Bruce Firth Updates

Bruce R. Firth, 57 of 11 Old County Road, Westminster, MA 01743 and The Blaire House of Milford, 22 Claflin Street, Milford, MA 01757, died at Milford Regional Hospital on Tuesday, Nov 2 of injuries resulting from a cardiac aneurysm he suffered in 2007.  He was husband of Joyce L. (Neal) Firth.

Mr. Firth served 30 years in the U.S. Coast Guard until his retirement in 2001.  During his military career he was a highly decorated and skilled member of his Coast Guard family.  He served on the USCGC BIBB and the WAGB Glacier. He also trained with the Navy Seals as a hard hat deep sea diver for the elite USCG National Strike Force. In his military travels, he crossed the equator, both Tropics and dove beneath both Polar ice caps. He traveled throughout the globe, served and lived in MA, CT, NJ, NY, CA, VA, Washington, DC ,HI, FL,  finally retiring from his last duty station in Sitka, AK.  After retirement, and at the time of his injury, he was employed by the National Park Service as the facilities manager for the Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, MA where he served as their fearless leader, tireless worker and friend.

Mr. Firth was born in Norristown, PA. He was the oldest and the first of the 3 sons of Jean M. (Allers) and the late Robert D. Firth of Framingham to achieve Eagle Scout status under the direction of his father troop leader for troop #12 in Framingham.  A 1971 graduate of Framingham North High School, Mr. Firth graduated with Honors in Art.  He received his degree in Applied Science and Technical Studies from Regents College in NY.

Mr. Firth was an a giving church member and volunteer in every community in which he lived. Among his many affiliations, he was a volunteer Big Brother, a search and rescue diver for the Sitka Fire Department, a trained Eagle Handler for the AK Raptor and Rehab Center, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the SItka United Methodist Church and the Chestnut Street United Methodist Church of Gardner.

in addition to his wife Joyce and mother, his memory will always be loved and cherished by his daughter, Chanel D. Firth of Pioria, AZ;  his stepson, Adam J. Fumia and wife Jennifer of Hopedale, MA;  his two brothers: Paul S. Firth and wife Barbara of Alisa Viejo, CA, and Glen A. Firth and his wife Fran of Ashland, MA. He will be deeply missed by” his  grandsons: Devin T. Firth,  Joshua D., Jack W.  and Alexander J. Fumia;  his  nephews: Jonathan I. and James  A. Neal; his nieces Alanna M. and Cassidy A. Firth, Meredith L. and Morgann J. McKunes;  his in-laws and second family: Priscilla L. Neal of Holliston, MA , Jayne P.Neal of Bellingham, MA, Jeffrey B. Neal and wife Karen of Bolton, MA, Julie A.(Neal) Tebo and husband Tom of Framingham, MA, Jonathan I. Neal and wife Christine (Micelotti) of Holliston, MA, Janine E. (Neal) McKunes of Ashland, MA, and, many, many friends and care takers who loved him and were inspired by his tireless fight to live and his boundless courage.

A time of visitation with family will be held at the Trinity Church on Sunday, November 7 from 3-5pm followed by a time of remembrance from 5pm-6pm. A celebration of life with Eucharist will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 17 Congress Street, Milford MA 01757 at 10:00am on Monday, November 8, 2010 immediately followed by a luncheon gathering at the WillowBrook restaurant, 16 Hastings Street (Rt. 16), Mendon, MA 01756. Internment  with Full Military Honors will take place at 2:30pm at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne, MA.

The family strongly urges all those wishing to embrace Bruce’s spirit to do so by making a donation in his memory to The Minute Man National Historical Park ,174 Liberty Street, Concord, MA 01742.

*****REMINDER to all those in the Eastern Standard Time Zone- Clocks are turned back one hour Saturday night 11/6 *********


Bruce has been received into the hands of God.  His earthly journey ends, but his legacy of laughter, love, hope and courage will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew him.

Arrangements for the celebration of his adventurous and miraculous life are  in progress, and will be sent to you upon completion.  Bruce knows every prayer and loving thought that was offered for him.He was touched by the boundless love that was poured out to him during the final chapter of his life. Know that he is grateful. And know that he passed on at peace with the life he shared with us all.

