My wife has been in the hospital for a week now .....................

[spurraider21]

not a fan of your trolling but i wish the best for you and yours

[Franklin]

Play some hardcore computer games (like GTA) and you will be fine. Playing such games like GTA will make you feel like being an asshole and enjoy it, tbh.

[baseline bum]

I know it's a difficult thing for a family member to bear, but I absolutely believe that having a loved one at the bedside as many hours of the day as possible hastens any patients recovery. Even in a coma, it really helps, I've seen it many times. Do you have someone you can work in "shifts" at her bedside? Getting yourself on a schedule would really help you to have more meaningful time for yourself and with her. It's hard for me to advise some kind of escape for you because she really needs you, but I know you know that. It sounds like there's a long road ahead, but you guys have already come a long way; all you can really do is stay calm, take deep breaths and adapt.

This. Having friends and family around is huge.

[RandomGuy]

for liver disease due to extended use of tylenol. It has damaged her liver, but she is out of ICU now and according to her doctors she is improving a little at a time, yet she is not dying, but she will be there for a while.
She had ammonia es which cause her to be there, but not be there, if you know what I mean. Ammonia levels are usually in the 30s but hers were in the 90s plus her CO2 levels were high too.
I am just wondering if any oand bashing, owningf you had experiences like this. Or if anyone can recommend some coping mechanisms.
The ones I've been doing have not worked, such as TV, the Spurs games, this site and bashing, owning, and bantering with the trolls on here. That is just not doing it for me.
Any intelligent suggestions?
Thanks.

Hope she is ok, and wish you both well.

What do you need a "coping" mechanism for? Boredom? Purpose?

I have found a great deal of purpose in my kids, and kids in general. Helping and teaching and playing with the really little ones. It is fun, and very fulfilling.

[The Reckoning]

Quit wasting so much energy here. Turn off the computer, smoke a joint, put on you and your wife's favorite music, and just sit and groove with her.

we need a date night if that's how you relax

[Joseph Kony]

Probably your karma for being such a massive got on ST tbh

hope she gets well, it's not her fault you're such a poster

[boutons_deux]

Between 2001 and 2010, more than 1,500 people in the U.S. died from accidental acetaminophen overdoses, ProPublica reports. This number, said the news outlet, citing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Association of Poison Control Centers, is far higher than any other over-the-counter pain reliever.

Acetaminophen overdose sends as many as 78,000 Americans to the emergency room annually and results in 33,000 hospitalizations a year, federal data shows.

Acetaminophen is also the nation’s leading cause of acute liver failure, according to data from an ongoing study funded by the National Ins utes for Health.

Most experts and health officials agree that when taken as recommended, Tylenol and other medications containing acetaminophen are relatively risk-free.

However, as the new report points out, taking twice or sometimes even just a little bit more than the daily recommended dose of 4 grams of Tylenol over the course of a few days can result in severe illness and even death.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_3976991.html

Compare this FDA-approved, OTC generic drug acetaminophen maiming and deaths with Schedule I marijuana maiming and deaths.

[Thebesteva]

Need Besteva's expertise imho, dude is a doctor.

At this point, her liver is probably damaged but the liver is the one organ that heals itself fully when it's allowed to, so she can go back to normal. Doctors probably found her liver enzymes (ALT, Alk. Phos) elevated which indicates liver damage. The liver is one of the hardiest organs we have, it fixes itself if you allow it. Unlike the kidney or brain, once your nephrons or nerves die off that's it, they cannot regenerate themselves.

At this point, I truly believe in a holistic approach, I would strongly suggest looking into a 3 day detox once she heals from all this. There are some very solid detox diets, it can clean out all the damage from NSAID's and Tylenol, etc. Lastly, I have seen Milk thistle do wonders, the research much like research for all great things is inconclusive. However, I have seen horrific liver damage be healed with milk thistle.

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/renew...2#.U4pBy_ldXP0

It's a relatively inexpensive product as well.

[xmas1997]

She is still in the hopital and doing better. Her ammonia levels have gone from 76 yesterday down to 55 today and her CO2 level has stabilized.
But naturally she is still exhausted every time she gets up to use the restroom and when she talks.
The GE is working very closely now with her pain management doctor to prevent it happening again.
She has been lucid the past few days too.
Thanks to everyone who have expressed concern and info.

[baseline bum]

She is still in the hopital and doing better. Her ammonia levels have gone from 76 yesterday down to 55 today and her CO2 level has stabilized.
But naturally she is still exhausted every time she gets up to use the restroom and when she talks.
The GE is working very closely now with her pain management doctor to prevent it happening again.
She has been lucid the past few days too.
Thanks to everyone who have expressed concern and info.

