She had been in a care home since August when her seemingly moderate dementia (frequent bad tempers, bad memory) descended into hallucinations (thinking dead relatives were trying to kill her).
She was hospitalized for 22 days and moved to a care home. Post psychosis, she went from eating & drinking normally, walking, watching TV to needing a feeding tube and a wheelchair.
She started to improve in the care home; occasionally playing the piano, having conversations (albeit speech slightly slurred due to antipsychotics). She had no memory loss.
Last week she developed a mild chest infection and was taken to hospital out of an abundance of caution. She was improving, about to be discharged. She suddenly got worse, got very drowsy and went to sleep and never woke up. Turned out the lung infection had brought on sepsis which the strongest of antibiotics couldn’t fight.
I knew her prognosis post psychosis was never going to be good but I didn’t think she’d be gone so soon. I’m 50, only child, no kids, father passed away 17 years ago and feel like I’m all alone and the last person who fundamentally cared about me, did things for me, is gone. I’m not, with friends and spouse but the feeling of complete loneliness is really overwhelming. Over the last 10 years, I’ve been the one who’d been doing everything for her so I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. And I’m really really sad. I can’t find any comfort anywhere and I just wanted to know what you lovely ladies think.