When someone With end stage liver disease falls into coma how long will they live?

My mother in law has end stage liver disease and has had encepalapathy and last night she fell into a coma didn't awake. 16 hours later she opened her eyes and is back asleep. How long will it be until death for her? I read that first person goes into coma before death happens.Is that usually a day,days, hours or week. I just want to know how much longer she will be with us?What next..

She probably has a day or two but less than a week. Things are now in God's hands and she will die in her sleep.

I am so sorry for what your family is going through right now.

Unfortunately, this is a very hard question to answer. Everyone is different and it depends on if she has other chronic health problems that may speed her death process. Liver failure is a hard situation because the body isn't filtering or metabolizing like it should and that leads to the "coma" and confusion that you may have seen earlier in her illness. It could be days still. Is she in a hospital? Or does she have a hospice nurse? As it gets closer the nurses can tell you a more accurate time frame...whether it will be a few hours or not (no one can tell you for sure, but the nurses have experienced this and can speak from that experience).
This is such a hard thing for you and your family to be experienceing and my thoughts and prayers are with you.

God Bless!

I'm not a doctor, but from what I've read, I don't think it will be too long before she passes---a week or two. No one can say for sure. I'm sorry for you and your husband. God Bless.

There is no way to know this.

How is the rest of the family though all of this? And how are you? It's not easy watching a family member die slowly. I've been there and done that, and I don't wish it on anyone. It does mean, however, that most of your collective grieving has been done. Don't be surprised to feel a sense of relief more than anything else when she does pass. And don't feel guilty about it, either.

But this close to Christmas, if you celebrate it, she may hang on until at least Tuesday. It's not unusual. You and the rest of the family can make this easier on her when she's conscious, though, by reassuring her that it's OK to stop fighting, to be at peace.

Take care of yourself, and make sure that your husband and the rest of the family are taking care of themselves. Help them with this as much as you can. You all need each other now. I only wish that I could say something more to help you.