Life Carries On!

Dan and I are headed up to Michigan Tech with Jake today and tomorrow! Was absolutely gorgeous driving over the bridge.

A GATHERING OF LOVE

Dear, dear family and friends:


I want to share with you some beautiful photos of the memorial for Bruce at Duck Lake Channel.  To be able to see each and every one of you there was a testament of the love you held for Bruce and our family, and our family felt the love and care that was gently wrapped around us that evening.  I know Bruce would have been very pleased.  We were truly blessed to have known Bruce, and he has touched all of our lives in so many ways that I cannot even begin to enumerate them all.  Just know that he has passed from his earthly body to eternal life!  I see him every day in my children, sense his presence upon my shoulder, and feel his spirit in my heart and to my very soul.  I know we will all see him again someday.  Words simply cannot express our family's gratitude to all for your support through this difficult time in our lives. Thank you!

We will continue to post on this blog to share more photos that I've not received yet from the memorial and to update everyone on the Rissi Glioblastoma Fund as it moves forward in time.


Love Always - Val   

Leaving a Legacy

As we mourn the loss of someone so profound to many, we look to find ways to leave a meaningful legacy that honors Bruce's life. We have had several discussions over the last months trying to identify meaningful ways to leave a legacy that honors such a wonderful person.

We have established the Rissi Glioblastoma Fund through the Community Foundation of Muskegon County. This fund is intended to help families of patients who suffer from Glioblastoma.  Throughout Bruce's treatment, we have been working with Dr. Mikkelsen and Henry Ford Hospital on providing tissue samples to help with research associated with Glioblastoma, an effort that hopefully will lead to discovering the genetic marker associated with such a debilitating terminal disease.

Unfortunately, there are costs associated with donating tissue for research, specifically transportation and autopsy fees.  We were very fortunate to have such wonderful people to help coordinate this effort on Bruce's behalf; other families may not have the means to provide such precious tissue for research.  The Rissi Glioblastoma Fund will be intended to assist families in executing tissue extractions by helping reimburse costs for transportation and autopsy services. It is a small mission but one that will provide valuable information to researchers attempting to find hope for families coping with such a tragic diagnosis.

We also have decided to donate all of the medical equipment that we have acquired over the past months to the Center for Simulation Excellence through Muskegon County Medical Control Authority. The Center was a project that Bruce assisted our daughter Connie in establishing in her time with Region 6 Healthcare Coalition. It was a very significant professional accomplishment for her, Bruce was proud to be a part of the Center's development. It was a special project that they shared professionally that strengthened their relationship. The equipment will be used to help train medical professionals across the healthcare spectrum in the greater west Michigan area. Dr.Jerry Evans, the Medical Director, shared his deep appreciation for the donation. It seemed very fitting.

We can't thank everyone enough for the outpouring of support throughout these last 8 months. We are very blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends. Each day is a bit easier than the day before. We look forward to seeing all of you on Monday for the memorial.  


The End - The Beatles - A song we sang to each other


Oh yeah, all right
Are you gonna be in my 
dreams tonight?


Love you, love you
Love you, love you
Love you, love you


And in the end, the love
you take
is equal to the love you make


Love Always,

Val

Memorial Information

Good Morning everyone, we have made the fianl arrangements for Bruce.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to The Community Foundation For Muskegon County, 425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon, Mi., 49440. The "Rissi Glioblastoma" fund has been established to honor Bruce's life.

A memorial tribute will be held on Monday, July 23, 2012 at the Duck Lake Channel on Lake Mi. @ 8:00 P.M. Duck Lake Channel is located on Scenic Dr., 1/2 mile north of Duck Lake Rd. in Whitehall, Mi. If you have any questions as to directions please call me @ 231.740.2316 or any other questions you may have. Please dress in beach attire, this is a very informal service.

We are all taking comfort that Bruce does not have anymore pain and the anxiety of his imminent passing.