Have no idea what those numbers mean, but good to hear she has been doing well the last few days.

[xmas1997]

Have no idea what those numbers mean, but good to hear she has been doing well the last few days.

Thanks, the GE (gastroenterologist) said normal is an ammonia level in the 30s. Ammonia es generally happen when you are in the 80s or higher.
Hers were in the 90s last Saturday.

[mrsmaalox]

At this point, her liver is probably damaged but the liver is the one organ that heals itself fully when it's allowed to, so she can go back to normal. Doctors probably found her liver enzymes (ALT, Alk. Phos) elevated which indicates liver damage. The liver is one of the hardiest organs we have, it fixes itself if you allow it. Unlike the kidney or brain, once your nephrons or nerves die off that's it, they cannot regenerate themselves.

At this point, I truly believe in a holistic approach, I would strongly suggest looking into a 3 day detox once she heals from all this. There are some very solid detox diets, it can clean out all the damage from NSAID's and Tylenol, etc. Lastly, I have seen Milk thistle do wonders, the research much like research for all great things is inconclusive. However, I have seen horrific liver damage be healed with milk thistle.

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/renew...2#.U4pBy_ldXP0

It's a relatively inexpensive product as well.

A healthy liver can repair itself, a diseased/damaged one cannot. And once it is diseased or damaged it can never "go back to normal". From xmas info, my take is that the doctors did not just find an elevation of liver enzymes but significant liver damage. People walk around normally with elevated liver enzymes all the time, and in a healthy liver milkthistle can be helpful for regeneration and prevention of further damage. I am a true believer that holistics can be effective (my personal physician practices integrative medicine that combines traditional, alternative and holistic methods) but I have to say that in my approx. 20 year career in ICU medicine the only successful treatment for "horrific liver damage" that I have ever seen is liver transplant. I think we may have differing definitions of "horrific".

[Thebesteva]

A healthy liver can repair itself, a diseased/damaged one cannot. And once it is diseased or damaged it can never "go back to normal". From xmas info, my take is that the doctors did not just find an elevation of liver enzymes but significant liver damage. People walk around normally with elevated liver enzymes all the time, and in a healthy liver milkthistle can be helpful for regeneration and prevention of further damage. I am a true believer that holistics can be effective (my personal physician practices integrative medicine that combines traditional, alternative and holistic methods) but I have to say that in my approx. 20 year career in ICU medicine the only successful treatment for "horrific liver damage" that I have ever seen is liver transplant. I think we may have differing definitions of "horrific".

I didnt read the entire thread, but OP didn't mention horrific liver damage, did he? He mentioned liver damage and ammonia levels being elevated. From my experience, liver failure is an entirely different topic than liver damage. As you mentioned, many walk around with elevated liver enzymes, a few weeks of drinking hard can cause that, or over supplementing your diet.

However, I worked with a juicer who had a similar situation, liver damage due to elevated use of anabolic steroids + incorrect post cycle therapy + drinking + cocaine + tylenol use. We saw significant recovery when he just got off everything for 6 months, adjusted his diet, and also took milk thistle.

Again, I am not sure if OP's girl has severe liver damage, but it would take quite a lot of tylenol to achieve that.

[xmas1997]

I didnt read the entire thread, but OP didn't mention horrific liver damage, did he? He mentioned liver damage and ammonia levels being elevated. From my experience, liver failure is an entirely different topic than liver damage. As you mentioned, many walk around with elevated liver enzymes, a few weeks of drinking hard can cause that, or over supplementing your diet.

However, I worked with a juicer who had a similar situation, liver damage due to elevated use of anabolic steroids + incorrect post cycle therapy + drinking + cocaine + tylenol use. We saw significant recovery when he just got off everything for 6 months, adjusted his diet, and also took milk thistle.

Again, I am not sure if OP's girl has severe liver damage, but it would take quite a lot of tylenol to achieve that.

I do not think it is severe from talks with the GE. She said that once my wife is off the pain meds, that they have a new pill that works for Hep C that she will begin taking that does not have the adverse side effects of interferon. She believes that her liver will get better.

[mrsmaalox]

I didnt read the entire thread, but OP didn't mention horrific liver damage, did he? He mentioned liver damage and ammonia levels being elevated. From my experience, liver failure is an entirely different topic than liver damage. As you mentioned, many walk around with elevated liver enzymes, a few weeks of drinking hard can cause that, or over supplementing your diet.

