'I drank so much wine every day doctors were surprised I was still alive'

A mum who used to consume two bottles of wine daily when she started working from home and was frequently inebriated, gave up alcohol after doctors expressed their surprise that she was still alive. Jennie Mccormack, 52, who lost 5st and is now celebrating two years of sobriety, was always a "big drinker".

However, her drinking habits escalated during the pandemic when she began regularly indulging in bottles of white wine and numerous gin and tonics at home. With minimal social interaction, Jennie's alcohol consumption soared - she'd uncork a bottle of white wine as soon as she finished work at 5pm and would start drinking the next day to alleviate a hangover.

Her excessive alcohol intake caused her weight to rapidly increase to 14.5st. Things got so dire that Jennie resorted to buying three-litre boxes of wine to stash around the house, hidden from her desperate husband, Stephen, 55, owner of a mechanical and electrical business, who was begging her to quit. Following a routine check-up at 50, doctors informed Jennie that her ALT (alanine aminotransferase) blood levels in her liver were so elevated that they were "surprised" she was still alive.

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This revelation served as a wake-up call for Jennie and she pledged from that day forward to abandon alcohol. Since then, Jennie has completely regained her confidence - shedding 5st and dropping from a size 18 to a size 8 - and her relationship with her son, Connah, 29, has improved. She now walks, hits the gym, consumes plenty of fruits and vegetables, and is brimming with energy.

Jennie, a finance manager from Liverpool, said: "2021 I was at my worst. I was drinking ridiculous amounts every day.

"I'd be in my dressing gown at home drinking after work from 5pm - I didn't have to speak to anyone and see anybody. My husband tried to intervene - but that didn't stop me at the time.

"Instead I was hiding it from him - I started on wine boxes so I could hide them. I stopped getting invited to family parties because I'd be drunk before we left.

"Now I don't miss it one bit at all. I've fallen in love with me and my life now - I will never ever go back. I get up every day and the confidence that gives me wearing my new clothes is amazing."

Reflecting on the origins of her addiction, Jennie recounted how it escalated over a decade.

She explained: "I'd always buy bottles of wine on the way home from work and then have them at home. Every evening I'd drink two bottles of wine and then Friday and Saturday I'd have gin.

"But when coronavirus >covid hit and I was home full time that's when it really got bad. I didn't have to speak to anyone and see anybody."

Her dependency on alcohol reached a point where she was physically ill daily.

Jennie said: "I was so depressed - I couldn't get out of the cycle. Drink, put weight on, drink more - I couldn't bend down to put my shoes on.

"I was vomiting every day at one point, my face ballooned, and I started losing my hair too. If I had a day off from work, I'd be starting at 12pm while watching Loose Women.

"My husband would come home and I'd be absolutely rat-arsed. I eventually thought I'd have to stop with the wine and my theory was gin would be better - I was in a bad bad way. I was drunk most of the time."

After being warned by doctors that her liver was suffering and she risked developing cirrhosis, Jennie knew it was time for a change.

She explained: "As soon as I saw that result, I stopped right then. It was like someone had turned a switch in my brain.

"Three months later I went back to the doctors I'd lost 2st since. As soon as I stopped drinking, the weight fell off.

"My bloods were better than normal. I'd recovered, I was feeling good, feeling better and I've never touched a drop since. I had my two-year anniversary last week. I've been on a holiday and not touched a drink."

With her transformation, Jennie invested in a new wardrobe and started venturing out more.

She said: "Now I'm eating more, I couldn't before because I was drinking so much. I go for an hour walk every day, go to the gym and I've started meditation.

"I changed my routine slowly and I'm bouncing around with energy now. I haven't really dieted as I wasn't eating much before anyway - other than loads of bread to try and soak up the alcohol - now I eat loads of fruit and veg all the time."

Her lifestyle overhaul has also had a positive impact on her relationship with her husband.

Jennie said: "I did put him through some terrible times - he would always have to apologise for me when we went out. Now my husband is made up for me - the positivity now to a couple of years ago is amazing."

Stephen added: "In 2023, Jennie said she was quitting alcohol for good. I won't lie - I'd heard it before. I didn't want to get my hopes up, I didn't think it would last.

"But this time, she proved me wrong. Month by month, Jennie stuck with it.

"No cheats, no excuses - what started as a promise became a full-on lifestyle shift and her energy came roaring back. It was as though she'd found a whole new way of life - one that actually suited her.

"She looks incredible, but more than that, she carries herself with a calm, steady confidence that's nothing short of inspiring. I couldn't be prouder of her - words genuinely fail me sometimes.

"Her transformation hasn't just changed her - it's brought us closer, too. We now spend more time walking the dog together, going for meals, or enjoying days out in Wales."