Loved one passing away, please help????

loved one has pulmonary fibrosis where lungs turn to grissle and is on hospice and is on oxygen and taking morphine and anti anxiety releiver...seemed fine several weeks ago but call came today to visit cuz time may be running out....in and out of conciousness. Hospice says will continue this until goes into a state of coma and then just doesnt wake up........last few days is refusing food and is having hard time sipping water...my question is this......his pulse was 65 and i was wondering if a pulse can give you an idicator of how long he will live....??

The pulse isn't really a good indicator. Heart rates can go between rapid and very slow. A better indicator is when the patient stops eating and goes into a deep sleep. After that happens the body will start closing down the circulation causing the limbs to start feeling cold as the body tries to send all blood to the heart to keep it pumping. It usually takes anywhere from 3 to 4 days after their last meal but it honestly depends on the will of the person who is dying.

Pulse rate of 65 is still a strong pulse rate. When rate starts dropping into the 30's, blood pressure lowers, no urine output, lower oxygen saturation, then your loved one's time is running low. My granny passed away in march after battling several chronic lung diseases for 8 years. I am sorry.

Hi,
I have no idea...
I just want you to know I feel for you and am praying too.
This is a hard way to just watch someone pass away.
Although there is no good way to go there are better ways.
Hang in there... I am praying and thinking of you and your family on this night.

David...

I would say when my husband was dying of cancer we must of felt his pulse upteen times. It wasn't as much an indicator. As their feet start to get splotched and it travels up their legs and they get cold to the touch this is an indicator they are close or his did prior to his death. The breathing gets eratic and the death rattle is a nasal drip I guess, where they can't clear their throat, it is a distinctive sound once you ever hear it. People can go in a flash, or die hard, struggle for hours fighting death, my husband did. This began about noon and he died about 4:15pm. My prayers are with you and your family. God Bless.

Unfortunately, no. I'm very sorry that you and your family are going through such a very tough and difficulty period. But it is very hard to tell by heart rate unless it becomes very slow. Like around 30 and very, very irregular with poor blood pressure. That would be an indication that the heart is finally giving up. In cases such as your cousins, the heart is usually the last organ that sustains life to give up. So depending on how strong is it, it could be some time yet. All that I can urge you to do is to spend as much time with your cousin when that person is awake and let him/her know how much they are loved and will be missed. However, please I beg of you don't tell them that you still need them here on Earth. My sister did that to my mother and she struggled to stay alive and in pain. It was quite tramatic to watch. Be merciful and let your loved one go with grace. The refusal of food I can tell you is completely normal, as is the difficulty with swallowing as the body recognizes that the end is near and that is no longer needs these. If your cousin complains of being thirsty their are swabs with sponges on the end that can be dipped into cold water and placed into the mouth to help. I will be saying prayers for you and your family. I don't know what religion you are and it doesn't matter. All prayer help in time of need. May your GOD bless you and keep you safe in your hour of need.

ok ok.. Pulmonary fibrosis turns the lungs solid first of all like concrete, never heard the grizzle thing.. lost my sister to this in January..
I don't know what kind of hospice you have but i've never heard of a coma coming on from IPF, neither our hospice nor pulmonologist ever said anything like that, I suppose its possible but unlikely..
They pass from either a stroke or heart attack when these things try to take over breathing for the ill person..
Are you talking about pulse as in heart rate or pulse as in pulse ox?

the pulseox will go very low like that..heart rate tends to go very high though..You can see their chest raise up HIGH and just slam back down.. its the heart beating so hard to try to breath for the lungs.. and its terrible to watch happen..
The hospice will make sure there is no pain and the transition in passing is as comfortable for everyone as possible.
My sister was on morphine tabs, as well as liquid morphine under her tounge and morphine in her nebulizer.. and ativan for anxiety, as well as numerous other meds and oxygen..
One of the signs the end is near is not eating.. my sister was always able to eat.. was a family joke no matter how sick she was she could eat.. the day before she passed away she couldn't eat and only could take a few sips of a drink.. that day when the nurse came she told us she didn't expect my sister to make it through the weekend.. it was friday.. saturday she crossed.. her respirations had gotten so high the nurse couldn't count them..
I'm so sorry to hear your all dealing with this...
I talked more on another question .. a young man asking about his terminal illness and family.. please read there as well..

I don't know if your going to be there when this person passes.. as I was with Lynne.. but it was honestly a sort of relief.. the moment she left us.. her color came back.. she looked beautiful and peaceful and had a litle smile on her face as if telling us.. ahhh it's over..
The only truely scarey thing was the black oil looking vomit that wouldn't stop coming from her nose and mouth.. the pulmonologist explained to me that is from the morphine so please let the family know this.. its scarey looking and you think its from the lungs.. but it is the morphine..

May the God and Goddess help you all through this time..

Blessed be and again I am sorry this is happening.. if you need to talk you can email me..
Moon

HOpe this helps some

I will pray for you and you beloved person tonight.
Please even if this person is in a coma or inconcious stay at the side bed ,take his hand and talk to him.
I don't know how to explain,but will be listened.
Try to stay at his side as more as you can.
God bless you.

Im so sorry for your loved one and family, God Bless and carry all of you...
I must say,the best people to direct this question to would be the hospice nurse or nurses...They'll be monitoring closely and are probably the most qualified to give an answer.....
Thoughts and prayers are with you....