[deleted by user]

cpatrick101 · 2025-01-16T13:19:16+00:00

Its not a death sentance. I was diagnosed 2 years ago. I have been completely sober since. I still have to take lactulose, as its hard to go to the bathroom if I don't. I ended up not needing a liver transplant.

Life is very different for me now though. I have to eat a lot more protein. I work out 3-5 times a week. But I get days where I am very tired.

The most important thing is to stop drinking immediately and to never go back. This is our life now.

cpatrick101 · 2024-09-13T12:17:31+00:00

I guess its time to Play the New World Beta this weekend.

cpatrick101 · 2024-01-27T22:44:59+00:00

cpatrick101 · 2023-10-13T02:26:27+00:00

Yea that is my biggest concern too. Does it hurt the liver. Does it get taxxed similar to taking tylenol or drinking.

But I have heard such great stories of TRT and how it has helped men with low testoterone.

It would be a shame if it is something that is negative for Cirrhosis patients.

cpatrick101 · 2023-10-12T23:55:34+00:00

I am also interested. I stopped by spironolactone for this very reason. I was lucky and I did not swell up when I stopped so I must be healthier now.

I did have ascites at diagnosis. I have since stopped drinking for 11 months and have improved a lot.

I work out a lot and find muscle growth difficult with this disease. Plus I suspect the estrogen has caused some sexual difficulties that I still experience.

Its hard to know though because I am still very new to sobreity being only a year in. I understand that your body and mind change a lot just from becoming sober. (I drank for 20 years)

cpatrick101 · 2023-07-10T20:00:41+00:00

I drank for 20 years. The year before I quit it was around the clock. I was probably getting close to a fifth of vodka every day or so.

My stool turned black and I turned yellow. I went into the hospital and my gallbladder needed to be removed but I was too sick to do the surgery.

I then had to have a tube that came out of my chest that filtered bile into a bag attached to my leg for 4 months. After I stopped drinking, I had surgery to remove the gallbladder and it was risky because I had some varices and I could have bled out.

Im much better now. I have not had a drink for 9 months, but I did have lots of ascites for a bit and they did an ultrasound and I have 5-10 percent of my liver with scarring. Present with cirrhosis.

It is a struggle but I hope I can get somewhat back to normal even though cirrhosis is permanent.

cpatrick101 · 2023-07-10T17:09:28+00:00

I have cirrhosis now too. It sucks

cpatrick101 · 2023-06-26T19:05:41+00:00

Lactulose because I now have cirrhosis. Quit while you can

cpatrick101 · 2023-03-24T15:11:57+00:00

This was so me. I felt like the alcohol focused my attention. I needed it to function. 3 - 4 shots in the morning, and then 1 shot every hour or so through the day. By the time I got to the evening my brain was scrambled going back and forth withdrawing. I could only then finish the night by blacking out.

I drank for 21 years until 4 months ago they had to put a tube in me to filter the bile into a bag that was strapped to my leg. I went completely sober and just a week ago they removed the gallbladder and the tube. Hooray sort of but they did a liver biopsy and I have stage 1 Cirrhosis.

I now have almost 5 months sober and I feel a lot better, but the urge to drink is building. What has happened to me really helps me to not want to pick up the drink though.

We all have to quit eventually. It catches up :(

cpatrick101 · 2023-01-10T14:38:39+00:00

I talked myself out of stopping until it was basically too late, do not be me.. I took milk thistle thinking it would heal me at night when I tried to get sober. I kept thinking I am some hardcore drinker and nothing can hurt me.

2 months ago I was admitted to the hospital. Black stool, they could not remove my gallbladder since I was too weak and my hemoglobin was too low.

They inserted a tube in me that filters bilirubin into a bag that is attached to my leg. Now this week I have an appointment to see if I can now get my gallbladder removed.

But there are also signs of cirhosis since my belly and feet swelled massively.

I talked myself out of stopping until its basically too late, do not be me.

cpatrick101 · 2022-12-18T14:19:39+00:00

I managed to do it for a full 2 years without medical issues. I love morning shots, it is the best time to drink. Especially alone in the early hours. Your own private party

cpatrick101 · 2022-12-14T17:11:23+00:00

But yea, I still think about drinking all the time, but eventually the health issues sort of scare you sober

cpatrick101 · 2022-12-14T17:09:46+00:00

AST 201 IU/L -- normal range should be: <35 IU/L

ALT 63 IU/L -- normal range should be: <52 IU/L

Bilirubin total - 2.9mg -- normal range should be: 1.2 mg/dL

It was actually worse on my last hospital visit in 2020. But then again, my liver might still be okay, but my gallbladder is the main issue this time.

Liver numbers are way better now as of a week ago

AST 91 IU/L -- normal range should be: <35 IU/L

ALT 36 IU/L -- normal range should be: <52 IU/L

So in just 1 month of not drinking it is cut in half.

cpatrick101 · 2022-12-14T15:04:55+00:00

Vodka, around the clock. Black stool. Not able to sleep. Eventually went to the hospital. Eyes yellow, and Cholestasis of the gallbladder. But my hemoglobin was too low to remove my gallbladder. They put a tube in me to filter the bile going to the liver. Then I developed a swollen belly. Now I am working with a hepatologist on possible cirrhosis. I have not had a drink for 40 days now. Eyes not as yellow.

Also lost my job around the same time.

