Wow...Scary Realization
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal CA
Posts: 1,319
Wow...Scary Realization
I really could have died!?!?
So I am sitting at home late this afternoon with the wife and we turned on Dr. G Medical Examiner. If you haven't watched it, it is a show about a real life ME, and the mysteries she solves regarding how people died. She does an autopsy and toxicology tests and stuff, then she tells you how the dead person died.
I come in to the room about 5 minutes into the show, and it shows a guy who is taking his ex wive on a cruise, he hasn't seen her in 5 years, and he is sitting down to dinner with her the night before the cruise. He is drinking one beer with dinner, the ex wive told him he could not get drunk if she was going to accompany on the trip the next day. She tells the ME that she noticed his hands were shaky. They go back to their hotel room where he decides to take a bath, and she finds him dead in the tub 45 minutes later.
They cut to a commercial, and I say to my wife, "I bet he was trying to detox, was having a severe withdrawal and died." Sure as hell they go through the whole autopsy and find nothing, no stroke, he didn't drown. So the ME does some research and finds out the guy has been an alocoholic for years, although his liver didn't show signs of cirrohsis, he was coming off a week or so long binge, he tried to sober up for his ex wife to go on the cruise with her, and when they got the blood tests back he had no alcohol in his system, and he went through a major withdrawal in the tub, and had a cardiac arithmia (sp).
First thing that came to my mind was, boy I am smart I should have been an ME! Then the wife asks me if that was what I was going through when she would see me with a bad case of the shakes on any given Sunday afternoon, and then it hit me. I was having more and more episodes like that on a weekly basis. The last one, which was one of the reasons why I quit for good, was one of the worst ever, and although I really felt like I was going to die, I didn't think it was possible. (It was before I read all the info here of course). I had a physical about 3 months earlier, and all tests results showed me to be super healthy, and believe it or not, the dead alcoholic on the show was also in fairly good health aside from his alcoholism. He died trying to get sober to make his ex wife happy and spend some time with her. Truly a tragic story, but it even scared me (and my wife) more straight than I already was. I truly never thought my withdrawals were putting my life in danger, I thought that only happen to skid row alcoholics who drank every day for 20 years, not to Joe Sixpack who happens to drink heavy 4 or 5 days a week. Well now I know, it really could have killed me faster than I thought possible.
So I am sitting at home late this afternoon with the wife and we turned on Dr. G Medical Examiner. If you haven't watched it, it is a show about a real life ME, and the mysteries she solves regarding how people died. She does an autopsy and toxicology tests and stuff, then she tells you how the dead person died.
I come in to the room about 5 minutes into the show, and it shows a guy who is taking his ex wive on a cruise, he hasn't seen her in 5 years, and he is sitting down to dinner with her the night before the cruise. He is drinking one beer with dinner, the ex wive told him he could not get drunk if she was going to accompany on the trip the next day. She tells the ME that she noticed his hands were shaky. They go back to their hotel room where he decides to take a bath, and she finds him dead in the tub 45 minutes later.
They cut to a commercial, and I say to my wife, "I bet he was trying to detox, was having a severe withdrawal and died." Sure as hell they go through the whole autopsy and find nothing, no stroke, he didn't drown. So the ME does some research and finds out the guy has been an alocoholic for years, although his liver didn't show signs of cirrohsis, he was coming off a week or so long binge, he tried to sober up for his ex wife to go on the cruise with her, and when they got the blood tests back he had no alcohol in his system, and he went through a major withdrawal in the tub, and had a cardiac arithmia (sp).
