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FINAL STAGES OF HEPITATIS C
Ths is about my wife who has Hep C , most of her life, She broke her Femur about 1 1/2 years go. It is not healing. Most recently she is starting to bleed from any scratch and also nose bleeding anytime. The is 55 years old, stays in bed 23 1/2 hours a day, has no energy, refuses medical help and drinks 2 six packs a day of beer. She says she just wants to die. She crys hours into the night, is always depressed, hardly ever leaves her room and eats very little .She is now in the very last stages of Hep C. What should I expect in the near future
as she wants to die in her home like her Dad? At what point should I seek Hospice care?
I'm confused and do not know what to expect next. What is the next danger sign?
as she wants to die in her home like her Dad? At what point should I seek Hospice care?
I'm confused and do not know what to expect next. What is the next danger sign?
Thank you so much for your comments. I was a concerned that I had perhaps been too blunt and that some of my own anger about growing up in an alcoholic family had colored my answer. Plus I am also suffering from advanced liver disease from hepatitis which can be fustratating at times especially since I am trying everything I know to stay alive and survive this illness. I apologize if I said something inappropriate about your wife and her decision to choose death over life.
I think that is an excellent plan you have. Both the RN and her husband doctor will know what they are dealing with, and can be a godsend in helping you find your way through the system so your wife will have the best care possible. It should help to take some of the weight off yourself and your family. But as your know, when you love and care for her she is going to fight it with all her might. I hope you can at least find some peace and relief knowing you are doing the right thing for all involved.
I admire your strength. I don't think I could handle what you are dealing with personally. Please take care of yourself and the kids. This has to be leaving a deep impression on your minds and spirits. So as I mentioned before, you all might find it helpful to talk to others who are dealing with similar situations. It is not good to bottle up these powerful mix of feelings as they can rack havoc on people for a lifetime. If your wife wants to stop living that is one thing, but to drag yourself and your family down with her is unacceptable and crossing the boundaries of of human decency.
Good luck to you all. Let us know how things are working out. And of course if you have any questions about liver disease please feel to ask.
Sincerely,
Hectorsf
I think that is an excellent plan you have. Both the RN and her husband doctor will know what they are dealing with, and can be a godsend in helping you find your way through the system so your wife will have the best care possible. It should help to take some of the weight off yourself and your family. But as your know, when you love and care for her she is going to fight it with all her might. I hope you can at least find some peace and relief knowing you are doing the right thing for all involved.
I admire your strength. I don't think I could handle what you are dealing with personally. Please take care of yourself and the kids. This has to be leaving a deep impression on your minds and spirits. So as I mentioned before, you all might find it helpful to talk to others who are dealing with similar situations. It is not good to bottle up these powerful mix of feelings as they can rack havoc on people for a lifetime. If your wife wants to stop living that is one thing, but to drag yourself and your family down with her is unacceptable and crossing the boundaries of of human decency.
Good luck to you all. Let us know how things are working out. And of course if you have any questions about liver disease please feel to ask.
Sincerely,
Hectorsf
Just be careful detoxing her from Alcohol beside that itself can cause siezures and more.
Thank You. That was the answer I was looking for, and yes, she will get the alcohol all by her self and unload it on me as the bad guy. One of her friends (a very good one she has known for years) is an RN and is married to a Doctor. She will somewhat listen to her. Because of the broken femur, she has a steel bar implanted from her knee to her upper leg and can not get along very well. The last Doctor she saw in the Hospital put it to her point blank : He said 1/3 of poeple with her liver condition that continue to drink do not make it for the first year. The leg is not healing as it should have 9 months ago. She walked out of the Hospital, on her own, hours after the surgury and I had to find her, bleeding, take her home and admit her to another Hospital the next day. She had an allergic reaction to the pain meds after the surgery, got mad at the nurses and they let her walk. After her second admission to another Hospital she was EMS ed to the original Hospital to finish her after surgury process. About $70,000 of un-insured bills took place. I run a small business, clean the house , pay the bills and do everything else a single parent would do. It puts a large burden on me also, but I have learned to cope with it so far. I will start with the alcohol removal, which will do no good because she can drive herself if she wants something bad enough, them I will contact her friend the RN and see if her husband can recomend a Professional which I or her friend or both can to try to get her to go which is a feat in its self. She is very hard headed as you can see. This also affects our two Daughters and our 18 year old grandson who lives with us. Thanks for your advise.