Until We Meet Again

As I'm sure most of you know our beloved Bruce has joined God in heaven on Saturday afternoon at 2:30. It is with great sadness that we have had to let him go, but his pain & suffering has now ended.
We are very Thankful that the most awful pain was a brief 48 hours however it felt like an eternity to us. His wonderful smile and his joy of life will be missed by all.
Val, Connie & Dan, Jake, Mitch, Madeline, Kenzie, Corbin & Nathan my heart aches so very much for you & no words can express our great sadness & hurt for you and all of Bruce's extended family.
We are all so blessed to have Bruce be a part of all of our lives and have many Wonderful memories. May God bless you Bruce & I cannot say goodbye, as we will see you & hear you in all of the fond memories and as Val said when we left your side"He is right here on my shoulder Di, I'll be alright" Amen Bruce, love you & may peace be with you until we meet again! Love,Di

On behalf of the family, we would like to Thank all of you for your continued support & help the past 8 months. All of you were the best! Thanks again to all.
We will be making final arrangements the beginning of the week and will post ASAP. We will also  have obituaries in the Grand Rapids Press & The Muskegon Chronicle.
Per Bruce's wishes he will be cremated and a memorial service to be announced.

In The End

Bruce Philip Rissi returned to the Lord at 2:25 pm. May he rest peacefully without pain or suffering.

In the end, he is loved by all he touched!

Update

Mom had a long night last night. Around 4:00 am, Bruce lost consciousness and has not been awake since. His breathing is very labored and he is now on oxygen for comfort. His lungs are filling with fluid.

I apologize for my very blunt post but I want to provide everyone exactly what is going on.

We don't anticipate it will be much longer. Our family is gathering at both the Poppen House as well as my Aunt Di's house today and are rotating our time with Bruce. Uncle Donn and Aunt Debbie were there when I arrived this morning. Mom needed some breakfast so Terry and I are with her eating now. We will be back up to his bedside after we eat.

Prayers please!

Visitor Guidance

Hi all-

Poppen house has asked that I instruct everyone on visiting Bruce. With a brain tumor, it's is very difficult to hear noises and conversation. They are asking that visitors sit quietly with him. We finished our visit with him eating a root beer float! He is asleep.

Love to All!

Dan, Connie and the kids!

Update

Hi all-

Spoke with the doctor today. Bruce has some significant distention in his abdomen. The doctor is unsure of the cause, but thinks it possibly is a result of the medications he has been or possibly a bowel obstruction. Per Bruce's wishes, we will not be treating this recent development, rather ensuring that he is pain free for the limited time he is with us. They have placed him on methadone and morphine to ensure that he is comfortable at all times.

They have also updated his status to critical, meaning time is of the essence. We don't have much of it left.

Prayers for Bruce and our family as we continue to go through this experience. If you were planning to visit, please do so soon.

Our family can't thank each and everyone of you enough. We are holding up, it's a long goodbye at this point. Thanks again for all of your support. We will continue to update the blog as we get more information or as Bruce's status changes.

Connie

Dinner with the Bru-Man

Dan and I came up for dinner tonight. We are here almost everyday. It's very difficult to say a long goodbye. Each day that passes seems to be just a bit less than the day before. I find joy in being able to feed him his dinner and just sit peacefully in his room without disturbance. I was taken aback when I realized he wasn't feeding himself anymore. Yesterday he did great. It may just be a fleeting change, maybe he is just really tired.

It is becoming harder and harder to wake him up when he is asleep. His swelling is more significant, he very rarely leaves his hospital bed. He really isn't very mobile anymore either. He hasn't said a word today either. Lately he has shared a few words, but this evening is much different. I guess I am just a bit shocked at how different things are since my visit yesterday.

I can tell all of you that he seems very peaceful in his sleep and without pain that we are aware of. I guess that is something we should be very thankful for. We have had a lot of visitors over the course of the last week and a half, a steady stream to keep him company. That provides me some comfort.

My heart hurts for him and the situation we find ourself in. I do wish I could take it all away. I am very thankful for all that Bruce is to me! For all he is to my family.

