My father is a recovering alcoholic for the past 18 years, and I had the pleasure of seeing him literally on his deathbed from complete liver failure (eyes, skin and fingernails yellow) and a major bleeding ulcer. The doctors thought he was done and had called my mother to let her know so she could see him before he died. He had been on a "trip" with his buddy so we had to fly down to Texas to see him in a hospital bed. I thought he was dying for sure.
Somehow he made it, cleaned himself up (after a few attempts) and he's been clean for years. My parents are happy again and he's generally healthy at 72 years old.
Go figure.