Battling Alzheimer

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)

It sounds so final. 

It sounds cruel.

It sounds like death.

Do not resuscitate (DNR) order is a part of advanced medical directives allowed by federal law passed in 1991, expanding the notion of patient autonomy to situations in which they may not be able to make crucial medical decisions due to incapacitation. It instructs medical personnel not to perform life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or other procedures to restart the heart or breathing once they have ceased. By law, the DNR directive must be offered as an option to patients by health providers in, and in some states, out of a hospital setting. Once signed, the DNR directive must be placed in the in the patient’s chart. (Encyclopedia of Surgery: A guide for Patients and Caregivers)

My true confession; yesterday, I talked about the fact that we fall into the trap of not talking about end of life issues with the hopes that they will just go away.  I understand that quite well.

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When we were kids, we used to put our hands over our ears and hum loudly or say, “I can’t hear you.”  It was our way of telling the other child who was speaking that we were not interested in, and would not listen to whatever they had to say. 

Then there’s my youngest son.  He covers his face with his favorite blanket.  That’s his way of “hiding.”  He figures, if he can’t see me, then I can’t see him.

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I have been sort of avoiding writing this post.  As I have described each stage of Alzheimer’s disease, I can remember my mother and how she declined through the stages.  I can remember the anxiety and fear that each stage brought (for me).  I can remember feeling sick in my gut as I realized that she was coming to the end.  I recall wondering, how will it actually happen?  How long does this stage last?  How will she actually die and more importantly, how will I possibly live without my favorite girl in the whole wide world.  Well, that answer is for another post at another time, but for now, I have to talk with you about stage seven, the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease.  I have to tell you what will happen while your loved one still lives.  To say that stage seven is difficult is like saying that gas prices are a little high, it’s a gross understatement.

Stage 7

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