My mother is one of the most miserable humans on Earth, and has been for years. Whenever anyone has asked her "How are you doing?", for as far back in my memory as I can reach, I can never remember her saying "I'm fine". Now she's smoked herself to death. She has COPD, CHF, steroid-induced diabetes, a colostomy, osteoporosis, bone spurs in her neck, neuropathy in her limbs, brittle skin that tears at the drop of a hat...the list seems endless. She refuses to get out of bed to try to exercise to keep up any strength, and wants me to do more and more and more for her.
She's in the hospital right now because of a fall last week. She says her knees gave out.
I don't think it's so horrible that I just want this woman to finally have some peace, and yes, honestly, for the rest of us around her to have some as well. The discord and disharmony this narcissist spreads with her always ALWAYS negative attitude takes a toll. She will never change, and her health will only continue to go downhill.
I realize that I don't get to make the decision of when she goes, but I will admit that I do want her to. I think it's the only way she'll finally be "fine".
The following day, I installed a interior lock at the top of the door and that stopped that nonsense. There were a few times he slipped out of the recliner and we found him crawling around on the floor when we got up and had to call the Fire Men to pick him up.
Then it happened, he was sitting in his recliner and he started screaming, clutching his lower back. I called EMS and got him to hospital and it was a bad UTI. He was later transferred to a Nursing facility and passed away in his sleep 2 weeks later wearing his WW2 Naval hat. Do I miss my Dad, Yes. Did I cry at his funeral, No. The day he looked at me, 2 years prior and asked me Who I was, was the day he died. I don't miss the disease, its like a Cancer of the Brain, it eats away the memory until you become a Zombie, more dead than alive. Dementia and Alzheimer's are worse than HIV or Cancer, at least your loved ones can make their peace with loved ones and with Jesus.
With help from other relatives, my grandfather got regular meals again. However, he completely stopped sleeping at night which would result in things like destroying our basement one night, or flipping furniture. I also have not gotten any sleep because I would constantly have to wake up to show him where the bathroom is, etc. In the span of 2 months, he has had 3 falls, breaking his ribs, busting his head and needing stitches and this last time getting strange rug burns all over his face and head.
My mother had to have surgery and had no help so I had to take off of work to take her, care for her then drive across town to check on my grandparents. After just one day I broke down crying, I was exhuasted and have been for months. She felt bad (as I think she should, but that's another story) and her siblings came to town for the 4th of July holiday which helped some. My mom is better now but still has some pain. However she's still on leave from work which has helped a lot in the last few weeks.
My mother has stayed over here some with me and my grandparents. She took my grandfather to an appt for an MRI which turned into an ER visit for his arm (he hurt it in that last fall). The ER visit turned into a week long hospital stay for pnuemonia, dementia and Lord knows what else (I can't keep up, nor do I want to). He was agitated and fought nurses and had to get restrained. They gave him meds that caused him to shake and stop speaking.
Meanwhile, my grandmother also got worse. She stopped eating altogether and showed signs of depression. My mother took her to her doc and she was admitted, mainly for malnutrition (she was only 100 pounds). Ironically, both grandparents were on the same floor just a few rooms down from each other. That week was sent from God, as I got the house to myself, got to clean/straighten/throw things away and got some much needed sleep.
My grandfather was sent to a rehab facility who did not do anything. Last weekend I was out with friends for a break only for my mom to call in a panic because he was sent to a hospital super far out because they said he was agitated. He was transported back to the rehab, where he did not sleep at all, told old war stories and was still agitated. My mother decided to get him transported to another hospital in the middle of the city, as they have geriatric care specialities. He was transported to this other hospital at 4am that night/morning, and is still there. I've only visited once just to say I've been. Luckily he was sleeping when I got there. Apparently in every place he goes, he calls the nurses by my name. Family thinks it's sweet, I think it's annoying. He's not going back to that rehab place and his things have been collected. My mom and aunt found another rehab which he will go to whenever he's released.
