About This Blog Page

This blog is not up to date, but in it you will find historic info that will shed further light on Jimm's situation as it was in 2007/2008. For current information on continuing fundraising efforts on behalf of Jimm's family, through the Community Foundation of Carroll County, please click on the link below. Thanks for visiting.
-aw
Jimm Revelle Racquetball Tournament

Second Annual Jimm Revelle Racquetball Tournament

For anyone who happens to check in here.. we held the tournament in Westminster Nov 1, 2008 and everyone had a blast. We also earned additional much needed money for hospital bills and other expenses incurred by Deborah.

From the JimmRBall Blog
The tournament went very well. Good food and fun was had by all.. and due to a great turnout, a good amount was earned for the JR Revelle Fund. Details on that, as well as racquetball placements and pictures, will be up soon.
Many thanks to Joe and Kathy Cornell for another fabulous job.. and to all who attended and contributed!

Date Worthy of Note

May 29th 2008 marks one year since Jimm first went into the hospital for his pancreatitis. He was admitted at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. The beginning phases of his treatment are documented HERE.
This turned out to be the beginning of a nightmare lived by Jimm, all who knew him.. and especially those who loved him dearly.

We have learned that the Community Foundation of Carroll County passed along funds to Deborah for Jimm's funeral, but it was not enough to cover the entire cost. However, after Jimm's passing, friends rallied to contribute over $2,000.00 which enabled the Foundation to completely cover all funeral expenses. Thanks as always to all Jimm's faithful friends!

Update - Deborah and the Revelle Family

I recently visited Deborah, Mandi, Laura, Rob, Mason and Robert.
They are doing well considering. Jenna is studying for her masters, but still finds time to visit the rest of the guys often. They all live busy lives and are effectively putting one foot in front of the other, day by day.. as they will be doing for a considerable time to come. Moments occur that act as reminders- looking through Jimm's stuff for instance- and can quickly bring emotions to the surface.

May 29th 2008 will mark one year since Jimm was taken ill.
Hard to believe any of it.

From Donna Quante

I am so sad to hear of Jimm's passing. I was in Canada at
the time, but checked the blog everyday.
As I was driving home this morning, after being on the road all
night, I witnessed this sunrise. I realized it was about the time of
Jimm's memorial service. So, I said goodbye and farewell in my own
way. I have printed this out as a card for Jimm's family.
Godspeed, Jimm.
Donna

The Gatherings and Goodbyes

The long illness was a constant struggle, for Jimm and everyone. Now that Jimm's struggle is over, others still have difficult times to endure. Allowing family and friends to say goodbye, meant more work and emotional pressures for those already in distress, but they did it with class.

Sincerest thanks to the many who visited the funeral home on Thursday, and attended the service on Friday. Members of Jimm's enormous family.. and friends who have become involved with him and Deborah through proximity, work, play and life.. were there to wish him well. The memorial service was unforgettable. There were prayers, readings, and comments by those who will always hold Jimm tightly in their hearts. At the conclusion, military honors gave recognition to Jimm's four years in the Air Force. It was hard to remain detached as taps was played, followed by the ritual folding of the American flag that had been draped over the coffin.. which was then presented to Deborah.
For those who were unable to attend and who will be remembering Jimm in their own way, we have included above, the pamphlet of thoughts and pictures put together by Jimm's loving family.

The reception and lunch at Laura and Rob's beautiful home in Bel Air was a celebration of love and family history. The presence of multiple generations from diverse places, with the most amazing and colorful stories about Jimm, highlighted and honored his remarkable life.
All of us are so lucky to have known this man, and to have lived parts of our lives with him. And now, in turn, we are accorded the pleasure of continuing to enjoy the company of many of the wonderful people we have befriended through him.. even after his departure.

At this point, if you have goodbyes, stories or thoughts about Jimm you would like to share, please feel free to do so in comments below.
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This blog will continue to be added to as needed, and will remain open indefinitely.. acting as a partial record of the events which occurred in the final part of Jimm Revelle's life. Sometime soon I will make an effort to record the entire blog as a Word file, or, if you are good at that sort of thing, you may wish to do it yourself.
aw

A Note

People ask me how Deborah is doing, and I have to say very well considering the extreme circumstances. She has shown a great deal of toughness and determination during this long and painful process. The same applies to everyone in the Revelle family. They have all been amazing, and have consistently been supportive of each other.