Please keep me and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

Joyce

Our dear friends and prayer angels, I have had 3 years and 3 months to compose this message to you, but I  sit here now wondering how to tell you the news that is so very painful.  After his long and heroic struggle, Bruce is nearing the end of the most amazing, miraculous journey that he has shared with us all.  As many of you know, he has had 5  back to back admissions at Milford Hospital since Sept 12, 2010. This last admission was to problem solve his slowing gut by giving him a “J” tube which empties food into his intestine rather than his belly. By doing this, it was hoped that Bruce could absorb nutrition better and avoid vomiting. He came into the Emergency Room in the best shape he had ever been in on an ER visit. In fact, the admitting doc said his blood work and chemistries were probably better than mine, with absolutely NO infections. I admitted him to have a “J” tube put in, try it out for a few days and get back to our lives at the Blaire House. All prep work was done and his tube was placed in short order. Within 12 hours, some of the crushed pills placed in that tube hopelessly clogged it. Little did we know that that one seemingly minor inconvenience could have lead us to where we are right now. Rather than just replace the tube, the docs strongly favored surgically implanting another “J” tube and I (along with Bruce’s other family members) reluctantly agreed to go ahead with that.   SInce his surgery, Bruce has rapidly deteriorated. He developed an infection in an IV line. With the infection, his stomach completely shut down causing his stomach bile and gastric juices to back up into his throat and eventually into his lungs. Antibiotics were started, but yesterday it was clear that the insults to his body were just too much for his compromised condition. His doctor told us today that Bruce is septic and that the downward spiral had begun. As a family, we have decided to stop nutritional and medication support and implement comfort measures only to  allow Bruce to become free of this body that has become so heavy for him. Bruce’s daughter arrived tonight (Monday) to spend his final moments with him.  I and all our family have been and will continue to be at his side until the end which the medical folks feel will only be a day or two. What is left of my heart is breaking, but I will be relieved when Bruce is free from pain and suffering. He is my hero and has endured more than any human should. He has taught so many the meaning of love and hope and courage. I have been honored and privileged to have traveled this road with him, but I know It is time for our earthly journey together to end. This is a very difficult time for me and my family. Your thoughts, love and prayers continue to sustain us all as we say our good-byes to the man we love so much. Please, over the next day or two, send him your most loving thoughts and prayers to help guide him home. When all is over, I will post that announcement and his arrangements on my son’s website thefumias.com . Your have been a blessing to me and to Bruce.

Blessings, gratitude and love- Joyce

Bruce is now on his 4th admission to Milford Hospital since early Sept. (If you didn’t know about the previous 3 admissions, you might  want to catch up on things in the last posting).  He was released from Milford Regional Hospital (MRH) on October 15th with everything  working fine.: His stomach was emptying well for 48 hours on his tube  feedings, his blood and urine chemistries were super great , he was on a new medicine to help his stomach work, and he had no infections anywhere (A negative c-diff culture, can you believe it?) for the  first time in …forever!

Unfortunately,  from the moment he arrived at the Blaire House, the feeding tube/stomach emptying became a  problem. Over the next 4 days, Bruce’s feedings were tuned “off” more than “on” because he had too much in his stomach.  Although Bruce seemed comfortable and I didn’t see any signs  that he was in real danger, I knew he would have to return to have the situation remedied,  probably by the end of the week. However; the Blaire House staff  became repeatedly insistent that he return to the MRH after 4 days for  fear that Bruce was not getting enough nourishment to thrive. I felt that Bruce needed at least a week on the new medicine in order to give it a fair shot, but somewhat against my better judgment, and at least one day sooner than I thought necessary, I brought him into the ER.  I was happy (and not surprised ) to hear from the ER doc that Bruce’s  blood/urine/x-ray results were probably better than mine!   And, after  an 8 hour wait, and at midnight, he had an IV running and was admitted to have the GI staff problem-solve a situation.