First thing that came to my mind was, boy I am smart I should have been an ME! Then the wife asks me if that was what I was going through when she would see me with a bad case of the shakes on any given Sunday afternoon, and then it hit me. I was having more and more episodes like that on a weekly basis. The last one, which was one of the reasons why I quit for good, was one of the worst ever, and although I really felt like I was going to die, I didn't think it was possible. (It was before I read all the info here of course). I had a physical about 3 months earlier, and all tests results showed me to be super healthy, and believe it or not, the dead alcoholic on the show was also in fairly good health aside from his alcoholism. He died trying to get sober to make his ex wife happy and spend some time with her. Truly a tragic story, but it even scared me (and my wife) more straight than I already was. I truly never thought my withdrawals were putting my life in danger, I thought that only happen to skid row alcoholics who drank every day for 20 years, not to Joe Sixpack who happens to drink heavy 4 or 5 days a week. Well now I know, it really could have killed me faster than I thought possible.
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
I saw someone almost die during an acute withdrawal episode. It was nothing as quick and merciful as a heart attack--his liver and kidneys shut down, he was hallucinating and in restraints, went into a coma for a week, had 40 quarts of fluid drained from his abdomen, had encephalopathy (dementia caused by liver failure) for weeks....
He survived, but to my knowledge is still working on drinking himself to death.
He survived, but to my knowledge is still working on drinking himself to death.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal CA
Posts: 1,319
I understand the liver failure thing, but I didn't realize how your brain reacts with the electronic impulses when you take alcohol away if it needs it. I never had any idea that after drinking heavy for a week straight that by finally stopping cold turkey that I could actually die. I mean I felt like I was going to die with the shakes and the chills and not being able to breathe, but I just thought it was a progressive hangover at the time. Scary stuff.
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Buffalo NY
Posts: 13
Originally Posted by Supercrew 
...had a cardiac arithmia (sp).
Hepatic encephalopathy is the neurological result of the built up of ammonia in the blood due to the liver's inability to metabolize it. (The word encephalopathy by itself simply means "brain disease"
) The ammonia is toxic to the brain causing dysfunction and seizures. In people it's usually associated with end-stage alcoholism. In animal patients it's more often diagnosed in young animals born with a liver shunt (the blood is shunted away from the liver rather than through). The symptoms are the same though and these young animals die without surgery to correct the shunt.One of the most fascinating things about liver disease to me is that "cirrhosis" is not a disease, but rather a description of an ongoing situation. The liver is very resilient and regenerative, but it doesn't regenerate a nice clean perfect slab of liver. When the liver regenerates it makes little bubble like nodules of healthy tissue. Someone who damages their liver from drinking and then stops will have a liver with a lot of these regenerative nodules stuck all over. (It would have the "lumpy" appearance we associate with cirrhosis, but those would be lumps of healthy normal liver tissue that function appropriately.)
A cirrhotic liver is small, lumpy, and hard from being repeatedly injured without enough time to regenerate. In alcoholism, the liver is permanently damaged when it is overloaded by more ethanol than it can process, attempts regeneration, and is damaged again by repeated ethanol exposure. Cirrhosis is when the liver tried to form a nodule, but that failed so instead of becoming functioning liver tissue, that nodule just turns into useless scar tissue.
Those with early stage liver disease could reverse much of the damage by staying in recovery. The liver is a pretty amazing organ isn't it. If one were to ask me what my favorite organ is, I'd say the liver is second only to the brain. It's like having natures most awesome chemistry set inside your body.
No one asked, but I was feeling medical and expansive. Hope it helped someone.
-e
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SoCal CA
Posts: 1,319
Plus I'm also one of the few that thinks liver tastes great too!!
But seriously thank you for the medical information. I never have had a death wish, and any medical information to strengthen my resolve is always appreciated...even if I don't spell so well!
But seriously thank you for the medical information. I never have had a death wish, and any medical information to strengthen my resolve is always appreciated...even if I don't spell so well!
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
Very informative, kittyDr! And a great thread, too, Supercrew. I've been amazed since becoming sober how little I knew about the damage alcohol does to us. It's not normal dinner conversation, ya know?
I didn't realize that someone in their 20's could have cirrhosis, or that people could die from withdrawal (even though I knew what DT's were). I didn't know that alcohol affected so many organs. Infact, the only "end stage" alcoholic I'd even seen was Nicolas Cage in Leaving LasVegas.
