Questions?

November 22, 2009

Does the lactulose eventually stop working? My husband has been in the hospital

for 16 days and is really out of his head most of the time. He had a fall and

that caused a subdural hematoma. They told me that the head injury is not

causing the confusion now, that it is his liver issues. He will have another

paracentesis tomorrow to relieve the ascites. I'm just wondering how much longer

he might have. I gave the permission to put a DNR on him because they say he

has so little liver function left. But I feel really guilty about it, allthough

I know that he would not want to be brought back only to suffer more, or live on

life support.

I know there are many of you who have more experience than I and am wondering

what you can tell me about end stage liver failure.

Thanks,

November 22, 2009

, I am so sorry your husband has reached this stage. My husband had a

paracentesis about 2 weeks before he passed. He came from from the hospital

on Hospice care. His mental acuity continued to decline daily once home.

After the first week, he could no longer eat or take his medications. His

bowel and bladder functions began to stop about 4 days before he died. He

was put into a hospital bed early on a Thursday morning. He knew us that

night and on up into the day on Friday. By Friday night, he was in and out

as far as recognizing us was concerned. By Saturdat morning, he was barely

awake and talking constantly to someone in the room, but not lucidly. He

basically 'went to sleep' about mid-afternoon on Saturday and never regained

consciousness. He breathed his last breath at 1:30 a.m. on the following

Monday morning. He was not in pain and his death was peaceful.

Please know my heart and prayers are with you.

>

> Does the lactulose eventually stop working? My husband has been in the

> hospital for 16 days and is really out of his head most of the time. He had

> a fall and that caused a subdural hematoma. They told me that the head

> injury is not causing the confusion now, that it is his liver issues. He

> will have another paracentesis tomorrow to relieve the ascites. I'm just

> wondering how much longer he might have. I gave the permission to put a DNR

> on him because they say he has so little liver function left. But I feel

> really guilty about it, allthough I know that he would not want to be

> brought back only to suffer more, or live on life support.

> I know there are many of you who have more experience than I and am

> wondering what you can tell me about end stage liver failure.

> Thanks,

>

--

Warm Hugs..........

Di

http://auntdisexperimentallife.blogspot.com

November 22, 2009

, I'm SO very sorry to hear of your husband. I'm assuming they are giving

the Lactulose via enema? I can't tell you anything about ESLD but I can tell you

I understand what it is to be faced with making a decision about a DNR. I had to

make the call for my mother but it was an easy one which sounds cold but I knew

she would not want to be brought back and be worse than she was because she was

miserable to begin with. I did speak to her about it off handedly before the

decision was made and she said that sure if she wouldn't be any worse off

afterwards. Well I knew that was for all intents and purposes impossible. I also

had to think of what it would mean for the entire family if she was in a

vegetative state. Only you can make that final call but I hope you are able to

put aside any feelings of guilt. You have to think of what kind of quality of

life he would have and think of yourself as well. It isn't being selfish to

think of your own self preservation in a situation that might possibly seem

hopeless. My thoughts & heart goes out to both you and your husband...Best

wishes~~~Debbie

>

> Does the lactulose eventually stop working? My husband has been in the

hospital for 16 days and is really out of his head most of the time. He had a

fall and that caused a subdural hematoma. They told me that the head injury is

not causing the confusion now, that it is his liver issues. He will have another

paracentesis tomorrow to relieve the ascites. I'm just wondering how much longer

he might have. I gave the permission to put a DNR on him because they say he

has so little liver function left. But I feel really guilty about it, allthough

I know that he would not want to be brought back only to suffer more, or live on

life support.

> I know there are many of you who have more experience than I and am wondering

what you can tell me about end stage liver failure.

> Thanks,

>

November 22, 2009

I have told you before about my friend who died this week. He did not have

a DNR order, so when they found out that his heart had stopped 15 minutes

after his wife left him to go to a motel to get some rest for the first time

all week, they tried to resuscitate him, I think they said for about 45

minutes or so. Earlier that day, their son, grandson and granddaughter had

come to see him, told him they were going back to Oklahoma. After they

left, my friend talked to her husband, told him she knew he was ready to go

home, what he called heaven, and that she would miss him terribly, but he

had her permission to go. Later, she asked if it was okay if she went to

the motel her family still had one night left on, he asked her to stay for a

little bit. Two hours later, he told her to go get some rest. She stayed

until he was sleeping, just a few minutes and left. As I said 15 minutes

later he died. I told her all the stories I have heard here about people

hanging on because their families beg them too and suffering all that pain,

and also the opposite ones which happened very similar as it did with her

husband. She had been feeling guilty for not being there. But because of

all you guys, I was able to relay to her that leaving then was his

permission to quit fighting. He had been having a continuous heart attack

for 5 days and it was painful. So, thanks everybody for giving me the

knowledge to help her give up the guilt. She told a mutual friend that it

meant a lot to hear that. And, Diane, I was also able to tell her to admit

when she starts falling apart, it isn't a lack of faith, and it isn't wrong,

it just is when you lose someone you love. So, your story is helping

someone else too. Jan H

> , I'm SO very sorry to hear of your husband. I'm assuming they are

> giving the Lactulose via enema? I can't tell you anything about ESLD but I

> can tell you I understand what it is to be faced with making a decision

> about a DNR. I had to make the call for my mother but it was an easy one

> which sounds cold but I knew she would not want to be brought back and be

> worse than she was because she was miserable to begin with. I did speak to

> her about it off handedly before the decision was made and she said that

> sure if she wouldn't be any worse off afterwards. Well I knew that was for

> all intents and purposes impossible. I also had to think of what it would

> mean for the entire family if she was in a vegetative state. Only you can

> make that final call but I hope you are able to put aside any feelings of

> guilt. You have to think of what kind of quality of life he would have and

> think of yourself as well. It isn't being selfish to think of your own self

> preservation in a situation that might possibly seem hopeless. My thoughts &

> heart goes out to both you and your husband...Best wishes~~~Debbie

>

> >

> > Does the lactulose eventually stop working? My husband has been in the