My husband passed away yesterday morning. His condition plateau for months. He was fairly happy and was still able to walk though slowly and carefully. Two weeks ago, he started losing his speech almost completely. A week later, he started waking up with breathing difficulty. He would be all right during the day. Then his neck muscle failed. That really disturbed him. He used his thumb and tried to lift his head up. His hands had some strength in them still. Two days before he passed away, his breathing became painfully labored. He hated the bipap and oxygen machine, and tolerated them only in extreme need. His last night on earth, he removed the bipap mask every time I put it on him. He rejected the oxygen machine and stopped cooperating with removal of mucus deeper into his mouth. He let me suction those around the front portion of his teeth, clamming his teeth shut when I tried to go in deeper. I woke up several times to check on him. At 11 pm I helped him to the bathroom and back. He was very unsteady on his feet. I looked over shortly after I got him into bed and he was sleeping. Good, I thought, falling asleep myself. At 1 am, I woke up and it was very quiet. Too quiet. I feared the worst. I looked at his chest closely, no movement. He passed on in his sleep. It is a merciful way to go. At the same time I miss him. The house feels so empty. I kept thinking he is in the bedroom and knew he is not. To the end, he remained patient and sweet, suffering patiently and apart from a few dementia episode never gave me any trouble. I thanked him for it and thank God for it.