We in this space have helped to support each other too. Soon, we might want to try exchanging thoughts about some of the fond memories we have of Jimm. After all.. he was quite a guy - who had a lot of good friends. And of course the financial issues are not going away, so the funding blog will continue to be relevant, as will the racquetball page.

In the meantime - I want to thank the many folks who have had kind things to say about this blog. I really appreciate hearing about how useful it has been to many.

For those attending the memorial service on Friday.. please drive carefully in the foul weather, but try your best to make it. The family still needs us to "be there" for them.

Funeral Information

Condolences may be sent to:
The Revelle Family
430 Oakton Way
Abingdon, MD 21009-3201

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:
Jimm Revelle Fund c/o Community Foundation of Carroll County
255 Clifton Blvd, Suite 203
Westminster, MD 21157
Make checks payable to: Jimm Revelle Fund

Viewing: Thursday 2/21/08 2-4pm and 6-9pm

Memorial Service: Friday 2/22/08 at 10:30am

All services to take place at-

Schimunek Funeral Home

610 W MacPhail Rd

BelAir, MD 21014
MAP

Please note.. following the memorial service on Friday, all friends are invited to the home of Laura and Rob Andrews - 219 W. Hall Street, Bel Air, MD 21014 MAP

Further details can be found in obituary sections of the Baltimore Sun and the Aegis in Harford County in the Wednesday and Thursday editions.

Here is the notice from the Sun:

James R. Revelle
REVELLE , James R. On February 18, 2008, JAMES R. REVELLE; loving husband of Deborah Revelle; beloved father of Jennafer Revelle, Mandi Click, Laura Andrews and her husband Rob; dear grandfather of Robert and Mason Andrews; former husband of Susan Revelle; dear son of the late Edith Revelle and grandson of the late Pauline Preston. Relatives and friends are invited to call at The Schimunek Funeral Home of Bel Air, Inc., 610 MacPhail Road (at Route 24) on Thursday from 2-4 PM and 6-9 PM, where a memorial service, also open to friends and relatives, will be held on Friday at 10:30 AM. A private interment will occur at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Community of Compassion, Revelle, The Community Foundation of Carroll County, 255 Clifton Blvd., Suite 203, Westminster, MD 21157.

Final Update for Feb 18th

Jimm passed peacefully at approx 7:58 PM. It turns out he had a severe antibiotic resistant form of pneumonia that was basically untreatable... that in addition to numerous other major physical issues, made it an insurmountable situation, and helped the family make one of the most difficult decisions of their lives. Jimm is in a better place now, and finally at peace.

Information on funeral arrangements will be noted when they become available.

Further Update #2 Feb 18th

Dr. Johnson has spoken with the family. They are going to let Jimm go.
Teams of hospital personnel are present to make Jimm comfortable and to be there for the family.
The family members are now saying goodbye one by one.

Further Update Feb 18th

At this time(4:45 PM)all the Revelle family members are at the hospital, including Jenna from the Philadelphia area, brought by Jimm's former wife and Jenna's mom Susan. They are awaiting a meeting with Dr. Johnson, chief of critical care surgery, for an assessment.
Jimm remains on the ventilator with full breathing assist.

Update February 18th

Things were much the same with Jimm's condition over the weekend. However, he has had quite low blood pressure often and two incidents of high temperatures around 102.. one Saturday early evening, and another Sunday at about the same time of day. The doctors thought that maybe the infection was due to a pocket of infected fluid in the area around the recently removed pancreatic drain site, but a scan and testing has not found that to be an obvious explanation.
This morning at 3:00 AM Deborah was called and told that Jimm was having trouble breathing. At this point(10:00 AM)he is not breathing by himself at all. A ventilator has been hooked up and is now providing full breathing assist. This is the first time since his stroke that his breathing ability has failed. Now, with Jimm on life support in this manner, the family may have a decision to make. Their knowledge of the situation, Jimm's preferences as delineated by a legal medical directive, and the doctors' opinions on Jimm's prognosis for a quality future, will all be taken into consideration.
Deborah and Mandi are on the way to the hospital, and the other family members have been notified.

