We begin again

My brothers ammonia level is beginning to drop finally.I talked to him late last night but he still sounds hepatic and drugged.He may be released Thursday from detox.And so we begin again.I don't know what will come our way this time.I know his hep c and endstage has progressed due to his abuse of alcohol.Second go round with HE so I am familiar with the symptoms of that.Esophageal varices have bled and the only symptom he has had is blood in his stools.I fear this worsening.I fear it all but I know some of what to be aware of.Reading posts here,I have gained knowledge on ascites and with his swollen tight abdomen I keep a close watch.

 He will be coming back to stay here and as long as he remains alcohol free,he will have a place to stay with us.I don't know what is next.I have been looking through information but have yet to find any that will inform me what will be the next issue we will have to deal with in regards to his endstage and hep c.I know each individual is different and with that I can only help best I can when each episode,of whatever comes up,heads our way.They are making his follow-up appts. with mental health,his PCP and if they don't I will get an appt with his hepatologist.

 He has been fighting for disability but denied.He has a hearing soon.I have read posts that state "hep c" alone may not win him disability,but with his endstage cirrhosis and his back issues I am hoping he will be approved.And if not,just as with his disease,we will continue to do what we must at each situation when we have to face it.I say "WE" because it is my hope he is ready to participate in his life of living.I already know that this will be no easy task for any of us involved.I am not the one with a fatal diagnosis.I just have to watch my brother die.Still much knowledge to be gained,situations to learn from.Shoot,eating healthy will be good for us all in this household.

Love and Prayers,

ALisa

Thank You for your words of wisdom MamaLama!!

Love and Paryers,

Alisa

 Centerstone has an intensive outpatient program that offers much.Halfway housing I don't know.Buffalo Valley has halfway houses here but not sure if he would have to go through their 28 day program first.I will be talking to his case worker at Skyline upon his release or sooner and I will know more about their instructions for him then.I have not spoken with him in his mental state about any plans yet because I doubt he is comprehending much at this time.I have given thought to this too.A halfway house or even transitional would be a more restricted enviroment but one that is just as easily walked away from too if he chooses to.Thats not to say there are no restrictions here but he may be more apt to open up amongst others in the same boat.I have also found a program at a church that is all men(they have all women too, seperate) that focuses on addiction that is quite different than the(not to put any AA meeting down)paper signing,court ordered AA meetings here.

I know I say hope alot and I can find all the meetings I want but it is up to him to follow thru.It is a wait and see,encourage,help,be optimistic,stand firm,and pray alot task at hand for me.

Love and Prayers,

ALisa

Love and Prayers,

Alisa

Post Edited (amongmany) : 8/1/2012 1:28:51 PM (GMT-6)

Love and Prayers,

Alisa

He liked his group a lot. After a while.  We live in a large town where there are many groups and meetings 7 days a week, morning noon and evening.

He chose a noon group pretty far from our neighborhood and it had several major type of members, each who helped the dynamic work well...I know this because I went at first and met everyone over time.

There were the old timers, sober forever, who came almost as part of their social life. They came most days and encouraged the young folks with stories of their young foolish days and their years of successful sobriety.  A lot of them were men from WW II and the Korean War. 

There were the middle aged folks who were in the process of making a mess of their lives, their families, their careers. 

There were the folks there on court orders of course.

And the young turks I call them...full of themself and sober 10 minutes and likely to fall off the wagon mid afternoon.

Mike became sort of the mascot...the poster boy for why not to drink alcohically.  If you get cirrhosis, you die!  He toddled in there barely able to walk or talk most days. They took care of him like a well loved failing German Shephard. It was kind of sweet.   They were wonderful when he got his transplant, called, send cards, made him a tee shirt and all signed it.

Several with Hep C admitted their diagnosis to him and they sort of had a little sub group...shared information, etc.

For a while Mike was stand offish, but he got into it.   The guys and gals were great to me too. I sat outside 4-6 times a week for 7 months in a row and they all stopped to chat, checked with me to make sure he was doing okay, they worried about him.

In a way, those folks saved his life.  He had his routine, he tried to help with the chairs.  He went early to get his favorite seat (close to the door).

And he was invited to a wedding...an AA wedding.  I wish he had continued with his meetings. But by the time he was feeling well enough to go off alone, he thought he was on top of the AA thing.

We'll see what he does with this next phase of his post transplant life. As we'll see what LJ does!

Mama Lama