I spoke with Bruce’s Hospitalist Doc today and she told me that Bruce’s nutrition marker tests indicated that he was not in any way malnourished and his stomach study with contrast dye didn’t show anything wrong with the g-tube placement. I was furious, however, to find out that Bruce had received this stomach x-ray test/procedure without my knowledge. This happened a few times the admission prior and I had to call in our Case Manager to put a stop to it. As much as I appreciate and support what they are trying to do for Bruce, I feel violated for him when they do these things without, at the very least, a passing discussion with me as his legal guardian. It would be nice to have some advance notice so that I could try to explain what is going on to Bruce, but that may be expecting too much.

Up until our September visit, our stays at MRH have been outstanding. The MD working with Bruce has always called me every day and I felt part of the decision making process. His kidney stone admission on Sept 12th , as I recall, went well in that regard,  too. But the last 3 admissions have not been so good. It seems I have had to become almost threatening to get them (Docs, nursing, consults) to just call me and keep me informed, never mind  include me in any way. I call the floor nurse to touch base every day that I am not there, and thus far, not one, in the past 3 admissions, has returned my call.  In summary, we’ve got some bad energy going on here and I am throwing it out to our prayer angels, God and the Universe to change  that for Bruce’s sake and for mine.

The wonderful, loving folks at  The Way To Balance, who have been doing distance healing on Bruce for more than a year now, have started calling me during their sessions with Bruce. They tell me that Bruce has been directing them to me because he feels that I need the energy more than he does. I would have to agree. Your prayers, our love and good hands-on care have brought Bruce to a peaceful place these days. In spite of all that has been going on, he is comfortable, restful, and the image of “peace” most of the time. He has become a quiet, gentle presence who sleeps a lot, but still has an occasional smile for familiar faces and voices; while  the stress of these back-to-back admissions has been significant for me. And, add to that the pressure placed upon me to admit Bruce before I felt it necessary, and the lack of complete cooperation from the care giving staff at MRH, and the need I feel to be ever present at the hospital in order to “catch” people and information…well,  it gets overwhelming at times.

I  need to ask all who read this to take a moment for a small prayer for Bruce and for me: Please pray that all the energy which surrounds us both is motivated by pure love and compassion. And, that all thoughts and intentions regarding Bruce and/or me be expressed with clarity and kindness. In spite of all the craziness, stress, and worry I might encounter, I remain blown away by the miraculousness of this journey that Bruce has taken us on. I continue to witness every day the awesome power of love to change things.  Your continued love and support very often keeps me afloat, and I am absolutely certain that Bruce knows every prayer ever spoken for him-We are both grateful beyond measure.  Please continue to keep is close. Blessings- Joyce

Gosh! So much to tell since my last writing. It’s getting more and more difficult to find the time to keep you all posted. However, getting Bruce’s energy out there and keeping those positive thoughts , prayers and good energy coming in is becoming more and more important.

Bruce has had 3 Milford Regional Hospital admissions since September 12th. His daughter and grandson, Chanel and Devin, came for a weeklong visit in early September. The day after they left, Bruce became very ill with what we thought was a bowel obstruction. In fact, he was admitted with a kidney stone, the obstruction of his one good kidney, a kidney infection and pneumonia. After a rocky few days in God’s hands, Bruce’s kidney functions began to improve but he had not passed the stone, and the obstruction/infection was still present. I was forced to consider a neuphrostomy tube procedure where a tube is placed into the kidney through the back where urine passes right out the tube into a bag. It is a permanent procedure, meaning that the patient lives their life urinating into a bag, similar to a colostomy situation. After much thought and a family discussion, I opted not to do it at that time in hopes that Bruce could move that stone on his own within a week. Bruce was released with orders to repeat the CT scan in one week. If the stone had not moved, I would allow the neuphrostomy procedure. During the following week, Bruce was doing well, and his kidney functions remained good. Because of his VA contract at the Blaire House, Bruce’s follow up CT scan had to be done at the VA in Boston ( 1 hour ride), rather than at Milford Hospital (2.5 minute drive). The ambulance arrived to take him to Boston when I went into Bruce’s room just as he began to vomit. Unfortunately, because of his condition, and even though I was right there, he still aspirated his stomach contents into his lungs. He looked terrible, so we loaded him up and rushed him over to Milford Hospital ER. During this second admission, Bruce was not able to tolerate anything in his stomach. He still had double lower lobe pneumonia as well. It was believed that some of the medications Bruce takes may have caused GI problems and/or that the pneumonia was causing havoc on his stomach and digestion. The good news was that the follow up CT showed that he had moved the stone into the bladder , and later, moved it completely out. All of Bruce’s medications and food were stopped for several days. They were gradually reintroduced and all looked well.