I can tell you that I was not a fan upon first meeting him! Sharing my Mom was not an option:) being 6 years old and all, I wasn't willing to share my life with an ice cream stealing dog and strange man! Canuck- Bruce's yellow lab stole my ice cream cone the first time I went to his house. She became my best friend and Bruce became a great role model and mentor! I tell my girls often that blood means nothing, you surround yourself with people who love you. I was surrounded by wonderful people who loved me and Bruce holds a very special place in my heart. He is an incredible influence in my life, my kids lives and my new family's life. For that, I am eternally grateful and thankful! I miss him already and he is right here in the room.

Please come spend some time in the coming week! He always smiles at you when you walk in the room!

Connie

4th of July

Hope everyone is enjoying the 4th today.  We will be.  We are bringing Bruce home for the day.  He has expressed that he wants to get to the end of the dock today and we will do our very best to achieve that.  I have the boys here to help me accomplish that.  POSSIBLY even take a boat ride on our neighbors' pontoon boat as well!!  Ended up bring the cat home because T.C. kept trying to escape and the staff had to put up 2 pet gates to keep him in, which resulted in too much noise for Bruce when he was trying to rest or sleep in his unit.  At least we tried :) Bruce is still adjusting to his surroundings at Poppen House but says he is happy there so that's a great thing!!

It's a hot one today and will do our utmost to make it a fabulous day for Bruce!!  Will post pics later for everyone to see.  - Val

Good Visit Today

Hi all- we visited Bruce this morning. He seems to be adjusting well. It is quiet and peaceful at the facility and he seems comfortable. We did bring in some pictures this morning, but the room could use some warm friendly smiles! TC seems to be enjoying all of his attention from visitors and staff. Last I knew Bruce was watching the tigers game.

Thanks to all that have sent notes and thoughts of encouragement. It's has been a trying couple of days for everyone.

Connie

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that we have a journal in Bruce's room if you would like to share your visit with the family or special memories.
Connie & the kid's visited earlier this morning and Val is with him now.
It seems that Bruce likes to be read to at this time. Val has left a book there if any of you wish to read a few pages to him. His eye sight has become blurry this past week or 10 days.
He is allowed to have baked goods or anything else brought in except alcohol products and they ask that no holes be made in the walls for pictures. If anyone has an updated photo of Val or Connie, could you please bring it in for Bruce to have there please? Jot your name on the back so we can get it returned to you. As a matter of fact, if you have any photo's you would like to share, I will pick up a cork board & tacks to display them, please jot your name on the back of it :) and I'll be sure to get them returned to you. Thanks, Di

It is with great sadness that Bruce was transferred to the Harbor Hospice, Poppen Residence in Muskegon earlier this afternoon. The facilty is located at 2065 E. Mt. Garfield Rd., Muskegon, Mi., 49444. Mt Garfield Rd. runs along the south side of The Lakes Mall, approx. 1/2 mile down on the right. Visiting hours are open and he is in Rm. South 5.
As Val said in the post earlier this week, he is still up to visitor's and welcomes all. Although he may not talk much.
He was resting comfortably when I left, he stayed up late to watch the Tiger's last night! He also had to stop at the hospital for a chest x-ray on the way in and was exhausted when they got there.
T.C. is there with him, what a nice thing that they allow him to be there. Very nice facility tucked in the woods, there were 5 turkeys strutting by this afternoon :)
If you have any questions, please feel free to give Val or myself a call. Many Thanks to all of you that have helped out over the past 7 months, it was greatly appreciated! I am still working on getting Bruce a ride in a Fiero. May be able to do that next Friday. I have found a person from N. Muskegon who has offered to take him for a spin.
Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers, Diane

