PSA - Cirrhosis is not fun

[Trashcan]

Today is my 2 year anniversary with surviving a complete liver failure. Spent 3 weeks in ICU and had less than a 10% survival with a TIPPS procedure (shunt in the liver). Eventually I will need a transplant. I had no fucking clue my liver was toast.
My point to this blog is we have a shitload of maggots on this board who drink. Get your liver enzymes tested occasionally so you don't end up in my shoes. If the doc says you have a fatty liver and not to worry be very careful because damage can be reversible. Once you have cirrhosis you are fucked.

End Blog

[buttahflake]

what level of consumption are we talking about here?

[Steven S. Dallas]

Congrats on two years! What're you drinking to celebrate?

[Trashcan]

3 drinks a night for 30 plus years. Not that much for the serious drinker...yes I was good at it

[Trashcan]

Congrats on two years! What're you drinking to celebrate?

uhh water, but good one!

[looseofforangejuice]

Good on ya for a PSA like this. Always good to remember that we're not invincible.

And a good reminder that the human brain is bad at anticipating these kind of negative outcomes (small impacts that cumulatively lead to major negative consequences in the distant future)

[Trashcan]

that doesn't sound like much, vibes and best of recovery!

No, bad liver runs in the family tree (Scottish). Just found out after I made it out of coma. Little late on the info but what can you do.

[Tye 1on]

it was a few years ago when i got the fatty liver news, but it came with a 'and you better fkn do something about it', so i did. Weight loss with some dietary changes, turned the numbers around. I'm rusty on the details, but the AST/ALT ratio can tell you if it's from boozing or not. Mine wasn't, but was no less of a priority to get in line...Best luck mate-

[DasBlunt]

I have read that any amount of High fructose Corn Syrup can do the same thing. So, 3 drinks plus some fountain drinks is more than 3 drinks worth on the liver.

[couloirman]

Wow-- sobering wake up call. That really doesn't sound like all that much in the grand scheme of things. Are we talking 3 drinks daily weekdays with heavier weekends? You very well may be saying the exact amount, but most people are terrible at estimating. I read a study about how you can multiply what most people report on their hospital intake forms times 1.5-2 to get a more accurate number but obviously those studies are logistically difficult to do and there are many exceptions to that rule. Not that it really matters, makes me want to drink less anyway.

Thanks for sharing OP, and congrats on your 2 year anniversary!

it was a few years ago when i got the fatty liver news, but it came with a 'and you better fkn do something about it', so i did. Weight loss with some dietary changes, turned the numbers around. I'm rusty on the details, but the AST/ALT ratio can tell you if it's from boozing or not. Mine wasn't, but was no less of a priority to get in line...Best luck mate-

Yeah, usually AST/ALT ratio is over 2 if people are heavy drinkers. GGT is another one they use that is high in a lot of heavy drinkers.

[iceman]

Wow-- sobering wake up call.

Ya think?

[couloirman]

^^^ Oops, no pun intended. It's late here...

[guroo270]

I hope I haven't damaged my liver too much. Being in TN sucks for their stance on weed, which I prefer, and quality is probably about a 6 out of 10 and it's still expensive, so too frequently I hit up the liquor store. A half a 5th is no problem, and a handle in 3 days is not out of the question on a bender.

Went to my buddy's wedding recently and on the morning of his wedding day he had a little chat with me about the previous two nights hanging out saying he's never seen someone be able to down vodka like that. Granted it was a destination wedding with all my bro's and I was going exceptionally hard. I figured that if the guy thought it was important enough to bring up on his wedding day I better listen. Had about a 5th of vodka since then, and that was about 2 months ago. Pretty much done with that shit. I certainly CAN just go out and have a couple, but usually when I have my first one nothing sounds like a better idea than having 10 more, and pretty much no one can tell when I'm plastered.

