My regular Saturday lunch buddy, Joe Mayhew, died a little after 9AM Saturday, June 10.

Funeral arrangements have been made by Maren and Bill.
The memorial service will be 10AM Saturday, June 17, at St. Bernard's in Riverdale.

Joe's family would like some  flowers at the funeral, but you may also concider donating to St. Bernard's, the Washington Home and Hospice [link], or help Maren arrange to plant a tree in Greenbelt in Joe's honor.

St. Bernard is next to the shopping center which is East of Kenilworth Avenue and South of Riverdale Road. (The church is at N38°57.445' W76°54.942')

Riverdale Road, East-West Highway, and Kenilworth Avenue are all good approaches to the area.  Riverdale Road can be reached from the BW Parkway; go west at the exit.

From the DC beltway, take Kenilworth Avenue South to its intersection with Riverdale Road/East-West Highway. Turn left onto Riverdale Road.  Make a right onto the service road you will see very soon after you make the turn.  From the service road turn into the St. Bernard school parking lot and head for the far end of the school where a bridge will take you into the St. Bernard church parking lot.

If you approach on Kenilworth Avenue from the South, turn right onto Nicholson Street shortly before you get to the intersection with Riverdale Road.  Nicholson goes behind the shopping center.  At the
end of the shopping center you will see a driveway entrance for St. Bernard.

Map as a gif
Map as pdf
WSFA page, including METRO directions

There is information about it at the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cjd/cjd.htm, and these other sites seem legitamate also: http://www.cyber-dyne.com/~tom/mad_cow_disease.html, or to a lesser extent  BSE Information at UIUC. Others have suggested http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/booklet.htm, http://cjdfoundation.org/ and http://www.mad-cow.org/.  CJD seems to be both rare and difficult to spread, implicated are some now-discontinued surgical procedures, and eating raw meat.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/metro/obituaries/archive/A47120-2000Jun13.html
http://www.locusmag.com/
http://www.wsfa.org/jm.htm
http://www.sfwa.org/News/mayhew.htm
http://www.sff.net/people/asaro

The first sign Joe was having problems was arround Balticon 4/21.  Joe had bought a wheelchair the week before and hoped it would be his salvation in dealing with a bad foot, but he became so frustrated on Friday that he did not return for Saturday or Sunday.

The week after Balticon Joe was having problems finding the right word in conversation; a problem known as aphasia, that is a common result of a small stroke.  He had seen his doctor 4/27.

The last weekend in April, Joe claimed to have lost 50 pounds in the past few weeks.  Sudden fast weight loss is a danger sign for anybody.  Evan started calling each afternoon 5/1-5/4 to remind Joe to eat.

On Friday 5/5 Joe had a conversation with his friend Gene W. in which Joe said some things that made Gene very concerned.  Gene called the Greenbelt police to check on him.  Evan happened by while the police were there and the police left content that Joe was not in immediate danger and had someone arround.

Failing to get Joe to go to the emergency room, Evan got him to go to his regular doctor Saturday morning 5/6.  His doctor made a small change in Joe's diabetes medication and suggested Joe had had a series of small strokes related to the diabetes.  Evan kept an eye on Joe thru Monday night.

On Monday evening 5/8 Joe's seemed to be improving, he was still having a little trouble speaking, but he ate heartily at supper. Late Monday Ron T. visited Joe and Joe asked Ron to take him to the police station.  Ron walked over to Evan's place and got him.  They went to the police station and eventually took Joe to Holly Cross Hospital at Joe's request, where in the wee hours of Tuesday Morning 5/9 he checked himself in .
While Joe was in Holy Cross he was visited daily by Evan, Ron, and/or Bill.
I found the way Holy Cross treated Joe to be shocking.

On Saturday 5/13 he was transferred to Suburban.
Evan visited Saturday and rode with Joe to Suburban.
While at Suburban, visting hours and the number of visitors were limited.  Bill, being family, could visit anytime and made it a point to visit at other than visiting hours so friends could visit then.
Colleen, Dick & Chris visited Sunday 5/14.
Jason and Evan visited Monday 5/15.
Evan visited Joe Tuesday 5/16.
Walter, Colleen, and Elspeth visited Wednesday 5/17.
Walter and Evan visited Thursday 5/18.
Walter, Dick & Chris visited Friday 5/19.
Until the WSFA meeting 5/19, only a few friends and family knew Joe was hospitalized.
Sam L. and Evan visited Saturday 5/20.
Walter and Evan visited Sunday 5/21.
Bill, Walter, Dick & Chris visited Monday 5/22.
Bill and Evan visited, Tom tried to visit Tuesday 5/23.
Maren reported later that Suburban did some excellent neurological work.  They determined that Joe's problems definitely had a physical basis.  The rest of us saw that the staff took very kind and conciderate care of Joe; for example they did not make him stay in his room, he was generally in the day room or the hall where he could visit with other patients.

