GHW is really not looking well

[malaise]

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/04/21/george-hw-bush-gets-hospital-visit-from-son.html

[greymattermom]

1. His face is all blown up

and it wasn't that way before. What causes that?

[charlyvi]

4. Steroids used to help breathing can do it.

[malaise]

5. Was going to post that they are keeping him alive with steroids

Good grief let the man die in peace

[charlyvi]

6. True enough.

But dying due to lack of breath can be a tough way to go.

[Delphinus]

16. It is.

That's how my Mom died a few months ago. She, thankfully, went into hospice, so that helped a lot, but boy, it was sure hard to see her die in that manner.

[charlyvi]

17. My Dad died the same way.

Years ago. So sorry about your Mom.

[malaise]

45. A close family friend died that way

horrific

[KittyWampus]

82. Can't they just give increasing amounts of morphine?

[charlyvi]

87. Morphine can suppress breathing.

My Dad died of lung cancer. In his last days he was in a coma. The hospital gave him increasing amounts of morphine to deaden the pain, but it also suppressed his breathing according to the doctor. It was like sleep apnea. He would stop breathing, then all of a sudden his body would jerk and he would begin breathing again, as if he was out of breath. So, as a bystander, morphine didn't seem like the optimal solution; but, as I said, he was in a coma so how hurtful or effective it was for him I'll never know. By the way, this was in the days before they gave the patient a morphine pump.

[KittyWampus]

89. Yes, that's the point. It suppresses breathing and hastens death while keeping patient pain free and

sedate.

Thank you for your thoughtful input. May your Dad RIP.

Ultimately, it seems there should be a painfree way for us to transition peacefully/

[shanti]

85. my dad too, in 2009

he was at home when he fell and hit his head, during a nighttime trip to the bathroom. he had a DNR, so his hospice worker was called in the morning, and he died shortly after she left. death was most likely due to a subdural hematoma, but he was on oxygen for years before that, with COPD and half of one lung gone.

big tobacco can fuck off.

[mcar]

14. Steroids,at a guess

Frequent hospitalizations could suggest congestive heart failure, which is fluid buildup.

I hate to think it, but that funeral could be a 3 ring circus with Twitler involved.

[MoonRiver]

43. Guessing the Bushes will do everything in their power to keep him away.

Maybe they'll negotiate for Pence to attend instead. If Idiot does go, he'll probably pop off about how much more he's gotten done in 100 days than Bush.

[moriah]

42. IV steroids and fluids.

I just got out of the hospital on the 10th for pneumonia. Gained 16 lbs in six days from IV steroids and fluids. My ring had to come off because of swelling. It fits now and I have lost 5 of those 16 since, but...

[Agschmid]

2. He is quite old at this point, it happens.

[uppityperson]

3. He is 92

[greymattermom]

7. Can't they give him oxygen?

Just curious. He looks terrible.

[onecaliberal]

8. They can put him on oxygen with a full face mask that blasts a lot of oxygen.

[Warpy]

13. He's probably on it most of the time now

but they'll take it off for a picture.

His eyes look very tired.

[lastlib]

23. (I personally think it would be a tragedy to waste good oxygen on him.........)

But that's just me.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

66. I know. But what I wouldn't give for another poppy bush over the current lunatic.

I guess an argument can be made it was a long string of events.

[malaise]

78. And therein lies our

dilemma

[LeftInTX]

9. His mouth looks bad

He can't really smile anymore.

[malaise]

12. Parkinsons is a horrible illness

Breathing issues near the end are horrific.

[CTyankee]

10. Oh, jeez, the guy looks old and ready to keel over. I feel bad for him.

[BigDemVoter]

62. I don't feel the slightest bit bad for him.

Let's not forget what that old fascist is like. And he certainly had NO qualms about foisting his idiot progeny, GWB, on the rest of us with that crook, Dick Cheney, as the 'real' president. No, I cannot forgive GWHB OR his wife, Barbara. Seriously. Just because they seem "presidential" in contrast to the current abomination, does not mean that the Bush family is good by any means.

