Symptoms of ESLD

Patients with ESLD (End-Stage Liver Disease) experience a wide array of symptoms which most caregivers are unfamiliar with and do not know how to handle. Over the next few weeks we will attempt to cover all of the major symptoms and complications that ESLD patients face. It is our hope that by providing this information in a simple non-technical language, we can calm the fears of the patient and arm the caregiver(s) with the tools they need to be able to care for their loved one and maintain their own sanity at the same time.

Symptoms of ESLD include:

     *portal hypertension
     *esophageal varices
     *ascites
     *hepatic encephalopathy
     *asterixis
     *fetor hepaticus

Along the way I will be sharing some of the experiences that my family and I have had while caring for my mother. My mom's doctor told us in the beginning that this diaease is too much for family members to handle and that we would eventually have to let outside professionals take over with her care. He was right. I hope that families dealing with this disease in the future will read this and hopefully be better prepared for what they will face than we were. If I can help one family have an easier time coping with ESLD then all of the pain and stress will have been well worth it and hopefully others can learn from what my mother has gone through.