He drowned on his own blood
- My father had cirrhosis. He never seemed like a drunk, and even held down a big job. But on his down time could drink through two or three bottles of red wine. He lied to us all about his diagnosis, saying he was fine, preferring instead to drink. Of course this caught up with him. The liver produces the coagulants that stop you from bleeding. When your liver starts failing, you start bleeding. In your stomach, from your mouth, through your ears, nose everywhere. My little sisters and I watched my 53-year-old father drown on his own blood over a 3 week period in hospital while, despite being classified as being in a 'stage 4 coma' was still aware enough to scream my name once and communicate through blinking that he needed pain killers. He was on the transplant list but it was too late. Trapped in your own body, drowning on your own blood is the future that awaits you. And kids that will always remember you didn't love them enough to even try and live.
- —mizmoo76
Advice?
- My husband is an alcoholic, he has alcoholic liver disease. He has been told he has maximum of 5 years to live. He won't quit. He has yellow eyes, recently developed a swollen stomach, sleeps every two hours for 2-4 hours at a time. he is on lactulose, is very angry and nasty towards our children, then nice as pie. No one will tell me how long this will go on, why this is going on or how bad this will get, what to expect? Can anyone help?
- —Guest wifeof drinker
Heavy Binge Drinker
- I have been drinking bourbon specifically Wild Turkey 101 since I was 18. It started off as a mixed drink (with Mountain Dew) while just relaxing after work. I am now 28 and since then my alcohol consumption has significantly increased. On average, I drink a pint 3-4 days a week starting around 6-7 pm. I'm not depressed, per my family my relationships aren't in jeopardy. I am just worried about my health. My close friends tell me I am a "functional alcoholic." Whatever that means. Anyway, when I stop drinking by the 2nd night around dinner time I am a bit irritable, my lower back hurts, extremely tired. Around bedtime, I get headache, nightsweats and I can't sleep. I have never woken up wanting a drink, but rather mad at myself for drinking. I am fighting a war with myself. Should I be worried about my liver with the amount of alcohol I have consumed over the years? How do doctors decided how much damage has been done?
- —Guest Angies
Time to get help?
- I'm 25 years old and I'm from Norway and in the last 5 years I"ve spent roughly $100,000 on partying. My big problem is that I do not get hangovers. Because I do not get hangovers I can go on benders 3 to 4 nights in a row each week. Now my memory is failing, my joints are painful, I've lost my flexibility, I get massive stomach aches after I've been drinking and I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired.
- —Guest 25 and a drinker
Atrial Fibrillation and recovery
- I am 37, and I believe I have atrial fibrillation, though it has yet to be diagnosed. I am entering a new phase of my recovery, and that is getting my "health in order." I highly recommend it for anyone entering sobriety! Getting a regular doctor, a primary care physican who can get to know you over the years is the best idea, as health care begins to take a staggering dive with all the budget cuts and "non-authorized" treatments and medications. Having a "stem to stern" physical is a great place to start. Your physician can tell you what risks you have in your life for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, to name a few. From there, you can link up to a specialist four any of your specific medical needs. So join me and step into spring with a new health care network!
- —Guest Ashes2ashes
Emotional disorders, diabetes
- I believe I did a lot of damage to myself in two areas. You can not put vast amounts of alcohol and drugs in your system without grave emotional disorders. It does say in step 2 that God could restore us to sanity, but there are some scars. Although dealt with in steps 4, 5, 8 and 9 which can still leave one feeling not 100% at times. But the longer I stay sober these are few and far between. When I get flashbacks I give them to God, I tell him how I feel. What do we say, Let Go and Let God and it will pass. I had a member say once when you get a flashback enjoy it, it will pass. My other problem is diabetes 2, I am on 4 insulin injections a day. Had I have taken better care other than drinking and drugging in the earlier part of my life, the diabetes would never have eventuated. But in all I beleive with amount of damage I did with the Grog I am in pretty good shape,I thank God constantly for his amazing forgiveness and the simple things,air food clothes family My AA meetings and Jesus.
- —Guest Peter
Physical symptoms and frightened
- To: guest 44 mom. I can totally relate. It's like reading my own story. I'm now 8 days without alcohol. (I was up to a bottle wine most nights) Withdrawal so far hasn't been bad. But, around day 5/6 I started having physical symptoms of pancreatitis? I had mild bladder irritation, peeing more frequently. I am so frightened. It's now day 8 and some of the symptoms have subsided. I still have bloating after I eat and mild upper abdominal pain under my lower left rib cage. My blood pressure is normal, I have no fever. I'm drinking lots of water and taking vitamins and praying to God that I get another chance and that what ever I have done to myself I can recover from. I too am too frightened to go to docs. I'm in my 40's and know that is something is found it will effect life insurance and countless other things. I had full blood work done18 months ago as everything was normal (except for slightly raised blood sugars) could I have done irreversible damage since then?
