liver failure

[benny613]

.My brother 46 was given 2 months to live due to liver failure caused by alcohol and Hep B . Scared him a bit, he was put in the hospital for 4 weeks, and got better real quick. That was March 2011. He started drinking again right after he got out of the hospital. It's hard to believe but he is still working in a bar and walking. I don't know how he does it. His stomach is very swollen, he can't eat and doesn't sleep much, but he' still going!!!  He's still drinking every day. Needs to have beer when he wakes up...It's like he thinks everyone was wrong about how sick he is... I'm a little confused myself. He won't let anyone see him. He tells my mother he's never felt better, but i know how sick he is. He won't talk to me anymore.

I just don't get it... could the doctors have been wrong?? .

[benny613]

thanks for all the feedback, I'm learning so much and it's nice to talk to people who are going through the same thing.  
Last night my brother called my mother to tell her that he went to the hospital for a check up and he's doing very well, although he now has a very bad cold.

of course none of this is true, he never went to the hospital and I'm worried that the fluid from his stomach is going into his lungs, or maybe even pnemonia....
he still won't talk to me, only his partner calls me to update me.

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

alcoholic liver disease can reverse up to a certain point with sobriety, which is what happened in march.  If he continues his behavior however he will not be so lucky next time.