[malaise]

63. Same here

[BigDemVoter]

88. No, it's not republican to speak the truth.

Just because he's dying doesn't make him a martyr or a saint. He's STILL deplorable.

[politicat]

11. At the Super Bowl, his ankles were really, really swollen.

That likely means either heart failure or kidney failure. Edema is no joke.

Pneumonia is often a blessing at the end of life. But if George Herbert is conscious and able to make decisions, then those decisions are for him to make.

[malaise]

15. True n/t

[smirkymonkey]

18. I never thought I would say this, but I am actually

feeling sorry for the old man.

[malaise]

19. Good for you

I'm not sorry for anyone named Bush

[GulfCoast66]

24. We all have our standards and I respect yours

But I sure as shit would exchange him(in his prime) for the racist, CT believing, sex offending leader we have now.

And at least when GHW sent men and women into combat he knew what he was sending them into.

It is kind of scary that I am pining for this type of republican president vs. what we have now!

[Docreed2003]

27. Ain't that the damn truth...

[malaise]

46. I get that

[smirkymonkey]

34. Trump is making me a little soft-hearted

when it comes to former republicans.

[MFM008]

61. Your telling me

This guy was a raging liberal compared to Emperor bigly.

[DavidDvorkin]

20. I wonder if Trump will want to give him a big public funeral

As a form of publicity for himself.

If so, I wonder how the Bush family will react.

[malaise]

21. We think alike

but family Bush's response is what I'm waiting for - they think (well they know)he's a low life.
I have this thing for political funerals.

[UTUSN]

22. He's got no choice about "big public funeral." The family has to swallow its revulsion.

Maybe the old lady might spout off. Jeb Crow Shrub ought to be barfing to have to accept greeting him. Shrub don't care, already said he don't care about DRUMPF's insults to his little brother, that that's what rough politics is about.

[GulfCoast66]

25. Respectfully, I think you may be mistaken

It looks like GHW will remain lucid to the end. And say what you want about him, all those WWII guys who were on the sharp end of the stick have already faced death in their teen and 20's and do not fear it like most people. The dude flew prop planes off Aircraft Carriers to engage in aerial combat with some of the most skilled pilots there were and got shot down into the ocean.

And you have to know he reviles the shitgibbon president we have now and is telling his wife and family he does not want that sex offender anywhere near his funeral.

I would love to see the Bush family have a pretty extravagant ceremony, enough to be televised, and purposefully exclude the current president.

But then, a man can dream.

Have a nice evening.

[Docreed2003]

28. Just my 2c...I think you're spot on...

I think Bush knows his time is coming to an end, thus the meeting with Bill Clinton at his bedside. I think moves are being made behind the scenes to plan for his death and funeral, and I'd wager, those plans are being made at the exclusion of Twittler.

[UTUSN]

33. You & I might be cross-talking. The pronoun "he" I was referring to as having no choice is DRUMPF

since the sitting president has to participate in the national ceremonies, as opposed to private ceremonies, for the predecessor. Any deceased having been a president fairly much guarantees "a pretty extravagant ceremony" completely separately from any status as a veteran of whatever war.

As for whatever dutiful service he performed that many others did, I also remember the crewmembers who died under circumstances of their being shot down. I remember a lot of things, like the October Surprise, Iran-Contra, and other things he later claimed not to remember. But what I think of him and his family are from the partisan side of my memory, and the coming of DRUMPF has made them all look incredibly better in comparison than I could have previously imagined.

My post was not mainly about him but about DRUMPF. Differently from the attributes you grant him ("him" being Poppy BUSH), the one I would concede to him above all is that he would abide by the duties of his status as his upbringing and career dictate, such that he would never do any such thing as barring a president from his funeral. And I can't imagine a former president's funeral *not* being featured in the media and excluding a current president. These are not private citizens.

[GulfCoast66]

44. You are correct

I misunderstood the subject of you discussion.

Have a nice Sunday.