The Latest News

Dear Friends/Family:
I want to share with you what has been happening with Bruce as of late.  We, as a family, have made the very difficult decision that for Bruce to get the best possible care, he needs to have 24-hour professional care at the Poppen House, on Mt. Garfield Street, Muskegon, Michigan.  Bruce is sleeping a lot, is not really mobile any longer, no longer communicates verbally very much (although he shakes/nods his head), is extremely fatigued, and is now catheterized for his comfort.  Bruce is NOT in any pain (I am thanking God for this!!)  We have, however, gotten him to the end of the dock and taken him for a boat ride, both of which are extremely difficult feats to accomplish but we are determined to make this part of his journey the most memorable as we can.  He no longer can remember one day from the next.  He seldom remembers what was told to him, sometimes even just a couple of hours prior  :(  Words cannot express how devastating this has been for our family.  We are waiting to hear from Poppen House for an opening in one of the units. Bruce is high on the waiting list because of his deterioration over the last several weeks.  I want to thank SO MANY people for coming for visits, for giving us much-needed breaks, making meals, sending cards and well wishes. Trust me, I know how difficult that can be for all of you.  No one knows what to say, how to act, what is "appropriate".  Please be reassured that there are no appropriate or inappropriate acts of kindness or love.  Bruce is surrounded by love every day!  How amazing is that??  There are too many people to thank for all they've done in the past several months.  It is very humbling to know how much Bruce is respected and cherished. THANK YOU for all that you've done.  We know it is a sacrifice, painful at times, but necessary for all of us to heal.  I will post on the blog when Bruce will be residing at the Poppen House.  T.C., one of our cats from what we call the "Menagerie", will be able to reside there with Bruce and give him comfort when we, as mere mortals, cannot be there.  The Poppen House is a beautiful facility, housed on 9 acres, with lots of room and accommodations for family and friends.  PLEASE, feel free to come see him anytime.  He is still well aware of his surroundings and everyone he sees; he just may not verbalize it.  I will leave you with a couple of photos from the last couple of weeks and what Bruce has enjoyed the most......the lake!!  Natch!  That's why we moved here in the first place :)  LOVE and GODSPEED to all of you - Val 

Update

Hi All-

I just returned from my parents house this morning. It is with a very heavy heart that I post this.

Bruce is hanging in there. He has had two grand mal seizures in the last week or so. Each one tuckers him out a little more each time. He is sleeping a lot, I left at 11 this morning making 14 hours of sleep since last night. Harbor Hospice has been assisting in his care for the last month or so.

It's only a matter of time now. I would encourage all of you to please find a time to see Bruce, share your love with him and cherish what little time we have.

The family is hanging in there as well. It's day by day, hour by hour and if we can't muster that strength, one foot in front of the other. I pray for serenity in these times. A solace that will ease heavy hearts and minds.

We thank everyone for your kinds words and prayers, it means the world.

I will keep everyone updated as best I can in the coming days.

Connie

Cherry pie!

The Bru-man got some yummy cherry pie today, made it just for him! Dan, the girls and I had a great visit! He was in great spirits, very talkative and laughed a lot! Had a good night with the family, love seeing Bruce smile!

Just Chillin'

Captured a photo of Bruce and T.C. lounging in the deck chairs overlooking the lake this morning.  Peaceful!!

Latest Neurosurgeon Appointment

We went to see Bruce's neurosurgeon this morning for follow-up.  Bruce has been experiencing headaches off and on the last few days that he rates a 4, 5, or 6 on a scale of 1-10.  He is also very fatigued, no energy, no desire to leave the recliner; napping off and on throughout the day also.  He has had elevated blood pressure, which is now under control with medication. He has had a flare-up of his Shingles down his left arm and is being treated with medication, including Neurontin, for the pain.  He is pretty lucid and will answer questions when asked.  His vision is better than it was.  He has an intolerance for noise or lots of people so we are doing our best to be low-key and quieter for him (unless, of course, he's watching T.V.)  LOL!  All of the above symptoms are completely normal according to the doctor.  The doctor has prescribed Norco, which is acetaminophen and hydrocodone (narcotic), to deal with the headaches, which none of the over-the-counter analgesics will even touch as far as pain.  

Bruce wants some books on audio, so I will make sure that we get some of those for him within the next couple of days.  Interested in biographies, memoirs, inspirational people, so if you have any of those we can borrow, please let us know!  That would be a great help to Bruce.

We have another follow-up appointment scheduled for 6 weeks and the doctor has told us if Bruce is too fatigued or unable to make the appointment, that would be totally understandable and, if we need questions answered or guidance, the doctor will do whatever is needed for Bruce's comfort.

