Nearing the end

[Guest guest]

I had gone shopping with my daughter yesterday, and I got a frantic phone call

from my Dad, asking me to come home. He was unable to awaken Mom, who has LBD.

She had been asleep for 18 hours.

I got here, and saw that the right side of her face was droopier, her eyes were

not equally open equally, her grip was uneven, and her speech was totally

garbled. I put in a call to hospice, and our nurse, , came to the house.

In the meantime, my daughter texted my sister, who has not been here or even

made a phone call to check on my parents since Christmas (although she lives

less than 15 minutes away), who picked up her daughter and rushed over here, as

if they were going to save the day!

So what happens? SHOWTIME! Somehow or another, the LBD showtime overrode the

minor stroke (which agreed was the problem), and the sister and her

daughter acted as if I were out of my tree for even thinking there was anything

different.

Of course, they clucked around and raised eyebrows at me and all...

I told my niece that she could think whatever she wanted, but until she read up

on LBD and all the manifestations of it, I didn't want to hear her assessment

based on her being an EMT. I told her I am here with Mom and Dad every single

day, and every single night, and I think I am a bit more familiar with what's

going on than she is...

Sheesh.

As soon as everyone left, Mom dropped back into a comatose stage. We did manage

to get oxygen on her (her oxygen level was at 85 or so) because she lacks the

strength to pull the cannula from her nose.

She refuses food and water, and we've DC'd all her meds, opting for merely

palliative measures. She doesn't complain of any pain, but it's apparent that

her kidneys are shutting down, and all her autonomic functions are becoming more

and more erratic.

A week? Maybe. The hospice nurse said not to expect more than that.

So, we're nearing the end of the journey. I pray now that God will be merciful.

Jannis

Daughter to , age 82

Third year after diagnosis with LBD,

incorrect diagnoses for several years

prior.