ringing ears loss of weight chirosis of the liver

[Asciana]

My son has chirosis of the liver.  He is 31 and has had Hep C since he was 18.  He drinks heavily and injects meth.
He is losing weight, sleeps a lot, less time on the streets and now complains of ringing in his ears.
He eats less and I hardly ever notice him urinating.  I am his caregiver, his mother.
He will not get better because he also has a mental illness that is untreated...sometimes he sweats in the middle of the night...I do notice yellowing of skin but I do not notice a bloated stomach.
How long can someone like him expect to live?
The blood work-which is all he has ever had-has been of great concern to the doctors, but he is too ill to seek treatment on his own.
Sadly and hopefully asking for help.
Asciana

[Bill1954]

I am familiar with UCD liver clinic as well as some of the medical staff there; it is generally a good facility. I live in El Dorado County, and have taken several patients there for consults.

Welcome to the discussion group; we have many members here that are struggling with Hep C… and are happy to discuss things with you. If you like, you can look at Janis and Friends web site:

http://janis7hepc.com/

Review the section “other HCV information” located in the right hand margin; they have a section on cirrhosis and cirrhosis management that might help you understand his condition a little better.

Others will hopefully chip in with their experiences as well; although it’s a little slow here on weekends.

Take care, and stay in touch—

Bill

[Asciana]

Bill.
Thanks for your heartfelt letter.  He has no doctors.  The ones that diagnosed him last year were very competent from UCD Hospital when he was in ICU there for 10 days.
And recently over Christmas more blood work was disturbing.  I am aware he is not eligible for a transplant nor will he be...just trying to get an idea of what to look for.
Everyone in the family has abandoned him, except me.  He is a wonderful man, but addiction and mental illness have such great stigma attached to them.
I fight this battle alone.  
Thanks for your support.
Asciana

[Bill1954]

I’m terribly sorry to hear about your son and his problems; it must be very difficult to watch him go through this. Unfortunately, and as you probably already know, there’s very little you can do to help someone that isn’t able to help themselves.

As far as longevity is concerned, you’ll have to consult with his doctors. It is very difficult to predict how long someone can live with cirrhotic liver disease even when they have access to full medical records; and impossible to do so without.

He probably won’t be considered for transplant surgery due to his ongoing drug and alcohol problems; it is generally required that the patient demonstrate at least six months of sobriety to qualify for this procedure.

Are his doctors competent and qualified? Is he getting adequate counseling and support from the medical community?

My heart goes out to you and your family—

Bill