I have posted on here many times and answered questions every now and then. Dad passed away Oct 7th 2013 from Liver Cancer . He was in a hospice facility for 11 days until he died. The day before he was admitted he was in the hospital and was talking,eating and very clear headed but his ammonia levels were high and he had been very combative, not eating and wouldn't take his meds for 4 days at his nursing home. ( He was in for a Psych Evaluation.) The hospice worker talked to me about admitting him instead of returning to the nursing home. I agreed to this and arrangements were made. He was transferred later that day and was alert and in good spirits. The next morning he was unresponsive and stayed that way until he passed. They gave him morphine and ativan around the clock. He never got any water but they did cleanse his mouth and moisten it with swabs. It seemed like he could hear me the first few days because I would shake his shoulder and say "dad". His eyes seemed to be moving under his eyelids and his mouth would move slightly. I did ask about them lowering his dosages so he could wake up a little. The nurse said he was getting a very small dosage already. I just wonder if the drugs made him unresponsive and if less was used he could have ate and drank and lived longer. I know it was time for him to go but I'm kinda puzzled about his going from complete alertness and straight into unresponsiveness so quick. The nurses did a Great job. I myself don't know how they do it. They treated dad like he was their baby. So gentle and compassionate. I was just wondering if anyone else had the feeling that death felt a little rushed once their loved one was placed in Hospice.
zytrhr,
How in the h*ll can you say that, "Medicine is now all about money, and how much can be made off each patient." Are you nuts? Have YOU been to a doctor lately? Maybe for lab tests or a preventative flu shot? I've had it with your ridiculous remarks. Yes, medical care costs a lot in the U.S. but we have the most advanced technology in the world. We SAVE millions of lives through treatment for existing diseases and/or prevention of acquiring new diseases. Yes, costs are high, but the technology to create new drugs, treatments and machines to keep YOUR butt healthy is expensive. People are not dying, they are living. There is no price on your or your loved one's health.
What insensitive moron would state, "Hospice in your mom's case is probably to come around as little as possible, but still enough to be able to bill Medicare. They probably feel your mom is going to die anyway, so why bother." ?
DOES THAT MAKE ANYONE FEEL BETTER? DOES IT? Are you trying to make the hurting family member feel like cr*p? Well, you're doing a good job of it!!!
You are an ignoramus and should be banned from posting on this board. There are wonderful people here, trying to do their best in an impossible situation. Go find another board to invade with your hateful remarks.
I'm sorry you're going through this. Hospice in your mom's case is probably to come around as little as possible, but still enough to be able to bill Medicare. They probably feel your mom is going to die anyway, so why bother.
I'm so sorry about your mom, and now it seems your FIL may be next to go. Medicine is now all about money, and how much can be made off each patient.
My wife is a small woman and it takes two people to hold him down. It seems the doctor don't know what to do with him. We know he wants to die, he has told us many times he ready to go.
My wife is worn out, her sister and aunt have been setting with him day and night, but every day seems to get worse. They have not talked about hospice so far, but if he returns to assisted living he will be put into the nursing home.
I sometimes wonder if we have come as far in medicine as we think we have.
I ask the doctor if they could just relieve her pain and suffering and let her die with dignity. No, they said there was nothing they could do but let nature take it course. We sat by her side and watched her slowly die, it was a horrible death. She drew up into the fetal position, and slowly wither away.
In this case, I believe there should be a law allowing the family to decide on assisted death. But, there must be no doubt the person will never recover. Watching someone die a slow painful death is very hard on the family.
If you've been told they have an illness and probably have 6 months or less, think hard. They take away anything that will help them to enjoy their life, like excercise, walking, any meds besides 'comfort only'. They bring on morphine and opiates and Ativan, etc, yes, even when they're not in pain. The nurse said these words to me, "Hospice doesn't hasten death, but by giving these amounts of drugs we can suppress the respiratory system, bring on pneumonia and other problems that will."
