I read so much how people live for years and years with Alzheimer's. My dad was diagnosed at age 91 and died from it at age 93, so two years. Why so quick? Maybe that is a good thing, but I feel kind of ripped off that he did not last longer after diagnosis.
Why did Stephen Hawkings live for fifty years with ALS when the majority of people with it only live five years after diagnosis. Why did I lose my BIL and nephew to heart failure in less than two years of each other. And my Sister has lived for about 15 yrs with ALS (tubes and wires in and out) (btw, she is another one with friends abandoning her)
It is hard when our parents change so quickly and then leave us just as quickly.
My Mom and I lived together for 9 years. I started to noticed that it was getting harder to redirect her from an idea (especially an unrealistic idea) since July 2015. She still was able to do her own ADLs and used a wheeled walker.
In 2017, her younger brother (age 83) died in March and her older sister (age 91) died in April. We attended Mom's grandson's wedding on April 22th in another state a week after her sister died and Mom was as social and talkative as ever.
Thirty minutes after we got home (after a 5 hour drive) from the wedding, Mom said that her back hurt and she wanted to go to ER Dept. On April 23, 2017, Mom was admitted to the hospital and within 48 hours, Mom could/would not perform any of her ADLS-unable to feed herself, dress herself,toilet herself or walk. After 2 weeks, she was transferred to the nursing home where she refused physical & occupational therapy. By August 2017, she was diagnosed with Major Depression with Delusions and Mild Dementia. She transferred to the Memory Care Unit in November 2017.
Mom changed SO FAST and SO MUCH. Today, she thinks that my brother lives in the house and teaches at the local high school (he does not live in this state) and she has no idea where I live. Some days she has no idea who I am. It only took Mom 6+ months to change from a social person (in April 2017) who could talk your ear off to someone who can't hold a conversation for more than 15 minutes (November 2017).
Even though Mom and I had 7+ years "GOOD" YEARS (and 2 1/2 "FAIR" YEARS), I also "feel kind of ripped off" that Mom changed so fast in 2017. I am having trouble accepting the change in Mom and it is so hard to visit her at the nursing home.
I am so sorry about your Dad. They never stay around long enough, do they? Feel free to grieve your loss and share your feelings about your Dad. Take care and God Bless!
I don't think you would have wanted him living longer with Alzheimer's. Hopefully he didn't have to suffer the indignity of stage 7 before he passed. It's a blessing that he didn't have to linger in the brain-warped existence of dementia. I know we all want to keep our parents as long as possible but not as a shell of who they once were with them suffering.
My mother was diagnosed at 90 and she is still alive at 95-1/2 but the poor dear knows nothing, remembers nothing, is not aware of her surroundings, is often aggressive to her helpers and is just plain tired of living. But the Good Lord hasn't called her yet, so she continues to "exist". Why, I don't know. It saddens me everytime I see her.
Even though your dad had Alzheimer's, could he have possibly died of another cause or plain 'old age'? 93 is very old. What is the cause of death listed on the death certificate?
You had many years with your dad. Try to remember the happy times as a tribute to him.
I have to ask though, why would you have wanted your dad to live longer with this awful disease? My mom existed in a nether world of hallucinations and delusions. She didn’t understand what was happening to her and once told me that when she looked in a mirror,she didn’t recognize herself. Of course I miss her but her death brought her (and me) peace. I would never have wished she’d lived longer with the disease.