Dying from Parkinson's

Just received an email from my Godmother who visited my Father, expressing concern for my Father's state.

My Father has Parkinson's and at age 77 had to be admitted to a care home to cater for his needs after my Mother died (3 years ago). His intelligence is fine (and as a scientist he has a keen brain and intellect) but his logical and common sense aspect is not so in tune sometimes.

In her visit my Father was talking about his will and when my Godmother left, he said he was unsure when they would meet again.

Advanced stages of Parkinson are not good. My Godmother has said that him sitting there thinking of where this disease will end is a grim reality for him of things to come....

The following I found on the internet:

Dying from Parkinson's

Dying from Parkinson's is not linear or mechanical. It has multiple pathways.

• The mind can go to the point where the body becomes deregulated.
• The body can go to the point where one is no longer strong enough to breathe and suffocates.
• Other body systems can weaken and fail, together or in sequence.
• Some people just sleep longer and longer and finally do not wake up.
• Some lose the desire to eat and eventually just fade away from not eating.

All of these pathways are active at the same time and act at different rates for different people, sometimes getting worse and sometimes getting better. I've known a number of people with the disease, each has had different pathways take them to the end. A friend's father, who died recently had a particularly difficult death.


We all have to go through the death of parents.. that's a fact of life that isn't touched on when one is younger.

Being here in Australia there is guilt for being so far away and with a sister who is also not well (she has fybromyalgia) - I am the only family member left who is healthy.

I have managed to spend time with my Father every year, 3 months in 2010 and 2 weeks in 2011, but I know it is no replacement for being there.

It has also made me realise that having no children of my own or husband, that when I meet my dotage having people around that care will be a privilege rather than a matter of course.

What I am pleased to see is that the staff at the care home where Dad is seem to genuinely like him - and through the stammering words and shakiness they can see his true humour and intellect shine like a rainbow through the drops of rain.

Poor Dad.. my heart goes out to him..

Old Age.... The Words of Wisdom

Just got off the phone from my Aunty Joan. Strictly speaking she is my Great Aunt, but her husband (my Grandmother's brother) was 20 years older than her.

She is now 91 years old - yet I always refer to her as the youngest oldest person I know. If you spoke to her on the phone you would be hard put to put an age to her voice.

She has always been an inspiration to me. She never had children and was one of the first female role models around where I could see that having children was not a prerequisite for happiness.

She was one of the first women policewomen in the UK and has always had a healthy, happy and hearty attitude to life. She was living in Rhodesia in the 50's and very much the ex pat colonial lifestyle.

I have always found her so approachable and we chat about boyfriends, life and love.

Today chatting we talked about old age.. Me thinks I will get all the hints that I can on how to deal with the particular stage of life.

I suppose it is a cliche but we discussed that one's whole life and the strengths and personality that we create in our lifes goes towards helping us through this difficult stage of non life. Where one's quality and spectrum of life starts to zero in to a chair in your lounge. She is now almost blind but so enjoys listening to the radio and to listening books and the phone is her lifeline and just so happy to have any human contact and interaction.

She said that it is important to lead as full a life as possible... as there will come time you can't. I remember my Mother and seeing her spirit fade when she realised that her quality of life - or the great Star Trek quote 'life as we know it' was to be no more.

So don't stagnate.. life is for living... and ironically if we live our life... then it makes it better to face our death...

So here's to tomorrow................

The top 5 regrets people have on their deathbed

31st May 2011 by Courtney Boyd Myers

http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2011/05/31/the-top-5-regrets-people-make-on-their-deathbeds/