Signs of end stage of liver cirrhosis?

My head is spinning right now.  I just got off the phone with my sister who called to tell me that she had just come from the doctor who told her her liver has almost completely quit functioning.  We have been afraid of this for a while as she was diagnosised with Hep C many years ago.  Her doctor said she may have 6 months or longer, no one knows.  I don't know what to expect for her.  She is not a candidate for a transplant because of the Hep C and I feel like she just got her death sentence.  Is that pretty much right?

Hi there,

I think that was a very calluss (sp) thing for your boss to say to you. Yes we all do have to die one day, but it is a hard thing to watch. I lost my cousin to colon cancer a few years back and my boss was mad because I left early the day he died. She said "you knew that he was going to die". Yes I did know that, but what about his wife and kids, I wanted to be there for them. Then she got upset because I quit because my first husband was dx with lung cancer. That just shows how selfish some people are and uncaring.

Just remember that we are here for you and understand what you are going through. It isn't easy I know. So keep posting and vent to let it out. That is what this forum is all about.

You and your sister are in my thoughts and prayers.

Luv and hugs, Karen

Thank you so very much for your thoughts and prayers.  My sister (Karen) only have each other.  I am trying to be strong for her and I have always been the one that was the rock.  Your kind words and insight as to what we are facing means more than you can ever know for Karen and I.

Tulsa, in my carreer I have seen many people who have the attitude that your boss has. I think that they have never experienced a deep loss so they truly have no concept of what pain and suffering are and therefore they just brush it aside. I don't know him or what has caused him to be so callous about illness but at some point he will learn first hand what you are going thru. Just try to keep your spirits up (I know it's hard) and learn as much as you can about her disease. There is a wealth of information already on this forum that can help you. BTW when I first found this forum I was so relieved. It was an avenue to vent and learn all at the same time. It literally saved my sanity. The members are very intelligent, warm, and loving people. Everyone here has a story. Each unique yet the same. A dichotomy.

Tulsa I am sorry about the comment made to you from your boss. People like that really have their own personal misery and cant exspress it except in a bad way directed at others.

Shadow and Tula welcome. I too express condolences on your loss Shadow. Tula, I have been where you are at only it was directed at me directly as the one suffering with this disease. I was told I would be placed on suspension with intent to remove and would be fought with vigor if I applied for disability. I was so upset that I wanted to go Postal ( appropriate since I worked for the Postal Service ). Instead, I prayed for my boss. Guess what happened. Iwas able to get disability leave and disability pension. That was 4 yrs. ago. I am now working as a supervisor of the mailroom at a college for the last 18 months. I expect to return to work in June after missing 3 months due to transplant. The college has treated me like a real human being and I am overwhelmed with their compassion, and genuiness. I share this with you so that you will know everyone is not like boss. Try praying for him. It may make a difference in his life. It will definetly make a difference in yours. Keeping all of you in thought and prayer. Delivered by the mailman.

i'm sorry, i'm just really scared and i am angry as to what he has done to us.

Cape Caz, i can understand your anger. It really is a disease that causes much destruction in society and famlies. I am an adult survivor of alcoholic parents. I have learned to accept the fact that controlling this disease is one of the biggest struggles for anyone and can be much harder than struggling to live. We make our choices in life with open minds but anyone with a chemical addiction does not have that ability their choices are askew because the addiction determines the direction more. My life has been a hard road because of alcohol, I became a widow with 2 babies at age 21 because of a drunk driver, my father died 6 months later because of his alcoholism and here i sit helping my current man through esld because of alcohol. I never knew him when he was an active drinker, but by my choice i am still here with him. Anger is so a normal and sometimes good thing as long as we can get beyond it through talking and education.

agus said...
My mother suffers from liver cirrhosis at beginning/middle stage. She goes for CT scan every three months to detect any growing liver tumor (hepatoma). Any new tumor will be treated with chemo embolization. Unfortunately her hepatoma is considered agressive and up to now she has undergone chemo embolization twice. Her doctor predicted that she has four years to live (but of course we never told her). To improve the liver function as well as to slow down the cirrhosis, she takes hepsera (adefovir dipivoxil).
Recently she decided to try chinese medicine and natural extract. We were referred to a chinese doctor who can deal with cirrhosis. He gave her 3 different pills -his own mixture- to be taken twice daily. After one month consumption her condition should show some improvements. Coincidentally I came across to golden sea cucumber extract, which is believed can improve cell regerenation and heal hepa*** B. So I asked her twice a day to drink golden sea cucumber extract. Well, we'll see in one month time and hope to see some improvements.
Does anybody know other natural extracts to fight cirrhosis?

I was wondering about the tumor thing. I have a "lump" on my right side, just below my ribs, I guess where the right side of the liver would be, The lump was small when I first noticed it, and now it is the size of a kiwi. It hurts like the devil when ever pressure is put on it, I have asked the drs about this and one said that it was "fatty tissue", All he did was feel it and when he pushed on it I almost hit him, it hurt so bad, Some times I get this stabbing pain where this is located, It takes my breath away, I just stop whatever I am doing and grab my side until the pain goes away. I told a friend of mine that it feels like my liver is going to blow up when this pain hits,  Have any of you heard of this or felt this?

Please let me know, Thank You.

Scared in Oregon

 

i am new to this. My friends suggested i join a chat room to talk to other people dealing w/cirrhosis.  my husband has this horrible disease and would love to talk w/someone.

we are in the last stages.  it's been hard, he has went downhill fast in just 4 months.  i have questions about certain things.  if you feel like talking let me know.

thank you butterflythree. we are dealing w/that right now as well. he is not the same man, i understand when you say you miss him. i miss mine as well. sometimes it's like looking at a "shell" of your husband. it's 1:30pm and he just woke up. i am feeding him breakfast and wanted to check to see if anyone has reposnded. thanks again. he sleeps a lot. he is pretty much confined to a wheelchair at this time and they keep uping his lasix so the swelling will stay off. it doesn't seem to be working.
we are not on a transplant list. he has so many other problems that they denied him 4 yrs ago, and he hasn't wanted to go back to get evaluated again. it's so sad. our dr is saying that depending on how aggressive the disease becomes we have 3-6 months. that is unbelievable. right now we take each day one at time, but those months pop into my head everyday...got to get off he is wanting to know what i am talking about....talk to you soon

butterflythree,

thanks again for the thoughts of encouragement. i will be thinking of you as well.  hope to hear from you soon.

Hello Julykid and welcome to HealingWell, Sorry that your husband has this awful disease.
What makes you think his bleeding internally?
If he is bleeding internally his stools would probably come out looking black. They would be very dark. His doctor should been able to give him a test kit to take home and take to a lab to find out for sure if there's blood in his stool. If there was any question of your husband was bleeding internally I don't understand why he didn't advise your husband to be admitted to the hospital to get stopped. Internal bleeding is nothing to fool around with. Your husband has the right to good health care. But some times you have to be forceful and demand it.

Good luck........thoughts and prayers.