed, tells me that there is a collective kind of sadness present in our area lately.  It's a general kind of fear/heaviness present in the collective conscience of the population probably due to the economy, flu epidemic, let down from the holidays, etc. He said that he has been seeing it in almost all of his clients since Christmas, and he felt it strongly in Bruce as well. (I know that I felt it too.) We had a quiet, uneventful Christmas this year. With the grandchildren out of state, Christmas morning lacked it's usual excitement. We had the annual Neal family (plus whomever else wanders in) Christmas Eve gathering which is always fun; followed by the Firth Christmas day gathering in Bruce's room which is also very nice. But, I just didn't feel connected to much of the holiday joy this year. I drove home on Christmas Eve, exhausted, alone and anxious
to get home in the pitch dark when I passed a small Methodist church in the middle of nowhere having a midnight Christmas Eve service. I had never even noticed this church before, but with a light snow falling, I stopped in on a whim and participated in the fellowship of Christmas carols, choir/music, and a beautiful candlelight service which ended at midnight. It was truly the highlight of the holiday for me, and I was so glad I stopped that night. Other than that, there was a veil between me and the holiday which I couldn't quite understand until Ed explained about the heaviness which had such an effect on us all .I am pleased to say that I've felt increasingly better since New Years. Bruce seems better too.  If you recall, I make a declaration each new year which set my intentions for that year. I find these declarations to be fortuitous for me: 2007 , 8 months before Bruce was hurt, I had declared that year to be my year of courage-Thank God, because I really needed courage that year ; 2008- was my year to get strong; 2009- my year to rebuild, and I have declared 2010 my year to get moving- in every way. I have a good feeling about this year -It would be a great year for a miracle, wouldn't it?

Please continue to pray for Bruce and for me and for our family. That we will know and feel God's love in all things; that we will accept His will, and acknowledge His blessings in all that happens.  If I haven't said it lately, thank you for continuing on this journey with us. Blessings- Joyce

12/22/09

Hark! I bring you tidings of good news...... It's Christmas; the celebration of the birth of the Christ child: Our Savior. Although there is no better news than that, I am pleased to report that our Bruce and his daughter, Chanel, are both doing well. If you recall, earlier, I thought Bruce was nursing a flu virus: however it turned out to be multiple infections from head to toe. He had a sinus infection, a nasty infection at his g-tube site, a urinary tract infection and an infected big toe. The poor guy was just miserable. Although I am not a big fan of antibiotics, I did agree to it this time because there was just too much going on to deal with individually, and it turned out to be a good call. Within days, Bruce was looking and feeling so much better. His sky rocketing weight also began to come down into normal range ...go figure...and he has done well ever since. That pesky c-diff has reappeared, but not nearly as bad as it has in the past. Bruce continues to receive all the energy medicine I can afford to provide for him. We are seeing the difference every day. He moves his neck quite a bit on his own and there is neurological activity in all of his limbs. Bruce's awareness had risen quite a bit as evidences by appropriate laughter and tears, and the "knowing" behind his eyes which are tracking remarkably well these days.. Unfortunately, the tears are getting to be routine when I tell him I am leaving in the evening, but I have to remember that this is Bruce's journey, and his sadness is all part of it. Knowing that he is never alone in his pain helps me-God, the spirit of Jesus, and all of his angels are always with him-And they do comfort him.  As for Chanel- Her recovery has gone so well- "Awesome!" as her caretakers have described it, that she was able to go home last weekend. She has lost all of her beautiful hair, she has a mountain of pills to take and she has to go back to the Mayo clinic every morning to have her blood checked, but she is thrilled to be home with her son and her mother on Christmas. She says that her goal is to get well enough to come to Massachusetts to see her father, hopefully by the close of 2010. Some of your powerful prayers would be helpful here.

