Hand holding needed please - very ill sister

[shallweshop]

My sister has been in hospital for nearly 3 weeks with what we think is hepatitis. She is extremely jaundiced, has a lot of fluid on her abdomen and legs and her kidneys are not functioning so she has to go on dialysis every other day. The Dr's want to do a liver biopsy but so far, have been unable to carry it out. She can't eat as it just makes her sick so she is being tube fed. I saw her this afternoon and she has a chest infection so is now on antibiotics too. I am so so worried and scared.

Exactly a year ago my dad was in the same hospital with a broken femur and he ended up with pneumonia and didn't make it out alive. I feel sick every time I visit my sister as it brings the too fresh memories flooding back. I lost my mum 7 years ago and my sister and I are the only ones left (have DH and DC, thankfully).

I am trying to think positively but I am terrified I am going to lose her .

am sorry to hear this - it must feel very scary and worrying

have a ((((hug)))))

hope things are better soon

i think you should have a big cry and a warm bath - let it out and start again

ohshallweshop I really hope things turn around for your sister, you must be so very worried. Like Rubyslippers suggest, take good care of yourself and find comfort where you can, a warm bath, a cuddle, a G&T..
Fingers crossed they figure out how to get her better very soon.

((shallweshop)) more hugs, to be taken as needed. What a lot of loss you have had in recent years...no wonder you're beside yourself. You must be re-experiencing all that shock and pain as well as the very real worry of your sister's illness.

Have they not had any clues from blood tests? I presume not viral hepatitis if not, do they suspect autoimmune hepatitis maybe? It sounds scary because of the not knowing, and confusing too

Take good care of yourself, go gently, cuddle your dh and dc and treat yourself as if you were fragile - in other words, get as much mothering for yourself as you can, and come back and get some here whenever you need to xxx

Sorry - 'fragile' as in 'in need of care', not as in 'not strong'

Hi op where is your sister? Is she in a specialist liver unit?

Thanks everyone.

Elibean - no, it's not viral, they do suspect some kind of auto immune problem - she has a v complex medical history.

Norem - she is not in a specialist liver unit, just in a gastro ward a the main hospital but there are both renal and liver specialists looking after her.

Ruby and please - I have had a hot shower and a good cry and now nursing a large glass of wine.

Thanks again.

Update - she is not good , she is so exhausted, getting confused and finds it difficult to talk. I am so scared and upset but I can't cry - don't know how to feel really. Just trying to hold on to the deep down hope that she can get through this and be ok.

so sorry to hear this

just hold on to that hope

A hand to hold. I do hope your sister makes a speedy recovery. It is very frightening to see someone you love very ill.

Thinking of you and praying your sister starts to feel better.

Thank you.

Also thinking of you, and your sister, shallwe.

I totally get the not knowing how to feel, and it does make sense - there is hope, there is fear, there is the shock of serious illness, but I imagine you are waiting all the time (for news, for improvement, etc) which is a very 'frozen' sort of place to be in, like keeping vigil?

I hope you are getting lots of tlc from your family, at least.

Keeping everything crossed that she starts to improve soon, xxx

Thinking of you and your sister. Hope things are improving today.

Thinking of you both what an awful situation for you both . Big hugs xxxxxx

Oh how horrible for you and your sister.

The excess fluid alone will be making her exhausted. It's so hard when things go on and on without a firm diagnosis. Sometimes it does take a while to get a diagnosis - they don't test for everything at the beginning.

Let us know how she is when you get the chance. Take good care of yourself. You'll get through this.

Just a quick update. We had a big scare last week when my sister went into a coma and was admitted to critical care. Luckily they discovered fairly quickly that it was the meds she was on counteracting each other and causing a build up of toxins in her body. She thankfully came out of the coma but is still in critical care and will be for another few days. It is such a rollercoaster!

Sorry to be so crap at updating! I really appreciate your support.

Oh my goodness - how awful.

I hope they get her meds sorted out asap and she makes a good recovery. Take care of yourself too.