Combine all the health issues with domestic violence, car accidents, accidental injuries/deaths, the effect on work/school/relationships, unplanned pregnancies....... it's such a sad waste of life.
I didn't realize that someone in their 20's could have cirrhosis, or that people could die from withdrawal (even though I knew what DT's were). I didn't know that alcohol affected so many organs. Infact, the only "end stage" alcoholic I'd even seen was Nicolas Cage in Leaving LasVegas.
Combine all the health issues with domestic violence, car accidents, accidental injuries/deaths, the effect on work/school/relationships, unplanned pregnancies....... it's such a sad waste of life.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
SC.....
Time after time you will see us say......
"Please see your doctor about how to de tox
Be both safe and sober"
I am hopeing to see that caution from you too...
Time after time you will see us say......
"Please see your doctor about how to de tox
Be both safe and sober"
I am hopeing to see that caution from you too...
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 42
I tried going cold turkey my first time and after 3 hell days of no sleep
and going thru mild withdrawals I caved in and drank again that
was when I realized I am physically addicted to it.
Needless to say that experience didn't smarten me up, I tried quiting
4 or 5 times cold turkey again and ended up in the emergency room.
One time was so bad that both my arms were shaking and I couldn't
control them any longer thank god they gave me valium, I could have
died too.
I know I know I was real stupid... lol
and going thru mild withdrawals I caved in and drank again that
was when I realized I am physically addicted to it.
Needless to say that experience didn't smarten me up, I tried quiting
4 or 5 times cold turkey again and ended up in the emergency room.
One time was so bad that both my arms were shaking and I couldn't
control them any longer thank god they gave me valium, I could have
died too.
I know I know I was real stupid... lol
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In Today
Posts: 6,101
(((((SC)))))
Thank you for starting this thread.
Here is a bit of 'my story' from another forum on this site:
I did die! So like Carol and others on this site, I always recommend to anyone that is about to detox to please check with their doctor or have someone with them that can take them to the ER if necessary. Detoxing does kill.
I hope this helps a little more to reinforce your resolve to find a way to live sober.
I have found a great life in sobriety as have many others.
Love and hugs,
Thank you for starting this thread.
Here is a bit of 'my story' from another forum on this site:
I had an old ’63 beat up ford, typical ‘alkie car’ with all four corners banged in and a coat hanger for an antenna. I mostly kept it parked at the back of the Hollywood Bowl Park parking lot, under trees. Slept in it the nights I made it back to the car.
On Sunday June 7, 1981, at approximately 4:30pm (I know it was afternoon, I had a cheap $2 digital plastic watch, it said 4:30 and it was light out so knew it was afternoon) as I would take a swig in (oh btw I was a Jack Daniels and/or Wild Turkey drinker for most of my life and was on Thunderbird Wine by this time) it felt like it was coming out of every pore of my body as fast as I put it in. It was then I had no doubts left …………………….. I was dying. I was going to die soon if I kept drinking and I was going to die soon if I tried to stop, but somehow I wanted to die sober.
I put the cap back on the bottle, threw it in the back seat with the rest of the empties and started to cry. I was sitting on the concrete bumper and I did scream out
PLEASE HELP ME
Not my typical alkie prayer of “God get me out of this one and I’ll never do it again” just PLEASE HELP ME.
I can tell you it was a pretty rough night. The next morning I knew something was terribly wrong. I knew there was a hospital called Olive View in Van Nuys, had heard about it from my Wino buddies, but had no idea where it was. I started the car, intent on finding Olive View Hospital. Yes, I found the hospital, there had to be someone guiding that automobile because I had no idea where I was going.
I found out later, by reading my medical chart and by talking to the gal that was at the admissions desk that day, that I walked up to the desk, told the gal I was an alcoholic, said I hadn’t had a drink since the day before and something was drastically wrong. She told me I was green, she was hitting the emergency button under her desk, while she directed me to a chair right across from her desk, maybe a distance of 4 feet. I never made it. I went into seizures on the floor in front of her desk.
