Shirt423

Hi,

I haven't posted in a while but it seems I can't get away from alcoholism. I come here mainly because my bf is alcoholic, but recently my concerns are focused more on my 32 year old cousin.

He was hospitalized about a month ago after extrememly heavy drinking and perscription drug use over the past 10 years. My family knew he had a problem but did not know of the extent. He would hide his binges and not drink too much in front of us. He has alcoholic induced hepatitis, which led to liver failure, and after 3 weeks his kidneys started to fail. I went to visit him about a week and 1/2 ago and I never saw anyone so yellow. I have seen jaundiced people before, but he was literally the color of mustard. It is very scary to see the end stages of alcoholism in someone so young.

He was discharged from the hospital and sent to a rehab facility in FL, the only one willing to take him with his medical condition. He only lasted there 2 days before they took him to the hospital where he is now. We were just informed they will be moving him to hospice care, as he will not be able to survive long enough to get the liver transplant. At this point we hope he can somehow come back to PA before he dies so that he does not die alone in FL.

I hate this disease. I know we focus on how hurt we are by it, how to live regardless of what they do, and how terrible the alcoholic and their behavior is - but this is a deadly disease that can and will kill an otherwise healthy person at age 32. It is sickening to me. I thank god every night that I was not a male born into my family, as every one of them has addiction problems. Had I been a boy, I would probably be causing someone on this forum to post.

Thanks for listening.