Friggin Dementia

H

HuskerInLostWages

New member
Well guys and gals, been away a few days as my father is now in a hospice. Thanks to his frontal Lobe Dementia he has lost the ability to swallow food without it going into his lungs. He's a retired Policeman and Force Recon Marine from Vietnam. I'll be away a little longer as I spent yesterday at the hospice with him and his Nebraska hat watching them beat Colorado. He took me to my very first NU game as a kid, it was great to spend his last one with him. I'll thank all the well wishers early since I probably wont have time to see them for a week or so, but who knows. I think he even may have smiled at the final seconds of the game knowing we beat CU.

Upset about it all at such an early age(63, would be 64 this coming Friday) but I can say he went out a Big Red Fan through and through.

 
That sucks man and sorry to hear about your father. My dad is only 56 and I couldn't imagine what my mindset would be if I ever saw my dad like that or in any other condition. I'm sure you look up to your father like myself and others do and hate to see our fathers in some physical and emotional pain. Besh wishes from myself and Huskernation in your tough time.........at least he got to see Nebraska beat CU.

 
That sucks. My father, WWII vet (Battle of the Bulge) went through the exact same thing 6 years ago. Fed threw a tube into his stomach. He couldn't let his hospital bed get too low, but he did put it down too low and died shortly after. I am not convinced that he did it on purpose.

Our family are great on jokes and such. We still get a chuckle on his last words to us before going to surgery: "My butt itches, will you scratch it" You got to know our family.

 
Much appreciated guys. Dad actually decided that I may have been one of his dogs tonight, I got a nice scratch behind the ear. He's always been a strange guy so we actually dont know when this may have started, though thinking back it could have been on going for a while now. He had a spell about 6 months ago when he went back to visit my sister and the kids. He's never been the same since and lost over 100 pounds in that same time frame. He can no longer speak and the feeding tube would just prolong his suffering so we turned it down. He isn't there anymore unfortunately and he looks like he's in his 90's now. Amazing how fast he went downhill but this disease is awful to people who suffer from it. I know I wouldn't want to be where he is, and I know i'd never want my wife to go through what my mom is going through.

I do appreciate it guys, hard to deal with right now, but understand that he wont be suffering anymore. Mom says his breathing has gotten worse and tonight might be the night. Man is strong and even though he hasn't ate in 4 days he's still fighting.

 
My thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

My father died last year from aspiration pneumonia. He had parkinsons with dementia. Hard road to take and he was a WWII South Pacific vet too.

Take care

Rawhide

 
My mom is a hospice nurse that specializes in dementia patients. She and the company she works for keep on top of all of the latest "maybe" treatments in the hopes that they can help the patients and the famlies get the most out of what they have left.

Work with your providers to help your dad get all he can out of life.

 
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