[malaise]

50. Yep

He may just mash up the 100 day plans

[DemocratSinceBirth]

69. Chump makes the Bushes look like princes.

I profoundly disagreed with their policies but I never thought they were what is colloquially known as "bad people". I do think Trump is "bad people". I could never imagine having someone like that as a friend.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

83. No kidding

[EX500rider]

79. "I also remember the crewmembers who died under circumstances of their being shot down."

Not all the crew always makes it out of a burning crashing warplane:

After Bush's promotion to Lieutenant (junior grade) on August 1, 1944, San Jacinto commenced operations against the Japanese in the Bonin Islands. Bush piloted one of four Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft from VT-51 that attacked the Japanese installations on Chichijima.[7] His crew for the mission, which occurred on September 2, 1944, included Radioman Second Class John Delaney and Lieutenant Junior Grade William White.[1] During their attack, the Avengers encountered intense anti-aircraft fire; Bush's aircraft was hit by flak and his engine caught on fire. Despite his plane being on fire, Bush completed his attack and released bombs over his target, scoring several damaging hits.[1] With his engine ablaze, Bush flew several miles from the island, where he and one other crew member on the TBM Avenger bailed out of the aircraft;[8] the other man's parachute did not open.[1] Bush waited for four hours in an inflated raft, while several fighters circled protectively overhead until he was rescued by the lifeguard submarine USS Finback.[1] For the next month he remained on Finback, and participated in the rescue of other pilots. Several of those shot down during the attack were executed, their livers eaten by their captors

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush#World_War_II

The pilot can't reach the other crew members in a Avenger, what was he suppose to do exactly?

[UTUSN]

80. So he doesn't have magic, saintly powers, which is my point to what I was replying to.

Poppy BUSH doesn't need me to puff him up. He's got plenty of his pals to do that, starting with Brit HUME and Jonathon KARL and, it appears, plenty around here.

[malaise]

35. That is my wish n/t

[Hokie]

77. Me too

I would love to see the Bush family have a pretty extravagant ceremony, enough to be televised, and purposefully exclude the current president.

I think the Bush's all despise Trump. That would be front page stuff if they did it.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

55. I'd say that the family would make the final decision

about any funeral. A big public one isn't required. They could hold a relatively small one, family and close friends only, refuse to let it be broadcast, and so on.

Trump can't just unilaterally make it a state funeral. So if it is a big one, you'll know that is what the family wants.

[UTUSN]

57. Every president gets plans made for the official funeral soon upon starting their term.

They are asked for their input, but I can't think of a single "private" funeral for a president from over my 70 years' lifetime.

Whether it's called a "State funeral" such as in the case of Tricky Dick (was there a lying in state in the Capitol?) or not, all of the former presidents traipsed themselves over to Yorba Linda or wherever it was. A president's funeral is "big" no matter what. I suppose that DRUMPF's will be the BIGGEST ever!1

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

58. I had no idea that plans for an official funeral

start as soon as a person becomes President. Obviously that happened after November 11, 1963.

Chances are that the families of Presidents are the kind who like a big public hoopla.

I wouldn't be too surprised if Jimmy Carter's eventual funeral is relatively low key.

[tammywammy]

26. He's been in the hospital a number of times for pneumonia the last year.

[malaise]

48. Yep but he's deteriorated big time

as expected

[Laffy Kat]

29. You're right.

I just have other people/things to worry about.

[Solly Mack]

30. Yeah, well, death comes to us all.

Some die too early and some die too late. Far too late.

[malaise]

36. You said it better than I did

[Solly Mack]

38. I won't watch the coverage that day.

Though it may be worth watching just to hear Trump make an ass of himself.

[malaise]

41. Oh I'll watch

[oldtime dfl_er]

31. Time for him to fess up

to some of the things he did/knows. I for one would like to hear what he has to say about the JFK assassination.

[GulfCoast66]

32. There is a creative speculation group

For which this post may be more appropriate.

