Recap for those that have not read my previous posts - Hubby was diagnosed at the end of Jan2021 with Decompensated Alcohol Related Cirrhosis and Ascites. Hubby also has Hiatus Hernia, Osteopenia, Neuropathy, jaundice in eyes, daily tremors, night sweats, insomnia, high iron, weight loss and so many more alcohol related symptoms.
Dr's have told him that after 30+ years of drinking, that he has to give up now. Prior to lockdown hubby was in the pub drinking and drinking at home, he estimates that he was drinking anything from 8-15 pints a day. When lockdown arrived he stopped going to the pub and was drinking cider and white wine at home, he would consume anything from 13-24 units per day.
I have been helping hubby record what he drinks on a daily basis since then. During the first 8 days hubby drank between 10 and 19 units per day. During Day 9 to Day 15 he drank between 4.4 and 8.8 units per day, but one day he had zero units. We are currently on week 3 and so far this week he has been drinking between 4.4 and 6.6 units per day, which I think is absolutely brilliant.
Hubby's health has really deteriorated over the last 12-24months. Since being told about the Cirrhosis Hubby's Ascites has been getting worse and his tummy has been getting bigger. Hubby has felt uncomfortable and has has pain in his stomach. We have also noticed this week that the Oedema in his legs is back too. We have contacted the specialist for advice about this. The specialist sent hubby for blood tests last week to see if he could prescribe some diuretics. I have seen on hubbys NHS My Medical Record, that the results came back yesterday, but I have no idea what they mean, apart from there are more results in red than green?
Hubby's sleep is still all over the place and he is waking up every hour or so through the night. How ever it has started improving the last two days and although hubby is still waking, he says that he is sleeping in between. Whereas before he felt that he was awake all night long. Hubby still gets the night sweats on his legs mainly.
Due to hubbys extreme weight loss, he was put on some meal replacement drinks by the dietician. Hubby has started to gain weight and since reducing his alcohol in take a bit of his appetite has come back.
Hubby has also commented that his neuropathy is feeling a bit better and he actually got some feeling back in his heels last week. He is still wobbly on his feet but not as bad as he was.
Hubbys mood has been much better too. We have seen him laughing and joking, which we have not seen in a very long time. He also has more get up and go and has got on with little jobs that he had been promising to do for years.
Yesterday hubby had his first telephone appt with our local addiction charity. The guy hubby spoke to is in recovery himself and told hubby that he knows exactly how he is feeling. Hubby chatted to him for about half and hour. They worked out between them a rough weekly plan for hubby to try, to help him cut his drinking to zero over the next 6-8 weeks. He has also invited hubby to some sort of online group. Hubby came off of the phone really positive, he seemed to click with the guy he was chatting to. Hubby asked me to put what the guy had suggested in to a table of some sort on my computer.
Yesterday we went to our support bubble to babysit our grandson. As normal hubby took some cans of cider in the car with us. when we got to our daughters he put them straight in to her fridge. About 30 mins later hubby commented to me "I don't even know why I bought those ciders with me, do you know what, I don't want them so I am going to go and put them back in the car". Hubby then made himself a cup of tea. After that he had a pint of blackcurrant squash, my daughter was quite shocked to see him drinking squash, but told her dad that she was very proud of him and to keep it up.
So we know that we still have a very long road ahead of us, but at the moment things are going well. If hubby can keep this up then hopefully his liver will not get any worse.
Thanks for your continued support. I read hubby your replies and he is really chuffed that total strangers have taken the time to wish him well and offer him advice.
thanks, Lisa
