jimpeel
Well-Known Member
So here I am on a death watch for my father-in-law. Life has been a bitch the past week.
I arrived home after work Tuesday, Feb. 2, to find the fire department in the front yard. He had suffered a stroke. His left side was affected, his head was turned hard to the right and his eyes were fixed to the right. The paramedics responded and he was transported to the hospital.
The hospital placed him on clot busting medications in the full knowledge that they might kill him. The choice was do nothing and he will die or administer the medication and he may die.
This caused massive bleeding in his brain which further damaged it. He lost the function of speech and awareness and was unable to swallow or cough up sputum. He still had some function in his right arm and leg and he moved them sporadically through the night. By the next day, that had also ceased.
Since that time he has lost all cognitive functions -- verbal and physical stimuli have no effect -- the brain is in self preservation mode and is keeping his body alive. He is functionally dead for all intents and purposes and until his brain decides to concur he will continue to breathe and his heart will beat.
We had him placed in Hospice on Friday, February 5th, after removing the intubation tube. We are waiting for him to leave us.
We made arrangements for cremation today. Two matching urns have been ordered, one for him and one for his wife when she eventually passes; and when all events have come to pass they will be interned at the cemetery where her father is buried in California.
I arrived home after work Tuesday, Feb. 2, to find the fire department in the front yard. He had suffered a stroke. His left side was affected, his head was turned hard to the right and his eyes were fixed to the right. The paramedics responded and he was transported to the hospital.
The hospital placed him on clot busting medications in the full knowledge that they might kill him. The choice was do nothing and he will die or administer the medication and he may die.
This caused massive bleeding in his brain which further damaged it. He lost the function of speech and awareness and was unable to swallow or cough up sputum. He still had some function in his right arm and leg and he moved them sporadically through the night. By the next day, that had also ceased.
Since that time he has lost all cognitive functions -- verbal and physical stimuli have no effect -- the brain is in self preservation mode and is keeping his body alive. He is functionally dead for all intents and purposes and until his brain decides to concur he will continue to breathe and his heart will beat.
We had him placed in Hospice on Friday, February 5th, after removing the intubation tube. We are waiting for him to leave us.
We made arrangements for cremation today. Two matching urns have been ordered, one for him and one for his wife when she eventually passes; and when all events have come to pass they will be interned at the cemetery where her father is buried in California.
