Final Stage of End-Stage CKD - life expectancy?

Hi folks,

My mother, who's 88, has been at Stage 5 for about 8 months.  Last September, she was hospitalised with an Acute Kidhey Injury and wasn't expected to survive.  Remarkably, though, she turned the corner and was discharged with a kidney function of 7%.

Since then, I've been her principal carer.  She's been relatively okay in that time.  By Christmas, her function had improved to 9%.  By February, though, it was down to 6%,

Her most recent blood test, two weeks ago, has now put it at 4%.  Her breathlessness has increased over the last month, to the point where she can hardly walk a few yards (with her zimmer) before being severely breathless.  In the last week, things have deteriorated further, with the usual attendant symptoms (chronic itching, etc) - but her appetite has remained good.

That is until yesterday.  She hardly ate a thing, and didn't want to.  She's been getting bad nausea, so is taking buccal Prochlorperazine to help.  I didn't really expect her to make it through last night.

She did, though.  This morning, she at half a bowl of porridge - but that's been it.  She's been sleeping heavily in chair since then.  When awake, she's been increasingly vague and incoherent - like she's slightly drunk.  She feels very weak.  The end can't be far away, I feel.

Has anyone else had a similar experience of nursing someone through these final stages?  How long is it likely to last?  And how does it most usually end?  I'm guessing she'll just go to sleep and not wake up.  Or go into cardiac arrest.

Thanks for any advice anyone can offer.

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