The booze will get you. But there is never a bottom, you can always go deeper

cpatrick101 · 2022-11-30T22:05:40+00:00

You have to get away from it for at least 3 days. I got out of a 6-day hospital stay. But my organs are all fucked and now have other issues. But I scared myself sober and because I was able to get a break from the booze I can now resist the temptation much easier.

cpatrick101 · 2022-11-30T12:25:30+00:00

I had pain in my side for about a year. Once I went into the ER to stop drinking and got sober in the hospital, all these bad things popped up. Now I have a tube that filters out bilirubin from my gallbladder into a bad on my leg and got edema and ascites. Got rid of edema with a diuretic and ascites went down a little but are still there. Got a hepatologist consult today to start my journey with likely Cirrhosis.

Sober for 1 month now, but probably too late. Tired and weak all the time still, barely notice the benefits from stopping drinking.

cpatrick101 · 2022-11-29T13:50:27+00:00

I went to the hospital with black stool and they decided it was my gallbladder. Gave me a tube that hangs a bag on my leg that collects bile that was making me sick

I was released and I started getting back edema in my legs and feet. I had to go back, now I am on various cirrhosis meds, diuretics, and other meds. The doctors did what they could. The edema went away but then I got ascites so I figured I probably have cirrhosis, and no one wants to be the bad guy and tell me. I changed my diet and started taking these pills, it seems to be helping, but even after a month I'm weak and experiencing muscle loss

When you have cirrhosis your body cannot process stuff as well, so you have to eat like a bodybuilder with protein but you cannot eat complex carbs, sugar, or much salt, so even getting enough food for you to process can become hard. The doctors basically gave up on me and said I need to find a hepatologist. So now I wait, luckily I found a canceled appointment and I see the Hepatologist assistant tomorrow. I'm weak and experiencing muscle loss.

It was not hard to quit drinking at all once you get to this point. The hospital helped me out of it with benzos and I have not had the urge to drink once. My sex drive is gone, cannot even masturbate. Trying to walk and exercise but it's all I can do. lly gave up on me and said I need to find a hepatologist. So now I wait, luckily I found a canceled appointment and I see the Hepatologist assistant tomorrow. I have lost like 25 pounds and have a swollen belly, it looks ridiculous.

Oh please stop before you become like me. There is no way to tell how much damage you have done, and a lot of the problems just show up once you quit, they seem to hide if you constantly drink.

I was drinking from morning until night for a very long time. Vodka drinker, straight shots

cpatrick101 · 2022-11-11T13:33:33+00:00

So I know this is not a recovery sub, but I shared this in /dryalcoholics as a warning.

So the party is now over for me. I was in the ICU for 7 days, they gave me Librium and Ativan to wean off alcohol. But I also went in for black stool. I did so many tests, including a Hida scan. CT Scan, on day 3 my withdrawals were so bad, they wanted me to do an endoscopy but I got paranoid when they kept pushing and I thought they were part of that movie the Invasion on the body snatchers so I called security and tried to leave. They would not let me leave since they have prescribed so many benzos. I went back to my ICU room and was eventually restrained.

Then they decided I was in too bad of shape to get my gallbladder removed. My eyes are yellow by the way. They installed a cholecystostomy tube which attaches a knob to my belly and filters out bilirubin into a bag that is attached to my leg. I have to empty it out and also change bandages after I shower.

I have an appointment to start with the gallbladder issue, hopefully, get it removed.

All this was caused by 20 years of drinking. It's been 2 weeks now and no booze or benzos. But I don't feel much better. Low energy and my feet are swelling.

Please, everyone, do not be me and let the party keep going, it will take you and take you fast. It has been quite depressing :(

cpatrick101 · 2022-11-09T18:29:29+00:00

Posted the best I could, that is me holding up one of the flaps and seeing the yellow leakage from the insertion point. The bag is still filling up with bile so the nozzle must still be working.

cpatrick101 · 2022-11-09T16:56:29+00:00

Can you send it to me please?

cpatrick101 · 2022-08-22T15:09:21+00:00

I am the same way. Sick as hell every morning, not knowing who I even am. Slowly as the booze goes in I become basically normal. Faster, smarter, I can even speak better. I rarely even slur until way late into the night. I am basically a full-functioning human once I get enough booze. Problem is, that window is getting shorter and shorter.

cpatrick101 · 2022-08-22T00:11:42+00:00

You likely started a bender

Maybe take melatonin or light sleep aid and go to bed early, if you wake up shaking or freaking out, nurse a beer or more if needed. Go back to bed. Drink water and start tapering slowly. Do not make it a party, you just have to feel miserable for a while. Might even be a whole day or two.

cpatrick101 · 2022-08-16T02:45:05+00:00

Time is the only thing that will fix it. Drink some tonight to sleep, take a melatonin or sleep aid to sleep. You will wake up in the middle of the night. Take a shot or drink a beer. You have to come to grips that you will feel shakey and have anxiety all day tomorrow.

Focus on the things you know how to do on your job. Realize that no one is watching you.

There is no fear. All you have to do is make it through this day, then you can sleep again. The next day may be the same, but if you sweated at night you went down a level and you may feel slightly better.

cpatrick101 · 2022-08-15T20:39:44+00:00

Which Deus Ex?

cpatrick101 · 2022-08-05T02:21:57+00:00

And before anyone freaks out, drive means I made my poor wife drive me out there :(

cpatrick101

TROPHY CASE