My boyfriend was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2016 and since then he has been diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis. He has had ascites, paracentesis, varicies and ulcers. He has had banding, TIPS procedure, blood transfusions, etc. He has recently had pneumonia, 2 months ago, and now he seems to be showing signs of Hepatic Encephalopathy. I don't know if he is declining in health or if it is normal symptoms of dealing with end stage liver disease (ESLD). He is always exhausted however he can only get 2 hours of sleep at a time. His legs have recently, suddenly, started not working. He has difficulty standing and walking, legs shake and he falls at times. His eyes are so jaundice that they have an orange tint to them now. He has spots in his vision at times or his vision is blurry. His hands and arms shake uncontrollably at times. He goes through bouts of depression and cries for hours, but he said he has had a diagnosis of clinical depression before. He can't do normal things he used to do, for example, washing a couple dishes takes hours because he gets so tired doing them. He has stopped taking his medication, started drinking again and says he is fine. Some days are worse than others and some days he seems perfectly fine. I don't know what to think and the anxiety I have is awful. Any ideas or thoughts?
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Sounds like he has given up (he is drinking again). Is he an alcoholic? I am thinking alcohol may have contributed to the liver disease.
You can’t make anyone do what they don’t want to do. It’s ultimately his decision. Unfortunately he may be at the end of life.
If he chooses not to take his meds (usually given liquid Lactulose which causes diarrhea to help excrete the toxins) then eventually he will lose consciousness when the toxins build up in his blood.
I am sorry you are going through this. If possible take the time to make sure his ppwk is all in order, think about pre paying his funeral & burial and that you are taken care of.
You may find more knowledgeable support on a website more geared toward this specific disease.
https://liverfoundation.org/for-patients/resources/support-groups/
He is killing himself, shouldn't take much longer to accomplish his goal.
What about you. what are you doing for you? Are you protecting yourself from a financial standpoint? Does he have a DPOA and a will?
I wish you the best, take care of you.
When was he last seen by his doctor?
Has he got his paperwork in order? POA, Will etc?