I'm glad I could help. Having all the information (notes) ready for the doctor will make your visit flow much more smoothly. The info. I would have ready would be;
1. How long has your husband had this problem? Did it come on gradually or quickly?
2. What foods/liquids (if any) 'trigger' the throat to close up? Is it triggered by the 'temperature' of foods/liquids? Are denser foods (steak,etc) harder to swallow?
3. Where (in the esophagus) does the food 'hang up'? (Point to the area).
4. Are liquids easier to get down or the same difficulty as food?
5. How much weight has he lost since this problem started?
6. Has he taken any medications for it and were they helpful?
7. Any history of this happening before this episode?
8. Have a list of all the medications he takes or just throw all his med bottles in a plastic ziploc bag and take them with you.
Take any other pertinent information you can think of (history of smoking, severe gastric reflux disease or peptic ulcer, etc.) along with 'home remedies'.
Hopefully the GI doc will have access to his previous medical records but be prepared to state what medical problems he's had in the last 10-15 years.
Good luck tomorrow. 😊 🙏🏼
My dad was an alcoholic and, as time went on, his throat started tightening up. He was in his late 70's. It's very common with alcoholics to have esophageal strictures (tightening of the throat) in the later stages of alcoholism due to the acids causing scarring. Food and water started getting 'caught or hung up' about half way down. He would eat very slowly and chew real well but it was no use. It was just a matter of time before it came up.
The first GI doc he saw did many dilations to his esophagus, about 1 a month for 6 months. I later came to see that the doctor was in this for the money and he had my dad come back every month for a dilation to bill the insurance. He would not sufficiently widen the esophagus, knowing full well that he'd have to come back, so he could make more money.(Dirty b****ard) I finally questioned him on it, he told me if I didn't like his style, I didn't need to come anymore. I was recommended to another one and he was great. Only one treatment and it was done. I think he also had some kind of injection in his throat during his procedure that also helped. It was a blessing to find this GI doc. IF esophageal strictures-(not from alcoholism) is your husbands problem, there's a very good chance that he will swallow fairly normally again. He will be sedated and it will be an outpatient procedure. He will need to be driven home. The next few days he'll need to eat soft foods that are easy to swallow. Healthy shakes and smoothies with nutritional additives can help. If he has lost a lot of weight, his stomach will be smaller, so don't expect him to be able to eat the large quantities like he used to.
All in all it was a God send. Good luck to you both.
No, my dad didn't have cancer.
This is taken from; Verywell website,
"An esophageal stricture is a gradual narrowing of the esophagus, which can lead to swallowing difficulties. The strictures are caused by scar tissue that builds up in the esophagus.
When the lining of the esophagus is damaged, scarring develops. When scarring occurs, the lining of the esophagus becomes stiff. In time, as this scar tissue continues to build up, the esophagus begins to narrow in that area."
My father had this problem to the point of only being able to swallow liquids. He had multiple 'dilations', a widening of the esophagus by a doctor by putting a tube with progressively larger rings down the throat under anesthesia. It widens the esophagus so food can pass through. Please get your husband to a gastroenterologist who can do the procedure. Most probably he will be able to swallow food again.
You probably could supplement his food with Ensore... or try Carnation Instant Breakfast mix which is used in milk. I had to use that to help me gain weight after a surgery.
I also had heard at a cancer support group that chemo can make the mouth sore, thus more uncomfortable to eat.
I'm sorry for your loss as well. Was the hospice your sister was at at the hospital or somewhere else? Good luck with the hospital records, you may or may not be surprised at what you see.
It's nice Hospice did you right. Some, may feel otherwise.
Under the circumstances, it was nice that your experience was not too bad; that's not the case for others. In some instances hospital will make the choice for Hospice. By the time loved ones find out, it is too late to do anything.. I speak from personal experience. In my case, head of ICU said my mom was dead when she was readmitted back to ICU.