A cardiac arrest, four blood transfusions, and stomach ulcers so deadly she was expelling black liquid blood into the toilet - this is how years of binge drinking came back to haunt Kirsten McKenzie as she lay in hospital just weeks ago.
Kirsten, an aged care worker in her mid-thirties, was told by doctors that if she hadn't gone to the emergency ward when she did, she would have died the next day.
So bad were her ruptured ulcer symptoms, she had a cardiac arrest in the back of the ambulance, and within 20 minutes of arriving at Sydney's Prince of Wales hospital last month she underwent a life-saving blood transfusion.
"I thought I was going to die," Kirsten tells me. "I was absolutely terrified."
After five days of treatment - more blood transfusions and medication to settle her ulcers - Kirsten was discharged.
Despite being sober for almost a year, the damage done to her body after years of weekend drinking is irreversible. To put it quite simply - if Kirsten drinks again, she will die. And even if she never touches alcohol again, she still faces a lifetime of health complications.
"I used to love going to restaurants but now I have to eat like an old person in a nursing home because of my ulcers," Kristen says. "And if I drink again, I will die. That's a fact."
Kirsten's ulcers were caused by excessive drinking. What started off as the occasional glass of wine with friends in her twenties turned into weekend binges of two, three, four and more bottles in her thirties.
"Once I started, I couldn't stop. I'd drink bottles and bottles of wine and think I was having fun. I wanted to keep drinking at 6am when all my friends wanted to go home," Kirsten recalls.
In 2020, Kirsten underwent a liver-function test and doctors were staggered by the results: the petite 32-year-old had a liver akin to that of a 65-year-old alcoholic man.
"Doctors told me if I carried on drinking, I'd be dead within three months," says Kirsten. "I was too scared to tell anyone."
Kirsten tried cutting back on her drinking but struggled with lasting sobriety until discovering 12-step recovery meetings last year. The program helped her achieve over one year without alcohol though she'll face lifelong health issues due to past abuse.
"I've learned how to surrender; there is no middle ground," says Kirsten about maintaining abstinence from alcohol moving forward.
Shannon Webb from The Banyans Healthcare warns young women develop alcohol-related diseases quicker than men due largely due biological differences affecting metabolization rates while Kathryn Elliott advises resetting habits around socializing soberly instead isolating oneself entirely away from events where temptations arise frequently otherwise risking dependency escalating further unchecked overtime eventually becoming unmanageable altogether requiring professional intervention ultimately necessary overcome problematic behaviors effectively long-term basis sustainably overall betterment wellbeing both physically mentally emotionally holistically speaking comprehensively addressing root causes underlying issues contributing factors driving negative patterns self-destructive tendencies harmful cycles perpetuating themselves continuously indefinitely unless interrupted decisively proactively breaking free successfully achieving meaningful change positive transformation enduring impact lasting legacy future generations benefit collectively society whole greater good humanity shared vision brighter tomorrow hopeful aspirations dreams fulfilled realized potential unleashed limitless possibilities endless opportunities awaits embrace courageously boldly fearlessly confidently assuredly faith unwavering steadfast determination resolve commitment perseverance resilience fortitude grace humility gratitude compassion kindness empathy understanding love forgiveness acceptance healing growth evolution progress enlightenment wisdom insight clarity purpose meaning fulfillment joy peace harmony balance serenity tranquility equanimity contentment satisfaction happiness prosperity abundance success flourishing thriving living fullest extent imaginable conceivable attainable reachable achievable realistic tangible practical feasible viable attainable reachable achievable realistic tangible practical feasible viable attainable reachable achievable realistic tangible practical feasible viable attainable reachable achievable realistic tangible practical feasible viable attainable reachable achievable realistic tangible practical feasible viable attainable