Mom in ICU
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Too far up North
Posts: 284
Mom in ICU
I made an account a couple of years ago and made only one post, so I didn't really "join" in the way that I feel I need to now.
I guess there are many types of alcoholics. The kind I am is that I can go many days without drinking and I sometimes only have 1-3, but there are many many times where I binge. It is impulsive. Either a "special occasion" comes up or I just feel like getting super drunk. In a sense I decide when I'm going to drink more than a moderate amount, but once I make that decision I have no "off" button and will keep on keeping on until I sometimes have to spend the entire next day in bed with a raging hangover. I know that's not normal. But the fact that I go days without drinking and that I am careful about when I binge, has made it easy for me to deny that I am an alcoholic. But I've been doing this since I was a teenager and I am now 33. I'm so sick of it.
Well now to my mom. My mom is currently in ICU. It is her liver. She has been sick for a long time and wouldn't go get medical attention no matter how hard my dad has been trying. About a year ago my mom fainted at my house. Since then her health has slowly been going down hill.They were here last week (we live states away) and I almost felt like calling an ambulance because I wanted her to go to the medical center and she wouldn't go. She said "no", had an appointment set up with the doctor back home for Wed (after they flew back). Well she was not herself. She was very lethargic and did not move around much. She barely ate. Her eyes were yellow, she was jaundiced. I knew it was her liver but didn't say it. I am sure that she knew too, and that is why she would not get help. She was embarrassed. I know that she began cutting back after she fainted and has possibly even quit My dad either is in serious denial about how much vodka she had been drinking for years, or she really hid it well from him. I don't know how because I know and I have confronted her about it multiple times in the past. She is a closet alcoholic though and has always been really sneaky about it.
Anyway, she went to the appointment on Wed and the doctor tried to get her to go to the hospital (they live an hour away from the nearest hospital). I do not know why he didn't push it. She was obviously in really bad condition. She said that she would go on Fri. He took some blood and set it up for her to go on Fri. Well she went to bed early on Thurs night and my dad said that by Fri morning she had gone down hill fast. So they went to the hospital immediately. After going to the hospital her condition was so bad that they put her in an ambulance to a larger hospital a couple of hours away. I did not hear anything from my dad on Saturday. My grandmom called and told me that my mom was in ICU and had pneumonia. Yesterday morning my dad finally called. I asked if it was her liver and he told me that it was and that she also has pneumonia and fluid in her lungs. He was crying. My dad is not a crier. He told me that she is not doing good. He told me that he doesn't want me to be shocked if things take a turn for the worse. Then after they saw the gastroenterologist he called me back and said that things were not as bad as they had seemed and he was hopeful. I just spoke to my dad a little bit ago and things are still improving. Thank God! I spoke to my mom and she sounded loopy but she laughed a little. They are going to pump the fluid out of her lungs this morning and hopefully that will help as well.
Obviously this scares the s*** out of me.
I have never wanted to quit drinking as much as I do now.
I guess there are many types of alcoholics. The kind I am is that I can go many days without drinking and I sometimes only have 1-3, but there are many many times where I binge. It is impulsive. Either a "special occasion" comes up or I just feel like getting super drunk. In a sense I decide when I'm going to drink more than a moderate amount, but once I make that decision I have no "off" button and will keep on keeping on until I sometimes have to spend the entire next day in bed with a raging hangover. I know that's not normal. But the fact that I go days without drinking and that I am careful about when I binge, has made it easy for me to deny that I am an alcoholic. But I've been doing this since I was a teenager and I am now 33. I'm so sick of it.
Well now to my mom. My mom is currently in ICU. It is her liver. She has been sick for a long time and wouldn't go get medical attention no matter how hard my dad has been trying. About a year ago my mom fainted at my house. Since then her health has slowly been going down hill.They were here last week (we live states away) and I almost felt like calling an ambulance because I wanted her to go to the medical center and she wouldn't go. She said "no", had an appointment set up with the doctor back home for Wed (after they flew back). Well she was not herself. She was very lethargic and did not move around much. She barely ate. Her eyes were yellow, she was jaundiced. I knew it was her liver but didn't say it. I am sure that she knew too, and that is why she would not get help. She was embarrassed. I know that she began cutting back after she fainted and has possibly even quit My dad either is in serious denial about how much vodka she had been drinking for years, or she really hid it well from him. I don't know how because I know and I have confronted her about it multiple times in the past. She is a closet alcoholic though and has always been really sneaky about it.
Anyway, she went to the appointment on Wed and the doctor tried to get her to go to the hospital (they live an hour away from the nearest hospital). I do not know why he didn't push it. She was obviously in really bad condition. She said that she would go on Fri. He took some blood and set it up for her to go on Fri. Well she went to bed early on Thurs night and my dad said that by Fri morning she had gone down hill fast. So they went to the hospital immediately. After going to the hospital her condition was so bad that they put her in an ambulance to a larger hospital a couple of hours away. I did not hear anything from my dad on Saturday. My grandmom called and told me that my mom was in ICU and had pneumonia. Yesterday morning my dad finally called. I asked if it was her liver and he told me that it was and that she also has pneumonia and fluid in her lungs. He was crying. My dad is not a crier. He told me that she is not doing good. He told me that he doesn't want me to be shocked if things take a turn for the worse. Then after they saw the gastroenterologist he called me back and said that things were not as bad as they had seemed and he was hopeful. I just spoke to my dad a little bit ago and things are still improving. Thank God! I spoke to my mom and she sounded loopy but she laughed a little. They are going to pump the fluid out of her lungs this morning and hopefully that will help as well.
Obviously this scares the s*** out of me.
I have never wanted to quit drinking as much as I do now.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Very sorry to hear about your Mother, although it sounds not all hope is lost - my thoughts are with you and her. Be strong for her.
You mention that you have never wanted to quit as much as you do now...is that your plan or still just a thought? Now would be an excellent time to seek help to do so.
You mention that you have never wanted to quit as much as you do now...is that your plan or still just a thought? Now would be an excellent time to seek help to do so.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ma
Posts: 3,553
Welcome back to SR.
Sorry to hear that you,your mom and dad are going through this.
Sounds like your mom was very scared to find out what was wrong,but, had and isea that drinking was the cause.
Sometimes things like this happening can really wake us up from our own issues with alcohol.
I wish your family all the best and I hope your mom recovers and will live out her life alcohol free.
Sorry to hear that you,your mom and dad are going through this.
Sounds like your mom was very scared to find out what was wrong,but, had and isea that drinking was the cause.
Sometimes things like this happening can really wake us up from our own issues with alcohol.
I wish your family all the best and I hope your mom recovers and will live out her life alcohol free.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Too far up North
Posts: 284
Thanks everyone. She was in hospital two weeks, is out now. She's probably going to need a liver transplant. They say it wasn't caused by alcoholism. Either way, I'm sure it played a role. I'm relieved that she is ok for now.
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