So please continue all your prayers to give Bruce comfort and peace in this incredibly difficult situation our family is facing every day.  Love - Val

Update!!

Hi, all.  I apologize for not posting anything recently.  It's been busy around here.  I want to give everyone an update so you know what is happening.  Hospice has been called in to help us in the home with caring for Bruce.  At this point that only means a nurse checking on Bruce once a week.  As of this time, the boys and I (occasionally others) are caring for Bruce and doing an excellent job, I must say :)

Bruce is very fatigued and easily tired, which is exactly what the doctor told us would happen.  He is not interested in leaving the house unless it is a very special occasion.  Two of those just recently occurred.  I have succeeded in getting a band together and we performed for a wedding last Saturday evening.  The bride was gracious enough to allow Bruce to attend, as it was his desire to see me perform once again on a stage, singing, and we were able to accomplish that goal for him!!  Another special occasion was Bruce wanted to see a train whizzing by on railroad tracks somewhere, so Jake took him to Grand Rapids (not many trains in this neck of the woods anymore) yesterday afternoon so he could see a train, and he did!  Great time for Jake/Bruce to spend alone together.  Very special for the two of them!

Bruce felt good enough on Monday that I asked if he wanted to sit in the hot tub, which he said yes, so the boys and I got him into the hot tub and he and I sat there for a good 45 minutes just sharing the view and talking to one another, sharing a special moment together.  When these occasions arise, we have learned to seize the moment and do whatever we can to make him feel loved, while at the same time create a special memory for each of us to take away and keep forever in our hearts.

We have had many visitors over the past several weeks, and thank you all for that!  A visit means the world to Bruce and I.  Bruce has contracted Shingles in his left shoulder/arm and it is painful but he is being treated with medications to help with the pain and that seems to be working well as of this time.  He has little stamina, and really only gets out of the recliner to go to the bathroom or sit at the kitchen bar to peruse the Internet.  I get him the morning Detroit Free Press every day so he can read that, which he enjoys a lot.  He spends a lot of time watching the Detroit Tigers play on TV (they lost yesterday, btw, boo!)

Bruce is also sleeping more.  He rests very comfortably at night, sleeping through the night.  He needs/wants to take a nap sometimes during the day also, and he could sleep for hours if I let him!  LOL  Try to limit napping so he will sleep well at night.  He has no pain from the cancer as of this time (which is a blessing)!  He has blurry/cloudy vision so makes it more difficult to read and see the computer screen.  His mobility is becoming progressively weaker by the week, it seems, and he can and does lose his balance.  We have adjusted where the rest of us physically are in the home to be sure one person is in the same room at all times to help him when he decides to walk somewhere (which, when he does decide to walk, he doesn't announce it, he just gets up and walks)!!

Bruce is still cognitively alert and oriented some of the time.  He will respond (sometimes) to questions asked of him but I have found that he sometimes is simply incapable of answering OR, as he confessed to me in the hot tub, he sometimes is just being plain lazy to answer us.  (He laughs then)  Too funny!!  I asked him if he thinks about the cancer and he responded, "Not very much".  Again, a blessing!!  I believe it is because his brain function has been so damaged by the tumor being debulked and now the cancer spreading to other areas of his brain.

Ok, I think I have given you a glimpse inside what's happening here, (albeit rambling; sorry).  I have more photos from the party that I didn't share with you, so take a look at these and hopefully they will put a smile on your face and help us all to remember that we have, indeed, been very blessed by Bruce's presence throughout our lives here on earth!!  Love to All - Val

Grilling Out!

So at the last minute, I called the house lastnight, Bru-man answered! Kinda caught me of guard that he answered. Asked what he was doing, he was watching myth busters. Asked if he wanted us to come out and grill up some burgers, he said yep. So we loaded up the family and our lab majzey to go visit her favorite place on earth..........Grandma's house.