Have a nice evening

[malaise]

37. Why?

He should fess up to everything before he dies

[Vinca]

39. Well, he is 92 and none of us lives forever . . . he's had a good life.

I dread, dread, dread a state funeral under the Orange Blob. If he gives a eulogy, it will be about how much Poppy Bush loved him.

[malaise]

40. I imagine the Bush family feel the same way

Jeb may jump up and slap him in the face

May be their karma.

[nolabear]

56. You know who will eulogize. Bill. And with luck asshole will choke on it.

State funeral or no, the family gets to say. And they will let 45 speak out of duty, but everybody else will be either people who loved or respected him or people who will make him look good. That's a capacity the asshole does not have. Bill's eloquence will blow him out.

[malaise]

60. You know that may well have been the reason for the visit

from Bill just before he went into hospital

[QED]

73. If 45 is allowed to speak...

he needs to have a script and stick to it, not ad lib and say the crowd at the funeral is smaller than at his inauguration or some such crap.

[Gothmog]

49. No, Papa Bush is not looking well

[WinkyDink]

51. 3 bouts of pneumonia. Were he Joe Common, the hospital would have pressured the family for Hospice.

Hospitals don't like repeat elderly patients.

[2naSalit]

59. Since we are footing the bill...they'll spend as much as they can to keep him "alive"....nt

[malaise]

64. Yep

which is why I suspect he is no longer in Intensive Care

[irisblue]

70. He has good insurance, power & money.

The hospital will be fine with him staying.

[WinkyDink]

75. I said "WERE he....." OF COURSE this hospital will keep GHWB! "The rich are different from......"

[tazkcmo]

52. Probably all that evil.

With none of his spawn in positions of power there's no outlet.

[democratisphere]

53. Hope HW doesn't have pain and suffering and is kept comfortable.

Remember, this is one of WJC's closest and most dear friends.

[WinkyDink]

76. Not sure what his being a friend of Bill's should matter to, say, me.

[eleny]

54. No matter how wealthy, we all get to wear the same crappy hospital gowns

[Yupster]

86. An old chess saying is

at the end of the game the king and the pawn go into the same box.

[Horse with no Name]

67. The rosy cheek and puffy face are because of the steroids

He looks as well to be expected.
It would be nice if he confessed his political sins prior to his demise...but I expect that there will be a book in the next 15-20 years. I don't expect it will be while Babs walks the earth.

[malaise]

68. I'd like those while he was head of the CIA

Wasn't he the only CIA head to be President?

[Horse with no Name]

71. I think so but I could be mistaken

I know he has lots of secrets....I just hope we learn of some of them one day.

[malaise]

92. They're not releasing him

http://www.khou.com/news/local/president-george-hw-bush-to-remain-in-hospital/433669585
<snip>
President George H.W. Bush will remain in the hospital for observation after being treated for pneumonia.

Houston Methodist Hospital released the following statement Monday afternoon:

President George H.W. Bush continues to be in good spirits and is resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital. Mr. Bush will remain in the hospital for a few more days of observation, and his medical team hopes to discharge him by the end of the week.

[irisblue]

72. Only one year, Jan 1976 to Jan 1977.

I had forgotten that he left the post when Pres. Carter was inaugurated.

[malaise]

74. Yep

Thanks for the reminder re Carter

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

81. He's in his nineties

Most of us would be lucky to live that long.

[malaise]

84. Dad's youngest and last remaining sister died two weeks ago

She was in hers as well and I'm not sure it's luck. She was out of it for the last five years.
I sure don't want that for me.

[TexasBushwhacker]

90. My aunt is very frail at 88

She doesn't leave her assisted living place except for family get togethers. A local movie theater was showing Casablanca and I thought she would enjoy seeing it again on the big screen, but she said no.

[malaise]

91. Precisely

Being alive is not the same as living. At least your aunt attended family get togethers - my lovely aunt didn't even recognize her children, grandchildren, great grands or the rest of us.

She was a wonderful progressive woman who lived but was barely alive for years.

[L. Coyote]

93. klck

[AgadorSparticus]

94. Well, he IS 180 years old! To be fair, trump is making a lot of people look sick.