Later in reading the medical chart from that day, I found out that when I went into seizures my BAC was .38 and my body was CRAVING MORE. My heart stopped from the seizures. They would get me started again, and after a little while I would start to seizure again. This went on all day. The last time my heart stopped, I was down for 28 minutes and the ER Dr gave up. He called it and was writing the TOD on my chart (24 hours after I stopped drinking) and my heart started on it’s own. I was given a SECOND CHANCE.
On Sunday June 7, 1981, at approximately 4:30pm (I know it was afternoon, I had a cheap $2 digital plastic watch, it said 4:30 and it was light out so knew it was afternoon) as I would take a swig in (oh btw I was a Jack Daniels and/or Wild Turkey drinker for most of my life and was on Thunderbird Wine by this time) it felt like it was coming out of every pore of my body as fast as I put it in. It was then I had no doubts left …………………….. I was dying. I was going to die soon if I kept drinking and I was going to die soon if I tried to stop, but somehow I wanted to die sober.
I put the cap back on the bottle, threw it in the back seat with the rest of the empties and started to cry. I was sitting on the concrete bumper and I did scream out
PLEASE HELP ME
Not my typical alkie prayer of “God get me out of this one and I’ll never do it again” just PLEASE HELP ME.
I can tell you it was a pretty rough night. The next morning I knew something was terribly wrong. I knew there was a hospital called Olive View in Van Nuys, had heard about it from my Wino buddies, but had no idea where it was. I started the car, intent on finding Olive View Hospital. Yes, I found the hospital, there had to be someone guiding that automobile because I had no idea where I was going.
I found out later, by reading my medical chart and by talking to the gal that was at the admissions desk that day, that I walked up to the desk, told the gal I was an alcoholic, said I hadn’t had a drink since the day before and something was drastically wrong. She told me I was green, she was hitting the emergency button under her desk, while she directed me to a chair right across from her desk, maybe a distance of 4 feet. I never made it. I went into seizures on the floor in front of her desk.
Later in reading the medical chart from that day, I found out that when I went into seizures my BAC was .38 and my body was CRAVING MORE. My heart stopped from the seizures. They would get me started again, and after a little while I would start to seizure again. This went on all day. The last time my heart stopped, I was down for 28 minutes and the ER Dr gave up. He called it and was writing the TOD on my chart (24 hours after I stopped drinking) and my heart started on it’s own. I was given a SECOND CHANCE.
I hope this helps a little more to reinforce your resolve to find a way to live sober.
I have found a great life in sobriety as have many others.
Love and hugs,
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,456
Yep. I've sometimes had folks say to me 'the best idea is to see a doctor' is just something we 'have' to say here...
as someone who's still dealing with the legacies from my last detox in 07, believe me, I'm genuine whenever I say it's the responsible thing to do.
Sure, lots of folks do come out fine, but I'd never take the chance of finding out if I'm one of them or not again.
D
as someone who's still dealing with the legacies from my last detox in 07, believe me, I'm genuine whenever I say it's the responsible thing to do.
Sure, lots of folks do come out fine, but I'd never take the chance of finding out if I'm one of them or not again.
D
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Everyone and their dogs knows what smoking does to you but so few people really know what alcohol does to you....I keep saying, the same way that places that sell cigarettes have pictures of wreakes lungs, places that sell booze should have photos of wrecked livers.
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
KittyDr is right--the liver IS an amazing organ. After all that, my friend (whom I later married, briefly) went through, when he was healthy enough to withstand a biopsy, he was found to have EARLY cirrhosis. If he had stopped then, he would have most likely been fine as long as he never drank again and avoided liver-damaging drugs. It isn't like cancer--if you STOP you can stop the progression of the cirrhosis.
All the more reason to quit (safely, of course!).
All the more reason to quit (safely, of course!).
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