Brother in last stages of liver disease.

Hello everyone,i came over your site a little while ago as i am looking for help in what to expect with my 54yr old brother. He has been away from our hometown for 23 yrs,but i got a call about 6 weeks ago as he was in hospital in liverpool,with near liver failure etc.I travelled 400 miles to see him and decided he should come back home. since back he has been admitted to hospital as his tummy keeps filling up and it has today again.It is through alcohol abuse but he has not drunk for 2months now.He is eating etc but seems in permanant pain.He has had bleeding in his throat varicloe veins or something and keeps getting them tied.My GP says if i see him vomitting blood call 999.I am so scared as although i am a grandmother i have a 14yr old son at home and would hate him to see any blood etc. Please HELP.xxxx Linda xxx

Welcome to our forum, grannylil.  Worriedgirl gave you good advice.  However, the Lactulose is only necessary if your brother's ammonia is high.  If he starts acting odd, "out of it," or beligerent he likely has high ammonia. 

He needs to see a local hepatologist (liver specialist) and might also need regular drains for the fluid, though if he is placed on the correct dosages of diuretics, those might work for him (they did for me.)

I am very glad he has stopped drinking.  That would be the worst thing he could do is to continue drinking.

Has there been any discussion of transplant?  The word you were searching for is varicose or esophageal varices (varicose veins of the esophagus.)  I suggest you read some of our educationall topics.  They should be on the first or second page and will say Education: Stages of Liver Disease, etc.

I'm here tonight because my Mom is dying from liver disease. The doctor told her 3 weeks ago she was in the end stages and all they can do for her now is to make her comfortable. She is scared of dying apparantly because she cries all the time, takes Xanax and sleeps 98% of the time. She can't talk about it and it's getting to me. They said she had 1 to 6 months to live. We are having 7 - 9 liters of fluid drawn off of her abdomen weekly now. My Dad will be 84 on May 29 and he just had a double bypass done Dec 23, 08. He is not accepting this news at all. Very much in denial, they've been married 64 years as of April 9th! My Mom will be 82 August 1st. It is so hard for me to deal with the two of them. I am worn slap out and can't get anything done for myself between their doctor's appointments, ambulances taking them to the ER and having the paracenthesis(sp)done weekly! I know all about using the lactulose for the amonia levels, I've dealt with that for some time now. I'm here for support. I have a brother who lives in Massachusettes and we're in Louisiana. He's very business oriented and made it very clear while he was here that Boston was his home and he's sorry that that he can't be here. What is ironic is he's their biological son and they adopted me and I care more than he does! Yes, I'm angry, I'm sad, I'm scared, and need some one to talk to. He came in for Mother's Day but all he wants to do is put my parents into an Assisted Living Facility. I told him absolutely not! My mother considers that too much like a nursing home and won't hear of it. She wants to be around her personal things and spend her last days in familiar surroundings. I'm on my own here with no help and I try so hard to stay strong for all of us but it's getting harder by the day seeing my Mom deteriorate. I need to know what to look for or how to tell when the end is near, I need to be able to prepare my Dad. As far as funeral arrangements, they are all made! My Dad and I went in February and picked out their caskets and paid for everything so all I have to do is contact the funeral home when the time comes and they'll take care of the rest. Can anyone tell me anything that might help me? Thanks in advance for any info you might share with me, either by first hand experience or research would be greatly appreciated. You all have a great day.

Welcome to the forum, Pnutt and Venkata.  We ask that new members start a new topic to introduce themselves and their situations, rather than replying to someone else's post.  This is to prevent you from "falling through the cracks" and not being noticed.

Venkata, I am so sorry about your mom's death from liver disease.  It must have been very rough on everyone.

Pnutt, you do need some help or you are going to burn out fast.  If your brother cannot be there, perhaps he could provide for someone to come in a couple of times a week to help out.  Also, if your mom has less than 6 mos. to live, you should speak to her doctor about calling in Hospice.  They will send nurses, even on a 24/7 basis near the end.  Meanwhile, I suggest you read our educational threads, especially the one entitled Comments on Death and Dying.

You will get a lot of support here, so feel free to vent whenever you need to.

Hugs to you both,

Connie

Hi, Cat510, and welcome to the forum.  It would be best for your to start a new topic so that you don't get "lost."  Just hit New Topic instead of Reply and state your dad's problem.  Are you sure it is hep A that he has?  That's the type that is contracted through contaminated food and isn't a chronic condition.  Perhaps you are thinking of hep B or hep C?

His diabetes probably affects the treatment they feel will help him.  Since he's had some cancer treatment but the cancer comes back, the doctors probably feel that he is not a good candidate for further treatment.  You should make sure that he is eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and NO red meat.  No alcohol, of course.  That will help him feel a little better.  A multivitamin and Vit. C daily is also good.

You will find a lot of information and support here, so please visit often.

Hugs,

Connie