Zoom-boing
Platinum Member
My mom fell and broke her hip Sunday night. Snapped the ball off the bone. She is too frail to within stand surgery. When they took her into the hospital her c02 levels were 120 (normal is 45). She's been on oxygen 24/7 for the past 2 1/2 yrs but with her RA she has only been able to sleep on her back in a nearly upright position for years. As a result she mouth-breathes at night and doesn't inhale the oxygen and doesn't expel the c02, very shallow upper lung breathing. She also has congestive heart failure (although her heart is strong but it's everything else that goes along with CHF) and pulmonary fibrosis (scarring in the lungs is the best way to desscribe it). She has a living will, no artificial means, etc. She's currently on a cpap machine to force oxygen in, it's on the lowest level because she can not tolerate anything more. When she's awake her pulse ox is in the mid 90's; when she sleeps - even w/the machine - it drops to 86-88 range.
Basically we will move her to hospice, no cpap, when the c02 levels reach a certain point, morphine drip to make her comfortable and let nature take its course. Probably looking at a week or so, if that.
My dad's funeral is today, leaving in a few hours. Got a quiet minute and needed to get this out. Am pretty numb from it all but you know, things happen a certain way for a reason. She has said over and over that she didn't want to be the last one. When her sister died last Tues, after she hung up the phone w/her niece she looked at me and said "I don't want to be the last one". After my dad died, she looked at his chair and said "I hate this" "it isn't fair". All meaning she didn't want to be here alone. Her last sibling, her sister, is in a nursing home but her mind is completely back in 1950's when she worked for the IRS so my mom is, essentially, the last one. Can't blame her for wanting to leave. So for her, this is perhaps the best thing. She was upset that my dad died alone (she was sleeping when he passed) so while it's hard for us, for her if we can be there when her time comes that's good.
Rambling on here, need too I guess. Thank you all for your thoughts and especially prayers. My dad wasn't Catholic (he used to wash the cars on Sundays when we went to mass lol) but my mom is a Roman Catholic, capital R, capital C. So pray for her .. and us.
Basically we will move her to hospice, no cpap, when the c02 levels reach a certain point, morphine drip to make her comfortable and let nature take its course. Probably looking at a week or so, if that.
My dad's funeral is today, leaving in a few hours. Got a quiet minute and needed to get this out. Am pretty numb from it all but you know, things happen a certain way for a reason. She has said over and over that she didn't want to be the last one. When her sister died last Tues, after she hung up the phone w/her niece she looked at me and said "I don't want to be the last one". After my dad died, she looked at his chair and said "I hate this" "it isn't fair". All meaning she didn't want to be here alone. Her last sibling, her sister, is in a nursing home but her mind is completely back in 1950's when she worked for the IRS so my mom is, essentially, the last one. Can't blame her for wanting to leave. So for her, this is perhaps the best thing. She was upset that my dad died alone (she was sleeping when he passed) so while it's hard for us, for her if we can be there when her time comes that's good.
Rambling on here, need too I guess. Thank you all for your thoughts and especially prayers. My dad wasn't Catholic (he used to wash the cars on Sundays when we went to mass lol) but my mom is a Roman Catholic, capital R, capital C. So pray for her .. and us.
