Her dad with dementia @60 yrs.

[shootingstar]

  A co-worker told me today while we talked about family visits.  

That's just 1 yr. older than I.  So sad...and her father's, mother occasionally checks in to look after him.   

 

[MickinMD ★]

That's sad. My father died at age 69, 1 1/2 years older than I am now, and a lifetime of drinking and not taking care of himself resulted in his kidneys and liver failing as fast as lung cancer was growing. During his last half year, his body couldn't handle ions well and it resulting in his mind often being disoriented. Often he would ask who I and others were: "Are you a hospital attendant?" That was difficult for me and the family to handle.

At the very end, he became lucid for a couple days. His breathing became slower. Finally, he looked at us and said, "I think it's time to check out!"

Last words. He was gone within the hour.

[shootingstar]

9 hours ago, MickinMD said:

At the very end, he became lucid for a couple days. His breathing became slower. Finally, he looked at us and said, "I think it's time to check out!"

Last words. He was gone within the hour.

Wow.

1 of my sisters did see my father die.  He was already in palliative care...coincidentally at the hospital where sis worked.  My siblings (I live in a different province) took turns to sit and be with father for many hrs.  Sibs did monitor my father's breathing.  So my father just stopped breathing.... 

Most likely my father would have lived a few years more if it weren't for prostate cancer and chemotherapy.  He was quite healthy otherwise.

 

[MickinMD ★]

12 hours ago, shootingstar said:

Wow.

1 of my sisters did see my father die.  He was already in palliative care...coincidentally at the hospital where sis worked.  My siblings (I live in a different province) took turns to sit and be with father for many hrs.  Sibs did monitor my father's breathing.  So my father just stopped breathing.... 

Most likely my father would have lived a few years more if it weren't for prostate cancer and chemotherapy.  He was quite healthy otherwise.

 

We siblings also saw my mother die.  She had stage-3 lung cancer and we all knew it was a matter of time.  She was baby-sitting her 2 year-old grandson for 8 hrs/day, 5 days/wk until 2 months before she died and had a second helping of really-good lasagna two days before she died. I hope that when I go, I spend such little time incapacitated!

The night she died was both sad and comical.  My sister is a cancer research nurse at Johns Hopkins and knew when the end was coming. My mother was living with her in her final days. My sister called my brother and I and said, "Get over here because mom's going to be dead in about an hour."

As the minutes dragged on, her breathing got slower and slower.  Finally, she took a breath and then nothing for a minute or two. Everyone began crying. Then mom breathed again. Then another long pause and a breath. This went on a couple more times and we couldn't help laughing and noting that if figured mom wouldn't go out without putting a smile on our faces!  Then that was it!

At the Catholic Funeral Mass, the priest - who knew my mother well - said that my mother was probably watching from above and enjoying the attention.  Just then, the electric power - lights and air conditioning - went out in the church.  Not missing a beat, the priest said, "I mean she's DEFINITELY watching from above."

[Scrapr ★]

2 hours ago, MickinMD said:

 

As the minutes dragged on, her breathing got slower and slower.  Finally, she took a breath and then nothing for a minute or two. Everyone began crying. Then mom breathed again. Then another long pause and a breath. This went on a couple more times and we couldn't help laughing and noting that if figured mom wouldn't go out without putting a smile on our faces!  Then that was it!

This breathing is called Cheyne-Stokes breathing. My FIL did this for a day to day & a half. Learned about it from hospice. Not necessarily related to dementia/Alzheimers. FIL died from congestive heart failure

RIP Leo