stages of dying

[thatsme70]

i have been googling the stages of death and came across this website...my sister-in-law is dying and is being cared for by hospice...the nurse told my mother-in-law a few days ago, that she is in the "wasting" stage of dying...i'm not really sure what this means...and i didn't want to ask my family, because we are going through so much now...can anybody help me with this question???

[leslie :-D]

My heart goes out to everyone who's going through this right now - both patients and caregivers. Our family is also experiencing it at the moment. My question is how long can the 'final stage' (wasting) last? Does age make a difference? My MIL is 91, with acute asthma, pneumonia & congestive heart failure. She's currently past the acceptance stage and her kidneys are shutting down; she's extremely weak and can't swallow more than a few ice chips.

thanks,

Scrappymom

this is so hard on the loved ones.

i'm glad (and not surprised) your mil has accepted her dying, and will prevent any anxious lingering.

if she's not in any pain or resp distress, it can be a matter of days...

there are so many variables involved.

if there is any physical or mental pain, it can take longer.

once the body, mind, spirit is truly and totally integrated, it allows us to die peacefully.

if she senses her family is unwilling to let her go, she may hang on for your benefit.

it's an important final step, to let her mind rest as well.

tell her you love her, that you'll miss her and how special she is to you...

but she needs to know it's ok to leave you.

who knows when this will happen?

but if she is ready, it will definitely be sooner rather than later.

many hugs and heartfelt thoughts to you and yours.

leslie