I have just found this site today and feel compelled to tell my
story and how it affected me in the hope that it may help other
people. My father died in September 2002 after becoming a vegetable
through this syndrome. My father started drinking many years ago
way before I can remember and I am now 25. It was not only this he
suffered from he also had insulin dependant diabetes which made this
even harder to deal with. After an episode which is too long and
complicated to explain on here my father was admitted to hospital
virutally dead. The doctor said he could not believe my father was
still alive as his diabetic count was so wildy out of control. My
father spent three months in a secure unit after escaping (I can
laugh now) from hospital one afternoon wearing pink pj's and no
shoes. This was where he was diagnosed with this problem. So many
people are unaware of the problems that alchol can cause not only to
the person who is drinking but always to their loved ones and
friends around them. My father got detox while there and it was the
best I have ever seen him in a long time but still he did not give
up the drink and his health began to deteriorate. I watched and
tried to help as he became worse forgeting small things to forgeting
things that could lead to his death such as not taking his insulin
or taking too mcuh as he couldnt remeber taking it the first time.
All the way through I did everything I could I was nice, nasty,
sympathtic, anything if I thought it would help and many times he
would break down and tell me he wanted to live and stop drinking.
Through this I gave birth to his first 2 grandchildren only one of
which he really got to see as by the time I had the 2nd he was in a
vegetative state so I can only hope that he did. I went to hell and
back throughout this time and have discovered more and more about
this syndrome to the point I had a doctor ask me if I was some kind
of nurse but when you have someone you love who is ill you need to
know. My father was taken by other family members to his birth town
and put into a nursing home he was 54 his birthday when they took
him. The place was not specialised and really could not help him.
I fought against this and went as far as to speak to the minister of
health about this. I didnt get anywhere. There is no support out
there although I had found a place where they do specialise in this
sydrome but they had no places. My father got worse and worse. He
went into the nursing home on the 21st November 2001 and by the Xmas
he was a vegetable and it was so quick and fast I never had time to
say all the things I wanted to say. I went to hell and back and the
advice that I would give someone in my position is that you cannot
no matter how hard you try stop someone from drinking it has to be
there choice. The only thing I will say is I really dont think my
father knew what was in store for him at the end. He was roughly 3
1/2 stones when he died and there was nothing but skin a bone like
you would see in a concentration camp. I still feel the pain and
the anger to this day. I have always wanted to speak to someone who
is or has been in my position to hopefully help support them in a
time where it feels like your alone.