Your description of your Dad's symptoms brought memories of my Dad back to me in
a flash. Your Dad's diagnosis and timeline and his age are all the same. My
Dad became incoherent very quickly as well. The staff tried to tell me it was
sundown as well or possible brain mets. I didnt' buy it! My Dad had lost his
voice as well so I was his voice and I stayed night and day with him at the
hospital for 5 weeks. Please have the hospital check your Dad for a staff
infection. My Dad contracted a staff infection in the hospital and from that
point on we were on a very quick downward spiral. The doctors admitted the
infection was contracted in the hospital and that the infection caused tiny
clots that errupted and caused a stroke. There were no brain mets! I was
devastated. If you can not be with your Dad at night please arrange to have a
nurse with him. You would be surprised at what goes on in the hospitals at
night. (And we were in what was considered a top hospital in Fla.) It is truly
frightening and for those who cannot speak for themselves, their families must
fight even harder for them.
My Dad was diagnosed on 03-01-06 and passed away on Memorial Day,just a few short weeks later. I am still dealing with what happened but I have come to believe that the infection that my
Dad caught kept him from enduring a lengthy fight with chemo and radiation (he
had only had 2 rounds of radiation when he was admitted to the hospital for
dehydration).
You must be your Dad's voice and his advocate. I wish you well on your journey.
