Over the last few years I have been through and seen so much, but what I now have to face is beyond awful. My father has been safely ensconced in a small continuing care unit for nearly a year and I have made a number of friends over that period. My dear father and two others recently suffered from chest infections. One of them is now back to his old self, my father's chest infection has now recovered after a second series of antibiotics, but he has been diagnosed with failure of the swallowing mechanism. The third gentleman has stopped eating and is now fading away before my eyes. Whilst my father has some good days he mainly has bad and seems to be able to choke on almost anything. They have put him on a soft diet and are thickening his drinks but having talked to my GP I fear that he will have another chest infection any time now that will take him as it is likely that he will inhale the food that he has forgotten to swallow ( which he regularly does). They may sort him out with antibiotics a few times more or not. I get tearful and have to swallow hard when I try to hug his stiff self ( He has a motor neuron's type of dementia). He has no speech at all and cannot even smile. He has fallen so many times recently I have lost count. I even saw blood coming out of his eye on one occasion. I always try to smile and enliven the unit whilst I am there and am told that they all think I am a marvelous daughter, but they do not know that I go home and ball my eyes out. Now I am witnessing my friend's husband fade away before my eyes and I can't bear it. She opens her heart to me and I can't bear it for her. How will I cope when he does die, which I fear will be any day now? I am a very emotional person, which has probably saved me from great depression, but this is just hideous. What can I say to a woman whose husband is dying? Any advice would be welcomed. I know my father's day is not too far away too.
Sorry for the sad message.
Sorry for the sad message.