He Couldn't Stop No Matter What He Tried

By BuddyT

He knew the only way to save his life was to quit drinking, but he just couldn't stop, no matter how he tried.

His name was Bobby. He wasn't my best friend; he was more like everybody's best friend. We enjoyed his company, his sense of humor and his incessant teasing. I don't remember anyone who disliked Bobby. He was one of those people that you immediately felt comfortable around.

Everyone loved Bobby.

Had to Quit Drinking

I don't ever remember seeing Bobby drunk, but I never saw him sober either. You know what I mean: he could drink all day and you could never tell it by the way he looked, acted or talked. I suppose that was because he drank constantly. Nobody could tell the difference.

On the way to work in the mornings, he would pull into the backyard of one of his friends, pop the trunk, get his bottle of whiskey and take a long swig right out of the bottle. He'd get back into the car and drive off to work. Every morning.

That's when he was still able to work. When he began having health problems, the doctor immediately diagnosed him with cirrhosis of the liver, also known as alcohol liver disease. They told him to quit drinking or he was going to die.

Jaundiced and Drinking

God knows he tried to quit. He tried to work the 12-step program again and again, and saw the inside of more than one alcohol treatment center. After 28 days of no alcohol, a balanced diet, and megadoses of vitamins, Bobby would feel a lot better. He'd celebrate by having a drink --the minute he was released.

Later came the medical hospitals. When jaundice set in he was forced into having a complete blood transfusion, which helped for a while. Six weeks later, Bobby would be back needing another transfusion.

After his second trip to the hospital and second transfusion, Bobby came to me looking for work. He'd been fired from every auto dealership and mobile home lot in town at least once and had few options.

He Tried to Hide His Drinking

Since he swore to me he was not drinking and because, with his personality he was a great salesman, I got him a position in our sales department. He seemed to be doing a lot better.

One morning a few weeks later I was at work before anyone else. I was upstairs in the break room fixing a pot of decaf and glanced out the window to see Bobby pull into the back parking lot. He got out of the car, popped the trunk, grabbed his bottle and turned it up.

Nothing had changed. He was just trying to hide it now, even from his oldest friends.

Saying Goodbye

The last time I saw Bobby he was in the hospital again. His skin was completely yellow and his eyes were sunken into his head. "Bobby, you need to hurry up and get out of this place, I want to go fishing!" I told my friend of more than 30 years, although I knew he would never leave that bed.

Then, I placed my hand on his weary head and told him I loved him and God loved him too. I knew I was saying goodbye.

When I left, I called all of his old friends: "If you want to see Bobby again, you better get on over to the hospital. Quickly." Most of them were able to get there in time.

Too Much Alcohol for Far Too Long

We buried him four days later. He was in his mid-40s. Survivors included a four-year-old daughter.

Bobby was one of the 10-15 percent of drinkers whose livers cannot process alcohol properly. Or perhaps there was just too much alcohol for far too long. An estimated 25,000 people a year die as a result of alcohol liver disease.

Alcohol abuse can cause a condition called "fatty liver" or another called "alcohol hepatitis" -- both of which can be treated, but only if alcohol consumption is stopped. If drinking continues, these conditions will cause cirrhosis of the liver.

Hardening of the Liver

What happens is the liver begins to harden. Scar tissue develops in the body's largest organ which hinders its ability to filter blood. When the scar tissue develops to a certain point, the liver can no longer do its work.

The problem is the liver performs more than 1,500 functions for the body, including more than 300 life-saving procedures. If the liver stops doing its job, all kinds of health problems develop quickly and death can come rapidly.

RELATED: When You Should Completely Quit Drinking

The liver detoxifies poisons, both those produced by the body and those from outside. The liver also performs:

Life-Saving Functions

• filters bacteria from the blood;
• regulates fat metabolism;
• stores and manufactures vitamins;
• regulates and manufactures cholesterol and fats;
• synthesizes proteins;
• maintains the body's water and salt balance;
• secretes bile for the digestion of fat;
• stores energy (in the form of glycogen);
• helps regulate overall body metabolism;
• transforms the highly toxic ammonia into urine;
• manufactures lipoproteins for fat and cholesterol transport;
• metabolizes alcohol.

If the liver stops doing any of these jobs, or numerous others it does constantly, the result can be fatal.

Learn more about the Health Effects of Alcohol.