Terminal Lucidity

riajean

My husband hasn't walked in two months.  He went from having Covid in later September which took away his ability to walk, to falling, to entering the hospital where they attempted PT to long term care to Hospice.  Two of his kids traveled to see him this past weekend and when I came on Sunday, he stood up from the wheelchair he was in, reaching to hold me.  I was shocked.  Got him to sit and later in the day, after I'd gone home, I got a call from long term care saying they found him on the floor, away from the wheelchair.  He'd obviously stood up and tried to walk, only to fall on the floor.

He lost 30 lbs. in one month, is very frail and weak and yet stood up and tried to walk.  He's been bedbound since October and only in a "johnny" when I get to see him.  I always dress him, but it's been told to me that he's easier to manage when the staff has him in nothing more than a Johnny.  So, why this SURGE of energy?  Why this purposeful standing, trying to walk.  Is it terminal lucidity?  Is his on his way out?  How can I prepare for this?  So shocked. 

M1

More worry riajean, I'm sure.  Gotta be hard to know how to keep him from trying to get up.  Glad that he wasn't badly hurt?  Not sure it qualifies as terminal lucidity though.  I can sense you are on pins and needles about what must be coming, and I'm sorry.

toolbeltexpert

Raijean I had never heard that term so I looked it up, I was surprised by the statics that they had for pwd and how long they might live. I am so sorry this must be so hard. I have heard of people rallying just before death just not that term. I will be praying for you. 

Stewart 

Ed1937

Riajean, I'm so sorry for what you are experiencing. I'm pretty sure my wife had terminal lucidity, but it was much different from what you describe. In my wife's case, she was found bleeding from her mouth in the early morning. She was non responsive. She was transported to the hospital, and I arrived there maybe 1/2 hour after she did. When I got there, she acted like she did pre dementia, and we had long conversations for hours before she finally had a major gastrointestinal bleed. She passed 17 hours later, with the family there to be with her.

I always thought terminal lucidity was something that happened shortly before death, not days or weeks before. But maybe I'm wrong about that.

riajean

Well, maybe it's not that after all?!  Hospice thinks it was too much activity with his son and daughter visiting for several hours and 3 days in a row.  She asked him this morning where he was going when he stood up and attempted to walk and he said, "Home".  So, many memories or feelings and emotions could have been in his head and that was his answer, to just get up and go whether he understood he was in a weakened condition and hadn't moved for two months or not. 

Pins and needles is a perfect description of my nervous system that just can't seem to find solace.  I know what the end means and that it's coming.  The hard part about all this is waiting.  Waiting for the inevitable, knowing it's coming, over reacting perhaps to every little change, hoping my heart can deal with the final news and that it's been "coming" for years and years.  After awhile one just wears out.  And while I'd love to just "forget about it for a bit" and "live my life" and "take care of me" (stupid...I mean who can really do that), each time I venture into those zones, some other hit comes by. 

There's just no peace.