my mom

hi,

i am really confused. my mom has hepatitis c and cirrohsis of the liver. she also has been having ascitis(SP). they took out a week ago 2 gal of water and she still had a liter in her and now she is back to where she was before the drainage if not worse. even her whole body swells after a while of walking or standing. she has 8 lbs of water in her. she is having a hard time breathing, looks bigger than my 7 month pregnant sister and coworkers, and the water pills have not worked for her. they put her on lasix but i dont think that will work for her. when she eats she can only eat a small burger(bout the size of a junior hamburger from wendys or bk) and then she is in pain. they dont want to drain her anymore. her hep viral count was 3 million and she says her doctor said she is in stage two cirrohsis and hep which i think he is an idiot and dont give her the time she needs and seems to have one foot out the door but with no insurance and ssi screwing around she cant do better. well she went and got a copy of her medical records and looking through them i seen this statement

hep c cirrohsis grade 2-3 stage 3-4 genotype ia hep c

also one said same thing but added stage 3-4 fibrosis.

can anyone tell me what this means. i am really afraid that the way things are she is gonna die in several months or less. her body is not releasing any sodium either and she is in pain and the doc refuses to give her any pain meds and doesnt even acknowledge it.

 

the tried her on the shot and it screwed up her body. her viral count went up real high on it. she very rarely eats cause of the pain. the hamburger she ate because i bought for her to eat. she not much of a meat person anyway and has been eating little sodium. i am worried that it is actaually stage 3 or almost four hep and cirrhosis and not two like she says. i really fear that she is gonna die soon. i really dont see how she can keep going with all this water retention. she is at the hospital at least once a week. she has even had jaundice, she is alot better of jaundice but i can still see it in her eyes a little. she is very forgetful too. i think her doctor is an idiot and i wish there was more i can do but i see her wasting away. she is 50 and looks like she is 80 and even in her records they all say she looks  older than her age. they say it is chronic. i hope someone can answer the question about the stages and grades

She can go higher on the Lasix, but potassium or Aldactone should also be increased along with it.  Ask the doctor about raising the dosage of the Lasix and Aldactone or potassium.

The stages/grades don't mean as much as her overall symptoms and how she is doing.  When a person has the symptoms you are describing, it is known as decompensated cirrhosis.  This means the liver function is poor.  Has a transplant been discussed?

I suggest you read some of the educational posts on the main page.  There are quite a few and they will give you some answers to your questions until you can question the doctor.

Sweetie, please read the topics on the main page:  Stages of Liver Disease, Comments on Death and Dying, and End Stage Liver Disease Symptoms and Developments.  These should help answer some of your questions.  Nobody can tell you how long she has left, as it differs from person to person.

she claims she is not drinking and the meds did not work on her so it seems there nothing they can do

took my mom to get her lasix, i payed for it cause she has no money but hey i dont mind and i had to hear her cry. she is so depressed but her depression meds arent working cause nothing is really digesting in her system cause of all the water retention. i showed her what to look for in labels not that it will do good cause she is so full of water she cant eat. she has talked about dying quite a bit and i really am afraid she is done fighting. she is so depressed and just says what is the point of fighting. i know this is the hep talking to and she dont mean it but it scares me cause she is depressed and whats worse is her irritability. it is very frustrating this disease, and i dont even live with her. i dont know how to help her and i am wondering if i am doing enough to help her. i love her but this is putting some stress on me and i can feel it too. i am so worried that i am gonna get the call and i feel it coming. i know it sounds weird but when it comes to my family i am sensitive in the death department. i knew with my grandma when she was in her coma she was gone and with my grandpa in his but this was when they were in the comas. but my fear is my mom dying. i know i am being unreasonable and that i am just too close to this but my gut is telling me to get prepared, i am even dreaming of it. my hubby is very supportive but he doesnt like my mom, cause of her drug and alcohol history and all she has done,(she not drinking or drugging now) so i can only depend on him, my sister just is not one to talk to cause she has her hands full and she doesnt want to face the facts so i dont have anyone to talk to. is there more i can do to help her

why are you guys so wonderful. willingly answering questions to people you dont know. i feel i have gotten more information from you guys than her doctor and showing my mom this she says the same stuff. thank you so much. i feel so lost and alone in this and you guys are helping. how can i convince my mom to go to a support group for this, i mentioned it and she was like why so we can die together

HELLO-
I am sorry to hear about your mother. i can relate on many levels, my mother is going through the same situatuion. it took six months for her ssi to go through, even after she got ssi i had to get a care aid in her gome working for them to approve her medicaid. dont ask me why this is stupid. anyways the doc i took her to was rude to say the least told her she was dying and had 2 to six months and said goodbye after refilling her perscriptions. i was REALLY UPSET.

caring 4 mama, I would suggest that you get hospice involved.  The doctor will have to tell them that she has less than 6 mos. to live.  They can then provide nurses to come to the home and can get her pain meds.  Doctors always bow to whatever hospice recommends.

In regard to Power of Attorney, it would enable you to have access to any bank accounts she might have in order to pay her bills.  You would basically be acting as though you were her.  However, I believe you also need a Medical Surrogacy, in order to have a say in her medical care and to access her medical records.  Does she have a Living Will?  Medical Surrogacy is usually a part of that.  Persons I've known who obtained PoA did so through a lawyer.  I don't believe you can do so just by filling out forms and having them notarized, as you can with the Living Will.  If she doesn't have a LW, that is the first thing you need to do.