OF THE TEAM MEMBERS HELPING
HIM AT MARY FREE BED. GOOD
EVENING AND WELCOME TO THIS 7,
8, ISLANDS IN THE FIRST
TONIGHT, AN ALERT ABOUT
ALCOHOL ABUSE AND HOW QUICKLY
IT CAN PUT YOUR LIFE AT RISK.
USUALLY CAME AFTER DECADES OF
DRINKING. BUT NOW DOCTORS
REPORT PATIENTS COMING IN WITH
POTENTIALLY DEADLY DAMAGE
AFTER JUST MONTHS OR EVEN
WEEKS OF VERY HEAVY DRINKING
TARGETING INVESTIGATORS SUSAN
SAMPLES TOLD US LAST WEEK
ABOUT A SPIKE IN THE NEED FOR
LIVER TRANSPLANTS AND SHE'S
HERE WITH MORE TONIGHT. SUSAN.
MICHIGAN ARE DRINKING MORE
SALES JUMPED 20% IN THE STATE
LAST YEAR WITH THE STRESS AND
ISOLATION OF COVID-19. AND
WHILE ALCOHOL ASSOCIATED
CIRRHOSIS SCARRING OF THE
YEARS TO DEVELOP ALCOHOLIC
HEPATITIS, WHICH IS DEADLIER
IN THE SHORT TERM CAN DEVELOP
AFTER WEEKS OF EXCESSIVE
DRINKING BIKE 8 OR 10 DRINKS A
DAY OR MORE. YOU GO TO THE GYM
TO GET HEALTHY. OF COURSE,
THAT THIS ORANGE THEORY
FITNESS IN KALAMAZOO OFFERS
MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE ONE OF
ITS CO OWNERS HAS A CAUTIONARY
TALE THAT COULD SAVE LIVES. I
AM HEATHER REES. I AM ENOUGH
FOLIC. SHE'S ALSO SIX-PLUS
YEARS SOBER AFTER A LIVER
TRANSPLANT THAT GAVE HER A
CHANCE TO SEE HER 6 KIDS GROW
UP.
>> I WAS DEFINITELY. VERY
CLOSE TO REESE'S PARTNER NOW
WIFE AND HER PARENTS FOUGHT TO
FIND A TRANSPLANT CENTER IN
NEW ORLEANS THAT WOULD TAKE
HER DESPITE HER ACTIVE
ALCOHOLISM. YOU WOULD MISS IT
IF YOU HAD KNOWN ME BACK.
MEAN, IT WASN'T ANYTHING
DRAMATIC OR IT WASN'T MY KIDS
WERE AT POINT IN TIME. THEY
WERE DENNIS THEIR ACTIVITIES.
I ONLY DRINK CHARDONNAY THAT
SHOULD BE KNOWN. HAD. WHAT
STARTED AS A COUPLE GLASSES OF
CHARDONNAY AT DINNER TURNED
INTO BOTTLES NEAR THE M. I
HONESTLY DON'T. 2, MAYBE 3
BOTTLES OF WINE COULD HAVE
BEEN MORE. THE PROGRESSIVE
DISEASE. SO AS IT PROGRESSES
THINGS.
>> HAPPEN. IT PROGRESSES MORE
WELL RACE TO DEVELOP TO LIVER
FAILURE AFTER 2 YEARS OR SO OF
HEAVY WIND DRINKING DOCTORS
REPORT PATIENTS DEVELOPING
ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS A SEVERE
AND DEADLY INFLAMMATION OF THE
LIVER AFTER HEAVY DRINKING FOR
MONTHS OR EVEN WEEKS. THE
COMMON RULE THAT.
>> YOU COULD YOU DRINK HEAVILY
FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND THEN
SLOWLY DEVELOPS ROSE STILL
TRUE. BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT
THAT TIME FRAME HAS BEEN
COMPRESSED YOU DOCTOR ELLIOT
TAPPER POINTS TO SEVERAL
CAUSES. THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL
CONSUMED IN BINGE DRINKING IS
HIGHER THAN EVER. SO IS THE
ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION IN EACH
DRINK AND PEOPLE HAVE MORE
COEXISTING CONDITIONS THAN
EVER. LIKE OBESITY OR
DIABETES. BUT HEATHER REESE
HAD NO PRIOR HEALTH PROBLEMS
AND SAYS SHE DIDN'T REALIZE
SHE WAS GETTING SICK EITHER. I
THINK I WOULD.
>> GUESS IF YOU ASKED PEOPLE
AROUND ME, I THINK IT WOULD'VE
BEEN ABOUT 2 MONTHS PRIOR.
THEY WERE SEEN MY STOMACH JUST
ENDED. SKIN. COLLARING WAS
CHANGING. I WAS HAVING HAD A
RISPOLI VISIT WAS THE DISEASE
OF ALCOHOLISM. WHICH IN EFFECT
HER FROM RECOGNIZING HER OWN
ILLNESS. NOT ANYMORE. FOR ME.
>> DRINKING IS LIKE I ALWAYS
SAY TO PEOPLE YOU NEED TO GET
TO THE PLACE WHERE DRINKING IS
LIKE JUMPING OUT OF AIRPLANES
OUT A PAIR SHOES LIKE YOU JUST
WON'T DO IT. YOU KNOW, YOU
JUST HAVE TO GET TO THAT
MINDSET. AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS
FOR ME. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO JUST
SAY LIKE THAT SIMPLY NOT AN
OPTION.
>> REESE WHO IS 50 NOW HOPES
HER STORY WILL PROMPT OTHERS
TO SEEK HELP AND PERHAPS EVEN
GET BLOOD WORK DONE AT YOUR