Mom bailed me out jail.---doc wouldn't give me an absolute window period..moms scared...me.. not really.... my family-----hahahaha they,re in some weird form of denial saying I,m faking it..hahahahahah my father Americo Garcia died in a texas prison-buried in a prison uniform-now resting in a grave with a marker giving him the name#424275..cause of death..cirosis of the liver....heed my words sportsfans.it,s all very true..mike from fort worth Tx
I,m mike from fort worth TX years ago my father and I were fighting over a shot of heroin- hence I now have been having hep c and stage four four for some time .just got out of emergency surg.still drinking ond occasional slip...meth...I know I,m dying..and I don,t ask Him for a miracle because it,s not his fault.I know about addiction-hurt and painbut I also know jesus and reality...call me..whoever..anytime..stay clean and well..don't turn yellow..(jaund)...I haven,t yet..God bless
So very sorry for your loss. Kim has done an excellent job explaining what most likely happened to your son.
Know that once he was in the grips of end stage liver disease, he really was unable to reach out to you. Hepatic Encephalopathy which is a symptom of decompensated cirrhosis can cause severe personality changes, disorientation and confusion. If he was also still drinking alcohol, things just got worse and worse until his body organs just shut down.
I wish you peace of mind in knowing that your son is now free of of his disease and no longer in pain.
My deepest sympathy,
Nan
Hi Mitzi and hope we can help answer your questions. First of all I would like to tell you how sorry I am for the loss of your son. I also have a 25 year old son, and can't imagine the heartbreak you must be going thru. Perhaps I can explain some of my thoughts as to why this has happened to such a young man.
From what you have described, it sounds as tho he may have died from cirrhosis of the liver. All of the info you described would fit the description of someone with liver disease. Young people as well as old can die when their liver is abused. The low platelet count could be Aplastic Anemia which can be brought on by the Hepatitis Virus. This will cause your spleen to enlarge and trap the platelets from emerging causing a low platelet count. If you do have Hep C and also drink alcohol, it is really a double whammy to the liver.
There are 4 stages of liver disease and Cirrhosis is the final stage also called end stage or cirrhosis. There are many manifestation of cirrhosis and these are just a few. Confusion, delusions, hallucinations, anger, yellowing of the skin and eyes, tremors, fluid retention, bloated belly, edema (fluid in the extremities) itching to name a few. Once the liver becomes scarred from abuse it loses its ability to filter toxins from the body. Unfortunately when it becomes this bad only a liver transplant can sustain life.
I do not believe your son knew 2 years prior that he was going to die. I do think tho that he was warned of the fact and perhaps thought he was invincible as most young people feel so disregarded the warnings. There is evidence that most alcoholics also suffer from depression and that may be part of the reason he felt the need to drink.
I realized a few years ago that I was headed in the same direction as your son. Fortunately I was able to stop, but only because it was affecting my health in ways where it was no longer fun to be the life of the party. I'm telling you this because no one could have told me to stop, only myself. Your son would most likely not have stopped drinking even if you had been around him during this time. Alcoholism is truly a horrible and cruel disease and the only person that could have helped him was himself. I do not want you to feel that it's your fault as he knew what the consequences could be, and decided not to stop.
We live in a society where only the cool people drink, and we are ill informed of the dangers associated with the lifestyle. Hopefully in the future the media will change their campaigns and not target our young generation.
Again, I am so very sorry for your loss but hope in some way you realize that this was his choice. You may find some solace by remembering the happy times and good memories during his life.
On MedHelp we do have a forum for grief and loss and it may help you to connect with others going thru a similar experience. If you press on Forum above you will see the various sites.
I hope I've helped in some way, and that time will help you to heal.
Take Care
...Kim
It sounds like your son had cirrhosis of the liver. The end stage of this disease causes the liver to lose it's ability to detoxify the body. Eyes and skin are tinged yellow and harmful chemicals such as ammonia build up in the blood and brain, leading to mental changes or hepatic encephalopathy. Confusion, trouble concentrating and forgetfulness are early symptoms. Slurred speech, dramatic personality changes and agitation are examples of more severe symptoms. Eventually, encephalopathy can lead to coma and death.
He chose alcohol over health!