End Stages

[palochic]

My father-in-law is suffering from what drs. call non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.  The man has never drank in his life.  They are sending him home today.  He is sleeping 22 out of 24 hrs. a day, has spider veins all over, is itching uncontrollably, is almost orange in color and in a weeks time has gone from being able to walk to a wheelchair.  When we asked the drs. how much longer he has they just shake their heads and say they are not God.  As we are two hours drive from there, my husband would like to be there.  He was diagnosed with cirrhosis a year ago.  This is all happening so fast...much faster than the drs. told us it would.  Can anyone out there who has been through this, please give us some sort of time span...a week, a month what?  Thanks

[kellieb]

I am so sorry to hear about your father in law. I just lost an uncle in June from liver cancer that spread to his esophagus. He was being treated for ulcers and when they finally decided to scope him because he lost his voice, he had cancer that was too far advanced to do anything...he passed 6 weeks after the test. Sorry to depress you more with my problem. The reason I replied is,  on the news the other day the doctors at a hospital I believe was in Boston ( I could be wrong about the location)had done Liver Dialysis on a patient who was in the end stages of a liver disease...it may have been liver failure..but anything is worth a try at this point , right? Is anyone a possible donor match out of the family? You can donate a lobe because a liver regenerates itself. You should look into either one because obviously your father in law has nothing to lose and alot to gain. I wish you and your family the best. Good Luck.

[imkindly]

Hi there
Sorry to hear about your father-inlaw. Here's some questions for you...

Have they told him the cause of his cirrhosis?

Is he considering a liver transplant?

Is he taking LACTULOSE?

Does he have ascites (swollen abdomen)?

Do you know any of his blood test numbers? The ones that you especially need to know are:  Albumin, Bilirubin, PT or INR, and Creatinine.

[beebug]

My mother died of liver cancer 2 years ago.  She contracted liver cancer as a result of Hepatitis C.  The doctors at MD Anderson in Houston told me that they have no way of knowing when a patient with advanced liver disease will die because everybody is different.  My first indication that my mother was going downhill fast is that she lost her appetite, and she did seem to sleep more. She lost about 60 lbs. and was yellow.  That color is because the liver is so diseased that it cannot filter the "bad things" from the body anymore. I wish I had more encouraging words for you. I did a lot of research on the liver when my mother was diagnosed and I learned a lot about her condition on my own. My prayers are with you as you tend to your father in law.