Hi,

There rules are that there are no rules with this illness.

I had an aunt who lived with it for almost 20 years before she finally
passed over.   Then again there are those who pass quickly like your poor
dad did.

I am sorry that you lost your father.   I know that there is little comfort
when you are struggling with conflict, on the one hand grateful that his
struggle with this illness is over yet grieving deeply at his loss.

I truly wish that my mother in law would come to a peaceful end before she
has to suffer the miseries of this illness in the advanced stages.

He is at peace now.......may your best memories sustain you.

It probably happens more often than we realize.  Was an autopsy
performed to determine whether AD was the problem?  My Dad had a
similar rapid decline and while he was diagnosed with early-onset
Alzheimer's disease, the autopsy revealed Lewy Body dementia.  While
his death is still difficult to comprehend (he was 59 at his final
exit on June 13, 2003), the rapidity with which it was met was
'welcomed' by us because it's what he wanted--not that he had much say
in the matter, other than not wanting to exit like my Grandmother.

Sorry for your loss,
Darryl.

Thats pretty quick compared to most stories here, but its also merciful
compared to what you might have had to cope with, better to be able to
recall your dad mostly as he was, rather than for many years as the shell of
the person he once was, better for him and all of you IMHO. my condolences.

Yes, it happens sometimes - in the later stages, a person with AD is
like an egg balanced on end. They are in a precarious situation, and
the smallest thing can cause major physical or mental deterioration.
Your father may have had some other health problem contributing to his
decline as well - as you can appreciate, it gets to be next to
impossible to detect subtle shifts when a person can't tell you how
they feel, describe symptoms or otherwise answer questions. Unless an
illness is causing really overt outward symptoms and signs, it may be
brewing and contributing to overall decline - even if no one realizes
the person has a new or exacerbated health issue on top of the AD -
and once you are in the end stages, few of us start insisting on
doctors start agressively looking for those health issues, let alone
treating them. We just want our loved one comfortable and not fussed
with.

Add to that that a frail person can also have more than one thing
causing dementia at the same time, thus being ganged up on by strokes
or Parkinsons as well as Alzheimers - and the decline can seem
breathtakingly rapid.

I'm so sorry for your loss, but having been through an agonizing two
years with my MIL in the end stage, I think most of us would prefer
that once they reach the last stage that the end come swiftly and
mercifully.

Mary G.

Hi,
There is usually an underlying something going on if he is
deteriorating so quickly. Like Mary said it's very hard to figure
it out when they can't communicate with you. Best wishes.