37 yo male, diagnosed with End Stage Liver Disease. Cirrhosis and hepatic cellular disease secondary to the cirrhosis. My labs according to my Dr are usually close to perfect, yet my ammonia level does fluctuate up and down. I am on Lactolose (sp?) I was a heavy drinker, and went in to renal and hepatic shut down. I was told that my liver looked like someone rubbed it with glass sand paper. I quit drinking over 500 days ago, but what worries me is that in most cases of cirrhosis the liver shrinks, but mine is swollen causing me severe upper right quadrant pain. I am on a Fent patch and dilaudid as needed. I do not have hepatitis yet all the Dr's think I do cause the liver is so big, however I do not have hepatitis according to the blood results. With that all said, my GI dr wants me to look into getting a liver transplant, but I am more worried that the transplant will kill me faster then treating my liver nicely at this point, no more drinking, and try to eat a healthy diet, though thats been hard for me to do. I read somewhere that the average persons prognosis with severe cirrhosis has about 5 years of life left unless I get the transplant. Does that sound right? If so does that really mean I only have about 2 years left before full failure? If the liver can regen itself, rather then a transplant couldnt they go in and cut away the severely parts of the liver and allow it to regen on its own? Any and all thoughts welcome as I dont know anything more then what I typed here? Oh and 2.5 years ago when I was at my worst I had become severely jandice, could not eat and my ammonia levels were WAY WAY over 100, I think 179 was the highest. Thanks in advance again for any thoughts. Oh yeah and I had my gall bladder removed do to heavy sludge in it.