Dan whipped up some yummy burgers, maizey hunted down some minnows and we spent a great night with Bruce. His face is pretty swollen, he seems to be getting around pretty good. All good things. He does get a bit grumpy these days, that's part of the brain cancer, hard not to take it personally. He got irritated with Maddie for having hiccups. I chuckled, he said, "why can't she just stop or go outside or something?" ha- it doesn't work that way Bru, Maddie was a trooper about it though! I would have cried! I guess I'm a bit more dramatic than Maddie.

We had a great conversation at dinner. Bru did say that he is having constant blurry vision, to be expected!

Alls well that ends well, we had a great dinner, enjoyed a great conversation. Dan committed to coming out and grilling for him each week, it's a refreshing change from all the meals that are prepared. Meals we are very thankful for, but nice to have a change up!

Continue to visit, I can't imagine how boring the TV gets after awhile! He reads a lot! If you have any great books you think he would enjoy, Mom makes trips to the library weekly.

I hope that everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather, the dock is almost in. Hopefully we can get the elevator fixed and the Bru-man can go down to the dock and enjoy a gin and tonic!

Love and thanks to all!

MRI RESULTS & DR VISIT

Good evening all, as most of you know today was Bruce's follow up visit with the Dr. after his last MRI. Dr. was glad to see Bruce doing so well. He informed us that the face & neck swelling is due to the steroids not from fluid building up in his head. YEA!
However there were indications on the MRI that the tumor is starting to spread at the top & bottom areas where the first tumor was removed. This will continue to spread to other areas as we are all aware. :( . The Dr. said we will notice small changes ie: more tremors, unusual outbursts, fatigue, headaches and more small siezures. The seizures are periods of tremors or trembling & staring off as if he is not hearing us. We have noticed he is sleeping more and wanting to stay around home rather than going out.
He also was diagnosed with Shingles of all things!!! Family Dr. has put him on medication for that and his seizures meds. were increased up another dose.
We will follow up with the Dr. in 6 weeks and if any changes the Dr. told us to call him with any questions.
If anything changes we will post it right away. If you'd like to visit please give one of us a call to schedule a time. Hope all of you are enjoying this beautiful weather! Bruce & Val went out to Duck Lake channel after the Dr. appt. and enjoyed some time in the sun.
Thanks again to everyone for your continued support, prayers & help. The prepared meals have been a godsend!! Love, The Rissi Family

Update & Thanks

Hello to all, just thought I'd post a quick note about the MRI. We haven't seen the doctor as of yet, Wed., March 21 we will be off to see him. The nurse did touch base with us & said there was not much change. However we have seen some changes in Bruce the last 10 days. He seems to be more lethargic and not quite as energetic as before. Of course the swelling is increasing as I'm sure you all noticed in the pictures. We will post something as soon as we see the doctor next week I promise!
I would like to Thank all of you that attended the gathering for Bruce...... it was a wonderful evening and we all enjoyed seeing & visiting with Bruce's many friends and family. He is very lucky to have so many wonderful friends and supporters. All I can say is the evening went way too fast and if we didn't get to touch base with all of you,we are sorry, but we knew you were there and truly appreciate all of the help & support from all of you.
Please keep in mind that Bruce loves to have visitors and wishes to see any & all.
Thanks again, Di

Smiling Faces.....from the Celebration!!!

All right, finally had time to get the photos developed and now am loading them onto the blog for everyone to see.  You are ALL amazing!!!  Thank you for sharing that special night with our family.  You have all touched our lives, and we hope we have touched yours as well  :)  On another note, Bruce has another MRI scheduled for tomorrow morning.  Don't know how long it will take to get the results from that but will post on the blog what is happening in the brain as far as the spread of cancer and location of such.  Bruce is still doing well, although more lethargic.  He is still mobile but not getting around as much.  Not sure if that is lack of interest by him or the brain misfiring (probably both)!  He is still incredibly upbeat, laughing/smiling every day, and that brings such joy to all of us who are privileged to be in his presence, but it is typical Bruce Rissi style, now isn't it??  Be in touch soon!  Enjoy the love in the pix below!!  NOTE:  The first photo was taken by Karla Lenker as she was entering Above and Beyond.  Notice the single ray of light emanating towards Heaven.  A blessed sign, dontcha think??  


                                                                   Bruce and Val