What can I say to you all that I haven't said so many times before?  Bruce is still here, 2 years and 4 months after an injury that should have killed him on the spot. His spirit remains strong and continues to fight to recover. There is no medical president for any of it, but some how the energy within loving thoughts, prayers, and intentions for healing have risen above the limitations of this world and have sustained Bruce to continue his journey with us by his side. This is the power of God at work every day in Bruce's life, in your life and in mine. Sometimes, it leaves me awestruck.  I couldn't begin to thank all those who have provided so much for us  during the past 28 months. I did , at one time, try to write the names of everyone who has contributed to Bruce in some way, but the list became pages long and there are people added every day. Please know, that we know who you are, and it is with the humblest part of me that I thank you, on behalf of my self and Bruce, Chanel and all of our family, for your gifts, and prayers, and visits, cards, and donations, love, kindnesses, calls, and words of support. May 2010 be a year of miracles. Blessings- Joyce and Bruce

11/20/09

I am sorry to report that sometime within the past few days, Bruce contracted a nasty virus. I happen to know how nasty it is because I had it myself for 3 + weeks. I had to stay home, away from Bruce for more than 7 days and all I did was of cough and nurse sinus pain. Almost all of Bruce's hands-on care staff at the Blaire House have this virus and are on antibiotics for sinus infections, so I guess it was just a matter of time for Bruce. He was just miserable tonight when I left him. The Blaire folks are watching him closely and medicating him as much as they can. We all just need to pray that he is strong enough to weather this. Today Bruce and I were able to use our computer's webcam to see and speak with his daughter, Chanel, in Arizona for the first time. Although it was a challenge to make it happen, I think it will work fine for keeping us connected throughout her bone marrow transplant recovery. She will be admitted and begin her procedure on 11/23, just a few days away. She has a great attitude and is all set to go. She tells me that her Transplant Foundation account is in place. I'll be back on this site soon with all that information for those who are interested. Also, I'd like to thank those of you who have inquired with love and concerns for Devin, Bruce's grandson. With all the activity surrounding Bruce and Chanel, it is easy to forget how frightening and difficult this will be for him. I will be sure to post Devin's address also so those of you who want to, can send him cards and well wishes as well.

I promised you that I would post our niece, Cassidy Firth's Veteran's Day essay about her uncle Bruce, and so here it is. I'm sure it will touch you as it did me:

Chief Warrant Officer, Bruce Firth (by Cassidy Firth)

It’s been over two years since that bright, sunny, August day that my uncle Bruce had an aortic aneurism, went into twelve hour open heart surgery, and went into a coma he would never come out of. Sitting in the hospital waiting room one afternoon, I made him a bracelet. I figured my aunt would put it on him, but it would soon be taken off during one of his follow up surgeries or testing. But this past weekend, as I walked next to the familiar nursing home bed, I noticed once again the braided bracelet around his wrist, despite the countless hospital trips and scans. The only differences were that it was worn thin and the once vibrant crimson red and navy blue had faded to a light pink and baby blue. Although I never would have asked if not for this project, I have been learning about his thirty years in the military these past few days through his “big book”. It contains pictures of him, awards he was given, thank-you's he received, and lots of other memorabilia.

My uncle, Bruce Firth, was enrolled in the United States Coast Guard and started military training camp in 1971. After years of training, he was sent aboard the Glacier as the third class damage control man. He was gone for a long time, his ship heading to the North Pole and then down to the south, crossing both the equator and the International Date Line on the way.  Throughout his military career, he was promoted through the ranks as he continued to increase his time serving our country. After the Glacier, he was assigned to the National Strike Force team as he and his fellow crew members worked to control oil spills and save damaged ships. While still serving on the NSF, my uncle Bruce was appointed chief damage control man, from first class. The next ship he was on was called the USCGC BIBB, where he was on the decommissioning crew. For his last years in the military, he was moved to Sitka, Alaska, where he received my favorite awards he was given. Each year, in Sitka, the people in his town would organize an event called the Polar Dip that was held on the winter solstice. The participants would have to go into the freezing cold waters off the Alaskan coast. My uncle participated at least twice receiving a certificate each time judging him INSANE!

In 2001, after 30 years, my uncle, Bruce Robert Firth, retired as chief warrant officer from the military. He completed countless school courses, like ground safety school, received several awards for his work, and thank-you’s for his help. He has always been a tremendous inspiration to me and will always be honored as a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.


