Does anyone kow the life expectancy of someone in the late stages of cirrhosis?
My mom is very ill, she is a chronic alcoholic, and was diagnosed with cirrhosis many years ago.
I need to know if anyone has been through this and knows what I can expect.
She is jaundice, and in the past week has had high levels of amonia in her blood, also, she vomits all the time, can barely keep anything down.
Today she is having her stomach drained again, this will make the 4th time, fluid builds up in her uppper stomanch area, and it makes it very uncomforatable for her. He legs also are very swollen today (ankles) she cannot walk she is so week. She went from weighing 145 pounds to now about 98 in a matter of 3 months. I am afraid that it is too late. She has been admitted to the hospital so much that now the Hospitals now just say that the damage is done, they cannot help her. Last year she was in ICU for a month-please give me any opinions you may have.
2007-05-29 04:09:50 · 7 answers · asked by Tracy L 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Respiratory Diseases
It brings tears to my eyes hearing your story. I know how difficult it is. Unfortunantly from what you say..the damage truly is done and there is little that can be done at this point. The fluid will continue they can put in shunts to aid in draining but it wont solve the problem and the liver wont heal. The best thing is to spend time with her and try to keep her as comfortable as you can. You probably already know the symptoms of the high amonia levels and when to get her for medical help so I wont go into that. God bless you and good luck.
2007-05-29 04:33:47 · answer #1 · answered by xkiss_thisx 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dad has the same thing. I'm sorry you're having to go through this. They told my father he had not much time to live, but he is still moving and drinking, on high dosages of pain meds, has no teeth, jaundice, and is probably under 100 pounds. I'm not so sure there is anything that can be done at this point. Unless there is a way she can stop drinking and be in a hospital for a long time to rehabilitate. Have you seen The Secret? There is a way to regenerate the liver even though doctors say it is impossible....hope.
Best of luck :)
2007-05-29 04:14:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your mother has a 20% chance of living 1 year. She is now shunting fluid around her liver and to her heart via other venous pathways. She is no longer producing the protein that keeps water in blood vessles and there is no way to get this funciton back (ascites) I am sorry but I beleive that your mother has sealed her fate. You should now try to celebrate the time you have with her and show her you love her even though she made very bad decisions. The fluid will accumulate in her lungs and she will pass away. Try to make sure that the suffering is minimal with good pain medication and God bless you in your time of suffering.
2007-05-29 05:23:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am very sorry you and your mom in this situation. A close co-worker of mine went through this a few years ago, so what I know is only based on that experience.
Once a person gets to the stage where they can't keep down food, they are in the terminal phase of the disease, and life expectancy is a matter of months and not years. People typically feel extremely sick and uncomfortable at this point, and it is difficult to provide any relief. Medical treatment to provide comfort might be a higher priority than treatment to prolong life.
2007-05-29 04:38:34 · answer #4 · answered by formerly_bob 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your Mother made a conscience decision to continue drinking even knowing what the outcome would be. Your heart must be broken as well as some form of relief inside of you, knowing she is on her way out. It isn't your fault. Just stay by her side and comfort her until se passes. It is over. I wish I could take the confusion and pain away. She will pass and you will both be free.
2007-05-29 04:17:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi, m sorry for the condition of Ur mom. but i agree with the other doctors. it might be too late. the only option could be liver transplant, but i don't think that it is also feasible in the hep c positive patient. the usual course of this kind of patient is repeated failure requiring hospital admissions. management is conservative. the life span varies, but with active drinking definitely short.
2007-05-29 04:25:51 · answer #6 · answered by egar 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm really very sorry to hear about your mom. I have an alcoholic mother too and its not easy to helplessly watch her kill herself. I do know about HepC and Cirhosis, but I am not a professional and am not comfortable giving my opinion. I understand how heartbreaking it is but you should be talking with her doctor, not the nurses.
All my best to you...
2007-05-29 06:34:06 · answer #7 · answered by WildOne 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