Tuesday 5/23 Joe was moved to GW, room 5116.
Bill rode along on the transfer.
Tom S., Kathi O., and Evan visited Wednesday 5/24.
Joe has lost some ground, speaking is now nearly impossible.
Halmer H., Kathi O. John P., and Walter all visited Thursday 5/25.
Bill and Tom S. visited Friday 5/26, Colleen, Evan and Walter all visited but Joe was out for tests.
Tom S., Walter, and Alexis visited Saturday 5/27.
Several people have suggested reading aloud to Joe as a good way to spend part of a visit.
Dan H. and Evan visited Sunday 5/28.
Joe has slipped another notch. It can take a while talking to him or reading with the room lights on before he becomes aware.  After that, gently taking his hand while he can see you do it can help to get and hold his attention.
Cathrine A., Brenda C., Larry C., Elspeth, Kieth L., Mike W., Walter, John & Kathi, Lee and Alexis all visited Monday 5/29.
Reports from visitors were generally depressing, except John & Kathi were mildly positive, and Lee G. was very positive.
Colleen, Michael N., Tom N., Bob M., Sam L., Dan H., Walter, and Evan all visited Tuesday 5/30.
Richard L., Elspeth and Sue S. visited Wednesday 5/31
Thursday 6/1 Joe was scheduled for some tests about 2PM and wasn't expected to be awake to visit for the rest of the day.
Sheryl B. and Dan H. visited Thursday 6/1.
Dan says Joe was moved to room 5113 and has a roommate now.
Michael N., Dan H., Walter, Elspeth, John P., Judy K., Richard L., Dick & Chris visited on Friday 6/2.
Walter says Joe was moved to intensive care Friday evening.  Visiting is 24 hours there at the discretion of the nurse. The test planned for Thursday was rescheduled for Monday.
Evan visited after the WSFA meeting early Saturday.
Joe was sleeping mostly, opened his eyes a few times, didn't seem to see me.  Breathing shallow. Small spasms.  Nurse took blood while I was there.  Joe did not seem to notice. Left the card signed by all of WSFA at the 6/2 meeting.
Maren, Tom S., Evan, Lee & Alexis visited Saturday 6/3.
Joe is in the ICU due to liquid in his lungs.  Luckily this is believed to be due to inactivity and his
neurologic problems preventing him from coughing it out normally.  This means Joe is not in immediate
danger.
Mike & Beth Z., Marty & Boby G., and Winton  visited Sunday 6/4.
Joe was put on a respirator Sunday. Joe had left instructions to avoid this, but the biopsy still held some hope.  It was decided to keep him alive and make him as strong as possible for the biopsy.
Kathi visited Monday afternoon, Evan visited in the evening 6/5.
Joe was sleeping, a little fitfully at times.  He did not open his eyes at all for the whole hour.
Tuesday 6/6 Joe underwent a brain biopsy and an EEG.
John P. visited late Tuesday and was there when they returned Joe fron the biopsy.
Maren, Evan, Barry N., Walter, Dick & Chris, Rosa O., Colleen, Tom S., and Mary Ann all visited Wednesday 6/7.
In the EEG on Tuesday, they saw that the abnormal signals they were getting from a small area on Joe's right temporal lobe had spread to the entire right and some of the left.  Joe had been on an antiviral for at least 5 days and if it were going to help, it would have begun by now. As there is virtually no chance he will regain conciousness, the no resusitate order was reinstated. Joe was taken off the respirator about 1:30. He was OK until at least 11PM, but without support from the central nervous system most likely Joe's heart will give out in the next day or so.
Maren sat vigil with Joe Wednesday night to Thursday morning 6/8.
Dick & Chris relieved Maren early early Thursday morning 6/8.  Joe had many other visitors on Thursday.  While still in Intensive care: Michael N., Tom S., Richard L., Elspeth, Sue S. & A.J., Rosa Oliver, Beth Z., Barry & Judy N.  After moving to room 3112: John P., Winton M., Judy K., Sam L., Beth and John P., Walter, Randy B., Evan, Tom Sw., Bill M., Dirk M., and Maren returned.
Maren, Dirk, Walter, Tom, and Evan kept vigil Thursday night.
Friday about noon, Maren called Bill who came in and stayed with Joe while everyone else went home.  Bill rode the ambulance with Joe to the hospice.
Joe has proven more robust than anyone expected, but he is not expected to last much longer. As of Friday about 1PM, his life signs were still pretty good, though his pulse was up to 120 and he had a fever of 104.  Maren explained the fever was most likely because now his temperature regulating systems were affected.  Joe has a light morphine drip so he won't feel the urgency of his shortness of breath.

GW treated Joe well, and brought a lot of expertise to bear on his problem.

Joe has moved to the Hospice of Washington, 3720 Upton Street NW in DC.  The hospice is on Upton Street about 1 block east of Wisconson Avenue.  The Tenlytown metro (red line) is on Wisconson about 1/2 mile north of the intersection of  Wisconson and Upton.  The National Cathedral is about a mile south of the hospice.  The hospice has a web site: www.thewashingtonhome.org which says visitation is 24 hours, but arrangements should be made for visits between 11PM and 7AM (202-895-0150).  The "About Us" button will bring up a page with a map. Joe is in room C111
Bill rode the ambulance with Joe from GW to the Hospice.
It has become fairly certain that Joe is suffering from creutzfeldt-jakob.
Bill, Sharian L., Kathi O., Walter, Bob A., Mike & Beth Z. , Dirk, Chris & Dick, Elspeth, Tom S.,
Marianne P., Maren, Colette B., Barry N., Evan, Beth & Chris all visited Friday 6/9.
Joe is settled in to his new room and seems to be resting comfortably.
The Hospice is located at N38°56.487', W77°4.426' (If Joe saw this line he'd get a laugh.)
Maren, Dirk, Elspeth, and Walter will keep the vigil thru Saturday Morning 6/10.
Tom Sw. visited late Friday/early Saturday.

Joe died about 9AM.  Peacefully and suddenly he just stopped breathing.

This listing is intended as a service to help spread out visits so Joe doesn't get days with many visitors followed by days with none.  Also, I will try to notify anyone who has planned a visit if information comes to my attention that may affect those plans.  This service should in no way be interpreted as screening visitors; visit Joe anytime you can regardless of whether you had other plans or did not send email.

Mail to Joe's home address will be brought to the hospital.
This page can also be reached as http://netword.com/joemayhew