I am so confused about Hep C/cirrhosis!

[dianamcokc]

I have 2 people in "final stages" of cirrhosis, my husband and brother. My brother has alot of problems with ammonia levels and was in a coma and on life support for 15 days a year and a half ago. My husband has never had a problem with it at all, but he does have EXTREME personality swings though and pisses blood all the time from light orange to pure red. They have both had the same doctor until recently, and the doctor had told me that one is not worse off than the other. My husband thinks his isn't as bad as my brothers is, he thinks that is his future... does anyone have any thoughts? When my brothers ammonia levels are high and he suffers from encepalopathy, my husband doesn't believe it, he thinks my brother is drinking again. My husband lives in the world everyone else calls denial.

[dianamcokc]

Yes, they have both been diagnosed with cirrhosis. They are both under a doctors care, GI's. My brother has no insurance. My husband was drinking still up until 2 weeks ago. His new dr. told him he has to be off the booze for a year to even be considered for a transplant. We will find out my husbands MELD score next week.

[HectorSF]

This is not a medical problem this is an issue, your husband believes what he he wants to believe. No one can change what someone else believes. He is an adult and he is free to believe whatever he wants. Why fight a losing battle over something that doesn't matter? If your husband has final stages of cirrhosis (whatever that means) then he should be on a liver transplant list because without a liver transplant the final stages of cirrhosis are fatal despite what he believes.

If you brother has been diagnosed by a hepatologist after being evaluated and going into a hepatic coma what difference does it matter what your husband thinks? It doesn't change the fact your bother was in a coma because of it. Hepatic comas are a typical complication of advanced cirrhosis. Your is not a hepatologist(liver specialist) so how would he know anything about it anyway?

'have EXTREME personality swings though and pisses blood all the time from light orange to pure red'.
Urinating blood is NOT a symptom or complication of cirrhosis so I don't know why you mention it. The most common causes of urinating blood are kidney stones and urinary tract infections which have nothing to do with cirrhosis. Your husband should go see a primary care or urologist ASAP and get treated.

Also not all people with cirrhosis have the same complications form cirrhosis or at the same time or degree. Meaning not all patients have hepatic encephalopathy. Leave medical diagnosis to the doctors (hepatologists) that work with patients with cirrhosis everyday. Hepatologists complete 4 years of undergraduate education, 4 years of medical school, and 3 to 8 years of internship and residency training. Also people have personality swings from many things other than hepatic encephalopathy.

My advice, ignore what your husband says as he is no expert on cirrhosis or liver disease. Second and more importantly, if they both have cirrhosis, they need to be under the care of a hepatologist and listed for transplant at a liver transplant center. It is up to the doctors there to care for patients with cirrhosis. Improperly treated or untreated advanced cirrhosis will continue to get worse and finally will become fatal if they don't receive a liver transplant. Only a transplant center can care for patients in the 'final stages of cirrhosis'. Leave it to the doctors to provide medical care for your brother and your husband.

Good luck.
Hector