witzz
Member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2007
- Messages
- 19
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Diagnosis
- 06/2007
- Country
- US
- State
- NY
- City
- New York City
Hi all,
This the first time I've posted here though I've read your postings for quite a while. Thanks for being there.
My mom was diagnosed with ALS in June 2007 and has deteriorated rapidly. She has remained steadfast in saying that she doesn't want a feeding tube and that when her time comes, it comes. She is an amazing woman - never complained about this, never sank into depression - but she's also realistic about what her life is like now.
And it's very hard, as everyone here knows. She cannot speak, walk, or use her hands at all (the disease started in the hands first, and so it took a while to diagnose). She uses a computer with head mouse to communicate but her life is very very hard. She has been asking the hospice people questions about stopping eating. That is, if she decided to stop eating before she could no longer swallow, what would happen...how long would she linger before dying...and of course, they don't know exactly. Her body is amazingly strong given how disease-ravaged she is and I'm worried that it will be days and days before she can go to her eternal rest.
What do people here know about stopping eating? Do you know of anyone who has done it, and if so, how long did they live afterward? Was hospice really able to keep them comfortable so that they did not suffer?
I hope no one feels that this is a controversial post in anyway. I'm not advocating that anyone else do this (and I don't even encourage my mom to do it, but I'm supportive of whatever decision she makes and feel that it is hers to decide).
Thanks in advance,
Witzz
This the first time I've posted here though I've read your postings for quite a while. Thanks for being there.
My mom was diagnosed with ALS in June 2007 and has deteriorated rapidly. She has remained steadfast in saying that she doesn't want a feeding tube and that when her time comes, it comes. She is an amazing woman - never complained about this, never sank into depression - but she's also realistic about what her life is like now.
And it's very hard, as everyone here knows. She cannot speak, walk, or use her hands at all (the disease started in the hands first, and so it took a while to diagnose). She uses a computer with head mouse to communicate but her life is very very hard. She has been asking the hospice people questions about stopping eating. That is, if she decided to stop eating before she could no longer swallow, what would happen...how long would she linger before dying...and of course, they don't know exactly. Her body is amazingly strong given how disease-ravaged she is and I'm worried that it will be days and days before she can go to her eternal rest.
What do people here know about stopping eating? Do you know of anyone who has done it, and if so, how long did they live afterward? Was hospice really able to keep them comfortable so that they did not suffer?
I hope no one feels that this is a controversial post in anyway. I'm not advocating that anyone else do this (and I don't even encourage my mom to do it, but I'm supportive of whatever decision she makes and feel that it is hers to decide).
Thanks in advance,
Witzz