Originally Posted by
Aborigine 
My sister just died of Severe Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis. I'm haunted by what I saw. She was jaundiced, bloated with ascites, and bleeding. She was intubated with two tubes pumping blood from her lungs and stomach. There was blood filled in her colonoscopy bag. Blood and foam were seeping from her mouth and she had seven IVs pumping medicine into her.
She went into the hospital when she was having trouble breathing. She was drunk. They found fluid in her lung so admitted her. I guess she went through withdraw and her liver began to fail. She was alert and talkative the first week there then started turning yellow and acting like she was drunk or really drugged up, she could hardly move or speak, it was the amonia levels going to her brain from liver failure. They gave her lactolose, but she didn't come out of it. Her kidneys started to fail so she was transfered to a liver transplant center. They were going to do pre-op work on her and put her high on the list because she was so young, but her blood wouldn't clot because her liver was in total failure.
She died one month after being initially admitted. She deteriorated so fast.
We are all so heartbroken and I was just wondering if anyone else has gone through anything like this.
Dear Aborigine,
Thank you for posting and for sharing so openly with us. Unfortunately, you are not alone in what must be a traumatic experience for you and your family. I was so moved by what you shared that I read your post to my mom and both of us immediately thought of her dear friend who died under very similar circumstances. She passed away in her late 40's. May I ask how old your sister was?
Someone else mentioned that some alcoholics have accidents such as falling down, which results in internal bleeding. About 10 years ago, I lost my friend this way. Apparently, she wasn't feeling very well that weekend and she called me and asked if I could go to the store and bring her some ginger ale. Of course, I agreed to help. As instructed, I left it in a bag outside on her porch. I called her the next day to see how she was feeling and she didn't answer the phone. (At first, I thought nothing of it because she was the type that could go from being very outgoing to very reclusive....)
I continued calling and leaving her messages...Until....
One afternoon, I happened to be home from work and I saw an ambulance outside her townhouse. Eventually, I caught up with my neighbor and I found out that she had died......
She was only 57. I was 29 at the time and she was like a mom to me. At the time, I was crushed....
I didn't actually find out her cause of death until 9 months later.....
I was aware that she had Peripheral Neuropathy, which causes a loss of feeling in the extremities, and apparently, she must have lost her balance and ended up falling and hitting her head on a piece of furniture.....
There was no way I could have handled hearing that at the time, so I can only begin to imagine how devastated you must be given what you witnessed with your beloved sister.
I was told had someone found my friend sooner, she may have lived.....
I hate to be sure about this, but....
I am sure there will be other members of our forum who will share their experiences with you regarding the loss of a loved one due to this awful disease....
My thoughts and prayers are with you....
One final thought:
Given the circumstances regarding your sister and how she passed, perhaps the hospital has or can suggest a Bereavement Program for you and your family to attend?
Please accept my deepest condolences.....
Linda