My mother is one of the most miserable humans on Earth, and has been for years. Whenever anyone has asked her "How are you doing?", for as far back in my memory as I can reach, I can never remember her saying "I'm fine". Now she's smoked herself to death. She has COPD, CHF, steroid-induced diabetes, a colostomy, osteoporosis, bone spurs in her neck, neuropathy in her limbs, brittle skin that tears at the drop of a hat...the list seems endless. She refuses to get out of bed to try to exercise to keep up any strength, and wants me to do more and more and more for her.
She's in the hospital right now because of a fall last week. She says her knees gave out.
I don't think it's so horrible that I just want this woman to finally have some peace, and yes, honestly, for the rest of us around her to have some as well. The discord and disharmony this narcissist spreads with her always ALWAYS negative attitude takes a toll. She will never change, and her health will only continue to go downhill.
I realize that I don't get to make the decision of when she goes, but I will admit that I do want her to. I think it's the only way she'll finally be "fine".
You might want to look at around at various churches to inquire if they have any volunteers who would come visit your Mom,.If you are constantly around each other, barring her hospital stays, you are both going to drive each other crazy, perhaps a nice volunteer will give your Mom a new friend and will give you a break; see I would had written to take your Mom to Adult Day Care, but you write she does not like moving around a lot so she would balk at that.But having a sweet person come and sit and talk with her might be quite beneficial and with the church you will not have to worry about that stranger being in your home, plus you can be in the house too, just not in the room with her and your Mom.
And if you really did give the finger to Anonymous95109 you should apologize I can tell they were very hurt by that. That kind of thing should not go on on here, we are all going through tough times caring for loved ones, so lashing out at others only creates more stress and hurt. The moral and honorable thing to do would be to apologize.
alphaomegaalpha.org/pharos/PDFs/2014-1-Reynolds.pdf.
This would be a good one for the other thread on "how old is too old" as these folks did their best to make a quality life last as long as possible. With my mom, if we could have delayed it til we had a chance to visit the zoo and see the penguins, it would have been great, but yeah, it was at least getting to be her time and things could have passed the tipping point where her life was more of a burden than any of us would have wanted. I don't know that I ever reached the point of hoping she died but I did realize that I was hoping she would pass before having yet another stroke, heart attack or CHF, total blindness, or dysphagia and inability to eat...she did, I think, have a brainstem stroke (woke up very dizzy, feeling she was falling, could not really swallow) and then an MI that finally took her away from us, but she ate a piece of pizza with us the night before.
I wanted her to not die and we could not have that; I wanted her to not suffer and we could not have that entirely either, though she did get medication to ease her final chest pain; and I wanted to make sure someone was with her, because she had been afraid of dying alone, and we did at least have that.
At this time in her life your mom is never going to be happy so think of it from the ponit of view "what would happen to them if you were no longer physically able to care for them" Is you mom capable of living independently with your brother? if the answer is yes then look into apartments in elder houseing and get them on all the lists you can. Contact your local Area on Aging and Social services to see if they can expediate the process. I think you said previously that your brother is disabled and unable to live alone so he may be the key to getting suitable housing.
The elder housing apartments are usually for those over 55 or the disabled. the rent is income dependent so that is not a problem. there certainly alternatives out there for Mom and Bro but she probably won't ever be happy or satisfied so you just have to accept that and move ahead. She has to be told the alternatives and understand you will call APS and are going to move on. it is hard and you will get all kinds of guilt trips thrown your way and if you can't face it you will be stuck for ever. so be strong, its new week so take the bull by the horns and take the first step.
Then she had a severe stroke, complete Rt side paralysis, including her throat.The Dr. said, you have a choice, feeding tube or let her go," So her husband (not my dad) put the tube in so now she's on life support, exactly what she didn't want.
When I see her she mumbles, "Kill me, end this". Has to be restrained 'cuz she'll try to pull the tube out. It's horrible but he has all the power.
Now they have her so doped up she has been starring at a blank wall for 3 years.Has never left the bed has never eaten or even had a sip of water.
