10 years ago, father-in-law had a stroke and after a couple months in hospital came home as end of life was near. Massive stroke left him basically in a vegetative state. His wife was living there and both prob 79 or so. My wife and me and her sisters stayed off and on and helped, along with a nurse. He simply laid in bed each day and night with his mouth open, unable to do anything.
One morning after waking up and heading downstairs, once downstairs I walked by his hospital bed as I did many times prior and I wasn’t expecting what occurred when I passed by his bed. Keep in mind, he had not spoken or showed any understanding since his stroke 4 months earlier.
As as I made my way by his bed, without looking at him I hear “good morning Kyle, how are you doing”? I immediately knew the voice, stopped and turned around, thinking what the hell! I say I’m doing good Gil, how are you? He replies “I’m pretty good”. He was awake and that was our exact conversation. I didn’t know what to do so I walked into the kitchen where his wife, my wife and a couple other people were at. I told them exactly what happened and obviously they thought I was nuts. We all went back in there and sure enough, he was back at the state he had been for the last 4 months. Nothing how I just experienced. I know what I experienced happened and although the others didn’t see him that way, they never doubted it. To this day, it was the strangest thing I have ever experienced. He died that night.
In 2000, my mom's son, my brother, "borrowed" $6,000 from her after our stepdad died. She never saw him again and it broke her heart. She'd weep, "What have I done?" That ripped my heart out. Dementia thankfully made her forget. Last year, although hospice thought Mom would live for several months more, one day Mom mentioned him out of the blue. I was shocked. I wondered if her end was near. Then several days later, my sisters came over and we had a rousing game of Rummy. Mom was having a wonderful time. I wondered if this was her last hurrah. That evening I put her to bed and she never woke up.