mariasb
New member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Messages
- 9
- Reason
- CALS
- Diagnosis
- 11/2012
- Country
- US
- State
- MI
- City
- Plymouth
My husband has been in and out of the hospital the past few weeks because of anxiety/mental issues. He had been on some anxiety meds but was still yelling a lot of nonsense mainly at night when we were trying to sleep. Our clinic advised us to take him to the ER to be evaluated. They prescribed an anti-psychotic med which helped some and because of the rapid progression of his symptoms and the dementia we were offered hospice services at home since I am alone taking care of him. Hospice has been wonderful and a lot more aggressive in ensuring his comfort and my ability to sleep so I can continue to care for my husband at home. His is on Ativan and morphine mainly at night and when needed during the day. Like this morning he cried and was a mess for two solid hours saying goodbye because he thought he was dying. Fortunately, his is not able to walk on his own and his hands do not work either so I don' t have to worry about him hurting himself. I have to decide whether we should discontinue to see the docs at the ALS clinic at Univ. of Mich. or continue. They are all about preserving life through feeding tubes and ventilators and sometimes when my husband hears those options he says that he wants them. Other times he is begging to die. Either way he is not thinking clearly because when I try to talk more about his wishes he will say something that totally does not make sense. The hospice docs will concentrate on comfort care if we go solely with them. They have encouraged me to take my husband off his other meds that may prolong life. I have not done that yet but am leaning in that direction. We have two daughters in college who both support not trying to extend his life because their father and my husband is already gone and we have been grieving for the past several months. I know that this horrid disease is responsible but I still struggle with all of this. If anyone out there has had to make this decision please help me sort this out so guilt doesn't take over.