As many of you know by now, Bob passed away earlier this week. After his Mayo stay last winter, his body had a hard time recovering. He ended up needing to start dialysis this summer, 3x a week, as his kidneys were struggling. Reactions to meds and procedures throughout 2023 were frustrating.

What was supposed to be a routine day trip down to Mayo Clinic on Wednesday, with sister Roxie along for company, turned out to be anything but routine. An adverse reaction to a 3rd round of chemo treatment this time around, put Bob into sudden cardiac arrest. At Mayo. The best place in the world to be during a medical event. They had revived him in December when he was there, but this time, the life saving efforts weren’t enough. Bob’s body had had enough. The Almighty Healer took over this time, and called Bob to his Heavenly Home late Wednesday afternoon.

In April 2012, Bob was diagnosed with POEMS Syndrome. POEMS is a rare blood disorder that damages your nerves and affects other parts of your body. Bob’s biggest symptom was foot pain. The weight of a bedsheet used to be too much to handle. Bob underwent a stem cell transplant, had the immune system of a newborn baby, and even needed to receive his one year vaccine shots all over again one year after the transplant, at the age of 53.

Mayo treats less than 10 POEMS patients a year and as you always heard from Kelly, the doctor told him he was one in a million, which she already knew!

Bob enjoyed spending time with his kids, Lauren and Dan, grandkids, Paxton and Cecelia, and sisters Roxie and Linda. Their hearts are broken. While friends and family are left to mourn his unexpected death, Bob will never have to sort any pills, or see the inside of a hospital or clinic again. He is Home.

When funeral information becomes available, it will be updated on this link: 

Obituary for Robert A. Rodenberg | Harvey Anderson & Johnson Funeral Home (hafh.org)