Edward, a former electrician from Glasgow who now lives in north London, started drinking as a boy. His days as an electrician regularly involved alcohol, too.
“Working on a job, you’d often go for a beer at lunchtime and so on – it was just part of the way you did things, part of the culture, if you like,” explained Edward, 66.
At one point, he gave up drinking for more than a year but family issues meant he started to drink again.
Edward started to feel unwell in 2014. During a routine check-up at his GP, the doctor noticed yellowing in his eyes and told him to go to the hospital straight away.
Edward adds: “I was admitted to hospital on Friday. Doctors told me that if I hadn't gone then, I would have been dead by Tuesday.”
Edward was diagnosed with cirrhosis, a condition where the liver is severely damaged. It can be life-threatening, but treatments and lifestyle changes can help stop it getting worse.
Edward said: “I’m now looked after by a team of doctors specialising in liver problems. It was my consultant who referred me to the AlcoChange study.”
AlcoChange is a smartphone app with an optional breathalyser (breath alcohol meter) that allows self-monitoring of alcohol use, and the app provides motivational messages to encourage people to stay sober.
Edward was on the study for 90 days, but continues to use the app even since completing the trial.
“The trial gave me something to focus on. It made me think because I know how well I did before, when I gave up drinking. Now I just have a drink once or twice a week. The breathalyser is an eye-opener sometimes and it helps me to realise when I’ve had one pint too many.”
Edward has had prostate cancer twice and also took part in the HIFU trial. The study compared high intensity focused ultrasound to treat prostate cancer contained in one part of the prostate gland, with surgical removal of some or all of the prostate, known as prostatectomy.
“I’d had experience of research through the HIFU study, so I was happy to try AlcoChange,” he explains. “Research may not be for everyone but I would certainly promote the benefits of it.”
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