It's ok to smile Joe, you'll win your money back when Dick gets better.

Dick Tessier

First post: Sep 9, 2016 Latest post: Feb 21, 2018

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.


July 2017 Update


Dicks prostate cancer has reoccurred and has spread to his Shoulder, spine , lungs and lymph nodes.  Please see the postings for updates

 Friday September 2nd, 2016 started out as a normal day for Dick, he was taking everyone's money at cribbage and of course asking if we had more to give him.  Around 3 pm Dick was not feeling well and started throwing up and we all thought he had the flu.  Friends and family checked on Dick throughout the weekend and he kept telling everyone that he would be fine.   On Monday afternoon when Mom (Marlene Tessier) went to check on Dick to see how he was feeling, she realized  how sick he was, and  insisted that he go with her into the hospital in Grand Rapids, MN.   Grand Rapids Hospital ran several tests and realized that Dick was a really sick man and that he needed to be air lifted to St. Mary's Hospital (Essentia Health Hospital) in Duluth.   Grand Rapids tried shocking his heart twice before air lifting him to bring his rapid heart beat down and it did not work either time.  Dick arrived at St. Mary's in Duluth around 6:30 am Tuesday morning September 6th.  The Tessier family is so thankful for our cabin family,  Mike and Jane picked up Mom and they headed to Duluth and sat with Mom and Dick all day long.  Tuesday was lots of tests, scans, blood draws and Dick was harrasing the nurses as usual.  Dick's condition was very unsettle and no one knew what was happening.  He had very low blood pressure, a very fast heart beat ,(130-155) and some kidney failure.   They ended up putting a ventilator in and lightly sedating him Tuesday night around 11:00 PM  because they were unable to get his rapid heart beat down and they wanted him to rest.  Wednesday morning was the worst news,  they still did not know what was wrong with Dick and at that point they were'nt sure they could do anymore.  Thank you everyone for all your prayers because by the time we all arrived at the hospital Wednesday morning they had received some tests back showing that he had an infection in his blood and thankfully Tuesday the Doctor's had put him on some antibiotics in case he had an infection somewhere in his body.  This was good news,  because  they were the right ones to treat this type of infection and the doctor said his body was responding to the medications and that was good, because patients are helpable if they're body's respond to the medicines.  Dick responded throughout the day to us with opening his eyes and turning towards our voices when we talked to him and nodding his head at Jane when she told him she loved him.  So he can hear us!!!!!  Wednesday night was somemore bad news,  Dick had a mild heart attack and they cannot do anything for that right now due to being way to sick.  His body seemed to of wethered that pretty well.  This morning they did another chest scan to see the fluid around his lungs, they are wanting to rule out another infection.  They also did a scan on his stomach.  Because Dicks kidney's are not working properly they just are starting him on dialysis to help clean fluid and infection out of his body.  The kidneys and liver look like they are failing and they said that is normal for trauma of this type.  They call it liver shock and kidney shock.  They are hoping those organs will improve with time.  Long story short,  Dick is very, very, very sick, and he needs lots of prayers right now!!!! 
Thank you everyone,  cause we do know your praying for Dick. 

I will do my best to keep all of you updated on a timely manner!

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