WRESTLING THE MONSTER
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a devastating condition in which the brain fails to function as a result of the livers inability to filter toxic substances from the blood. Poor concentration, forgetfulness, mood swings and changes in sleep patterns are just some of the affects of HE. Having been diagnosed with end-stage liver disease due to hepatitis C, I know, first hand, the struggles of living with HE. It affected my motor skills to the point that my hands would shake so severely that I could not perform simple tasks like holding eating utensils or hitting the right buttons on my phone. Loss of short and long term memory was arguably the worst part of the experience. There were times that I could not even remember the names of my children. Even today I find it difficult to remember significant events that occurred during the 5 years that I waited for a liver transplant. That may be a blessing in disguise to forget some of the traumatic events of that experience. The emotional, psychological, and physical affects of HE present challenges that are handled in different ways by different people, but in all cases HE reduces one to near helplessness and is a devastating and potentially deadly experience. It was indeed one of the toughest challenges I faced while waiting for a liver transplant. Click on the link above to see stories of some who have battled the "Monster" that is Hepatic encephalopathy.
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