Hi all I haven't posted in a while I've been in denial, thinking well it will ever happen to me, well it has. I always thought I had a bad liver and theres not a day by when I'm not diagnosing my self with Terry's nails palms erythema, spider angiomas etc.... well to cut a long story short a few weeks ago I was under investigation fro. The police for totally false claims so suspended from my job in the NHS. during the 2.5 weeks of hell while they did there investigation I was so stressed so drank alot I mean alot. Well 7 days ago I noticed the bags underneath my eyes looked like they were filled with water. The next day my whole face had swollen puffy looking. Then 5 days ago became really out of breath and then I noticed bulging flanks and a distended abdomen we all know what's next ascites. So people my question to you great people does this mean I'm now de-compensated? And will this only get worse even if I dont drink? I know you cannot give medical advice on here but alot of you have been through this. I've been a heavy drinker for over 20 years but do through phases of a dryness. I keep thing if only. Hindsights a great thing. Oh along with my face swelling up both my hands did also. No oedema in lower areas just hands. To help drain my eyes I've propped the end of my bed up with books so sleeping on an angle that seems to of helped and this morning belly feels flatter or it could be that I'm still in bed. Dose ascites change through out the day? Oh I haven't been to the gp yet, but have 23 years of working in critical care so I'm pretty sure. I've done the percussion test. The shifting dullness etc... and it all points to ascites. The reason I haven't been i guess is that again I'm scared and in denial again. Plus I dont want to tell my mum shes been through enough this year I'm hoping it will go away. Could it? My muscle mass has gone down and my weight up by 2kg so that's about 2L of fluid. Again I know about the medical advice thing, but could it?
Thank you for reading this and take care. nick x
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Nick, you need a thorough medical exam, bloods and further tests. All we can do is advise this, you are obviously concerned about it and the only people who can do anything for you are medics. We can only say "it sounds like this or that!".
Hi Katie. I work in theatres as an anaesthetic tec and regularly take my bloods. Last one my ALT130 ggt 111 inr normal . So that shows some inflammation and heavy alcohol use, but you absolutely right propper docs need to review them not me else I just spend all night on doctor Google driving myself crazy. Thanks for the advice take care nick x
As has already been suggested, you really do need a medical opinion/ assessment.
You can call the nurse led helpline on 0800 652 7330 Mon-Fri 10am-3pm if you would like to speak with one of the nurse specialists.
Nick, ive been through most of the horrible things that this disease can throw at you and inam still here to tell the tail. You know Google is bad and trust me it does you no good looking and just makes you paranoid as hell. The in denial bit i can relate 100%, i left it so long i collapsed and ended up in a and e and then a 6 week stint in hospital, won't bore you with the details but read my profile. Regarding decomponsated that was me 3 years ago, yellow with a bilirubin level of nearly 500. After 3 years im 'fit" and looking good, apart from the cake belly and a bilirubin level of 20!, im also compensated. So decomponsated is not the end, however if you continue you to drink it may well be, messa to fix itge me if you need anything,even just a pair of ears to listen but go the docs, the sooner you know what's wrong to sooner you can start to fix it
Thank you so much mate I just might do that. God you've been through the mill. Your 100%right about google in fact I was on then looking at Terry's nails ffs! I need to stop. Like wise chris, thank you for the support take care buddy spk soon
your liver is in a very bad way and i would advise to stop drinking now and never drink again, beleive me! ascites which i would say it is from experience leads to so many more things. yea you get it drained but then comes the variceal bleeding which is the worst thing, blood coming out of both ends, so get it banded that’s if you servive,on my second bleed, which can and did happen evan after a day of drink! so don’t i nearly did, was cut down in a y shape to band the variceal bleed and in a coma.
you still with me ? next HCC scans.....
and along the way muscle wasting, osteoporosis, hernia, in out in out hospitals it goes on and so can i. i’m lucky to be alive, my consultant is amazed, but then it’s living with liver cirrhosis which in its self is awfull. so back to the beginning don’t drink again, how ever you do it. see a doctor soon as and see where your at, just listen cos i didn’t. good luck x
Thank you for the good advice. The day I noticed the ascites I stopped haven't touched a drop since and actually feel brilliant despite the shit going on in my life. I'm currently suspended from work pending an investigation which could take months and ultimately I could lose my job that I've done for 23 years so I'm very stressed and worried as that's all I know, but dispite this I haven't turned to the bottle for help. Ii was going down your route fast I tripped over in Brighton 3 months ago and broke my shoulder and humerus due to osteoporosis so I know where your coming from. Since stopping drinking I've noticed the swelling in my stomach has gone down loads and I'm able to go to toilet now as before was near on impossible (soz to much info!) But sure everyone can relate to that! You are so lucky from what you've been through dont take this the wrong way but its stories like yours and others that frighten the hell out me and encourages me to keep away from that poison. Thank you for the really good advice and support. Thanks again I'll keep everyone posted on my progress in life. Take care of yourself as I will.
your welcome and sounds like your on the right track as in booze, i’m glad your not making your job situation an excuse for drinking,i mean why make more problems. i didn’t tell you most of it but what i did is enough to put you off that was my intention 😬i didn’t understand anything about the damage i was causing at the time and “ you will die” didn’t sink in.
i’d still go docs just to see, but hopefully ok,As for your work, you know the saying it will be alright in the end. Well it ain’t the end yet!
and by the way the only thing that relieved my constipation was a bottle of wine or 4🤷🏻♀️ain’t good. x
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