re: Have you seen a loved one in a state that crushed you…

After my own father passed in 2005, my father-in-law basically became my surrogate father. We were very close.

I watched my FIL deteriorate as a result of congestive heart failure and dementia. We noticed over Christmas that he was developing cognitive issues. Less than a year later, he was gone.

One particular stint in the hospital he called me over to him (he was somewhat lucid at this point) and asked me if he had died in the ambulance. I assured him he didn't. Hallucinations, rage, disorientation, falls.

Right before the end, I took my kids to see him in hospice. All he could do was sit in a chair and stare at the floor. Didn't acknowledge us at all. It tore us up. He passed less than a week later.