Monky
Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2010
- Messages
- 15
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Country
- NED
- State
- Utrecht
- City
- Utrecht
Hi Everybody,
On 1 Januari 2011 our father passed away at the age of 68.
He was diagnosed in February with ALS and has passed through all the stages of this illness very very fast. There was hardly time to keep up.
Some of you helped us with ideas to keep his head straight when he suddenly could not keep his head up any longer, and some of you helped us with giving us comfort when we worried about his breathing problems. This was in October.
Back then I expressed my concerns about him not making Christmas. He did... he hang on long enough to grant my wishes. After Christmas he went down fast. We called my sister and mother to come immediately... My dad hung on untill they were here 2 days later.
He held on for one more day after they were there. We were in his bedroom the whole time. He couldn't open his eyes anymore, because of the morphine. But he could hear us. We had a oxygen and pulse meter on his finger the whole time and it went up when we were talking to him. It went down when they cleaned him or when we gave him Morphine and had to take off his bipap to give it to him. He knew we were there. And he was listening to our jokes, our tears... feeling our touch and massages.
I am pretty sure he hang on that extra day because we pampered him outrageously that last night and day.
We needed to reposition him and that proved too much. His oxygen levels dropped and his pulse dropped as well.
He opened his eyes one last time to look us all in the face... then one last time to my brother for permission to let go. My brother gave permission and he went.
He was calm, comfortable and without fear and with his family around him. All the things he wished the most.
It is very difficult to think he is not there anymore. But he will live on in our memories forever.
Love,
Ina & Monique
On 1 Januari 2011 our father passed away at the age of 68.
He was diagnosed in February with ALS and has passed through all the stages of this illness very very fast. There was hardly time to keep up.
Some of you helped us with ideas to keep his head straight when he suddenly could not keep his head up any longer, and some of you helped us with giving us comfort when we worried about his breathing problems. This was in October.
Back then I expressed my concerns about him not making Christmas. He did... he hang on long enough to grant my wishes. After Christmas he went down fast. We called my sister and mother to come immediately... My dad hung on untill they were here 2 days later.
He held on for one more day after they were there. We were in his bedroom the whole time. He couldn't open his eyes anymore, because of the morphine. But he could hear us. We had a oxygen and pulse meter on his finger the whole time and it went up when we were talking to him. It went down when they cleaned him or when we gave him Morphine and had to take off his bipap to give it to him. He knew we were there. And he was listening to our jokes, our tears... feeling our touch and massages.
I am pretty sure he hang on that extra day because we pampered him outrageously that last night and day.
We needed to reposition him and that proved too much. His oxygen levels dropped and his pulse dropped as well.
He opened his eyes one last time to look us all in the face... then one last time to my brother for permission to let go. My brother gave permission and he went.
He was calm, comfortable and without fear and with his family around him. All the things he wished the most.
It is very difficult to think he is not there anymore. But he will live on in our memories forever.
Love,
Ina & Monique
