Update Dec 30th

Short but good report today..
Jimm is still in room 414 and doing well. He's pretty zonked but really looks good, talking a lot, sat on side of bed for 15 minutes today.. which he didn't really want to do, but did it anyway. Things like that only help his strength and balance. Got dialysis yesterday, and today his jejunostomy feeding rate was increased slightly.. a positive thing to be sure, since he has had so much trouble tolerating it in the past.

Update Dec 27th

Christmas Eve was not exactly as calm as in the poem. It was more like: 'Twas the night before Christmas, and inside Jimm's room there arose such a clatter with nurses checking in to see what was the matter.. Jimm's sugar level had been high and readings were taken every forty-five minutes. Not very conducive to Deborah having a "long winter's nap". She gave up and left around five AM.. and returned later in the day with other members of the family coming and going.
Jenna stayed for a short while Christmas night and returned to spend more time with her dad yesterday.

Jimm had dialysis yesterday and again today, with one liter of fluid draining off during today's session.
They have been trying the tube feed again.. no news as to whether or not it continued successfully into today. Recently he went to a separate procedure room where his main and dialysis lines were replaced. Jimm has been feeling OK, but is very tired with all the dialysis.

Deborah had a bit of a row with the people in records who said they couldn't find an important bunch of forms. She will face off with them again tomorrow, and when all is accounted for, the paperwork will go to Hopkins as planned.

Jimm is on the short list to move back up to the seventh floor.. and he probably will be doing that within the next few days.

-day 213

Update Dec 24th

His temp and blood pressure have been stabilized and Jimm is more comfortable today. He is looking forward to a visit from Deborah. She will go in this afternoon after work, and keep him company through the night. Christmas day they will be visited by other family members, listen to Christmas carols and open presents.

The staff has been treated to another round of delicious Revelle cookies, and those nurses who have to work tomorrow morning will at least be treated to a huge bunch of Christmas cheer emanating from room 414.. generated by a family making the best of it.. and appreciating what they have: a really neat, really brave guy named Jimm.


Many thanks, and Merry Christmas to you- faithful readers of this blog.
aw

Update Dec 23rd

Jimm had been doing very well Saturday until he had a setback around 5:00 PM. His temp went to 103, and BP went way down. They suspect a urinary infection, and that may or may not be to blame for a pretty intense lower back pain he is going through. He has been moved back down to SICU Rm 414 for closer observation.. but so far remains off the vent.
The family is hoping Jimm will get through this recent hit as quickly as possible and be able to return to the 7th floor soon. Everyone liked it there this time.

Update Dec 21st

Things have continued to be steady.. Jimm is enjoying being off the vent, gaining strength by talking using the trach collar. He has gone through some minor periods of anxiety, but is good in general.
The filter procedure done earlier in the week went well. It will all but insure against a DVT causing an embolus that may move up inside a vein and threaten lung or heart function. It was a relatively painless operation.

Much to everyone's delight, Jenna's mom Susan baked Christmas cookies for the nursing staff on both floors seven and four. Deborah will spend Christmas Eve night with Jimm, and Jenna will stay there Christmas night. The entire family will be in and out during the height of the Holidays.. what an incredible bunch!

All members of the Revelle family wish to thank the many folks who have written cards and given generously to the JR Fund during this holiday season. Knowing that caring friends are there is a big part of what gets them through.

Update Dec 18th

Since numerous episodes of bleeding have occurred, Jimm has been off blood thinners. In this state clots are a risk. A procedure was scheduled today that would insert a filter to prevent a pulmonary embolism from threatening his improving health. It may be a Greenfield or IVC filter, designed to prevent clots from traveling up the inferior vena cava, and inserted via the femoral vein in the leg or groin. Whatever this filter or mesh device is, Jimm will not feel it and it may be permanent or removed at a later time.

Jimm remains off the vent while receiving a small amount of oxygen. He is in good spirits, talking well through the trach collar, and even showing off a sharp sense of humor at times. He is receiving TPN (IV nutrition) plus saline, and is back on a Mon-Wed-Fri dialysis schedule. His appearance is very good and his arms and hands continue to heal well.