After 5 days , he was sent back to the Blaire House, but without narcotics or pain meds of any kind. I wasn’t happy about that ,but I went along with the plan. Bruce did well for about a week until we noticed that his stomach wasn’t emptying well again. And, once again, while I was in the room (thank God) he began to vomit up his medications. So, we were sent back to Milford Hospital for another admission. At the time of this writing, Bruce is still in the hospital and the docs are trying to figure out what is going on with his stomach. He has missed at least 1 1/2 weeks of nutrition during the last 6 weeks and I am hoping they can find a solution before his health is too terribly compromised by that. True to his warrior spirit, Bruce continues to smile with those big blue eyes when he is able, and I know he is coping as best he can-better than I ever imagined any one could. He still looks like the Bruce you all knew and he is hanging in there pretty well, considering what he has been through. When I think of the pain he has endured with a kidney stone and kidney infection, without even a whimper – I cannot begin to imagine what life is like for him, and I continue to pray that his angels keep him close.

As for me, I admit that I am feeling the stress of these back to back crisis. I know that Bruce’s journey must come to an end someday, and I know I will never want it to be “today”. His family and I will never stop praying for a miracle for him, and I strongly believe that things that are not possible on the earthly plain ARE possible in the Spirit. I am committed to making every day the best that it can possibly be for Bruce, and he has had many, many, many beautiful days thanks to all the love and support he receives from his family, friends, caretakers and prayer angels. He is deeply loved and I know he knows that.  We continue to survive on your loving thoughts and prayers. It’s difficult to believe that it’s been more than 3 years we have been at the other end of immeasurable compassion form others, and I will never be able to express my gratitude for that. Please continue to keep us close in your thoughts, prayers and daily intentions.  Blessings- Joyce

As difficult as it is to believe, today is the 3rd year anniversary of Bruce’s aneurysm. I stayed home today thinking that it was time to make August 9th just August 9th. Knowing, of course, that it’s not the date that holds the power; it’s the memory. But, there needs to be one day every so often that marks the passage of time: That remembers all of the trauma, the tears, hospitals, doctors, nurses, caretakers, emergencies, ambulance rides, CT scans, EEG’s, units of blood, IV’s, procedures, x-rays, life support machines, bed-side vigils, visits to the Chapel, hospital food, waiting rooms, PT, OT, speech therapists, G-tubes, infections, lawyers, court guardianship appearances, and over-nights. All of the tears, worries, fears, love, support, prayers, cards, gifts, visits, emails, phone calls, updates, compassion, concern, advocacy, and family meetings. All of the “firsts”: eyes opening, sounds, tears, smiles, belly laughs, movements, wallows, sitting up, wheel chair rides, splints, therapies, VA clinic visits, birthdays, Christmas’, visits from old friends, trips outside, bits of understanding. And, how many times have I told the “story”, and to how many people? Every other day of the year feels like the continuation of one life-changing event that compels me to continue on. And I do, each day with a growing sense of wonder about this amazing energy we call “life” and a deepening respect for that aspect of unseen life we call Spirit. Today, much the same as three years ago, I put my life, and Bruce’s in the hands of God- Knowing that all is as it should be. My prayers are that Bruce will move along in his journey-what ever that may be. And that he knows and feels our love for him every minute of every day. With gratitude for you, our angels, that I could never express- I thank you for continuing to share this amazing journey with me and with Bruce.- Blessings- Joyce