Please hold Bruce tight in your prayers while he fights his way through this virus-And Chanel& Devin as they enter into a long and stressful journey of recovery from leukemia. Love, gratitude and blessings-Joyce
 

11/16/09

I cannot believe that another month has squeaked by. November looks to be a very busy month for Bruce and me-Soooo much going on- I imagine
it will stay pretty high pitched right until the first of the year.  First things first: Bruce is doing well. He continues to receive weekly therapy from our angel Ed, and remote healing from our angels Sue and Aaron Singleton. Along with that is all the hands-on good care he receives from his caretakers, as well as all prayers, Reiki, love, positive thoughts and good intentions he gets from all of you. It is no wonder he is doing so well. He is up in his chair every day and recently, the VA saw him and has ordered Physical Therapy for his hands/arms and hips-Hooray!!! Now we can only hope that it will actually happen. (It would be appropriate to pray here.) We go outside every "good" day we have and Bruce is always surrounded by company of some sort. Yesterday Bruce's mother, his brother Glen , wife Fran and our 2 lovely nieces came for a visit. The youngest, Cassidy, wrote a special Veteran's Day report on her Uncle Bruce. It brought me to tears to read it. Unfortunately, I left my copy in Bruce's room, but I will post it on this site within the next day or two. It was very moving to read how Bruce and his service to our country has touched the life of this young girl. We are, of course, concerned about the H1N1 flu. Bruce has not received the vaccine because it has not been available to him, but he receives daily doses of Amantadine which is an antiviral that just happens to wake up sleeping brains. So we are hoping that, in the absence of a vaccine, this will help him to ward off this flu, or better deal with it if he should get it.

In the meanwhile, I worry about my 3 little grandsons one of which has asthma. They all are scheduled to get flu shots this week , although two of them have egg allergies which can exclude them from the vaccine, but their allergist is going to test them and thinks it will be OK for them to get the shot. Here in Massachusetts, the swine flu is is everywhere. Schools have been closed and kids are very sick. Please pray for Bruce, our children and all of our grandchildren: that they will sail through this flu season and remain happy and healthy. It is during these times that I try to remember that it is all in God's hands, and God is good. I was reminded of this just this week when our friend and lead angel, Mr. Dr. Sidhu, came through Bruce's doorway to thank us for all of our prayers. We hadn't seen him since May of 2008 when he suffered a heart attack followed by a heart transplant. He looked great-Our latest miracle!

In the center of our radar this month, is Bruce's daughter Chanel. As many of you know, she has CML- a rare type of leukemia. She will enter the Mayo Clinic in AZ on 11/22 to begin the process of her bone marrow transplant. She will receive chemo therapy to kill of her bone marrow until December 1 when she receives the actual transplant. It is likely that she will be hospitalized for several months, homebound for many more months, and she will not be able to visit her father for at least one year. I know Bruce would be very proud of what she has done-all on her own- to make this all happen. We have sent an early Christmas present of a laptop with a webcam so that Bruce and Chanel can see each other while she is recovering. As it turns out, her son Devin will not be allowed in to see his mother for the first month (flu precaution). They added another web cam to their home computer so that Chanel and Devin can see each other as well- Thanks to technology and cyberspace, we should all be able to stay visually connected throughout Chanel's entire recovery. Although we know that she is completely in God's good care and the transplant will be successful and she will do just fine-Your prayers for a speedy recovery wouldn't hurt one bit. We will be asking all of our gift-giving family to make donations to Chanel in lieu of gifts for us this Christmas season: There is nothing you could give to Bruce that would mean as much as helping his daughter get through a very difficult financial year. Many of you have asked me for the following information:

To send cards/mail to Chanel: Mayo Clinic, 577 East Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85054 c/o Chanel D. Firth.

To make donations for Chanel: The National Foundation for Transplants, 5350 Poplar Ave, Suite 430, Memphis. TN 38119.

This is a charitable foundation so all donations are tax deductible. They do not disburse money to Chanel, but rather they will pay her bills while she is recovering. As of this writing, Chanel has not completed the application process, but she is hoping to have it in place very soon.

And, last on the stress list: Our house is officially on the market with Century 21. Even though we have only been active for 2 weeks, our Realtor, Bonnie, has shown it twice and we had an open house this past weekend. From that, there has been 2 interested parties.......so......don't stop praying yet..... We need the right person to walk through our door and fall in love with our home at the right price. My angels have a full plate this month, so I would appreciate prayers for this as well. We have so much for which to be grateful during this season of Thanksgiving. When I think of it, I am overwhelmed by the love and attention that has been given to Bruce and me and our family during these past 2+ years. We are so very, very grateful for all that we have. And we are grateful for all there is to come. Blessings for you all from Me and Bruce- Joyce