-day 204

Update Dec 16th

A room move back up to the 7th floor was accomplished this morning. Moves always upset Jimm a bit, but he's OK and has been doing very well in recent days.
He has been off the vent for most of the week, which is huge. He has been using the speaking valve and talking up a storm. He is getting some additional oxygen, but that has been cut down to 30% now.

New room is 768.

Update Dec 13th

The doppler ultrasound was looking for clots in Jimm's abdominal area and none were found. There have been no more heart issues, and a CT with contrast was done today looking for pulmonary embolisms.. results are not known yet.

Jimm has been off the ventilator for four days now. This is very good.

-day 199

Update Dec 11th

Tests revealed that Jimm did not have a heart attack last night, and no damage was incurred from the afib. They chalk the episode up to stress.

Today a Doppler ultrasound was done on Jimm's belly. He has had a very good day and has spent much of it in the chair, and on the trach collar. The more time he spends off the vent the better.. and he has been off increasingly longer times recently.

Update Dec 10th

Another surge of infection, most likely in the lungs, caused Jimm's pressure to drop quite low Friday evening.. but with medication the numbers improved.
Dialysis continues to be done often since his kidney function is minimal when his body is stressed with these other negative factors.

Over the weekend he was doing OK and spent much time sitting up in the chair(good for keeping lungs more clear too). He was moved close to the window, and even helped Jenna compose thank you notes to friends.

I wish we could end on that up note, but today around 3:30 Deborah was called telling her that Jimm had encountered an episode of atrial fibrillation. Nicknamed afib by the staff, it is an irregular heartbeat with its own unique set of indicators and dangers. It was thought that this may have been caused by all the strain put on his heart by the infections and marginal functioning of other organs. For those who might be interested his heart rate was 207 and RVR 200. We have no further news at this point, but Deborah is going in to see him tonight and we will try to get a follow up report in the morning.

Update Dec 6th

To obtain a second opinion Deborah had requested Jimm's medical records. For some perverse reason it took one week and three days for a denial to be issued. They told her that Jimm's signature was needed, and Deborah countered with a Medical Power of Attorney. So again we're back to a two week waiting period for the records.. but now Deborah has a more powerful legal standing in making medical decisions for Jimm. Guardianship documents and an Advance Medical Directive were also drawn up.. and there are now assurances that Jimm will be eligible for Social Security Disability. All of these legal documents and procedures are the work of Westminster's Catastrophic Health Planners and founder Lou Yeager. Lou had major medical problems of his own years ago, and ever since has specialized in assisting people like the Revelles who are in need of advice and guidance because of a loved one's catastrophic illness.

Lou and his organization was found by Kathy Cornell, Lee Ziemski and Erle Meinecke during their search for financial assistance. That search also yielded the Community Foundation of Carroll County, which enabled the Jimm Revelle Fund charity to be established. Good people do good work.

There are no significant changes in Jimm's condition today. He is still fairly exhausted, but resting comfortably.

Update Nov 4th

Dialysis yesterday yielded three liters of fluid, and due to inadequate numbers and more excess fluid, Jimm was dialyzed today as well. He has been, and still is, very tired. Probably contributing to that is a urinary tract yeast infection that has flared up.
Jimm has had his dialysis line replaced in his neck after a relocation to the groin for a couple days. Since he is still on blood thinners, great care was needed after closing down that site. He had to lie flat on his back for an hour with pressure applied to the femoral vein area. Lying flat is not the favorite position of someone with respiratory issues, so it was a long and uncomfortable hour.

Many of the nurses who take care of Jimm have done a very good job.. and as a reward, Deborah is baking them Christmas cookies and presenting them in cute little decorative bags.
Tasty for the staff.. therapeutic for Deborah.

Update Dec 2nd

When Laura left Jimm last night he was doing well. He was awake, talkative and getting dialyzed. Dialysis had been put off earlier in the weekend due to a bad neck port.. another spot was found and a new line installed, but in the meantime he built up some excess toxins which caused headache problems. That, and other related issues, caused Jimm enough pain so that he was put on morphine. When on that stuff Jimm often has problems with mental focus and reality tracking.. thus it wasn't used for long.
On Friday he was in the chair and on the trach collar for about four hours, but today the respiratory team wants him to rest. Not surprising considering all the lung and trachea trauma he has suffered recently.
Deborah and Laura will visit today, as Jenna is not able to be here this weekend.