My mum now has aspiration pneumonia , hospital acquired. She is on IV antibiotics and a potassium drip ....she does not look well at all, yet has periods of being vaguely OK...I had a conversation yesterday with the registrar at the hospital about future treatment for infections and in her best interests they feel that palliative care would be best. I know they are right but I feel bad agreeing with them. How likely is she to respond to the antibiotics ? I hate seeing her like this....VD is a cruel awful disease...it's about 230am and I can't sleep for thinking about it all....
Mum now has aspiration pneumonia
- Thread starter rubyrosie
- Start date
Oh rubyrosie, your poor mum...and you.
This is all so confusing and worrying, isn't it? I know. We are going through the exact same thing at the moment.
One (of the many) doctors said to me "Yes, we can treat the pneumonia. Yes she will improve...until the next time. Because it will happen again. She WILL aspirate again. Then it starts all over again."
They are all terrified of aspiration in mum's hospital and so we are on the IV fluids. Have been for 4 weeks continually except for a couple of days when they tried this risk feeding. I made the mistake last week of asking for some abs to relieve the discomfort of the uti Mum has now developed. All it has done is put off the moment they take her off the drip and send her home to die. I really wish, awful as it sounds, that I had refused the ABs to treat the pneumonia when mum was first rushed into hospital 4 weeks ago. If only I had known...
Honestly? I think all this is just prolonging the inevitable. I think palliative care will be a merciful release for both our mums. I think your registrar is right. I think we must be brave.
So sad.
xx
This is all so confusing and worrying, isn't it? I know. We are going through the exact same thing at the moment.
One (of the many) doctors said to me "Yes, we can treat the pneumonia. Yes she will improve...until the next time. Because it will happen again. She WILL aspirate again. Then it starts all over again."
They are all terrified of aspiration in mum's hospital and so we are on the IV fluids. Have been for 4 weeks continually except for a couple of days when they tried this risk feeding. I made the mistake last week of asking for some abs to relieve the discomfort of the uti Mum has now developed. All it has done is put off the moment they take her off the drip and send her home to die. I really wish, awful as it sounds, that I had refused the ABs to treat the pneumonia when mum was first rushed into hospital 4 weeks ago. If only I had known...
Honestly? I think all this is just prolonging the inevitable. I think palliative care will be a merciful release for both our mums. I think your registrar is right. I think we must be brave.
So sad.
xx
I agree...there comes a time when enough is enough. I looked at my Mum sleeping yesterday...skin and bone, old, frail, blind, semi-detatched from this world....and thought Mum I wish you could let go now. She told my sister yesterday that she'd had enough and that her time was over.
You can do no more now, but wait for the time that is to come.x.
It is what happened to my husband.
He had a long period of stability, then developed aspiration pneumonia in December 2013. Antibiotics failed to clear his infections and we were advised the kindest thing was for him to receive palliative care.
His poor body was too weak for the antibiotics to be effective.
I hope your mum is peaceful and pain free rubyrosie. It's all we can ask for.
He had a long period of stability, then developed aspiration pneumonia in December 2013. Antibiotics failed to clear his infections and we were advised the kindest thing was for him to receive palliative care.
His poor body was too weak for the antibiotics to be effective.
I hope your mum is peaceful and pain free rubyrosie. It's all we can ask for.
My heart goes out to you and your family, my mom has aspirated twice and is still in hospital, and all I can say is this is heart breaking and no one deserves to suffer like this, my mom keeps fighting and slowly the dementia is winning, you are in my prayers and definitely not alone on this awful journey.
shandy
shandy
When my late 80s aunt was in a very bad way and I had to decide between hospital/drips, etc, and palliative care, I felt dreadful having to decide and could only ask the GP what he'd do if it were his much loved aunt.
He was unhesitating in saying 'palliative care'. I know not all doctors will comment like this, but this one was lovely and although I did agonise at the time I never once felt afterwards that it was the wrong decision. I know what my aunt would have wanted, and it was all very peaceful.
He was unhesitating in saying 'palliative care'. I know not all doctors will comment like this, but this one was lovely and although I did agonise at the time I never once felt afterwards that it was the wrong decision. I know what my aunt would have wanted, and it was all very peaceful.
Sadly, in a lot of dementia sufferers the swallowing reflex diminishes as the degenerative disease of the brain gets worse. Antibiotics, can help , but only to a certain extent. At the end of the day, it is only prolonging the inevitable. Hugs and prayers to you Ruby. xxx
