I think people are afraid to answer your question because we all realize that time is short for your mother. Nobody's final journey is exactly the same as someone elses, but the hospice staff should be able to guide you and answer your questions.
I will share my experience with my mom. I had her on hospice for one week. I had no idea it would be that short when I brought hospice in I had no idea what to expect. They put her on morphine and ativan. She wasn't in pain, the morphine was to help her breathing (she had pulmonary fibrosis or lung issues) and the Ativan was for restlessness. My mom's legs would start moving (like restless leg syndrome) and that's when I'd give her the Ativan.
My mom was up and down. One day she'd be totally asleep most of the time. Able to get up and go to the bathroom, but right back to sleep. Other days, I'd come in and she'd be awake and watching TV in her chair. She ate very little - said she wasn't hungry. She drank more than she ate. In the last few days, she mostly slept. Sometimes my mom would have trouble breathing or she'd be somewhat agitated. In her more lucid moments, she didn't remember any of that, so I stopped worrying about whether she was consciously in pain and suffering - she wasn't.
The final day the hospice nurse said she thought she'd pass that day because of her breathing (Cheyne-Stokes breathing, a little like sleep apnea), her dropping temperature, and her mottled color in her feet. So I stayed with her for 12 hours. Her breathing was somewhat labored, but she was not awake and conscious. She passed away while I was taking a break in the living room (mere steps away from her in the bedroom).
So for me, mom's passing was very peaceful and expected. She didn't experience pain, she went out on her terms, and I was in her apartment with her. Each passing is different, so this is only my experience with my mom. Every hospice is different, so I hope you have a good one. My friend's family has hospice in Florida and they've been very unhelpful to my friend's family. The hospice nurse we had was very helpful in letting me know what to expect and where mom was in her journey. So don't be afraid to ask them what's going on. {{{Hugs}}}
LWilliams, as Blannie wrote, each individual's experience is different, and it's a function of many things, including what other co-morbidities are present.
We know from your post that your mother is on Oxygen 24/7, but for what medical purpose? Does she have CHF, emphysema, lung cancer? It could make a difference. What liter flow rate is she getting? What are her SAT rates at that liter flow?
Does she have other conditions besides a pulmonary one?
All of these factor into how long she'll live, and what you can expect as time passes.
Blannie gave a good description of changes near the end. My only experience was with my sister, who was dying from metastatic breast cancer. Her lungs were severely compromised b/c of the cancer. Her breathing wasn't particularly labored, but she had difficulty speaking.
After the DNR order was signed, morphine was begun, she fell asleep, and the vigil began. I don't recall all the specifics, but if I remember correctly, one of the doctors later told us she would die overnight, which she did.
There were no other signs, no activity. We stayed with her, I held her hand, and my father and I also both fell asleep. I woke up abruptly 45 minutes before she died. There was no change, just something I sensed, or maybe felt from contact.
I was so relieved then and continue to be that the hospital had a small hospice section so she didn't have to endure the ordeal of being moved.
Your best bet is to ask one of the hospice nurses to explain the whole situation, how one medical condition affects another, and how each will affect her remaining time, as well as the signs closer to death.
My mom was up and down. One day she'd be totally asleep most of the time. Able to get up and go to the bathroom, but right back to sleep. Other days, I'd come in and she'd be awake and watching TV in her chair. She ate very little - said she wasn't hungry. She drank more than she ate. In the last few days, she mostly slept. Sometimes my mom would have trouble breathing or she'd be somewhat agitated. In her more lucid moments, she didn't remember any of that, so I stopped worrying about whether she was consciously in pain and suffering - she wasn't.
The final day the hospice nurse said she thought she'd pass that day because of her breathing (Cheyne-Stokes breathing, a little like sleep apnea), her dropping temperature, and her mottled color in her feet. So I stayed with her for 12 hours. Her breathing was somewhat labored, but she was not awake and conscious. She passed away while I was taking a break in the living room (mere steps away from her in the bedroom).
So for me, mom's passing was very peaceful and expected. She didn't experience pain, she went out on her terms, and I was in her apartment with her. Each passing is different, so this is only my experience with my mom. Every hospice is different, so I hope you have a good one. My friend's family has hospice in Florida and they've been very unhelpful to my friend's family. The hospice nurse we had was very helpful in letting me know what to expect and where mom was in her journey. So don't be afraid to ask them what's going on. {{{Hugs}}}
We know from your post that your mother is on Oxygen 24/7, but for what medical purpose? Does she have CHF, emphysema, lung cancer? It could make a difference. What liter flow rate is she getting? What are her SAT rates at that liter flow?
Does she have other conditions besides a pulmonary one?
All of these factor into how long she'll live, and what you can expect as time passes.
Blannie gave a good description of changes near the end. My only experience was with my sister, who was dying from metastatic breast cancer. Her lungs were severely compromised b/c of the cancer. Her breathing wasn't particularly labored, but she had difficulty speaking.
After the DNR order was signed, morphine was begun, she fell asleep, and the vigil began. I don't recall all the specifics, but if I remember correctly, one of the doctors later told us she would die overnight, which she did.
There were no other signs, no activity. We stayed with her, I held her hand, and my father and I also both fell asleep. I woke up abruptly 45 minutes before she died. There was no change, just something I sensed, or maybe felt from contact.
I was so relieved then and continue to be that the hospital had a small hospice section so she didn't have to endure the ordeal of being moved.
Your best bet is to ask one of the hospice nurses to explain the whole situation, how one medical condition affects another, and how each will affect her remaining time, as well as the signs closer to death.