OMG! Have I not posted a word since April? It really doesn’t seem that long-Please forgive me, and know that you are always with us. Well, I have nothing to say in my own defense except that, “No news is usually good news”. When Bruce is doing well, I choose to spend my
time with him rather than attend to the paperwork/computerwork part of my life. Let’s see if I can catch you up on the last 3 months: Bruce had a struggle with allergies this spring, but once the pollen levels
settled down, so did he. So far, we have had a hot and humid summer in Massachusetts. I took Bruce outside regularly until we had 100 degree days with 90%+ humidity in June. Now, it’s better; 80+ degrees with
varying percents of humidity. I try to get him out for a least a little while every day. Bruce celebrated his 57th birthday on June 30th. I am blown away whenever I fully absorb what a miraculous achievement that is. A true testimony to the power of the Universe and to the love, compassion and attentive care he receives from all of
his angels-both seen and unseen. Bruce’s weight is super great and his general health has been great and stable for a long time now. He has been going to the VA for a number of things mostly related to his
muscle contractures and spasticity issues which are painful to him. Bruce has had Botox injections to both wrists and he will be going out to Braintree Hospital at the end of August for Phenol injections to his thighs and heels. The Botox seems to have helped relax his arms
and I’m hoping the Phenol will help his legs to do the same. Bruce also saw the Occupational Therapy folks at the VA and they have ordered 2 arm splints for him and agreed to pay for OT to Bruce’s hands in order to get the splints working well for him. That has also been going very well.

Our angel, Ed continues to see Bruce each week for CranioSacral therapy and PT. And, we still have Sue and AAron Singleton doing distance healing on Bruce 3-4 times a month. And, yes, I do see improvements. Bruce’s awareness has increased quite a bit. Unfortunately, he has yet to recover any significant movement in his body, but we are still working toward that end. Effective communication is still a huge obstacle. Bruce will blink responses, but he is not consistent. Some days, he is right with it tracking movement with his eyes and blinking “yes” to questions, laughing or crying appropriately, and taking it all in-Other days, just following me with his eyes is like running a marathon-too exhausting to keep up. So, it is difficult to know exactly where he is in terms of cognitive improvement. But, to those of us who really know him, we see much more expression on his face, and frequent attempts at vocalization-We know there is improvement-There is just no way to measure it.

Bruce continues to get regular visits from his family. His daughter, Chanel, and grandson, Devin, will be here in September for a visit. Chanel had her own miraculous recovery from a bone marrow transplant last December. She was declared officially “Cancer Free” on March 23rd
and has been cleared by her doctors to resume her life. I know it will mean the world to Bruce to see them both, and we are all looking forward to it.

Now that Bruce’s health is stable and he is not so fragile anymore, we started to attend almost all of the activities the Blaire House has to offer. We go to see all the localists and music presentations, and we play BINGO and POKENO at least twice a week. (Bruce won 75 cents today!) and Bruce has been designated the Coach
for the senior bowling tournaments and the latest Jello eating contast. Every once in a while he may doze off, but most of the time he is wide awake “overseeing operations” – as it were. All of the residents have come to know him and keep an eye him-especially the women. He has a lot of grandmothers here. They are so kind to him.
They never pass without greeting him and touching his arm or hand, asking how he is doing, or commenting on how handsome he is. He’s one of the gang. The past few days Bruce has had a low grade temp and coughing seems to be painful to him. I am hoping it won’t amount to anything, but a prayer or two from our attentive angels wouldn’t hurt.

Speaking of prayers, I ask you all, who have lifted us up so many times, to pray for: The family of our dear friend in Sitka, Alaska, Georgina, who was battling breast cancer. Georgie passed away in May totally committed to God’s plan for her and into the arms of her beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Georgie is home now, but her
family (me included) is struggling to find a new life without her. Please help me pray for them. And, for my friend and angel Mannie who has suffered cardiac complications which cannot be fixed by surgery. She has gone from a full life to a life mostly restricted to bed with little or no hope of medical intervention. She needs a miracle, like
those we have performed for Bruce. We must remember that in Spirit, all things are possible. Please help me pray for Mannie. And, of much less importance, but still on the radar, please pray that our house will sell soon. It has been on the market almost 9 months without an offer. I need to get the energy moving on this, so that I can get closer to Bruce and perhaps he can come home for a few hours for the first time in almost 3 years. (It will be 3 years on August 9th) Let’s set our intentions for that.
What can I say, but that I will TRY to give more attention to this update posting for Bruce. Please continue to keep us in your daily prayers. We feel your presence, your love and the power of your friendship. You are always with us.

Blessings- Joyce

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

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

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