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Morbid question: I'm really afraid of finding my husband dead
Caregivers | Last Active: Dec 30, 2024 | Replies (35)Comment receiving replies
No and No. He has oxygen which he does not use often, although I tell him he should be using it. He had a brain scheduled for 12/20 but he was in the hospital and they were supposed to do it , there but the checked himself out of the hospital AMA. I had him blowing up balloons and using his spirometer yesterday, but not as of today yet. When i work up this morning, he had made coffee AGAIN without a cup under it and that is about the 4th time he has done this. So I cleaned up the coffee that was all over the place because it overflowed the catcher thing at the bottom of the keurig. His cigarettes were all over the place. He is constantly nodding off like a drug addict. This whole situation is terrible. The brain scan is scheduled for January 9 now. He has a phone video with his palliative doctor today at 11:45. Hopefull the doctor will be able to hear how he is talking and perhaps advise me of what to do. If Joe hasn't nodded off yet.
Replies to "No and No. He has oxygen which he does not use often, although I tell him..."
My husband has dementia and when his Co2 level went up he was more confused than ever. He became combative in the hospital and was restrained.
My fear for you is the danger of your husband in this condition using appliances, smoking, being left alone, even if for only a minute. Things can go wrong so quickly and this doesn't sound like a safe situation. The hospital assigned my husband a sitter so he was never alone not for a second, until they got him back to his baseline.
Please call 911 if you become concerned. The medics may be able to convince him to go to the ER. They can also point you to resources in your area for help. In our area they had a social worker check on me because they were concerned about my well being. The state paid for this.
Praying you both will be ok.
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Denise, my gosh, gurl… You’re under unimaginable stress taking care of your husband who doesn’t seem to care about his health at all anymore. I guess from his perspective, he’s pretty much convinced this is the end of the line so he’s just going to take the drugs, smoke his multiple packs of cigarettes and the heck with everything else. As you suggested, that combination of strong narcotics, Xanax, caffeine and nicotine are all impacting his cognitive ability.
You are between a rock and a hard spot, my dear. I hope you’re able to sit in with the Palliative care doctor visit today. Are you able to have a list of questions to ask for yourself? That doctor needs to know about the extra meds your husband is taking, his declining behavioral skills with simple tasks such as making coffee, and such. Don’t hesitate to ask for direction on how to get the best help for both your husband AND you!
I hope you are able to take decompression breaks. I’m more worried about you than your husband, quite frankly. You’re bearing a load of stress trying to care for your partner who has basically given up. I’m a hugger and there’s nothing I want more right now than to reach through this computer and give you a bear hug! You need support.
Do you have friends or family nearby to lend a hand or personally be there for moral support?