First, thanks in advance if you take the time to read my ranting. I
hope I don't scare anyone away before I can get the help I
desperately need.

My mother has been a chronic alcoholic for as far back as I can
remember. She is now 62 years old and has just been hospitalized
with the classic symptoms of Korsakoff's syndrome. I had no idea
about this syndrome prior to coming home from the hospital tonight
and searching her symptoms - "alcohol, thyroid, delusion". When I
came across this syndrome I knew it was it.

I need to give you a bit of history so that you can understand my
dilemma.

As those of you with an affected loved one can imagine, my
relationship with my mother has been difficult, and her having mental
health issues compounded our issues. At one point, years ago, I
fully removed myself from her life for the sake of my own mental
health. After 4 years of torturing myself with if she was even still
alive I did re-enter her life (in a long distance way) to find that
she had remarried, was medicated and was (I thought) being forbade
liqueur more than once a week. We are now 10 years later.

To the point at hand…

I usually talk with my mother a few times a week and visit every
couple of months. The last time I was there was in December
finishing up a dress for her Christmas gift. She was ok, for her,
but weak and told me that she was going to her Dr. for tests. She
complained of not having much of an appetite and not being able to
walk for any huge distances. But while I was there she did eat and
was able to stand for her dress fitting so I foolishly assumed that
she was just getting older and knowing her history of abuse I assumed
that these were probably the normal results for an aging alcoholic.
Both she and her husband assured me that she was seeing her Dr.
regularly and that they were searching for a cause.

After that visit I had my usual calls with her but the first week of
January when I called she got on the phone she said - "I know what I
want for Christmas". I thought to myself first - she's drunk so hang
up and I ended the conversation. Then I started to wonder about
early Alzheimer's. I wasn't too worried for her safety or anything
like this, again going on the assumption that she was seeing her Dr.
(completely my fault). The next couple of times I called she would
tell me that she wasn't eating too good and that her Dr. had ordered
an MRI to check out her neck and throat. I hoped for the best and
tried to be patient hoping for a diagnosis and her getting better.

This brings us to yesterday.

Her husband called me. A first for everything rite? Well, he
sounded worried and said "she won't eat, maybe you can talk to her".
When he put her on the phone and I heard her little weak, mousy voice
say hello I asked her "are you ok, you have to try to eat something"
her response was "daytime or nighttime".
My heart fell in my lap. I told her "mom you have to eat something"
and she didn't respond so I asked her to put her husband back on the
phone and she just started saying "yeah, yeah?" Finally she put him
on the phone and I told him to hang up and dial 911 because there is
something really wrong with her. They took her to the hospital and I
went down there.

My mother was a rail. She reeked of urine. Her skin was like tissue
paper. Her hands were like ice and she could hardly keep her head
up. She could not hold a conversation being completely confused, but
was too weak to be anything but calm as a cucumber. I though she was
dying.

In the usual admittance procedures I found that not only did she not
have any appetite but that she actually hadn't eaten anything of
significance since Christmas. I thought to myself how is it possible
that she is still even alive without any food. But later in that day
I found out how. She was living off of vodka and iced tea
highballs. Her husband admitted to me and the doctors in the ER that
she has for years been insisting on a drink by her bedside for wakeup
and at least 8 shots a day. I am OUTSIDE myself with anger, guilt,
frustration, fear, you name it.

My dilemma? I have to get my mother help. From what I just learned
about this syndrome, her symptoms, and the fact that the first
courses of treatment for her have been I.V fluids with dextrose and a
B1 shot, leads me to believe this is what we're dealing with here.
She is safe now in the hospital, but if they let her go what then? I
mentioned to her husband even prior to learning about the severity of
her situation that it may be best for them to get some home health
care a couple/few times a week so that she can be bathed and fed and
looked after for her health, but his attitude is that he don't want
anybody in "his" house (not). He has always been a bit controlling
(part of the reason I don't visit more often) and throughout the day
he insisted that he's been caring for her and they don't need any
help. I am really terrified that if she starts coming around from
the B1 (and I hope and pray for that miracle) her alcoholism is going
to take her rite back home to a bottle of vodka. And he will be more
than happy to fix it for her.

I have to get her help.

I learned from talking with the Dr's last night and today that PA
doesn't have any laws prohibitting a person from drinking themselves
to death, and with her husbands rights probably coming before mine as
a child of hers I am so lost.

What should I do next? I do plan on talking with a social worker
tomorrow I hope, but what's the best way to deal with this? I just
want to try to be prepared. I know it's late and I'll be leaving for
the hospital tomorrow morning, so I'm hoping there's a few late
nighter's out there with some advice for me.

Please anybody.