Snowman78
Distinguished member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2013
- Messages
- 158
- Reason
- CALS
- Diagnosis
- 12/2013
- Country
- US
- State
- SC
- City
- Sumter
A brief history for those that don't know and then I will get to my problem I am struggling with. Dad is 80 years old and was diagnosed with ALS in December of last year and the diagnosis was confirmed in Feburary. Prior to diagnosis dad had paperwork draw up with his wishes to not have a ventilator or feeding tube or life support unless it was needed short term because of an unforseen emergency. After being diagnosed and educated on ALS he stated that these were still his wishes. As you can guess, he has declined greatly over the last year. He is now at a stage as of Sunday that he is too weak to do any kind of activity. A bed bath or just eating a meal completely wears him out. There are very few hours of awake time during the day now. He for the majority of the time is in the bed on bipap resting/sleeping. He is recieving the equivalent of 10 mg of morphine about every 3 hours to help pulmonary distress and make him comfortable and taking about .3 ml of liquid ativan to help him relax and rest at night.
Now the struggle I am having mentally, emotionally, and ethically:
1. Is knowing that he didn't want a ventilator to sustain life and keeping him on bipap all of the time which is essentially doing the same thing at this point and sustaining life he wouldn't be able to sustain on his own the same thing?
( I know the differences betwen them and that bipap can't sustain him forever)
2. Is this something I should even mention and discuss with him and mom or just keep my mouth shut?
Please please please give me your imput as I am struggling with this and truely don't know how to feel about it and always said I would stand tall to respect his decisions.
Now the struggle I am having mentally, emotionally, and ethically:
1. Is knowing that he didn't want a ventilator to sustain life and keeping him on bipap all of the time which is essentially doing the same thing at this point and sustaining life he wouldn't be able to sustain on his own the same thing?
( I know the differences betwen them and that bipap can't sustain him forever)
2. Is this something I should even mention and discuss with him and mom or just keep my mouth shut?
Please please please give me your imput as I am struggling with this and truely don't know how to feel about it and always said I would stand tall to respect his decisions.