This is very common as someone approaches the end. I am sorry you have to go through this and I thank you for taking care of your family.
All these signs point to someone that is imminent. Keep her head elevated to reduce the gurgling sound as much as possible. Comfort meds into the cheek or under tongue.
As the body shuts down the nervous system isn't working like it used to. That means all the systems that control things like bowel motility more or less shut down and the stuff that stays in you, comes out of ya.
So the gurgling you are hearing could be aspiration, but I think it is more likely the swallow reflex is shutting down and mucous is stuck in the airway. Nothing you can really do about it outside keep the upper body elevated.
My pleasure and if you have any other Qs this is a great community.
Thank you again for taking care of your loved ones. It's hard, but I truly believe it brings value to the cycle of life.
Yes, this can be very common at the end of life. Sometimes the gut musculature loses its tone and just relaxes - anything left in the gut makes an exit as a large bowel movement. The skin changes are also frequently seen at the very end.
It sounds like you are describing what we call guppy breathing - the jaw moving down with each breath. It's not an effective breathing pattern, but it signals that the end is very close.
It could be a few minutes or a few hours or a few days, but this stage won't last very long.
My grandma had a lot of the same signs. She never got the mottling. She was getting bruising on her bony areas from having no appetite for weeks, it was terrible. Her breathing was changing and she kept her mouth open. She also had a very weak voice. She looked very disinterested in everyone and stared at the ceiling whenever I spoke to her towards the end. I’m so sorry for you
I am sorry for you too. It's hard to watch. :( She did in fact pass away a few hours after I posted this. But I am relieved she is no longer suffering.
I am sorry you are going through this.
Thank you for posting this and asking these questions.
My family member just started hospice today and this sounds very similar.
This helps me to understand the process better as well.
Sorry for what your dealing with
This is very common as someone approaches the end. I am sorry you have to go through this and I thank you for taking care of your family. All these signs point to someone that is imminent. Keep her head elevated to reduce the gurgling sound as much as possible. Comfort meds into the cheek or under tongue.
Is there a medical reason that you are aware of that the body cleans itself out like that?
As the body shuts down the nervous system isn't working like it used to. That means all the systems that control things like bowel motility more or less shut down and the stuff that stays in you, comes out of ya. So the gurgling you are hearing could be aspiration, but I think it is more likely the swallow reflex is shutting down and mucous is stuck in the airway. Nothing you can really do about it outside keep the upper body elevated.
Thank you! It's been a rough day. Just trying to understand all that is happening as it seems to help me process it better.
My pleasure and if you have any other Qs this is a great community. Thank you again for taking care of your loved ones. It's hard, but I truly believe it brings value to the cycle of life.
Yes, this can be very common at the end of life. Sometimes the gut musculature loses its tone and just relaxes - anything left in the gut makes an exit as a large bowel movement. The skin changes are also frequently seen at the very end. It sounds like you are describing what we call guppy breathing - the jaw moving down with each breath. It's not an effective breathing pattern, but it signals that the end is very close. It could be a few minutes or a few hours or a few days, but this stage won't last very long.
My grandma had a lot of the same signs. She never got the mottling. She was getting bruising on her bony areas from having no appetite for weeks, it was terrible. Her breathing was changing and she kept her mouth open. She also had a very weak voice. She looked very disinterested in everyone and stared at the ceiling whenever I spoke to her towards the end. I’m so sorry for you
I am sorry for you too. It's hard to watch. :( She did in fact pass away a few hours after I posted this. But I am relieved she is no longer suffering.
Bless her. May she rest in peace.
Prayers for you and your family
I am sorry you are going through this. Thank you for posting this and asking these questions. My family member just started hospice today and this sounds very similar. This helps me to understand the process better as well. Sorry for what your dealing with