Should alcoholics compete equally for such a scarce resource with those whose liver disease are not a result of their lifestyle choice?
What’s your opinion on the issue?
This question hit close to home for me since I have primary biliary disease and was given a liver transplant. I waited on the list for 18 months along with many waiting inactive alcoholics.
If the alcoholic proves that he/she is no longer drinking and has made a serious life change committed to never drink, then I believe he/she should be able to get a transplant. Most transplant centers require at least 6 months of proven sobriety plus random bloodwork testing for alcohol. If the bloodwork turns up positive for alcohol prior to transplant, they will be tossed off the list and it would be nearly impossible to get listed again. I think it’s about the best we can do on this issue, and I agree with the way it is done in trying to be fair to everyone.
Cristine and Kelly: Cristine, a wife and mother with an abusive and dark past, is an alcoholic who drinks about 18 beers a day. Just three years ago, Cristine was top saleswoman at her Los Angeles-based newspaper; now, since her return to work after having her first child, the alcohol has damaged her career so much that she has yet to collect any advertising commission from ad sales. Her husband is a stay-at-home dad, but their “home” is Cristine’s mother’s living room floor due to Cristine’s continuing business problems. Now Cristine’s health is failing–she often works 4 hours or less a day due to stomach problems caused by her drinking–and the family feels an intervention is the only thing that can save her from herself, but Cristine wants no part of rehab after a disastrous stint two years ago. Kelly is an anorexic real estate agent and club DJ in Florida who weighs only 93 pounds and who often consumes less than 5% of her body’s caloric needs for the day. She has a 6-year-old daughter who is sadly following in her mother’s footsteps, imitating Kelly’s disdain of food by refusing to eat her breakfast and leaving her lunch tray full of food. Kelly’s boyfriend wants to come live with her in Florida but knows he cannot save Kelly by himself and needs outside help to break Kelly out of this destructive downward spiral. Everyone who loves Kelly is not only trying to save her, but also her daughter. Can Tara Fields and Jeff VanVonderen get through to two addicts who don’t believe they have any problems?
Laney is an alcoholic who has lost everything she had dreamed for. She has already been to the Emergency Room numerous times and once to the ICU. Her body is heavily damaged from years of abuse. Desparate for attention from her divorced husband whom she still has feeling for, her days are full of binge drinking for hours at a time. Laney’s family is upset that it has gotten this far. Laney has also openly mentioned suicidal thoughts as well pushing the family for an intervention as soon as possible. Can Laney get help before it’s too late?
Laney is an alcoholic who has lost everything she had dreamed for. She has already been to the Emergency Room numerous times and once to the ICU. Her body is heavily damaged from years of abuse. Desperate for attention from her divorced husband whom she still has feeling for, her days are full of binge drinking for hours at a time. Laney’s family is upset that it has gotten this far. Laney has also openly mentioned suicidal thoughts as well pushing the family for an intervention as soon as possible. Can Laney get help before it’s too late?
If you or someone you care about is suffering from a drinking disorder, alcohol rehab–from Alcoholics Anonymous to Rational Recovery–can help with alcoholism. More Videos: http://College.Healthguru.com/?yt