Third Stage Liver Failure

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My aunt Helen is hanging on by a thread. She has third stage liver failure. She has suffered with GERD for several years and has taken several medications for it over the years. The medications stressed her liver and she entered the first stages of liver failure. She was on a waiting list for a liver transplant and she spoke about having the surgery often. When it come down to her position in line she decided against it because she was worried about her body rejecting the liver. So now she has seriously gone down hill. Right now the only thing keeping her alive is the lactose they give her to flush all of the toxins out of her body. It is a sad existence because she is so tired and drained. She has been to the hospital 4 times since October. Last week she got out of the hospital and they put her in a nursing home for rehab. Well she got so sick that she was unresponsive when one of the nurses come into check on her. They sent her to UNC hospital and she was in a coma for 12+ hours before they finally brought her back around. She has come home and is staying with my mama. It is really hard on mama because she has to take care of her. It is really physically straining her. From helping my aunt to different places in the house and then cleaning up her messes it is getting to her and she has not been out of the hospital long herself. I am cooking Christmas dinner this year and I am hoping that everyone will come because I am sure that this will be my aunt Helen's last Christmas. It is very sad but at the same time I feel so badly for her and all that she is going through. The doctors literally told her that if she got tired of living the way she is that all she had to do was stop taking the lactose. Now that is a very frightening message to get from your doctor. They did finally get approved for a Hospice nurse to come in and help out with her on a daily basis and that has taken some of the physical burden off of Mama but she is of course upset on the emotional level. I say it is third stage liver failure but it is probably considered fourth stage by now due to the fact that they have called in hospice. It makes me very sad to see her in this condition. Include my aunt in your prayers if you can.