How long would it take for liver disease to kill my loved one?

alcohol
#1

A worry I had when dad was drinking too much was: what are the signs/symptoms of liver disease(s), and how long would it take for liver disease to kill him? Anyone have personal experience or knowledge here?

#2

My dad recently was hospitalized for liver disease/failure. He was constantly throwing up (a daily constant), no appetite, retaining fluids and generally lethargic. He was hospitalized for four days and was told if he continued to drink he had 3 months to live – given his state when he was admitted I would have given him less than that. He has been a consistent drinker my entire life (31 years) and for the past 2-3 significantly increased his consumption. After the hospital (August), and 3 rounds of them removing 7+ liters of fluid from his abdomen he quit drinking… until this month. Not sure what will come first, another sober spell or death.
I hope you and your dad can benefit from knowing the signs of liver issues!

#4

This is suuuper helpful @Ldyrachl! I’m so sorry you have to go through that, and thank you for passing on the knowledge you learned/are learning.

#3

It depends on what type of liver disease. I hope that if he does have it, he is able to take control of his drinking. My brother (age 56) had a stroke this summer and was told he HAD to stop smoking and drinking but he has done neither. Its extremely difficult for them. I wish you the best.

#6

It depends on how advanced the disease is and what your loved one is doing to care for himself (ex: stop drinking). My boyfriend was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2014, although he kept that hidden from everyone. He didn’t change his life style or habits, and in those two years, nearly died. He vomited a lot, his appitite decreased, bowl movements slowed, lost about 30 lbs, his lost a lot of muscle, severe fatigue, behaviour changes, and jaudice. He was rushed to the ER in October 2016 and was given weeks to months to live. The were able to stabilze him but he needed to be put on the transplant list. I lost track of how much fluid they removed from his stomach, several procedures over 4 months. He needed several of his veins stinted to allow blood flow. He remained sober 5 and half months, a few weeks before his finishing the transplant wait period. He relapsed and didn’t stop drinking. The year and a half that followed were filled with more pain, more fatigue, severe insomnia, another 30 pounds lost, no appetite, bleeding, unbelievable anger, delusions, and worse behaviour issues. He drank until he died in June 2018. So, in his case, it took 4 years for liver disease to take him away from us. It is truly terrible to watch. All I can say is, set boundaries, but use this time to love and forgive.

#5

Thank you @AnthonysMom! Honestly, don’t know much about different kinds of liver disease. Was your brother diagnosed with a certain kind?

#7

Wow, thank you so much for sharing @Gingersnap! I appreciate the insight and information, and want to commend you for staying connected to your boyfriend during what I can only imagine was a very hard & scary time.

It sounds like he may have passed recently - I’m sorry for your loss. I’m glad you’ve joined us here, and hope you find the support you need, too. :two_hearts: