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My mom has liver failure how long? Hospice current

How long do I have? Anyone been through this? My mothers eyes & skin are yellow. The hospital has turned her over to hospice. She is at her home with my aunt and myself. Her feet & legs are swollen. Two nights ago she was alert & talking, tonight she cannot focus her eyes on a person to hold a conversation. She speech is slurred. She goes in & out of rambling. She insists on getting up and going into the living room & to go the bathroom with help. She does have our help because she is un steady and weak. Hospice has placed her on morphine at a low dose. She was in pain with hydrocodine.. Her belly is about 2-3 times in size. She still is eating & drinking even though it is very little. Sometimes she does go the bathroom & other times she doesn't when she insists on going the bathroom. Any other signs for me too look for? Her breaths are about 1 to my 3. She is not in a coma at this time. How much longer do I have?
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Avatar universal
So very sorry to hear about your mother's condition. I know this must be very hard on you.  I don't think anyone can answer your question as to how long she has.  What we can do is provide you with some understanding of what's going on.
     I don't know what you have been told but what you describe in your post sounds like she has ESLD (End Stage Liver Dsease)  or decompensated cirrhosis.  The swollen belly is a sign of ascites.  The swollen legs and feet are signs of edema. The rambling, inability to focus, and wanting to go to the bathroom and then doesn't is a sign of hepatic encephalopathy.  As Dee and Mike have posted, this can be treated with lactulose and Xifaxin.
   I know first hand of all of these symptoms because my husband had ESLD before he received a liver transplant.  
    If you don't mind me asking, how old is your mother? Would you mind posting some information on how she came to be in this condition? You mention the hospital sent her home under hospice care?  Is/Was she under a hepatologist's care?  

I know how difficult this is for her and I pray that she will have some quality time with you and her sister  in her remaining days.

A big hug,
Nan
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317787 tn?1473358451
Thank you Mike
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Avatar universal
The drug is Xifaxan which is sold as "Rifaximin"
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317787 tn?1473358451
Hi I am so very sorry for what you are going through.  The blessing is you are there for your Mom
I think the above poster is right, Hospice can usually give you information as they go through this a lot.

I don't know if is allowed but is she on anything like lactulose or an antibiotic to help her liver flush the toxins?  The antibiotic starts with an R, I just can't remember right now.

I am so very sorry
Take care
D
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Avatar universal
It's impossible to tell. Death comes when any of the vital organs is unable to anymore perform the bare minimum of it's functions needed to sustain life. A vital organ can also stop functioning because many other things that support it aren't working correctly. You don't mention her age, which is a major factor in everything body related, but it would still be impossible to tell.
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1340994 tn?1374193977
I'm sorry you are going through this.  Hospice is your expert here.  They are very experienced and are there to help you prepare for this upsetting time.  
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