She Drank a Liter a Day. Her MELD Hit 40.

<p>She drank a liter of vodka a day. Her MELD score hit 40. And she still thought she'd never be able to quit. </p><p>Welcome to Season 3 🎙️ of The Willpower Podcast. I've been away since June, and this is the conversation I wanted to come back with.</p><p>Tia is 44, from Albuquerque, and nearly three years out from her liver transplant. She found out her liver was failing by accident, when an urgent care visit for a sore elbow turned up iron levels so high doctors sent her to an oncologist. She's honest about the "duh" that came with the diagnosis: not surprised, and completely surprised, both at once.</p><p>In this episode we talk about:</p><p>- Growing up in an alcoholic family, and why drinking never felt like a choice</p><p>- Weekly fluid drains, the yellow bile, and the moment she couldn't roll over in bed</p><p>- Watching her aunt choose to drink until the end while Tia fought to keep her own life</p><p>- Two transplant calls that fell through, including one on Christmas Day</p><p>- Coding on the table, a missed bile duct, and a second surgery</p><p>- Fourteen days in a coma, and waking up to a decorated room and a birthday she'd missed</p><p>- Her donor, Chad, and the letters we both keep writing to families who may never write back</p><p>- How she and her husband rebuilt a marriage after the bottle</p><p>And because this is what The Willpower Podcast is for, I shared a part of my own story I've never told on camera, from the night I had a 4% chance of surviving. A near-death experience story I've never told publicly before until today. </p><p>If you've ever felt like there was no way back, or you're carrying shame about how you got sick, I hope this feels like a conversation with someone who gets it. Tia said it better than I could: "we're not evil people, we're just people, and we deserve to be saved as much as anyone." </p><p>💚 To every organ donor and donor family: thank you. If you're not registered, you can sign up in a couple of minutes at registerme.org.💚</p><p>If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol, the free, confidential SAMHSA National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357 (24/7). This episode is personal storytelling, not medical advice. Please talk to your care team about your own health.</p><p>If this moved you, a like, a share, and a subscribe help this message reach someone who needs it. I edit and produce the podcast myself, so donations are so appreciated. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="h