Chronic Liver Disease. Light at the end of the tunnel.

I nearly died a year ago 09/2012 (my last drink). Admitted to hospital with ascites after a two week no food binge following a month in rehab. I'd lost the will to live. Three family members had been diagnosed with cancer and one died. I'd supported and stood by my wife since 1995 with her struggle with alcoholism (she's sober 9 years) only for me to develop the same problem. Heavy business related social drinking over many years led to a bottle a day when my closest brother was diagnosed terminal, early 2009. DT's, extreme sickness, bloody stools, near death seizures etc. Hell Inc. Low in electrolytes and suffering from malnutrition, i was admitted to the critical ward. It was 50/50 for 7 days and then they did the fluid drainage. Heard nurses say i was terminal to student doctors. After 9 days and 6 kilos lighter, they put me on transplant list and sent me home with spirolactone, baclofen, vit b1 and B complex with Adcal and gave me prozac. Said i had definite cirrhosis. Attended group meetings -circle setting, different to AA - but went to AA meetings also. Had a strong will to live. Fruit, veg and healthy food. Little salt. Strangely, fell in love with coffee which i believe helped a lot medically. Looking surprisingly good at december meet with liver spec who now said maybe fightback was on (i had done a bungee jump, water rafting and zip lining. Biopsy end febuary and a miracle saw me being on the cusp of cirrhosis but now down as alcoholic hepatitis or early stage 4. Lot of pain, prayer and determination and sheer power of will involved in recovery and now my LFT's are normal. GGT was 700 2012. Another year off alcohol and told to try to avoid carbs, salt and sugar and he said i could have a normal liver again. My specialist is regarded as one of the best in his field in London. He even joked i could have a drink on a special occasion. No way Jose. i don't even smoke and I now associate alcohol with sadness, death and near death in my case. Pity, as it is ok and enjoyable if taken in moderation socially. For many alcoholics, it's a case of 1 is too many....and 20 is never enough. Never give up. Music, FB, new friends, hobbies and anything positive is great. I swear by LIV -52 and coffee. Drank lots - only fresh - and it really works. I'd say again, never give up. Life will get better. Just fight and....believe !

Thanks for the promotion, Mae, but I'm only a lowly moderator...not administrator. But yes--as a sober alcoholic with 27 yrs. of continuous sobriety, I'm not about to ruin my sobriety by trying "just one drink." I know where that will lead.

Lovelife1, welcome to our forum. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story with us. You join Mr. Ziffle and others here who have "beat" alcoholic liver disease. This gives hope to those who come here (though it's usually the spouses or partners) who are still fighting the battle.

I think you became a coffeeholic via AA, Lovelife1--big coffee drinkers there.

Please come back often.

Hugs,
Connie

Lovelife,

Thanks for the post and inspiration. It is always good to hear and read success stories.

 My Doc's would flip out and I could kiss a future transplant goodbye if I mentioned the possibility of touching alcohol. One casual drink and something happens I'm back to square one, but this time no chance of coming back. I see from time to time of folks post about "slipping" and I'm always a bit taken back by it. The jeopardy is not worth the risk. Particularly for those of us that suffered through the agony of the disease and the close scrutiny of our alcoholism from our doctors.

 I hated my doctors for that scrutiny I was being subjected to. Random alcohol , drug screens and the ever popular 2 sessions a month of therapy (at my cost). All the while keeping up with bi-weekly paracentesis and the lovely stuff that goes with cirrhosis. I look back now and think maybe if some of these doctors had cared as much as mine did, By delving out what seems insurmountable obstacles we'd see more success stories with alcoholic liver disease. You have to reach deep down inside and truly want sobriety and life and sometimes I think a good kick in the pants can be a motivator.

 LL1, Keep up the good work with sobriety and living life to it's fullest.

Ziff 

LL1, thanks for sharing about your wonderful family trip! Another thing that wouldn't have been possible without sobriety. You're right...some people don't want to hear about the new way of life that has opened up for you. But for you, I'm reminded of the song, Feeling Good: "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life....for me. And I'm feelin' gooood."

You never know what is around the next corner.

Hugs,
Connie

Since i stopped drinking, i've done some great things at 50 years of age. A 265ft bungee jump, zip lining and class IV white water rapids in Costa Rica (Dec 2012), skiing with my son, Andorra feb 2013 and went to Thailand (Summer) with my older sister (recovered from breast cancer) to meet our other yonger sister (in remission with ovarian cancer) halfway as she lives in Australia. A real new zest for life resulted from all that. Think how you deal with things depends on your determination,having a PMA and being thankful. Smiling comes naturally i find also. When i was drinking, i felt nervous and insecure at social/business events without my crutch and now i smile and laugh easily. It's great when you smile at someone in a shop etc and they look a bit down and suddenly they smile back. You've lifted their mood. Self pity is not on when recovering, i think as this is negative and you just have to accept we're human and make mistakes and have to live with the fallout and hopefully learn...a lot. Happy days...then !

What a great story! I wanted to echo your words. For me, not nearly as long sober (nearly 9 months) but the change in my life has been unimaginable. New job, great friends, loving life and not missing alcohol in the slightest. I wish I'd never discovered it! Keep up the good work and you'll inspire others like you've inspired me this evening.

Post Edited By Moderator (hep93) : 10/1/2013 9:11:15 PM (GMT-6)