My grandmother lied and said she was fine just to get released to come home. She didn't even try to walk, just dramatically fell on the porch for all to see and my mom and I had to carry her inside. She's been insufferable and hasn't really wanted to try to get up to go to the bathroom, sit in the living area, etc., unless someone else does it. I don't have that special touch, nor do I want it. We have a neighbor who has been an angel and is here almost every day to help her bathe, eat, etc. Her antidepressants were changed and her appetite is back, so is her nagging.
I pray every day that God will take both of them away because I am over it all and grieved several years ago. I was done with my grandmother a couple years back when she told an awful lie involving me, and I was done with my grandfather when he tried to attack me a week or so before his hospital stay. I know they're not the same people, and I just pray every day and every night that God can take them and us out of this misery
My grandmother was supposed to go to a rehab too, but the place is is voluntary so when the nurse who stops by asked her, she said no she didn't want to go and that was that. Right now we have gracious relatives/neighbors who come over for some hours and help, but eventually things are gonna get really real and they're going to stop saying "You don't have to pay me to do this." Which I totally understand.
I'm one of the medical POAs for my grandfather. Those papers had to be signed last week as his current hospital wouldn't let any medical records be released without it. It's just...a lot to try to understand in addition to all that is going on.
I'll be glad when she's gone. She's never done anything for any of her own children. Just abandoned us to mean drunken abusive father's. She's always been a worthless selfish person.
I will be glad when she's gone and I have no guilt for it.
People who have never given love or respect can't expect to get love and respect from their grown children. That boat sailed long ago.
My father too is one of the most miserable human beings on the planet. Nothing makes him happy, nothing is ever good enough, he says he wants one thing-like to leave him alone-and when you give him that he complains you don't care. It's impossible and completely infuriating.
Yes, I wish my father would die, to end his suffering and this horrible lack of quality life he is now enduring. I guess I would be pretty unhappy if I were in his shoes too. Only thing is Dad has been this horrible all my life, the dementia just makes it worse.
Sometimes I wonder why I even got involved, why I bothered to move in and help him out. The truth is had I not he would already be dead. He was severely dehydrated, had lost a lot of weight, wasn't eating, but was still drinking alcohol. I stopped buying the booze, starting feeding him 3 wholesome meals a day, got him med compliant, and got him to the hospital when he fell and fractured his pelvis and got a spinal compression fracture. Had I not been here he never would have made it this far. Silly me.
So yes, I too wish my Dad would die and end this horrible mess and suffering for both of us. I'm in the process of getting him into a care facility. My nephew says that will be the death of him, because he's lived in his home for 60yrs and wants to die here. I said that would be a blessing!!
Good luck with your journey!
The two questions are basically the same but the last puts it in a different perspective. If they weren't suffering with broken body or mind (or both), we wouldn't be wishing for their horrible existence to end.
So no one should feel badly to see someone's suffering end.
Just my 2 pesos.
You are entitled to your thoughts-thank God no one can take 'those' away. I don't want to get old and grumpy. No one wants to be around cranky seniors.
You could remind your dad of the old saying, "You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar."
I, too, daydream what retirement will be like and also our freedom after mom 'meets God'. (she'll be 96 in January). At this point, she's no trouble (she's in a memory care center-stage 6 Alzheimer's) but in stages 4 and 5 , I thought I'd loose my mind. 😱 What a pistol!
I think daydreaming is a healthy escape that empowers us to cope with the difficulties until our dreams come true.
Disclaimer (for those that need one),
I, in no way, am implying that we don't love our parents. It's just been a long, hard road and we're looking for the Margarita and beach chair at the end of the tunnel.
🌊🏄🏻🌞🌴👵🏼👴🏼🍸🍾🍸🌴
Keep the dreams flowing. 😊
i have now a wonderful group of people from hospice and I’m thankful just want it over