End Stages of Liver Disease Questions

I know this forum is for hepatitis but I am hoping that someone can help me with what I am going through with my friend. I hesitate to call him my boyfriend since I am 54 and that just sounds strange. Anyway, we have been together for 3 years and he has been an alcoholic for 30. He has gone through treatment numerous times with little to no success.

 

He is in the hospital, again. He fell this morning and when I found him he had lost a lot of blood and was barely conscious. He has been diagnosed with ESLD but no one knows how it will progress. Obviously, if he stopped drinking it would help. He goes through withdrawal and then starts up a week or so later. He really tries not to drink but it seems the disease has won.

 

His blood doesn't clot well, his amonia levels were 90 today and his body temperature was dangerously low. He is very disoriented at times and has been diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy.

 

I have power of attorney over his health and it has been helpful in dealing with doctors. I am concerned about his ability to live on his own and I am not willing to live with him.

 

He is on lactulose, propanolol, thiamine, folic acid and ativan as needed.  Any thoughts, support or suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

Welcome, arby!

Though it's titled "Hepatitis," we discuss all things liver-related here.

mnmom seems to have covered everything else I was going to say.

If you have any specific questions or just need to vent, we are here.  Most of us are or have been where you're at and understand the fears and frustrations.

God Bless.

welcome arby:) sounds to me like mnmom covered everything and did a great job at it...good luck and im sorry your going through this

Hi, I'm sorry that you are having to go through this.  The same thing happend with my husband back in December of 2005.  He too has been diagnosed with end stage liver disease/cirrhosis.  He too lost several pints of blood and needed several blood transfusions and several hospital stays.  He too is an alcoholic.  I sympathize with you because prior to this situation that we are now in, I hated every moment of being married to my husband because of his alcoholism.  I thought several times about a divorce but something kept telling me to hold onto our marriage.  I'm glad I did.  Even though this year has been pretty rough with medical procedures for bleeding varices, three hospital stays and numerous doctor visits, Robert is doing well.  Alcoholism is a tough battle.  Attend support groups if you can to keep yourself sane, I know it's hard but it helps.  My husband knows where he'll end up if he goes back to drinking.  He has said to me that he has no desire to start up his drinking again. He almost lost his life in December and has learned from that.  He did actually tell me at one point when he got out of the hospital that he didn't think he could stop drinking!  I was ANGRY!  I couldn't believe that he would actually tell me that after what we had all just been though.  I kept praying and continue to pray that he would not take another drink.  I'm proud to say he is now 10 months sober and living and loving life more than ever.  He has his health complications but we're dealing with that as they come up.  Be strong, keep the faith, pray, and seek support for yourself.  Your companion is the only one that can make the right decision for himself.  You make the right decision for yourself!