Update February 14th

Yesterday the drain that had been in Jimm's left side kind of fell out. They decided not to put it back in and are hoping all is OK with the residual pancreatic discharges it was removing. The more drains they take out, the closer Jimm gets to being able to move to another facility.
He had dialysis and had the low BP thing happen again.. he also got a 101 degree fever, but that's better today.
Jimm had been looking a little scruffy so he was given a nice shave later in the day.

Our pal is the same, exhibiting no responses or movement, but with eyes open- he is watching and waiting with the rest of us.

Because it's Valentine's Day, Deborah wanted me to tell you that her heart goes out to all you guys who are there for her and the family, and who are checking in on the blog. She really appreciates it, and wants to send all of you a big old Valentine's hug.
Back atcha kid.

8 mo, 17 days

Update February 11th

The room move has occurred. Jimm is now in 756.
Dialysis today was accompanied by a period of very low blood pressure. Fluids and pressors brought that back up.
Otherwise, no changes of note in Jimm's overall condition.

Deborah, appreciative of good nursing care, has recently made a gift of Longaberger coffee mugs to members of the hospital staff who have been faithfully caring for Jimm these many months.

Update February 7th

The bladder infection is still a factor and is causing some bleeding, so they are working on making that better. Yesterday Jimm had dialysis and was quite tired, but today he was more awake and responsive.. following action well with his eyes and remaining attentive for longer periods. It is clear that Jimm appreciates visitors. Even though he can't tell anyone or communicate, a visit could mean a great deal to him. The cards and greetings certainly do also. Deborah and all family members wish to sincerely thank all those who have sent get well wishes, pictures and extras. And the blog greetings are read to Jimm every so often, so please keep them coming too.

Jimm is still on the list for the 7th floor, but remains in room 404 for the time being. He receives physical therapy and occupational therapy often, and he seems quite loved and well tended to where he is.

8 months 9 days

Update February 4th

A couple of things worthy of note today- Jimm had the usual dialysis, but not a lot of fluid was removed due to lower than normal blood pressure readings. He has a bladder infection that is being treated with an antibiotic, but is free of the vent to the point where it has been taken out of the room. Otherwise there are no significant changes in his condition.
They are thinking of moving him back up to the seventh floor in the near future, so clearly he is not in need of a concentrated amount of nursing care. The plan is to treat him as needed, make him comfortable, and watch and wait.

Update Februray 2nd

For the past few days there have been no changes in Jimm's status. Occasionally an arm lifted a bit here and there.. nothing else. The doctors have not commented further.
The family is becoming resigned to the fact that things may not swing Jimm's way from this point on. An old friend from Philadelphia saw him today. She had been reading the blog and thought it was time. No reaction from Jimm, but we would like to think he knew who she was.

*Jimm's Mailing Address

Jimm's mailing address-

James Revelle
Gudelsky 7 Rm 756
University of Maryland Medical Center
22 S. Greene Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Cards and notes are so appreciated by the family, as well as by Jimm, that we urge you to continue sending them.

Thanks so much.

*Visiting Jimm

Recently, he has has a massive stroke which makes him unresponsive, but visits are still urged. We know he still appreciates seeing friends.. maybe now more than ever.
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By calling ahead to the patient info number.. 410-328-6971.. they will connect you to the nurses station and with some luck you may be able to speak with his nurse who will give you a general idea of his status. Frankly though, most staff won't give out much or any info to non-family.. so you will probably have to take your chances. The one question that may be answered.. is this an OK time to come see him? Answering that is not giving away any personal medical information.

Be aware that gloves and gowns are needed while in the room and they will be available in the hall outside the room in drawers of a cart usually. Gloves may be in boxes on the top, or in upper drawers. Put them on before going in, and take them off and toss them in a bin before exiting the room. If you have trouble getting the gown untied, it's pretty easy to just rip it off. Hospital staff people do it all the time.

When entering UMMC via the Green Street entrance, go to the information counter and say you are visiting James Revelle. They will give you a clip-on visitor's tag, validate any parking stubs you may have, and give you directions to the room. It would also be a good idea, especially if staying more than an hour, to obtain a slip from the main nurse's station on the floor that will help to keep your parking fee lower. As Helene has reminded us in the comments section- there are also pay-to-park spaces around the area. Just make sure you note the end time.. 3:00 or 4:00 PM usually, because they tow pretty quickly from what we've heard.

