I gave up drinking recently (50 days tomorrow). I felt that I was drinking too much too regularly, about 3 bottles of wine a week so double the recommended units on 3 weeks out of 4. I felt like it was occupying my mind too much so decided to go alcohol free. Best decision I've ever made. My anxiety has got better and I feel my quality of life is better and I'm a better calmer Mum.
My husbands side of the family have issues with booze, my FIL, step MIL & step FIL all have fairly serious alcohol dependency.
Today I visited my step mother in law in hospital. It looks like she is in end stage liver failure. I've known her 25 years and I don't think I've ever seen her sober or not hungover.
Seeing what I saw today would really make you think very hard. She was delirious, hallucinating, foaming at the mouth, flinging her arms about, trying to get out of bed, agitated. She is on oxygen, high heart rate, didn't know who we were, didn't know where she lived or with whom. She had to wear big mittens to stop her pulling out her drips, NG tube etc. Truly awful to witness. The doctors told my FIL 2 days ago that if she didn't improve in the next couple of weeks that they would withdraw treatment. I assume then she would go into a coma and die. So I guess it could go either way. I think the toxins have leaked into her brain as her lived is not working so if she did survive would she be brain damaged?
Today her husband (my husband's father) was supposed to be meeting us at the hospital. However, he couldn't come with us to see her as last night he was admitted himself with really bad stomach pains, possible pancreatitis, gall stones or an ulcer. Also a heavy drinker. He has alcoholic neuropathy and now can't walk without frame as he can't feel his legs/feet properly.
I wish I could unsee what I saw today, but at the same time I wish the world could see it. It was enough to put you off drinking for life.
I don't really know why I'm posting this. I feel the need to talk about it but I think that DH is sick of hearing me going on! I'm a talker in a crisis he isn't!
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Alcohol support
End stage liver failure
7 replies
CatherineCawood · 25/03/2018 21:51
OP posts:
whoknows2 ·
09/12/2021 12:27
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