Please help

[Siouxzie68]

Hey guys I feel a bit I fraud,my wife Suzanne or Siouxzie to you guys has compensated cirrhosis she works a 40 hour week but sometimes comes home slurring her words like she’s drunk, she says she’s wrecked and takes her medication and goes to bed , her scans and bloods are ok for her condition but she’s been told she has ospenia and osteoporosis, am I being a plank and reading too much into the drink thin, she gets mad at me when I question her and tells me to read up on it!!! Please help I’m brett

[AyrshireK]

Is your concern that she is potentially drinking again? Is there any smell of alcohol on her when she returns home and takes herself to bed?

She is working a lot of hours and it might be that she is genuinely exhausted. My hubby had to give up work on his diagnosis of cirrhosis - he too is compensated - he couldn't possibly hold down a job, some days he's so exhausted from night time sleep disruption and chronic fatigue he can't concentrate and struggles with communication. My hubbies condition is not alcohol related. My hubby also has a diagnosis of mild Hepatic Encephalopathy and that can cause issues with concentration and such like too. Do you know if Suzanne has been examined for that? Hubby takes lactulose and rifaximin to treat HE symptoms.

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are both to do with bone density loss - osteoporosis being more severe and often called brittle bone disease. One of the known effects of cirrhosis is that vitamins and minerals don't get processed properly and bone thinning can be due to this. My hubby has osteopenia due to a combination of cirrhosis and the steroids he has to take to keep his liver inflammation in check.

If you don't go along already it might be worth attending medical appointments to support Suzanne and learn more about her condition. As time goes on and if her condition does deteriorate again she will need lots of support.

Katie

[Isabelle2]

Hi

You said her bloods are fine. If she were drinking this should show up in her ggt reading. Also you should be able to smell it.

Like Katie I wonder if she has HE. I had it very badly just before my transplant and even now when I am very tired I slur my words as I have slight permanent brain damage due to HE.

I think it would be a good idea to join Suzanne when she goes for appointments. You’d learn a lot about her diagnosis. Having cirrhosis you can feel like you are walking through treacle, on a daily basis, and I’m sure she’d feel more supported if you tried to find out more. Remember she is holding down a full time job while being quite ill. That doesn’t mean you should become the ‘expert’ and think you know more than she does - that would be so very annoying for her - but learn a bit so you can try to understand.

Please feel free to come on here and ask questions - no question is too basic or too obvious. We all learnt as we went along!

Sending you both best wishes

[mncold]

Hi Brett,

I have heard that liver disease can increase or cause osteoporosis, so this might be one for your wife. I have also heard and noted in my husband that stress can impact his HE - hepatic encephalopathy, which could account for the slurring of words.

Perhaps, as others are suggesting, if you and your wife agree you could attend her doctor appointments with her. None of us likes to be nagged and to one with any illness sometimes even concerned questions come across as nagging.

Best wishes to you both,

Mary

[Siouxzie68]

Hi Siouxzie here, initially I was quite annoyed about my husband for using my personal support group but now we’ve spoken, he attends all my consultations and is a massive support,unfortunately I don’t give him any signs that I am unwell, I work in pharmacy and see people a lot worse than me, I don’t drink anymore and haven’t for nearly three years so maybe it’s time to be honest about how I really feel,my bone density tests are just another weight I don’t need but I’m trying to carry on regardless, I have been tested for hepatotoxic issues and all are clear but I do get extremely tired after work sometimes I don’t finish until 7.30 and I will have started at 8 am, I come home wrecked and go to bed and cry myself to sleep but hey ho I’m the one that did this to myself, I don’t really have anyone to talk to cause I lost my mam and my younger sister to cancer in the last 18 months, this is not an excuse by the way I’d already messed up, I treasure this site as it’s my own way of catching up with people in my situation,so I’ll just say thanks and will now encourage Brett to access this comfort for both our sakes x x x

[AyrshireK in reply to Siouxzie68]

Hi Siouxzie, it is important to work together, Brett was just reaching out too to help you so it's great that you've talked his & your concerns over. You are working hellish long hours for someone who is so poorly so it's no wonder you come in shattered. You now have someone you can talk too - your really supportive hubby.

I attend all hubbies appointments with him and we work through every new worry together.

Glad you can both use the forum for support and so glad you got over last nights issues.

All the very best to you both,

Katie xx

[Siouxzie68]

Thank you Katie x