jen928

About five years ago, I used to post very regularly on this site....then my mom, amazing sobered up. After a life time of alcoholism she sobered up. She was in liver failure, had ascites, and was near death when she finally accepted a ride by ambulance to the hospital. She was sober for four years. Last summer she started drinking again. She had an "innocent" glass of wine at a women's club meeting. I had thought that she stopped drinking again in the fall of last year but sadly I was mistaken.
She currently lives over 4 hours from my family and myself. We recently got back from a trip visiting her and she looks awful. She is drinking very evening (and I'm pretty sure throughout the day). The whites of her eyes are yellow, she is very wobblely (sp?), has some strange discoloration on her legs and nose (very dark redish/purple color), and I'm afraid that she has started to lose her mind. She does not make sense and has a hard time keeping a conversation. I also noticed as she attempted to read my son a book, she was having a hard time reading a baby book.
I wanted to know if anyone had any information or personal experiences on end stage liver failure. Fortunately, my mom was one of the few people to recover from liver failure and live four sober years. I know her time is numbered and I have given up trying to save her. Just wanted to know if anyone has any information that might be helpful in preparing me for what is to come.....I saw her three weeks ago and then again this past week. She has gotten incredibly worse in just the three weeks I didn't see her.
any posts would be appreciated.

Learn2Live

I do not have any information to share but I want to say I am very sorry about your mom relapsing. (((hugs))) and welcome back.

laurie6781

Here you go, you can start reading:

Google

I am sorry you have to go through this again.

Love and hugs,

jen928

Thanks for welcoming me back but honestly I wish I wasn't back. But when my mom was going through what we thought was the end four years ago, this was the best place for support. The people on this board are absolutely amazing and gave me incredible support and strength. Speaking of, anyone see Jazzman on here anymore?
Laurie, thanks...I've done a lot of reading on it and pretty much hit on all of those websites listed on google. Just wondering if anyone had any personal experiences dealing with someone in end stage. I know I won't be able to convince her to get to her doctor (who had her on diruetics (sp?) and a few other medicines four years ago to help with the fuild and swelling....but she hasn't seen him in the past year and 1/2 bc she started drinking again. So I have no idea what the function level is now in her liver...or if it is even functioning. Her stomach has not started swelling again (four years ago she looked 8 months pregnant) BUT the whites of her eyes are yellow, she is very unsteady on her feet, has trouble concentrating, having a conversation, etc. Just want to get an idea of where she is (health wise) and where we are headed in the near future.

suki44883

So sorry to hear your mom has started drinking again. While we can understand your worry, there's really not much we can do regarding a diagnosis or what she is facing healthwise. That can only be determined by a doctor.

Learn2Live

I know what you mean; I actually thought of this after I hit <Post Reply> and thought to change it but really, I meant it. Because you don't have to come here just when things are bad. You can come here and stay here if you like, through both the bad AND the good.

My dad's stomach is distended like that also. And his ankles and feet are so swollen that he doesn't have shoe laces in his shoes. I don't know what that means in relation to liver disease; I just know it makes me sad.

jen928

not looking for a diagnosis. not looking for anything like that. just wondering what other people's experiences were in regards to end stage liver disease. if you see any of my previous posts (from four years ago) regarding my mom, you will see...i have already been here with her. Just looking for support and to see what other people have been through with end stage.

jen928

You're right I do need to stick around through the good and the bad. I'm sorry to hear about your father. My mom was like that four years ago before she was admitted to the hospital and sobered up. She's not swollen this time but seems even worse then before (mentally).

Jazzman

Hey Jen. I often wondered how you were doing and took your absence as good news because I remember you posting about your Mom getting sober. Sorry to hear she relapsed, my thoughts go out to you.

BS08

Besides being a nurse, I also worked on Liver and Kidney Transplant for a few years and saw this all the time. Once the liver is cirrhosed (basically all fiberous and not working so well anymore), you build up bilirubin in your system, which causes the yellow coloring in the skin and eyes. The confusion it sounds like she has is because of the increasing ammonia levels in her blood, and the distension in the abdomen and legs is because the diseased liver can't make enough albumin anymore (protein that is like a water magnet. If you don't have enough, the fluid starts to leak out of your vessles and into your abd and legs, aka "3rd spacing").

I'm sorry to say, but this is very advanced liver disease, and it will only get worse. Does she have a hepatologist (liver doctor) she goes to?

jen928

thank you for your insight. Actually she doesn't have the swollen abd or legs/ankles/feet/hands this time. She did five years ago when she went to the hospital the first time. But since she sobered up for four years, I'm assuming that she regained a little liver function.
Since she started drinking last year she has gotten skinnier but up until these last two visits I had with her (over the last three weeks), her eyes have begun to get jaundiced again, she has strange bruising on her legs and a strange discoloration on her nose, confusion, she's very wobblely, personality change but no swelling (which I think is strange).
She did have a hepatologist for about three 1/2 years but since she's replased she hasn't gone to see any of her doctors in over a year. She no longer takes any of the meds she was given (ie-her water pills, etc).