whiteraven
Diamond Member
My uncle woke up a few days ago, unable to physically get out of bed and talking gibberish. He's in his 80s and has been sick for a long time, although the last 2-3 months have been the worst he's been in a very long time. He had 7 bypasses about 20 years ago and surpassed the age when they said he should have died, and he's done pretty well until recently, but now he has severe kidney disease.
Anyway, they've kept him sedated for the most part since he got to the hospital, and he was moved to ICU yesterday. They were to start dialysis yesterday, which apparently didn't go as well as it should have, and last night they called his girlfriend and told her that he took a turn for the worse, and if he doesn't improve in the next two days, they are going to remove all of the machines. (I don't think he's on a vent, but he's on a bunch of other stuff, including IV antibiotics for sepsis).
I'm not really close to my uncle, but he lives in the area, and he and my mom are tight. She's living--alone--in an old house of his, he takes care of yardwork and repairs, and they talk a lot. She's pretty tight with all of her brothers--one will be coming in today and the other is waiting to see how he does. He'd scheduled to come the 17th anyway, but may need to come earlier.
When it comes to me and my siblings, the family dynamic is weird. My mother's side of the family never liked my dad, and I think that, by extension, they don't care to give the others of us the time of day. My uncles are all such great guys--funny, smart--and it makes me so sad that, because of how my dad was, the rest of us have to suffer.
If/when my uncle dies, I am dreading the after-the funeral, the gathering, etc. I've had no contact with my sister since 2008 (her doing), and I feel like a complete alien with the rest of the family. It reminds me how not a part of this family I am and how alone I'll be when mom is gone.
Anyway, they've kept him sedated for the most part since he got to the hospital, and he was moved to ICU yesterday. They were to start dialysis yesterday, which apparently didn't go as well as it should have, and last night they called his girlfriend and told her that he took a turn for the worse, and if he doesn't improve in the next two days, they are going to remove all of the machines. (I don't think he's on a vent, but he's on a bunch of other stuff, including IV antibiotics for sepsis).
I'm not really close to my uncle, but he lives in the area, and he and my mom are tight. She's living--alone--in an old house of his, he takes care of yardwork and repairs, and they talk a lot. She's pretty tight with all of her brothers--one will be coming in today and the other is waiting to see how he does. He'd scheduled to come the 17th anyway, but may need to come earlier.
When it comes to me and my siblings, the family dynamic is weird. My mother's side of the family never liked my dad, and I think that, by extension, they don't care to give the others of us the time of day. My uncles are all such great guys--funny, smart--and it makes me so sad that, because of how my dad was, the rest of us have to suffer.
If/when my uncle dies, I am dreading the after-the funeral, the gathering, etc. I've had no contact with my sister since 2008 (her doing), and I feel like a complete alien with the rest of the family. It reminds me how not a part of this family I am and how alone I'll be when mom is gone.
