My father had a stroke, November before last. On election day, as it turned out. He and I went out to vote and then we had lunch together at a cafe on the way back. Not long after coming home he was back out the door for a doctor's appointment. And that's where he was when he had his stroke.
He fluctuated wildly for the next 16 days. Until one day he wasn't responding, he was in respiratory distress. My sister was still several hours away. So it fell to me. He had told us for years that if he was in a state where he could not take care of himself, could not do the things he enjoyed doing, if he was in that kind of place medically, to let him go. I told the physician around noon. Thirteen hours later at 1:20 in the morning he had passed.
So I know something of where you're coming from. You absolutely have prayers coming from this quarter, brother (sister?)
Sister.
Thank you.
He is on assisted breathing, tube feeding and the whole nine.
He told my mom DNR many times but she can’t bring herself to do it as long as there’s a glimmer of hope and she doesn’t want to hurt my brother. It came up at one point and she looked at me and I told her it was her decision and not my place to tell her one way or another.
He was heavily sedated so his body could fight the infection.
He can’t talk right now but he did finally open his eyes and could understand us and blink to answer questions.