may i ask if she doesn't leave her room how is she getting the beer? If she wants beer make her get out of the room and get it herself ! You may have to make it hard on her to wake her up. She needs to be seen by a doctor, preferably a Hepatologist. Whatever it takes, bribes, threats, etc get her to a doctor.
Best of luck to both of you
Best of luck to both of you
very sorry for you and your wife and hope god will have his mercy on you both , i think she must see the doctor at least for symptomatic treatment , and she may also need anti depressants to help
Sorry to hear you are going thru this most difficult situation, someone who knows about end stage liver disease will chime in a bit later. The weekends are a bit slow sometimes. I had the opportunity to work with Hospice years ago and your wife may not appreciate their services as they will want her to stop drinking immediately. good luck!
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Because of her drinking there is no telling how ill she really is. She could continue to live for a few more years. Which is one reason you need to have her evaluated medically. So you know about what time table you are looking at might be. If she could stop drinking and take meds for her condition there is no telling how healthy she could be.
The sad thing is that she wants to die. What worries me is that she wants you to deal with it. So yes, you should seek hospice care. Because in time she will be helpless as a baby and you will have to do everything for her. When I say everything I will be blunt with you. She will not be able to even go to the bathroom by her self. End-Stage Liver Disease which is another name for her advanced cirrhosis is a very ugly disease. Not only will many of her other body systems stop functioning properly but very commonly she will be out of her mind near the end. So she won't know what is happening to her. But whoever is taking after her will have to experience it. You should not try to do this alone.
What should you expect in the near future?
She is dying from liver disease not hep C. The hep C and alcohol caused the liver disease.
She wants to die at home. Unfortunately she will not be able to do that unless you are willing to do nothing for her and just sit there and watch her die. What people die from at the end is they go into a coma and never come out of it. This is due to toxins that effect her brain. But she may go into a coma many times before she dies. So unless you are willing to let her go into a coma(s) and do nothing for possibly days. Meaning calling 911.
So in general what will happen is she will have more and more complications and need to be hospitalized for them. She may start throwing up blood, which is not stopped can be fatal. Go into comas, her abdomen may bloat like she is pregnant, etc, etc.
The point I am trying to make is that she is unaware of how nasty this disease is. And for her to ask anyone to deal with these issues without professional help is sadistic in my opinion.
When should you contact hospice?
I would start contacting hospice now. The sooner the better. You should have professionals dealing with this. This is beyond your expertise.
Actually Copyman makes some good points.
I know this is easy to say but... I would take ALL the alcohol in the house and flush it down the drain. I'm sure she has a lot hidden to around the home. If she wants to kill herself. Fine. But she doesn't have to make you an accomplice. Let her load the gun per say, with bullets if she must but don't enable her. Let her get off her but and by her own poison. You might be surprised by the amount of energy she has. Of course be prepared for all hell to break lose. The blame and rage that will be coming your way.
Get her to a hospital or call 911 when you can. Once they see her and look at some blood results and her physical condition they will tell you if and when she will need hospice.
Also you should try to attend meetings for people who are dealing with alcoholics. I don't know if AA is appropriate but something similar. No matter what happens you are gonna need outside support.
So sorry you are going through this nightmare. If it starts effecting your physical or mental health it is time to let others handle it. We don't want to see 2 people dying instead of one. All because of the love of alcohol.
Good luck. Let us know what happens.
Hectorsf