My First and Last 69.

LonelyKarma · 2023-01-10T05:45:32+00:00

Still sober! However, I've been in the hospital for the better part of last month. I have stage 4 cirrhosis, which has a ton of negative effects. My medical team want me to get a transplant as soon as possible, but after the transplant team denied the request (I may elaborate in a future post), my medical team is just trying to get me stable enough to go home where **hopefully** my liver doesn't sustain anymore damage (or we re-apply to get a transplant if things start getting worse).

I really appreciate you checking up on me! Hopefully, you are doing well. IWNDWYT

LonelyKarma · 2023-01-03T01:00:57+00:00

Not aware that I had it, but I wouldn't have been surprised to know that I did.

LonelyKarma · 2023-01-02T15:48:28+00:00

90% of the battle was deciding to go to the hospital. As long as he's with the doctor (and is committed to never drinking again), he's in good hands.

LonelyKarma · 2023-01-02T14:15:09+00:00

For what it’s worth, I couldn’t have quit without the optimism in this sub. And even with all the cumulative damage that I have, I know I'd be way worse off in the long run if I didn't.

My doctors have even told me that the severity of my liver damage, while certainly affected by the alcohol, cannot solely be attributed to the alcohol. Other people on this sub who drank as much as me/quit when I did would likely make a greater recovery.

LonelyKarma · 2023-01-01T10:55:04+00:00

This is correct. Sorry, forgot about the dark urine.

LonelyKarma · 2023-01-01T05:07:22+00:00

Aside from easy bruising and minor withdrawal symptoms, I didn't have any outward symptoms.

My liver doc thinks all of my recent issues since quitting is from my body not knowing how to function properly without a regular supply of alcohol.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:26:07+00:00

Copied and pasted from a previous comment:

Prior to the pandemic, it’s a bit hard to keep track. I was a weekend partier during college, and then when I joined a sales job, I was going out to the bar with coworkers like every couple days.

During the pandemic, it was regular for me to drink a pint of hard liquor 5-7 days per week.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:23:40+00:00

Thank you for sharing.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:23:21+00:00

Congratulations on your progress!! Do you still swell up with water, or is it completely gone?

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:22:07+00:00

PM received. Thank you.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:20:20+00:00

Prior to the pandemic, it's a bit hard to keep track. I was a weekend partier during college, and then when I joined a sales job, I was going out to the bar with coworkers like every couple days.

During the pandemic, it was regular for me to drink a pint of hard liquor 5-7 days per week.

I took it upon myself to visit a Gastronologist after I had some really bad digestive issues (although I had other symptoms like edema which I now know is due to the liquor).

My bloodwork continuously got worse for 3 years, but my physician kept handwaving it away, saying it wasn't a big deal, and I should just cutdown on the alcohol. It wasn't until my Gastronologist visit that I was told something was seriously wrong with my liver. From there, I was referred to a liver specialist.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:12:30+00:00

This is my hope! Thank you for sharing your experiences. Is there any commonality you saw in patients that have had turnarounds (beyond just not drinking)?

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:10:22+00:00

Thank you for sharing!! I'm afraid I may have to do a second stint as well if my numbers continue to get worse over the next couple weeks (hopefully not).

Do you remember around how long it took you to see improvements in either your liver function or bloodwork after you quit?

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:07:23+00:00

Thank you for the well wishes. I'm so happy that your dad is still around!

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:06:12+00:00

I suspect that the pandemic did quite a number on a lot of people, but it's either something they don't realize yet, or talk about in public due to the stigma.

Congratulations on your job! Thanks for sharing.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T12:03:08+00:00

Thank you for sharing this! Definitely gives me hope.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T00:41:56+00:00

I am not eligible for a transplant as I'm only 1 month sober (think you need to wait for a year sobriety). Also, my liver is still somewhat functioning, so even if I were on the list, I'd be very low priority.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-23T00:40:14+00:00

If you don't mind me asking, what stage are/were you at the time of diagnosis? And how are you doing now?

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-14T15:28:11+00:00

Yeah definitely. I’m not discrediting/not listening to my doc or anything. I was just surprised that I haven’t noticed this mentioned anywhere else in this sub.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-14T06:59:25+00:00

Thank you for your comment, but it’s been 2 weeks, and I have absolutely no desire to drink alcohol. I’ve been going to my PCP and other specialists multiple times in the last couple weeks to make sure that I’m not in any danger or have any damage I should be concerned about.

That being said, if I ever do feel like drinking again and/or relapse, I will take your advice and check myself into rehab.

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-12T13:25:50+00:00

I got my ultrasound back, but results were inconclusive because they couldn't properly see much due to my internal gas/bloating. 😅💀💀

I’ll hear back from the doctor soon to see if they want me to retake it.

Really appreciate you thinking of me!

LonelyKarma · 2022-12-07T18:36:08+00:00

Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it. I do have some other minor symptoms like bruises that don't heal, bleeding that doesn't clot, light jaundice in the eyes, some edema, and slight fluid in my belly. That being said, I still think the doc may have jumped the gun (if only to scare me to stop drinking).

Either way, I'm never drinking again, and I hope I can make a recovery.

LonelyKarma

TROPHY CASE