It takes me 12 hrs to drive out there to visit and if she is aware she just asks me to leave, Her husband can't figure out why I really don't want to come out there.
We are not close, she didn't even raise me but I somehow felt obligated.
She is miserable and I'm guilty. so how long can you live on a feeding tube anyway? ( I am being a bit sarcastic considering the topic of this discussion) but I do understand about praying for death, as awful as that sounds.
I'm afraid people can be kept going by artificial means for much longer than you will probably want to hear.
I'm very sorry for how you must feel, and I'm very sorry for your mother. I can see why you would feel that visiting her is futile at best, and at times - even worse - painful for her. It's a very sad state of affairs. Hug.
Now we are paying the price with her meanness and having to listen to the poor me speech all the time. If we say anything to her in the most respectful way about getting help -- or even a suggestion about anything- the wrath of God will come down on all of us, because she gets her jollies on trying to get one of her children to side with her against the other. At this time in our lives we have taken a united stand on this one issue and refuse to listen to her talk about our other siblings. Consequences on this is her being mad, pouting and complaining for the next few months.
And God forgive anyone that says to her how healthy she is (and she really is for 87). She hates to hear this, why? Because that takes away from her being able to constantly complain about how bad she feels. Sinuses (wow) aching knees (years of eating horribly - sugar addict) headaches (made up)... AND they know her by first name at the emergency room because she is so afraid of dying that each time she feels a little ache she makes my poor 66 yr old sister whom she lives with to take her to the ER. Each time the busy doctors say the asme thing to her - nothing wrong. Then we pay again for the stupid doctors because they don't know anything. This has been going on for years.
Ok, sorry I rambled, but the kicker is ...SHE HAS NO MONEY- she is on Medicare because she didn't think about the future after she kicked our dad out. And yes, we have been supporting her her entire life. A dear friend of the family said "if your mom didn't have kids she would be in the poor house." Correct!
My mother was very much the same way. Negative attitude and rarely a nice thing to say in her last year. She went as far as to dig her fingernails into the nurses or aids because she did not like them doing her personal things for her. Of course she could not do for herself.
I am taking care of my Father now in my home, as I have been able to retire and have the time and opportunity. He is the most easy going and not combative person I know, and would never lash out.
Does that make caring for him a lot easier? Yes, at least I can handle him. I know if I had done this with Mom I would have been driven to do something awful.
But, Dad is not here. I only get glimpses of the Dad I know through the advanced dementia he suffers from. He is limited to one liner sentences about the food, weather and such. It drives me crazy that we cannot have a conversation. He gets so confused that the best I can do is give basic commands like stand up sit walk etc. Most of the time after you try to communicate, he just laughs and says yeah, because he is not processing the information. Frustrating for me, but I know it is not his fault. I hate Dementia. It took my parents and changed them into a shell of who they once were.
It would be a relief to see Dad pass. His body has outlived himself. He does not have much quality of life, but I try to make him comfortable.
My Dad was a fighter and has been in the hospital and rehab after an accident. The therapists had to tell him "you need to stop exercising now, we don't want you to overdo this"
He cant fight any more. He just is. Being my parents parent is not my best picture of retirement, or his. Not comfortable for either of us to be in this situation.
So, yeah we know how you feel.
I pray for an end to my suffering and my mums so i think hope someone dies is a bit strong i think we all want peace and thats nothing to feel bad about!
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I'm laughing so hard right now, I'm crying. OMG, this is my mother! Except she doesn't lie in bed, she sits all day watching tv and has done so for just about 3/4 of her life!
Yesterday, we took a short walk. Half way through, she tells me her leg 'aches' and I hate that word. I mean, what does it mean? Does it hurt? How bad is the pain? ETC,ETC,ETC. She doesn't understand the pain scale and uses it backward, i.e., 10 is good, 1 is bad. She's always done this, BEFORE the dementia!
Life is strange.
Thank you Agingcare.com for being here to allow all of us human beings who step across this site to learn a thing or two about life and living.
Honestly, regarding the question above, i feel my two cents would not assist anyone. The best of luck to all of you.