Watching Parents Get Old

[PaulaJedi]

Time moves too fast.

A hard part of life is watching your parents grow old and deteriorate. My mother was an intelligent, strong willed nurse until she was 70. Now, all her knowledge is gone. Conversations are simple. She doesn't remember much. It really saddens me because she was feisty and smart and had the sharpest memory of my whole family. My dad is the same age (80's) but not as far along as her, and he is frustrated as well. He's still very active. This is so sad. I didn't know this was going to come to me so fast. It used to be in the distant future and now my parents are going to die. Why does it go so fast?
I'm going to blink and be on my own death bed.

 

[MODAT7]

My dad literally fell over dead in his late 50's. Mom died of dementia in her early 70's. It was hard with mom as she rotted away. She got her 7th mercury filling in her mouth 10 years before I was born, so I'm not surprised she went down with mental problems. I'm also not too surprised I've been having health problems the past 2 decades. We did genetic testing a couple years before she died. Surprisingly, both of our DNA tests came back pretty clean, at least for what's known.

 

[PaulaJedi]

My dad literally fell over dead in his late 50's. Mom died of dementia in her early 70's. It was hard with mom as she rotted away. She got her 7th mercury filling in her mouth 10 years before I was born, so I'm not surprised she went down with mental problems. I'm also not too surprised I've been having health problems the past 2 decades. We did genetic testing a couple years before she died. Surprisingly, both of our DNA tests came back pretty clean, at least for what's known.

I'm sorry to hear that. I just wasn't prepared for how fast time goes.

 

[PaulaJedi]

Might I add, fortunately my mother's newfound dementia wasn't caused by mercury. She had dentures since she was in her 30's. She said her parents didn't take her to a dentist as a child. It's so hard for me. All her medical knowledge is now gone. I'm giving her the same advice she gave me. Ironic, isn't it? A circle.

 

[Beholder]

I rather stay healthy until the day I die painlessly in my sleep at 100, than have it painfully dragged out at hospitals.

 

[james]

I had a similar experience. My father passed early in life but my mother at 84 got dementia, was in a care home and withered away mentally. Very heart breaking to witness. I went to visit my mom shortly before the end and she thought I was her dad. I would rather take the death pill than waste away like that.
Time is a bitch for humans. We spend our lives acquiring all this crap and knowledge and in the end, we forget the knowledge and the crap becomes meaningless. I don't really get it. It seems pointless. I like to read the after life experiences of people because this can't be all there is, that would be much to cruel. Just my 2 cents is all. Sorry to hear about your mom. Good luck with going through that, PaulaJedi, my heart goes out to you and your mom and anyone else having to experience that.

 

[MODAT7]

Might I add, fortunately my mother's newfound dementia wasn't caused by mercury. She had dentures since she was in her 30's. She said her parents didn't take her to a dentist as a child. It's so hard for me. All her medical knowledge is now gone. I'm giving her the same advice she gave me. Ironic, isn't it? A circle.

That kinda hit me with dad after he died suddenly. No more tech talks between us. No more bouncing late night emails between us. No more goofy dad jokes. No more odd cooking experiments left in the freezer, once eaten they wouldn't be replaced. With mom it was less of a shock since she went downhill slowly. It still leaves a significant hole, though.