However, I worked with a juicer who had a similar situation, liver damage due to elevated use of anabolic steroids + incorrect post cycle therapy + drinking + cocaine + tylenol use. We saw significant recovery when he just got off everything for 6 months, adjusted his diet, and also took milk thistle.

Again, I am not sure if OP's girl has severe liver damage, but it would take quite a lot of tylenol to achieve that.

No Op did not mention "horrific", you did. What he describes is liver disease not just elevated liver enzymes. Liver disease and liver failure both result in liver damage. He also mentioned that it is a result of quite a lot of Tylenol.

[Thebesteva]

No Op did not mention "horrific", you did. What he describes is liver disease not just elevated liver enzymes. Liver disease and liver failure both result in liver damage. He also mentioned that it is a result of quite a lot of Tylenol.

Regardless, the suggestion still stands. At this point, the holistic approach is best.

[mrsmaalox]

Regardless, the suggestion still stands. At this point, the holistic approach is best.

I'm not taking issue with holistics in general or even xmas' wife's case, I think she probably has enough liver function to carry on well once she gets thru this crisis. My issue really was with your statement that holistics (milkthistle) can reverse "horrific" liver damage. It's just not possible.

[Thebesteva]

I'm not taking issue with holistics in general or even xmas' wife's case, I think she probably has enough liver function to carry on well once she gets thru this crisis. My issue really was with your statement that holistics (milkthistle) can reverse "horrific" liver damage. It's just not possible.

It depends on your definition of horrific. What do you think of the word horrific?

[mrsmaalox]

It depends on your definition of horrific. What do you think of the word horrific?

That's what I said in my first comment to you. But to me, horrific in regards to livers, does not mean just elevated liver enzymes.

But now I'm perplexed about this liver damage because he initially said Tylenol was the cause, but he just mentioned the new hep c medication (which a friend of mine is on: $84,000 for 12 week therapy ) and I don't know of any hepa is med that can fix Tylenol damage----those are 2 different conditions and types of damage.

[Thebesteva]

That's what I said in my first comment to you. But to me, horrific in regards to livers, does not mean just elevated liver enzymes.

But now I'm perplexed about this liver damage because he initially said Tylenol was the cause, but he just mentioned the new hep c medication (which a friend of mine is on: $84,000 for 12 week therapy ) and I don't know of any hepa is med that can fix Tylenol damage----those are 2 different conditions and types of damage.

Agreed, I'm confident OP's girlfriend has doctors doing their work on her. I hope all works out for him, keep us updated

[Asshole]

If the support groups are indeed religiously based (which I am 90% sure are not...) they can provide you with a referral to a group that is not.

My family has some similar stuff going on with my family, my mom has been in and out of the hospital for the last two years for God

So what the the reasoning you are 90% sure of the support groups? And you send your fearing loving mom to these psychopaths?

Please refer me to your other fear based support so I can become human.

[xmas1997]

I believe in God, I am a Catholic Christian after all. And I've also done my stint as an atheist, agnostic, etc, at various times in my life, but I've learned a thing or two and know what I know.
My point is that I believe that God helps those who help themselves, thus I prefer not to always go begging for help over every thing under the sun. If it is her, or my, time, then there is nothing I can do about that.
So I don't want to go to some religious based support group. They usually have the same old fanatical motivations for doing things and being an intelligent person, that does not appeal to me.
To each his/her own.
But I do greatly thank and appreciate your prayers because I am sure they help.

[xmas1997]

I just want to say thank you to all of you who posted well wishes and prayers.
She is home again and much much better, her ammonia level is down to 29 today which is probably better than most of us to be honest.
I word of caution. It came to light that she had not had a bowel movement in over 5 days before this all occurred. The liver expels the ammonia build up through , so make sure you at least once a day or this could also happen to you even if your liver is in great shape. The combination of not ting for awhile and the tylenol had this effect on her, the ammonia es and all.
Thankfully her liver was not damaged or she would not have recovered so quickly, she was only hospitalized for 10 days, but things could have gotten worse.
Just make sure all of you make a sculpture every day.
Thank all of you again, I do sincerely appreciate everything and all the great ideas put forth, as well as foregoing the trolling for a bit and acting like decent human beings. I won't forget those who held back, nor will I forget those who were and are assholes.

[johnsmith]

nor will I forget those who were and are assholes.

Lol...scary stuff

[xmas1997]

Lol...scary stuff

You know what I mean.
And thank you for your well wishes too.
Very classy of you tbh.