Cirrhosis Support Group

I'm glad to say that even my ex-wife who left me cos of my drinking has never thrown it back in my face and has been totally supportive. The rest of my family have been awesome - I'm a lucky guy!! :-)

Craig

Sometimes I think its a ethnic thing but I know there's more than just Cubans being stupid out there. Ignorance comes in all languages.

The problem with most people is that we are ignorant until we have to understand. Let me explain- five years ago if you asked me what liver disease was I probably would have stared at you blankly and said.. I'm not sure. But now I understand. Most people don't bother learning about things until they need to.

Our family members don't always "want" to let us forget because this may be their idea of keeping us true to ourselves. To keep us from falling back into a previous time that was bad for our overall health.

OR maybe they are just being insensitive with an "I TOLD YOU SO" .. (which would be more in my family's line- lol)

Funny thing about life (goes back to the old saying).. You live and you learn ... and when life hands you things that are irreversible, you definitely learn.

Give me an AMEN, Sister!!! That's so true about ignorance, they say it's bliss. I remember being blissfully ignorant. Now I learn more at every turn.

I have NEVER said a remark that hubby's drinking destroyed his liver. He is not in denial about alcohol consumption doing this to him. I don't say it,he knows. Yet people will be so rude as to tell me that he did it to himself. He didn't know however,the horrors it was doing to his body,he did however know that it probably wasn't good for him and that old saying,"I got to die of something" was jokingly said. BUT..never did he or anyone else(or very few) really sees what cirrhosis does to the body. And the addiction to alcohol helps people to turn a blind eye to the disease. I know the drinkers he knows,have seen the devastation it has has on his body,yet they will belly up to the bar,buy another drink and buy him one too. One fellow actually said as he bought hubby a drink"here's another nail in your coffin". For people who throw those little digs at people with cirrhosis,I tell them,"Hey,and you are without sin? But thank you for pointing that out for me." Usually shuts them up fast. After all,no one is without some thing bad in their lives,it just may not show or not kill them,but on one is perfect.. Just chalk it up to them not knowing how hurtful or rude a remark that is.

Some people just love to point out others faults...even though
they have there own also. It makes them feel that theirs are less than
yours by doing so. To me, it is a fault in itself. People who go out
of their way to make a remark that is hurtful are less sensitive, caring and supportive. I have a Sister and a Mother who love to do this, and I just ignore them for the most part. It is their cross to bear and it will catch up with them some day. Thankfully my Brother and I are very close, as I was also with my Dad..but he has passed away. Family can be the most supportive, but they can also hurt the heart the most.
Unfortunately. You get your support where you can and ignore or walk away from the rest. That's my solution.
*hugs*
Josi

My hubby's family and mine are two extremely opposite ends of the spectrum in life. His family has alwasy been highly dysfunctional. My family has (up until recently with my moms issues) always been very close nit.

When we finally told everyone about hubbys HCV and Cirrhosis....my family of course embraced it all and questions, supports, checks in, is involved......his family has done nothing. They typically bury their heads in the sand when a problem surfaces. Not dealing with things is their way of dealing with things.

I know hubby would like his family to take an interest.......but it just isn't going to happen. It's really sad to me how people can be so ignorant.

I would rather keep my family out of it. Only a couple of friend know I got it, and that's it. Even my doctor says it is a tree not worth shaking.

I'm like wq, few outside my family know about it (which is intentional) but my family and my wife's have been incredibly supportive. However, that is something you have little or no control over.

My husband is in the hospital now. Diagnosed less than a week ago. I don't even know a thing about all these levels, except the bilirubin & ammonia, and even then not sure what it all means. I only hope that he comes back to us and is able to get healthy. I don't think he chose this for himself, it controlled him even more than I knew. I'm sure there will be those who 'told him so', and I guess we'll have to deal with that, but they can't possibly understand, nor do I care if they do right now.