- —lindbus
Hanging on by a Thread
- I am a 29 year old girl with 10 months sober. I decided it was time to get clean and sober after I had my a 1/3 of my liver removed at 17 and had pancreatitis 3 times. The last time I had pancreatitis I was 24 and it is the most painful thing I had ever gone through. Usually when you have alcohol induced panreatits you are given morphine so I was then addicted to morphine I was given to take home. This almost gave me two addictions I couldn't shake! I knew it was time to stop. It took me two more years to finally do it.
- —Guest Kimberly
Wish I could go back in time.
- I am 44 year old Mom and I stopped drinking one week ago. I didn't really feel sick until after I quit. In the last week I have felt nauseous, diarrhea, and lower back pain. I progressively drank wine and was up to one full bottle, 6 days per week at the worst. I never considered myself an alcoholic but I realize now that I am. I never drank during the day , always late at night. Always maintained a full time job. I need to go have blood tests done but I am afraid of the results. I pray that the worst I have is a fatty liver than can be reversed. I vow I will never drink again, I am praying to God for a second chance with my life. I have had hardships in my life but that is no excuse for turning to alcohol. I feel remorseful and wish more than anything I could go back in time about 10 years. Please pray for me.
- —Guest 44 Mom
Here I go again
- I have been a heavy drinker since I was a teenager now I am 35. I really can't remember much of my life because of being drunk every day. All my relationships have ended because of heavy drinking last year my wife threw me out of the house just one month after buying my first home. I needed help so I moved back to my home state leaving my daughter behind. I found AA and went every night for four months, I then thought I had control of my drinking but the progression was instant and here I am again with this problem, my ex wife and child plays on my mind all the time making me feel I need a drink to stop thinking about what has happened to my life. I don't wont to stop drinking though I know it is the only answer to save my life. I feel for anybody with a drinking problem because I know what it is like.
- —Guest random
It will kill you sooner or later
- Two years sober after 55 years of drinking and dying. Health is awful, but so far I'm sober. Don't wait. Call your doctor. Go to rehab . Whatever it takes.
- —almostdied
Of course......
- Yes, my health has been affected by my alcohol consumption. How horrible to have sweats, shakiness, nausea, can't sleep at night when not drinking, fear of seizures.
- —lillykro
I am recovering
- I have been an alcoholic since i was 13. I am 42. It's true what they say that it is a progressive disease. The disease of alcoholism continued to grow inside of me. What started out as social drinking and partying turned into such an evil dark entity in my life. I believe in A.A. I have been sober 4 months. At the end of my drinking I was so sick. I had to be hospitalized 5 times for alcohol withdrawal. The symptoms were shaking , vomiting , sweating, severe anxiety and hallucinating. It's so crazy every time i would get my health restored in the hospital I would get out and do it again. I lost everything that I held dear to my heart because of my drinking. I lost my kids , my family my friends my job, and was homeless. Alcohol is the only drug that the withdrawals from it can kill you, your heart can stop. Finally seeing my 14 year old son cry broke me down . I got the Vivitrol shot and threw my life into A.A. Vivitrol puts a block on the brain, so alcohol has no intoxicating effect.
- —Guest grace
Saying Goodbye
- I have seen first hand the health effects of excessive alcohol consumption. My dad passed away at the age of 60 from acute kidney and liver failure as a result of cirrhosis. I witnessed the seizures, the withdrawal shakes, swelling ankles and stomach, jaundice, confusion, coma and death. These images will forever be instilled in me. My dad was a loving and wonderful individual. Being an alcoholic doesn't make you a bad person. You just haven't been able to overcome whatever may be ailing you.
- —Guest summer1985
A Second chance
- I started drinking at 14. My first drink was at home with my mother and her boyfriend. My first black out was at 15 and that's how I lost my virginity by my first "boy friend" who was supposedly drunk too, funny though how he wasn't found underneath the table and was sober enough to wash and clothe me before my girlfriend's mother came home. I have a vague recollection of it. But i can remember hearing my own voice saying it hurt and waking up the next morning knowing something had been terribly done. My drinking continued on from there. At 19 I was kidnapped for 5 hours and sexually assaulted by another boyfriend. My drinking became even worse to the point where I could no longer remember when the last day was that I was sober. I started doing drugs. I quit jobs, got fired from jobs for being at work drunk, and the list goes on. I could finish not one bottle but 2 or 3 bottles all by myself in one night. I'm 23 now and have been sober from alcohol and drugs for 5 days now. My life is worth living.
- —Guest Miss Deboe
