Hello everyone
I am not an alcoholic, I am the wife one. So I hope you dont mind me posting here, I am usually on the f&f section, I almost feel like a bit of an intruder
but I just felt compelled to tell you what is going on in my life right now...
My AH is 37 years old. He was diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis 2 weeks ago. He is also in renal failure. They discharged him from the hospital today because he stabelized and there is nothing more they can do except give him medication. He does have an appointment with a great hepatologist next week so we are looking forward to that in the hope he can get some relief.
Because he is an alcoholic he wont even be considered to get on the transplant list until he has been sober for 6 months, but his prognosis is poor, so we are just praying he can survive long enough to get on the list and get a transplant.
I look at him now, a shadow of the man he used to be....he is completely jaundiced, he has lost so much weight, the skin just hangs off his arms but his belly and feet are all bloated and huge, he can barely walk. He has all sores in his mouth so he can barely eat. his friends tried to help him up the stairs to the apartment and he had to stop because he was in so much pain and crying. It just broke my heart to see him that way.
The truly sad part is he was told years ago to stop drinking as his liver was showing problems from drinking even in his 20s. 6 years ago a doctor specifically told him that he WOULD get cirrhosis if he carried on drinking because he had fatty liver syndrome then.
He did not listen. I dont think he believed it would happen. I cannot believe this is happening. This is the most heartbreaking and horrific disease - I just know if he cud see 6 years ago what he sees now, he would have stopped. His biggest fear is that he wont get to see our little girls 4th birthday - or any other birthday.
But I know we cant turn back the clock and I feel so helpless.
Thats why I wanted to write this in the hope that anyone showing signs of liver problems might heed my husbands story and maybe it would help just one person even...
Im sorry guys, this isnt a lecture I just hate the thought of anybody else going through this if they can stop it progressing. I know its not easy, I cant imagine what it must be like, I try to understand this horrible disease called alcoholism. I always try to keep in my mind that my AH is a person, a loving and kind human being beyond the alcohol.
Thank you so much for listening.
I wish you all strength and courage for wherever you are on your journey of sobriety, whether you have yet to start the journey or you are far down the road already.
