I led what I considered a normal lifestyle. I walked my dogs, did some gardening and played with my children. However, I did have quite a stressful career. I regularly visited the pub after work to let off steam, usually drinking two or three pints. I went out most weekends with friends, sometimes drinking five or six pints in a long evening. I never thought myself a particularly heavy drinker.
The first signs of a liver problem were a tender abdomen and a yellowing in my eyes which friends noticed. I was also having problems sleeping and was quite short tempered. I put these symptoms down to stress and never really thought any more about them. So it was a complete shock when one evening I passed blood when visiting the toilet. This was quickly followed by vomiting copious amounts of blood.
I was admitted to hospital and subjected to a battery of tests. I felt deep down that the problem was serious. I was regularly passing blood in my stools and knew that I would not be going home that day. Nobody was telling me too much, other than I was bleeding internally.
The next few weeks were a blank as I was now so ill. My family was told to expect the worst.
The bleeding was coming from varices in my oesophagus that were unable to cope with pressure caused by damage and scarring in my liver. Following a liver biopsy and a CT scan,
things took a turn for the worse. Due to immense blood loss, my heart had to be restarted. I was transferred to a liver intensive therapy unit (LITU). Through their expertise I slowly came out of immediate danger. My varices were glued and banded and, after having a tracheotomy, I was brought out of my induced coma four weeks later. I was eventually discharged three weeks after this.
Although I had to be readmitted to hospital a couple of times for further bleeding, I now have
ongoing treatment as an outpatient and monthly consultant appointments. These involve blood
tests, ultrasound scans and physical examinations. I have an endoscopy every three months to check my varices, which is not a pleasant experience. I also have had regular heart and lung function tests. I take drugs to control my blood pressure, fluid retention, iron levels and bowel movements. I still suffer from poor memory, concentration and balance. I have constant lethargy and insomnia, joint pain most of the time, and my libido is non-existent.
As I have not touched alcohol since I was ill, my liver function is slowly improving. Although I
have been assessed for transplant, this may be unnecessary if I continue my abstinence.
If I had known the effects alcohol was going to have on me I would have been much more careful. These are not only physical. Both my family and I have endured many months of emotional pain. My lifestyle is not great any more. I am restricted in the activities I can take
part in and I find this frustrating.
The key thing I have learned is that your liver does not complain about its condition until you are a long way down the path to cirrhosis and, as in my case, this is often too late.
The NHS was great in fixing my clinical problems, but there is nothing in place to deal with the mental aftermath of the whole experience. This has to be considered. Psychological scars take a long time to heal.