His room is #756 on the 7th floor of the Gudelsky Building(if that has changed they will tell you at the info desk what his current room is). Visiting hours are 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM. If you have other questions the general info number is 410-328-8667. For getting there and parking, look online at http://www.umm.edu/gethere/


Thanks so much.

*Please Leave A Greeting For Jimm's Family*

Now that Jimm is gone, you are invited to write down your thoughts, reactions.. or notes to his amazing family. I will leave the text of the original post intact.
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Someone suggested that it would be nice to have a sort of visitor's book here so that when Jimm gets better he will know who has checked in, and he can read all the thoughts that his friends have had -and enjoy their well wishes.

Please leave your name and a message for Jimm here!!
Click on "comments" below and a window will open that should make it easy for everyone to enter a note.. and to read all the others as well.
Thanks! -Note: If you access this post directly from the archive list, the comments may already be visible. In that case, please scroll down past all the existing greetings and find the "post a comment" link there.

I need to tell you how wonderful it is to see all these notes. The way they keep coming is an inspiration to all of us. Every so often I print up the greetings and take them, or have a family member take them to his room, so they can be read to him. Thanks so very much to each of you for taking the time to leave Jimm a message. Each one is sincerely appreciated.
aw

*Room Assignment Record

Jimm's rooms at UMMC 2007-2008..
14 rooms over the course of 8 mo, 17 days
MICU - Medical Intensive Care
SICU - Surgical Intensive Care (Shares OR's with Cowley Shock Trauma Center)
Surgical Step-Down - Still SICU but with 2 or 3 patients per nurse instead of 1-1

June 1- W7A RM 11 7th Floor Rm 11 Weinberg Building- MICU
June 5- G4 RM 22 4th Floor Rm 22 Gudelsky Building- SICU
July 22- G4 RM 20 4th floor Rm 20 Gudelsky Building- SICU
July 24- G7 RM 760 7th Floor Rm 760 Gudelsky Building- Surgical Step-Down-SICU
Aug 8- G4 RM 402 4th floor Rm 402 Gudelsky Building- SICU
Sept 10- G4 RM 420 4th floor Rm 420 Gudelsky Building- SICU
Nov 3- G7 RM 764 7th floor Rm 764 Gudelsky Building- Surgical Step-Down-SICU
Nov 18- G4 RM 432 4th floor Rm 432 Gudelsky Building- SICU
Dec 16- G7 RM 768 7th floor Rm 768 Gudelsky Building- Surgical Step-Down-SICU
Dec 22- G4 RM 414 4th floor Rm 414 Gudelsky Building- SICU
Dec 31- G7 RM 766 7th floor Rm 766 Gudelsky Building- Surgical Step-Down-SICU
Jan 7- G5 RM 513 5th floor Rm 513 Gudelsky Building- Private Room
Jan 8- G4 RM 404 4th floor Rm 404 Gudelsky Building- SICU
Feb 10- G7 RM 756 7th floor Rm 756 Gudelsky Building- Surgical Step-Down-SICU
Feb 18- Jimm leaves RM 756

*Note- Jimm Revelle Fund

The Jimm Revelle Fund is now in full swing. Please go to JimmRevellFund, a blog page that focuses on all financial issues.. and learn how you can help.

aw

*Companion Blog- JimmPics

We've put together a blog with pictures and other lighter stuff.. so click on this link
http://jimmpics.blogspot.com/ and take a look.
(Be sure to bookmark this one too)

Also: To go there anytime you can just click on the JimmPics link at the upper right of this blog.

Update January 30th

This is encouraging- later yesterday Jimm did some neat stuff. He mouthed(no speaking tube was hooked up) "bye bye", "bathroom" and a couple of other things.. he also did a thumbs-up sign. Considering his status, this is rather big news.

Today he could not be prompted to do any of these things, but at least he has demonstrated that he can perform these actions, and 'that is really cool'- as Deborah put it. He is back on a M-W-F dialysis schedule, meaning he had it today.. which may have made him too tired to be very responsive.

Update January 29th

No changes today. It has been eight months since Jimm's first hospitalization.