Dad with Parkinson's is suddenly almost unresponsive. Advice?

Sweetheart, my dad has stage 5 Parkinson's, let your dad go. It's horrible. Your dad won't want to live with rigidity, hallucinations, delusions, worse to come. The Doctor's are telling you he is terminal, call hospice, let him go in peace.

So sorry for your loss. There was caring at the end that you were able to provide your father, thereby honoring his life. We know someone, he is brave, we are hoping he can rally and continue the fight, waiting is so hard. The loss is bittersweet.

Thank you, emjo.

((((Hugs)))) jr you did the right things. My sympathies on your loss.

Thank you, Jeanne.

jrectenwald, please accept my condolences on the death of your dear father.

Thank you everyone for your caring comments. It is with a very heavy heart that I tell you that my Dad passed away on April 17th. He never did make a recovery. He just refused to eat or drink. I feel very strongly that he had just given up the battle with the Parkinson's. He was tired of fighting, and his body was giving out on him. It still hurts. I questioned and questioned every one of my decisions, but I think in the end I did the right thing by placing him in a wonderful hospice. It was a beautiful place, he was well cared for, and he passed very peacefully when he was ready. (He waited until his brother and sister were able to make it here from Florida, then passed less than half an hour later). So, once again, thank you for your advice and help. You are all wonderful!

Be sure the UTI is cleared. The antibiotics make my friend sleepy.

The DNR question might be pertinent here; my husband's c.diff diarryhria was followed by a heart arrythmia and a resuscuation. (which didn't seem too bad) and then a pacemaker. I suspect that his heart rhythm was messed up from the intestinal problems messing up his biochemistry. And to make it more frustrating, the problem for which he was given the original antibiotic was not even an infection but a recurrence of lymphoma.

It's possible that he developed a resistance to the antibiotic they had him on, and/or that he has a c.diff (which can really mess you up; that set up my husband's first major downturn).

Hugs to you, jrectenwald. What a tough situation to be in. I agree that you should follow what you know to be your father's wishes.

Just about anything could happen next. I hope additional treatment for a UTI will resolve the entire issue. Know that you are doing the best you can, whatever happens.

Check his medications online. Sometime the interaction can cause horrific behavior, My mom was over medicated and she became irrate, hallucinated and did some crazy things. Also check side effects from long term meds. God bless!

Oh, yeah. I guess you're right. It's late here. I was just thinking maybe he's constipated.

txcamper, I think you mean pain killers are constipating? Antibiotics will do just the opposite, wipe out gut flora and allow C-Diff to wreak havoc.

When was his last bowel movement? All those antibiotics can be constipating.

Thank you, emjo, for the hugs. I can use them. This entire experience is scary. I often feel like I have an axe hanging over my head waiting to drop at any moment. It helps to talk about it.

jr - it is all you can do, it seems. Wait in the test results and possible subsequent treatment. I agree you have to follow your dad's wishes regardless of what the hospitalist says. It is a very difficult situation and I wish you and your dad all the best. it must have been scary to see him unresponsive after doing so well. (((((((hugs))))))

Thank you so much Pam. I hope he recovers as well, but I'm not holding out a lot of hope anymore.

My heart goes out to you, JR, you are a loyal person to uphold what he wants. I hope and pray that after the UTI treatment you will see the improvement you both want to have. God Bless.

Actually, Pam, the "Hospitalist" (doctor who works only at the hospital--no outside practice) was the one telling me that my Dad is 85 with Parkinson's and to let him go. Now that my Dad is in Rehab, those people are saying that he is not dying, and that I should take a deep breath and give him time. They said that his color is good and he is simply sick with a possible UTI (still waiting on test results) and a head cold, and that an elderly person with a UTI will be confused and violent and unresponsive. Today, they counseled me to wait to put him into hospice because they believe that as soon as he begins treatment for a UTI (which they are certain that he has--don't know why they are so certain) he will begin to improve. The "Hell Yeah" means he wants to live. He has not been an "active guy" in over seven years. He is able to do very little. Still, he has repeatedly assured me that he wanted to live under any circumstances EXCEPT a permanent feeding tube.

Cwillie, before the pneumonia, my Dad was doing fine for someone with late-stage Parkinson's. He was eating, drinking, talking (he talks very softly and broken with the Parkinson's), watching TV and enjoying the attention from the aides at the Assisted Living where he and my Mom live. I saw him on Thursday afternoon two weeks ago. He seemed extra tired, but still eating and functioning. By Friday afternoon, he had started to run a fever, and by Saturday, he was refusing to eat, drink, open his eyes--everything that he is doing now. HOWEVER, after being the hospital for a few days with IV antibiotics he showed a great deal of improvement--back to his old self. The hospital transferred him to a local Rehab/Nursing Home for rehab. After three days there, he began to show the same signs he showed the first couple days in the hospital--no eating, no drinking, striking out at the aides (something he has NEVER done before this), spitting his food and pills out at them, not opening his eyes.

He may indeed be ready to pass on. I just don't know. And, no Pam, I have never witnessed a resuscitation. All I know is that my Dad made it clear over and over again that he wanted EVERYTHING done to keep him alive. It may be beneficial to know that he does not now nor ever has had any kind of heart trouble, nor has anyone in his family. His relatives have all died of cancer.

You don't say what kind of shape he was in before the pneumonia, as his caregiver you know best if he has any fight left in him. Pamstegma is right, if you are satisfied that they have done their best for him you need to find the courage to let him go. Is there no other family available to support you?

jrectenwald, OK, the hospital is telling you he is terminal. If you have ever witnessed a resuscitation, it can be a form of torture. The paddles can leave burn marks, ribs fracture during chest compressions. Intubation is not fun either. "H* ll Yeah" means he still wants to have fun, he was an active guy. If you believe in God and Heaven, ask your angels to guide you.

I don't have an answer for you but it p%$#es me off that just because you are past 80 some doctors tend to give up. I got the same attitude when my mom had her decline two years ago, the ER doc told me "sometimes they just get tired". Yeah,right. But if your dad was 60 I bet they would be trying a little harder to figure out what is going on, not recommending you pull the plug!

I wish I could, Pam, but my Mom's got Alzheimer's and they both were living together in assisted living when this all started. I had seen them the day before everything began. He was sleepy but otherwise well. Do you have any idea what else it might be? The doctor so far has been less than useless. I finally got another one for him. His original doctor both at the hospital and the same one now in rehab, called me before my dad had been in the hospital for 24 hours, and wanted me to reconsider the "full code" status and let him just be comfortable. The full code status is my dad's wish. He has always said that he wanted everything done. He said this again on Sunday. When they asked him "if your heart stops, do you want it restarted?" he replied, "H*ll yeah!" I feel I'm letting him down, but I don't know where to go from here.

There is a lot more going on with him than just Parkinsons or a UTI. I believe your instincts are correct and you need to ask Mom for all the details.