Thanks for reemphasizing the importance of it. Alcoholism runs in my family (also Scottish), but strangely I can just put it down no problem. Also strange, I don't feel oh so much more healthy or anything as many people experience when they quite something bad for them. Oh well.

[thewon]

saying that 3 drinks a day doesn't sound like much is fucking crazy. crazy. 3 drinks a day, every day is way too much.

glad you're still here, OP.

[DBdude]

Today is my 2 year anniversary with surviving a complete liver failure. Spent 3 weeks in ICU and had less than a 10% survival with a TIPPS procedure (shunt in the liver). Eventually I will need a transplant. I had no fucking clue my liver was toast.
My point to this blog is we have a shitload of maggots on this board who drink. Get your liver enzymes tested occasionally so you don't end up in my shoes. If the doc says you have a fatty liver and not to worry be very careful because damage can be reversible. Once you have cirrhosis you are fucked.

End Blog

pm'd you

[neufox47]

Have a family friend whose been averaging a 750 a day of Canadian Club. Hes a functioning alcoholic. Holds down a high stress job and everything. I recently saw him drink most of a case of Canadian Club handles in a 6 night trip, yep he averaged just under a handle a night. A few of us had drinks from it, but it was at least 90% him. I have no idea how he is alive at 58, but they should have cloned his young healthy liver. His dad was the same way, but he died at 60. Still amazing to make it that long.

[sb]

Happy you are on road to recovery, thx for sharin.

[UncleScam]

OP... looking back, were there any tell tale signs that should have warned you of the oncoming problem that you potentially were nieve about? Like a longer than normal sickness, pain anywhere, sleep issues, diet changes, etc?

[buttahflake]

good questions.
three does not seem like a lot to me, a beer before dinner and two glasses of wine with dinner, is that bad?

Edit: i quit drinking for twenty years between the ages of 22 and 42.
does that buy my liver some extra time?

[guroo270]

"Drink" varies greatly. I'd guess Buttah is just fine, but real drinkers generally consider a highball filled with Jack or Vodka with a few ice cubes in it as a drink.

[liv2ski]

good questions.
three does not seem like a lot to me, a beer before dinner and two glasses of wine with dinner, is that bad?

My doc told me 2 beers or glasses of wine is acceptable, so I guess 3 starts to go over the edge, especially when you have 6-8 drinks on the week end days/night.

[KQ]

Alcohol is a poison to every organ in the body. I used to enjoy a good drink but lately the bloom is off the rose. Seen it ruin many friends lives and kill a few others. Have a GF right now that is teetering on the edge of abuse - she's got every excuse in the world and believes there is no issue but I've seen it all before. She can't fool me but at the same time I can't help her. It's very sad and frustrating.

Take care of yourself OP - my best friend didn't when she got your news and now she's dead.

Alcohol and You: An Interactive Body

[KQ]

My doc told me 2 beers or glasses of wine is acceptable, so I guess 3 starts to go over the edge, especially when you have 6-8 drinks on the week end days/night.

yeah but he's probably talking this and how many people actually stick to these measures?

[Buster Highmen]

My brother is a recovering hard core alcoholic.
My mother is an alcoholic now with dementia.

Both of them were unable to listen to anything from loved ones and my brother, with limited emotive sentience, continues to damage himself and what remains of the family.

Given this experience, I have a hard time believing anyone in a similar situation would take something read on the tough guy TGR chat board seriously.

But if you can, please do, mostly for yourself but also for those, if any, near to you.

Few things can convey with similar viciousness that that you don't really give a shit about anyone else.

Happy hollidaze and may each and every one of you revel in the niches that your friends and family so willingly make for you. There is no greater gift.

[DBdude]

yeah but he's probably talking this and how many people actually stick to these measures?

5 glasses of wine in a bottle - pretty easy to figure out how much you drink

for most people a mixed drink at home is a double - a 750 is 20 drinks

let me add that is how we priced a bottle out at most of the bars I worked at.

there are 26 one once shots and 17 1.5 oz shots in a 750