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.
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. . . . James Russell Revelle . . . . June 5, 1947 - February 18, 2008
12/3/2006
Notes on Jimm's hospital ordeal which began on May 29, 2007
. . . . James Russell Revelle . . . . June 5, 1947 - February 18, 2008
Please visit our companion blogs and related links.. click below
The 4 Jimm Blog Pages
The Blogs-
http://jimmupdates.blogspot.com/
Jimm loved racquetball.. and his friends in
Blogger Note: The blog below is not kept up to date.. but feel free to visit and use it as a reference for things that have taken place in past years. Thanks.
And the funding blog will give you info on helping Jimm and his family financially. Now, this is as important as ever. The bills are not going to go away.
Also, don’t forget that we have a blog featuring various pictures of Jimm, family and friends. Please visit and feel free to contribute.
Quick Link for Greetings Page
Summary of the situation:
Jimm was brought to University of Maryland Medical Center on June 1st 2007 after having been cared for at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, MD for three days.
He was diagnosed with pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas caused by a stone lodged in his bile duct. Throughout the upcoming months other systems and organs became involved and Jimm was further weakened by constant nosocomial, or hospital originated infections. He was on a constant roller coaster getting better then back-sliding.. never making the desired amount of progress.
Prior to, and during the 2007 year-end holidays he had improved enough to be off the ventilator and was consistently using his tracheal speaking valve to communicate.
On Jan 7th 2008 he was doing well enough to be moved to his first non-intensive care room on the 5th floor. After only hours in this room he had an attack in the early morning of Jan 8th. He was found not breathing and they blamed it on aspiration of foreign matter into the windpipe or lungs. How long he had been in distress was not stated. He was immediately moved back to SICU(surgical intensive care)on the fourth floor.
By Fri Jan11th they determined that he had suffered a stroke.
On Thurs Jan17th, tests showed evidence of a severe bilateral stroke caused by anoxia(oxygen starvation), and on Jan 18th doctors estimated that there was an 85 to 90 percent chance that Jimm would need long term care. Pretty much the worst case scenario had occurred. Almost all parts of his brain had been damaged, with the exception of the brain stem, which continued to control his breathing and heartbeat.
Since then Jimm had had his eyes open much of the time and was often following action with them, and had been breathing for himself with no assistance from the ventilator. Unfortunately, little else had been happening.. no talking, movement or reaction to questions or commands.
In the early morning of Feb 18th, Jimm began to encounter trouble breathing and eventually was unable to breathe for himself at all. He was hooked back up to the ventilator in full assist mode.
Later in the day Deborah and all members of the family came to the hospital, and after speaking at length with medical teams lead by Dr. Steven Johnson, made the decision to let Jimm's suffering end. He passed peacefully at 7:58 PM Feb 18th, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
On Feb 22, 2008 Jimm's family and friends assembled at Schimunek Funeral Home in Bel Air.. ironically, right across the street from UCMC where he was first taken for treatment. His life was remembered and honored in a moving memorial service, and he will never be forgotten by even his most casual friends.
Rest in peace Jimm.. you will live in our hearts forever.
He was diagnosed with pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas caused by a stone lodged in his bile duct. Throughout the upcoming months other systems and organs became involved and Jimm was further weakened by constant nosocomial, or hospital originated infections. He was on a constant roller coaster getting better then back-sliding.. never making the desired amount of progress.
Prior to, and during the 2007 year-end holidays he had improved enough to be off the ventilator and was consistently using his tracheal speaking valve to communicate.
On Jan 7th 2008 he was doing well enough to be moved to his first non-intensive care room on the 5th floor. After only hours in this room he had an attack in the early morning of Jan 8th. He was found not breathing and they blamed it on aspiration of foreign matter into the windpipe or lungs. How long he had been in distress was not stated. He was immediately moved back to SICU(surgical intensive care)on the fourth floor.
By Fri Jan11th they determined that he had suffered a stroke.
On Thurs Jan17th, tests showed evidence of a severe bilateral stroke caused by anoxia(oxygen starvation), and on Jan 18th doctors estimated that there was an 85 to 90 percent chance that Jimm would need long term care. Pretty much the worst case scenario had occurred. Almost all parts of his brain had been damaged, with the exception of the brain stem, which continued to control his breathing and heartbeat.
Since then Jimm had had his eyes open much of the time and was often following action with them, and had been breathing for himself with no assistance from the ventilator. Unfortunately, little else had been happening.. no talking, movement or reaction to questions or commands.
In the early morning of Feb 18th, Jimm began to encounter trouble breathing and eventually was unable to breathe for himself at all. He was hooked back up to the ventilator in full assist mode.
Later in the day Deborah and all members of the family came to the hospital, and after speaking at length with medical teams lead by Dr. Steven Johnson, made the decision to let Jimm's suffering end. He passed peacefully at 7:58 PM Feb 18th, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
On Feb 22, 2008 Jimm's family and friends assembled at Schimunek Funeral Home in Bel Air.. ironically, right across the street from UCMC where he was first taken for treatment. His life was remembered and honored in a moving memorial service, and he will never be forgotten by even his most casual friends.
Rest in peace Jimm.. you will live in our hearts forever.
Deborah & Jimm
12/3/2006
Blogger's Email- adwebb05@gmail.com
Questions and comments welcome.
Questions and comments welcome.
Articles For Additional Study
Stroke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke
Areas of Jimm's Brain Affected by Stroke:
Cerebellum pic, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellum
Occipital Lobe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occipital_lobe
Caudate nucleus pic pic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudate_nucleus
Temporal Lobe pic function http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_lobe
Hippocampus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus
Frontal Cortex(prefrontal) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefrontal_cortex
Frontal Lobe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontal_lobe
Parietal lobe[cortex] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parietal_lobe
Not Affected in Jimm's Brain:
Brain stem (pic), (pic), function chart
Brain Scan Types:
CT
Cranial CT
MRI
fMRI
MRA
Super Bugs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotic_resistance
CBS News/60 Minutes
CBS News Story
ABC Story
MSNBC Story
Plaguing UMMC Jan 4th 2008:
Acinetobacter baumannii
- also known as A. baumannii or MDRAB(multidrug-resistant A. baumannii)
CDC Article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroke
Areas of Jimm's Brain Affected by Stroke:
Cerebellum pic, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebellum
Occipital Lobe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occipital_lobe
Caudate nucleus pic pic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudate_nucleus
Temporal Lobe pic function http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_lobe
Hippocampus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus
Frontal Cortex(prefrontal) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefrontal_cortex
Frontal Lobe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontal_lobe
Parietal lobe[cortex] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parietal_lobe
Not Affected in Jimm's Brain:
Brain stem (pic), (pic), function chart
Brain Scan Types:
CT
Cranial CT
MRI
fMRI
MRA
Super Bugs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotic_resistance
CBS News/60 Minutes
CBS News Story
ABC Story
MSNBC Story
Plaguing UMMC Jan 4th 2008:
Acinetobacter baumannii
- also known as A. baumannii or MDRAB(multidrug-resistant A. baumannii)
CDC Article