New to forum.

[Estella B]

Hi I am Estella, i have an alcohol problem which is currently manageable though not recovered. I have not stopped drinking completely which I am sure I will be told I should. I have however come back from a state of constant drinking 24/7, hospitalisation, liver damage, depression. I now drink very moderately once or twice a week. Whether this is right or wrong you must agree it is better than where I came from ! I also have issues with food and dieting and have posted on the eating disorders forum too.

[Chance]

Estella

Glad that you are here I hope that you find what you are looking for. I am not one to judge you nor am I going to..I hope that you enjoy your stay here and welcome....YES anything is better than what it was...I am sending good thoughts your way...

Love Vic

[CarolD]

Hello and Welcome to SR!

I am glad you are feeking better. Blessings

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Originally Posted by Estella B

Hi I am Estella, i have an alcohol problem which is currently manageable though not recovered. I have not stopped drinking completely which I am sure I will be told I should. I have however come back from a state of constant drinking 24/7, hospitalisation, liver damage, depression. I now drink very moderately once or twice a week. Whether this is right or wrong you must agree it is better than where I came from ! I also have issues with food and dieting and have posted on the eating disorders forum too.

Hi Estella,

I am in no postition to judge anyone, so don't worry about that from me. Tonight will be my fourth night without a drink, which isn't much but it's a start. Actually, it hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be, but I may be in a honeymoon period.

I was hoping you could share with me what liver damage you had, how it was treated, what the outcome was, and what your current status is (not to get too personal ). I'm going to the specialist tomorrow to see if I have hepatitis or chirosis (the initial exam at a clinic indicated liver disfunction). I'm kind of worried, but in the last few days I've felt better than in a really long time, so I have some confidence that things will be ok if I keep straight. Still, I'm anxious about tomorrow.

I appreciate any info you can give.

Good luck to you and take care.

[Estella B]

Thankyou all for the welcome. To BMUS, good luck tomorrow, how much were you drinking and how long for ? You see I was very lucky not to have too much damage, i never actually had any treatment for it, but I was told a few years ago that the beginning of damage was there.. I was also told a couple of years ago that I am very lucky that there is now 'no damage'. I did give myself all kinds of gastric problems however and had to take medication for that for a while. I have two young children which in retrospect has probably saved my life as I did not drink while pregnant, giving me two 9 month breaks ! I am by no means recovered and do have to be very very careful. Four days is a damned good start, I can remember a time when four hours would have been a struggle ! I sincerely hope you have good news tomorrow ! Let me know how you get on !

[tth]

This is my first night of recovery. One of the reasons I'm quitting is worry over physical damage I have done to my body. This may be a dumb question, but are the long term effects of alcohol on the body reversable? I have been drinking regularly for 15+ years, and sometimes I think it must be too late too physically recover. I too am anxious of going to a doctor, I'm afraid of the bad news that could come. To BMUS, please let me know how it goes for you. You are not alone, I am making the same journey as you.

[Little Missy]

Hi Estella!! Welcome to SR!! Lots of support here, without the judgement!! Great place, I love it!! Stick around and let us get to know you.

I also have 2 children. Was able to stop drinking with one, but not with the other. Thankfully she is ok!!

tth and BMUS, I don't know if the liver can recover. I'm sure someone around here will know. I do know that I had to drink something (after I OD'd) that tasted and smelled like perm solution, to save my liver. Then later when I was still drinking, my toe nails would turn yellow. I don't think that's a good sign either. (hey, I'm only 31!!) But now, liver tests come back fine. Dr. even has me on some meds that can affect the liver. Have blood tests occasionally for that, and all is fine.

Just wanted to share my liver experience!! LOL

Estella, glad you're here!!
Missy

[Zimmer]

Hi Estella,

I am also a newbe to SR and also worried about my health. I have been without a drink for about 17 days now. I tried to only drink a couple of beers a days but was unable to stay to just 2. Also I was feeling more than a little weak that I had to drink at all. Also I was setting the wrong example in front of my kids. Also I smelling like beer when I shouldn't. For me the list of why it was good for me to quit just goes on and on.

This SR site has a group of wonderful people that have all the right information, and can answer all your medical questions.

By posting and replying to post (which is what I usually do) it helps me reinforce the goal I have to stay sober.

Thanks for letting me share, give your kids a hug.

Zimmer

[Estella B]

Hi everyone, I am not a medical expert but I was told I had some liver damage then years later was told I had a 'healthy' liver, so it sounds like it can be reversed. Good luck today BMUS, well done Zimmer and very good luck TTH. xxx

Can anyone tell me please how to receive notification when a topic is replied to at this post ? I edited my CP to try to enable that but it's not happening ???

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Hello all,

Once again, thanks for the support. In the grand scheme of things, today was a very good day for me. I went to the hospital and got checked out. I do have chorisis, but the doctor said if I don't drink it should get better. I also asked if I need medication, to which he said no. Now, this may not mean a lot to you folks in the Western world, but if a Japanese doctor says you don't need medicine, you don't need medicine (they get kick-backs from the drug companies). So for me, I had my last drink--sayonara!!

Oh, and so people can use me as a type of measuring stick, I've been drinking pretty much daily for the past 15-16 years of varying amounts, but always heavy. Within the past several years its been about half a bottle of liquor and 2-3 beers/day.

In the past few days I've already begun to feel much better. To anyone, tth and Zimmer specifically, I strongly suggest going to a doctor to get checked out. Not knowing will only lead to more anxiety (of which I experienced a lot this past 5 days), but you will know exactly what to do and where you stand medically.

Be glad you don't have to go through the Japanese medical system--5 minutes with the doctor, 10 minutes having an ultrasound (it took the nurse a minute to get my joke of "is the baby ok?"), and 4 hours 45 minutes of waiting--and I forgot to bring a book. The hospitals are like geriatric social clubs. There are no appointments and everyone has insurance, so the older people come in with minor complaints, chat with their friends, and clog up the system.

Anyway, I hope everyone takes care. We can do this!!

[Estella B]

Glad things are reasonably okay ! you must feel relieved. I thought our NHS in the UK was bad ! Where are you from originally ? if you don't mind me asking. It will be harder for you I used to drink very heavily and I know my body just couldn't do it, you've made a great start though ! Best wishes !

[BeamMeUpScotty]

Originally Posted by Estella B

Glad things are reasonably okay ! you must feel relieved. I thought our NHS in the UK was bad ! Where are you from originally ? if you don't mind me asking. It will be harder for you I used to drink very heavily and I know my body just couldn't do it, you've made a great start though ! Best wishes !

Hi Estella,

Originally I'm from Pennsylvania on the East side of the US. Since I was 18 I've moved every 2-4 years though. So kinda all over.

I know it'll be hard, but I had an experience with divorce that is making this look relatively easy. I know it's not going to be easy, but I have confidence I can do this.

[Estella B]

I had a pretty nasty divorce myself about 10 years ago. I'm now settled with my partner and our two kids and his dad was an alcoholic so he knows where I'm coming from. Good luck i'm sure you'll do great !