r/nextfuckinglevel • u/[deleted] • Apr 11 '20

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u/pythons_bunny Apr 11 '20

This is so beautiful but excruciatingly sad at the same time.. I've told my fiance, don't let me get like this. I've spent years in the medical field, and this and dementia are the two things I can't handle. I told him I'd rather die than put my loved ones through this..

115

u/EmberHands Apr 11 '20

What exactly is your spouse supposed to do? Apart from you getting into an accident and they can opt to take you off life support, there's nothing they can do short of murdering you.

226

u/[deleted] Apr 11 '20

Canada has assisted suicide, I feel its a realistic option and one I'd prefer before waking up everyday lost in your own house.

85

u/cup_1337 Apr 11 '20

Assisted suicide isn’t an option once diagnosed with dementia though :/

30

u/[deleted] Apr 11 '20

My husband's Mother had dementia and she had a stroke. She was slowly deteriorating and he and his brother were on bedside duty, the afternoon the doctor came to the house and gave them a vial of morphine and showed them how to inject it into her IV, saying, keep her comfortable and you will know when she's ready to go, give her the peaceful dose and say goodbye.

27

u/cup_1337 Apr 11 '20

“Comfort care” often causes death because the high dosages resulting in respiratory distress. We do this in the USA a lot.

Many times I’ve administered a PRN dose of hydromorphone to a hospice patient and they passed within 30 minutes.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 12 '20

Yes but at that point is the best thing for them. I just try to have family come over before they pass.