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end stage liver disease

I have a loved one with cirrhosis of the liver; he had ascites about 6 months ago and was in the hospital and had the fluid drained from his stomach; doctors told him then that if he drank he would not see Christmas; well he kept drinking and he saw Christmas; he takes lactalose and a diuretic and drinks right along with it....He has lost weight, bleeds easily, has trouble sleeping, eats OK, but KEEPS DRINKING. Vodka, beer, anything....I am amazed that the human body can take this kind of abuse for as long as his has, is he some kind of medical miracle? He usually drinks all night and sleeps all day,and in the moments when he is sober, he is all right...I don't know what to do for him anymore....this can't go on for years can it???
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Avatar universal
hey ribhurting, Congratulations on 2 days. Keep up the good work and I promise it will only get better for you. Good luck!! I'll say a prayer for you each night.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your kind words Verden,,,,woke up this morning feeling much better,,,(no booze yesterday) today is day 2 and i had actually forgotten what it's like to wake up and not feel like a Mack truck hit me.  Will keep you updated.  Again, THANKS!
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Avatar universal
You will never be able to make up for the time you have lost--make your goal to make the most of your life!  You are young and will be able to live many, many more years.  Just leave the bad stuff behind.  I have a family member who has suffered 15 years with a very bad liver, kidney insufficiency, vericose veins in the throat, bleeding problems, malabsorbsion problems, is on major meds to stay alive, now on lactulose therapy to handle the ammonia levels that will one day take their toll...from vodka!  What this person wouldn't give to feel better, enjoy family and friends, live without five specialits to manage the decline that will one day take it's toll.  Make the decision now to not take another drink and begin to live the rest of your life without the regrets that is the broken record of every alcoholic that chooses to admit that alcohol controls them, not the other way around.  Best of luck to you and to those your love and love you.
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Avatar universal
itsfm & hilly,,,thanks for your kind words,,,yep, those hangovers are REALLY nasty,,,,Sunday is the big day, say a prayer for me, i'll need it but im GOING to do it.  Ya'll have a great weekend.!!!!!!!!
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Avatar universal
I'm really glad to hear that you stopped drinking and I hope everything goes well for the guy that's going to stop on Sunday. I'm a female who went through liver failure and almost didn't make it and now I have cirrhosis. Thank God I don't have any symptoms from it but the biopsy says I do. Good luck to all of you.
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Avatar universal
heya ribhurting. I dont know how long it takes for the pain to go away (I'm still waiting for mine to go away) but I do know about quitting drinking. I drank 12 to 15 beers a day for about 12 years. I've been sober for 6 months now. A couple of things to think about that helped me that might help you are.

1. drinking isnt a good medication and I'm just causing myself trouble and pain by doing it.. even though the pain goes away for a while when I'm drunk.

2. alot of people drink themselves to death and I dont want to be one of them. I thought cirrhosis was one of those things that you got, then you quit drinking and everything was fine. I spent some time reading up what happens to people like us and a short life isnt what I want, I was really playing with fire and I'm hoping I didnt burn myself too bad.

on a side note after a month or so I think you'll find alot of pluses to not drinking. hangovers suck and I spent alot of days waiting to get home to drink to get rid of them. now I dont have them and I dont have to drink to get rid of them. I dont have to rely on people to take me to parties because I'm too hammered to drive home etc. things like that..

Anyway.. hope you feel better and good luck. AA's a good place with lots of cool people just like us.
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