theseus
New member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2010
- Messages
- 5
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Country
- NZ
- State
- Southland
- City
- rural
This is only my second post but I have visited almost every day since Adele was diagnosed with ALS/MND on 26th of March. I got alot of comfort from reading this site and hearing how many of you are still leading inspirational lives.
Adele was 56 and we have been married for nearly 32 years and have 2 adult children.
Adele was a very active person - working hard on the farm, gardening, bush walking and cycling. In august 2009 she had a left foot drop which was diagnosed as a back injury but left leg just kept getting worse it then spread to her right foot and she had to use 2 sticks to walk by the time she was diagnosed in march. By August she was using an electric wheel chair and by the end of the month she could no longer stand. by this month she could still use both hands but they were weak. her upper arms no longer worked well and her trunk was weak. She had just started having swallowing problems and her breathing was difficult.
I am extremely proud of my wife. The disease took away everything that she was proud of - her health, her ability to work, to be physically active and to be independant but she handled it and did what she could as long as as she could, had adventures on wild rivers and in the bush in her chair and developed new interests. She had craved having a more social life and able to make many new friends and strengthen ties to her old friends. The neighbours were wonderful and supportful so in the end she was able to fill a void that had been in her life.
Two weeks ago her breathing deteriated rapidly and one week ago she was having diffilculty eating and drinking. we had finally been able to get an appointment with the breathing specialist for today. On saturday she went into the hospice to get help to stabilize her condition so we could come home for christmas. Unfortuneately she went down hill fast., much much faster than I was prepared for. She was still ok but could not stand the door closed becase she wanted fresh air. I still thought she was going to come home but on monday night the nurses said that the doctor would be explaining the situation to us in the morning. I slept in the bed next to her but she she was having trouble sleeping and the nurses gave her someting to help. in the morning she was awake but not really with it. The doctor told me that she would die today. That floored me! I thought she was coming home. They called our kids and her parents and we held her hands and massaged her feet and my daughter played her her favourite piece on the piano and she slipped into unconsciousness and died peacefully at 12-40 pm.
She was not afraid at the end and though she had wanted to fight on to be with us her body would not allow it and she finally gave in.
I am extemely proud of my wife. she was very brave and handled what I would have thought impossible. I have brought her home to the farm and we bury her tomorrow - christmas eve - in the cemetary just down the road. I don't know how I am going to cope without her but her example is a lesson for all of us.
I wish you all well
Adele was 56 and we have been married for nearly 32 years and have 2 adult children.
Adele was a very active person - working hard on the farm, gardening, bush walking and cycling. In august 2009 she had a left foot drop which was diagnosed as a back injury but left leg just kept getting worse it then spread to her right foot and she had to use 2 sticks to walk by the time she was diagnosed in march. By August she was using an electric wheel chair and by the end of the month she could no longer stand. by this month she could still use both hands but they were weak. her upper arms no longer worked well and her trunk was weak. She had just started having swallowing problems and her breathing was difficult.
I am extremely proud of my wife. The disease took away everything that she was proud of - her health, her ability to work, to be physically active and to be independant but she handled it and did what she could as long as as she could, had adventures on wild rivers and in the bush in her chair and developed new interests. She had craved having a more social life and able to make many new friends and strengthen ties to her old friends. The neighbours were wonderful and supportful so in the end she was able to fill a void that had been in her life.
Two weeks ago her breathing deteriated rapidly and one week ago she was having diffilculty eating and drinking. we had finally been able to get an appointment with the breathing specialist for today. On saturday she went into the hospice to get help to stabilize her condition so we could come home for christmas. Unfortuneately she went down hill fast., much much faster than I was prepared for. She was still ok but could not stand the door closed becase she wanted fresh air. I still thought she was going to come home but on monday night the nurses said that the doctor would be explaining the situation to us in the morning. I slept in the bed next to her but she she was having trouble sleeping and the nurses gave her someting to help. in the morning she was awake but not really with it. The doctor told me that she would die today. That floored me! I thought she was coming home. They called our kids and her parents and we held her hands and massaged her feet and my daughter played her her favourite piece on the piano and she slipped into unconsciousness and died peacefully at 12-40 pm.
She was not afraid at the end and though she had wanted to fight on to be with us her body would not allow it and she finally gave in.
I am extemely proud of my wife. she was very brave and handled what I would have thought impossible. I have brought her home to the farm and we bury her tomorrow - christmas eve - in the cemetary just down the road. I don't know how I am going to cope without her but her example is a lesson for all of us.
I wish you all well
