The old man's friend

[Guest guest]

Dad died yesterday afternoon of pneumonia. I saw him the previous

evening and he seemed normal. At 7:30 the next morning he had a

terrible rattle in his chest. The hospice nurse diagnosed acute

pneumonia. He was aware of his surroundings and visitors in the

morning and even ate a small dish of chocolate ice-cream. By 1PM

he slipped into a coma and slowly stopped breathing. His death

was very peaceful. We've donated his brain to the Harvard/MGH

neuropathology department.

Dad's life contracted violently in November of 2005, which he started

as an independent 83 year old and ended having given up driving, cooking,

and shopping. Over the next five years, he lost nearly everything - walking,

talking, recognizing friends and family. He suffered three

hospitalizations,

each of which required 24-hour attendant to avoid further injury. The

information from this list has helped avoid other problems and allowed

him to remain at home, generally content, and generally in good health.

Thank you all.

Best regards,

Ann