Husband quite poorly.

[Lils2019]

Hello all,

Just an update, husband still quite poorly.

The hospital are still struggling to stop the bleeding, he is very swollen with fluid, legs, feet, stomach, arms and hands. Totally immobile at the moment and not attempting to get out of bed due to the amount of pain and low BP, which is fluctuating, he is still on oxygen, without it his sats drop quite considerably, and with the amount of fluid and swelling it is extremely difficult for him.

It seems we are going round in circles, he is still having blood transfusions, and plasma, which both contact fluid, so not helping with the swelling and then having water tablets to get rid of the fluid, which doesn’t appear to be having much effect at the moment. Kidneys are also still struggling, his blood count isn’t great, and now they have discovered his red blood cells are been destroyed.

He is on his normal medication, with the exception of a couple of tablets and is refusing the lactulose,however it appears he doesn’t really need this at the moment. He’s not eating much, but says he has no appetite and feels poorly. He was also a little confused yesterday when I saw him, said the Dr’s are scared to make any decisions, that he couldn’t have anything to eat as he was having a transfusion, ( just one unit the Dr had said but he told me it was full transfusion and he was having 8 units, no idea where that came from) and his jugs of water had been there for two days. They hadn’t they are changed twice daily.

The Doctor has said he will be in hospital for a while, as he is unstable at the moment, although looking better than when this particular Doctor saw him at the other hospital, not long after admission.

So I guess it’s a waiting game now, to see how he will respond, this liver journey is horrendous, with so many complications thrown in.

Take care x

[Ewife]

im so sorry for you.....this is stuff of nightmares....I hope you see some improvements soon,keep strong 🤗

Ewife

[Lils2019 in reply to Ewife]

Thank you xx

[Siandhide]

I am so sorry that you are all having to go through this.

I have read your posts and feel like I am looking into my future.

My husband had a bleed 18 months ago, vomiting blood and was really poorly. He spent a week in hospital, where he was detoxed and returned home with no real diagnosis or plan apart from stop drinking alcohol and eat well. I think he dropped off the system, about 6 month after his bleed he had a scan which said that his liver was stable. Unfortunately my husband took this as a I can have one or two drinks and now drinks in excess of 12 large cans of desperado a day. I am seeing the signs that I saw before, apparently I don’t do anything for him either! It’s so hard to watch and not be able to do anything, he won’t listen to me, when he feels ill it is always something else that is causing it never the alcohol.

I wish you and your husband all the best, hope he improves and you have the strength to keep going with it all.

[Lils2019 in reply to Siandhide]

Thank you,

There is only so much we can do and the rest is up to them.

It’s soul destroying, it really is, the conversations I used to have with him about his relationship with alcohol, how unhealthy it was, but he never listened, and it caused arguments. I get the it’s always something else causing the issues, that was always what my husband said, it was never the drink.

Thankfully he had a massive wake up call, bleeding varices twice, and ended up having two blood transfusions, and hasn’t touched any alcohol for 2 years 3 months, but sadly the damage has been done, and is now irreversible, the sad part was all this was preventable had he listened to me, and I always said to him what’s it going to take, something serious and that happened in June 2020.

So for now it’s a waiting game.

I hope your husband can somehow manage to find the strength to give up the drink.

Take care xx

[Cat-B]

oh dear, you poor lady. It sounds like he needs a nasogastric tube to feed him and give him the lactulose. Is he in a liver unit? Please make sure you take time off for yourself , the nurses and doctors will look after hubby, so take this time to recharge your batteries.

[Lils2019 in reply to Cat-B]

Thank you,

Yes he is, they transferred him from the main hospital, over to this one where the liver/gastro ward is, he is seen by team of liver consultants.

I did mention to him yesterday, if he doesn’t start eating they may well consider a tube, and he did fill in the menu with me yesterday for today, so we will see if he eats it.

Take care x

[Cat-B in reply to Lils2019]

I was in hospital for 3 weeks, the food is really bad, especially when you don’t have an appetite, maybe try taking in some small home cooked food, I could only manage a ramekin dish ( the hospital keep giving me a huge plate full, and I couldn’t even get started, I asked for a saucer but that never happened lol) xx

[Rshc]

bless you, its such a worry isn't it. Wishing you all the best.

[Dogbot]

Hi Lils I thought I had complications 🙈I wish you and hubby all the best, I hope the doctors get on top of it soon 💕

[Readlots]

It’s so hard when there is nothing you can do to help. When my Dad was very poorly the only thing he could eat were mini milk ice lollies. Not something he would normally like but they slipped down. Difficult to get them into hospital without melting though. Has he got any fortisip or similar fortified top up nutrition that he can drink? Would cordial/ squash help him drink the water and a straw? Sometimes it’s easier to sip when you’re Ill. As others have said- take time for yourself while he’s being looked after.

[Lils2019]

update:

Bloods from yesterday ( they are taken daily) are much better, and seem to be stabilising, at least for now, and he’s actually feeling a little better and managed to eat half of his dinner today.

He does have the fortisip drinks but says they are very sweet and make him feel sick, so he’s only managing a couple a day, but that’s better than none at all.

Took him some cake in and he ate that too.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes x

They are really appreciated xx

[utep99]

Try to get him to take the Lactulose, it is critical. Try to be 🙏🙏🙏supportive I will pray for him.🙏🙏🙏