Hannah

[Guest guest]

Dear Hannah, There are others far more competent to comment on these results

than I but this little snippet may be helpful.

ALkaline phosphatase us usually raised in liver disease/metastases,

cholestasis, bone metastases.

Ref ranges 30-120U?L

High concentrations found in liver, bone and intestinal epithelium. Elevated

levels , depending on diagnosis and total pattern of plasma enzyme

activities and may indicate malignancies. However, it has been noted with

patients using Gerson therapy to deal with cancer where flare-ups occur that

the ALP levels are often elevated during such flare ups.

Given the known activity of Carduus and the circumstances in which it was

given I suspect that what is happening is that the little ones liver is

probably doing what its supposed to do with nasty, toxic substances and

throwing them out.

Obviously other tests etc. will be done to be safe and I hope all proves to

be OK.

Another reassuring snippet. the elevated levels are not so much due to cell

damage but rather to enzyme induction, presumably in this case caused by

bodies attempts to flush out toxin.

Hope this is helpful. Allshorn

[Guest guest]

Wow these are wonderful websites, thank you all so much for being so kind to me.

This is a really hard time for my family and I am trying my hardest to just stay

strong and keep everyone together.

Did anyone in the group ever go through a denial process? I feel that right

now my mom is going through that alittle bit. She feels that it is serious but

she feels that the doctors are just tryiong to scare the heck out of

them.....From what I have read the stage that my father is at in the liver

disease process is pretty severe and when a doctor tells you the only option is

a transplant, I think that is serious. I think my mom is just very scared and

wants it all to get better soon....

Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful responses and information.

abijann <no_reply > wrote:

Here is some information for you:

This link will take you to one of the many transplant centers and

describe what is required for transplantation, what to expect, and

will even take you on a tour:

http://www.surgery.usc.edu/divisions/hep/patientguide/index.html

This site will tell you about how to become a living donor...just

follow the headings up at the top:

http://www.transplantliving.org/

This site helps cancer patients, but also has good financial

information to help the patient who needs a transplant also:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/support/financial-

assistance

Here is a couple links that explains cirrhosis of the liver:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cirrhosis/DS00373

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cirrhosis/article_em.htm

Your Dad needs to be with a Hepatologist that is connected

to the liver Transplant Center. You can find the closest

transplant center to you just by typing in the state you

are in and then " Transplant Center " after that. You would

want to find the closest to you, because traveling afterwards

can tire the patient so much. Many of the transplant centers

have their own website on the internet and you can see what

they recommend as far as referrals and even sometimes they

post their doctors and surgeons on them also.

If your Dad is a senior citizen " or " considered disabled,

it would be good to contact your local " Area of the Aging "

organization....they will direct you and help you with many

things. It doesn't hurt to contact them and just ask if he

doesn't yet fit these catagories.

You need to get a advanced directed or a Durable Power of

Attorney form filled out and sign by your Dad as soon as

possible so someone in your family can handle his financial

and medical needs. The privacy laws are murder if you don't

have one of these forms. Also, since your Dad is in the last

stages of this disease, he will need help with his memory since

" encephalopathy " is one of the things that occur. This condition

is caused because of the toxins going into the blood and pass

the blood brain barrier and into the brain...since the liver is

no longer able to handle these toxins and break them down.

I know you feel quite overwhelmed by all this now. It is

best to do things in steps.

If your dad doesn't want a transplant and he is sent home...

then you might consider hospice...each state has one.

I hope this has been of some help to you. If you have any

questions, no matter what they are...ask and we will try and

help you here.

---------------------------------

You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total

Access, No Cost.

[Guest guest]

Just read back through the posts of the last two weeks to see some really

frustrating denial. Like I said earlier, your dad has at least a fighting chance

at living, because he is being evaluated right away. Some here did not know that

transplant evaluation was even needed and that ignorance might have robbed us of

a chance to have our loved one at least get on the list. To die waiting would

still be dying, but for me to know that we tried and Ardis got to see a real

hepatologist at a transplant center means a lot. I did the best I could. Some of

our members do not want to go through a transplant, and that is their

prerogative. With liver disease though, the patient might not even know what is

happening to them because of encephalopathy and it is good that your dad is

getting at least a chance at agressive treatment. As soon as I found out I had

cirrhosis too, I called for an appointment at the university hepatology clinic.

The next day. I didn't wait. I

hope your mom can come to terms with this, It is not something you can shrug

off. The doctors are not trying to scare you. The fact that your dad lived

through esophageal hemorrhage puts him in the fortunate half of population,

because it carries a 50% mortality rate the first time. I do not know that

statistics for second time bleeds but he is lucky to be alive.

Re: Hannah

Wow these are wonderful websites, thank you all so much for

being so kind to me. This is a really hard time for my family and I am trying

my hardest to just stay strong and keep everyone together.

Did anyone in the group ever go through a denial process? I feel that right

now my mom is going through that alittle bit. She feels that it is serious but

she feels that the doctors are just tryiong to scare the heck out of

them.....From what I have read the stage that my father is at in the liver

disease process is pretty severe and when a doctor tells you the only option is

a transplant, I think that is serious. I think my mom is just very scared and

wants it all to get better soon....

Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful responses and information.

abijann <no_reply@yahoogroup s.com> wrote:

Here is some information for you:

This link will take you to one of the many transplant centers and

describe what is required for transplantation, what to expect, and

will even take you on a tour:

http://www.surgery. usc.edu/division s/hep/patientgui de/index. html

This site will tell you about how to become a living donor...just

follow the headings up at the top:

http://www.transpla ntliving. org/

This site helps cancer patients, but also has good financial

information to help the patient who needs a transplant also:

http://www.cancer. gov/cancertopics /factsheet/ support/financia l-

assistance

Here is a couple links that explains cirrhosis of the liver:

http://www.mayoclin ic.com/health/ cirrhosis/ DS00373

http://www.emedicin ehealth.com/ cirrhosis/ article_em. htm

Your Dad needs to be with a Hepatologist that is connected

to the liver Transplant Center. You can find the closest

transplant center to you just by typing in the state you

are in and then " Transplant Center " after that. You would

want to find the closest to you, because traveling afterwards

can tire the patient so much. Many of the transplant centers

have their own website on the internet and you can see what

they recommend as far as referrals and even sometimes they

post their doctors and surgeons on them also.

If your Dad is a senior citizen " or " considered disabled,

it would be good to contact your local " Area of the Aging "

organization. ...they will direct you and help you with many

things. It doesn't hurt to contact them and just ask if he

doesn't yet fit these catagories.

You need to get a advanced directed or a Durable Power of

Attorney form filled out and sign by your Dad as soon as

possible so someone in your family can handle his financial

and medical needs. The privacy laws are murder if you don't

have one of these forms. Also, since your Dad is in the last

stages of this disease, he will need help with his memory since

" encephalopathy " is one of the things that occur. This condition

is caused because of the toxins going into the blood and pass

the blood brain barrier and into the brain...since the liver is

no longer able to handle these toxins and break them down.

I know you feel quite overwhelmed by all this now. It is

best to do things in steps.

If your dad doesn't want a transplant and he is sent home...

then you might consider hospice...each state has one.

I hope this has been of some help to you. If you have any

questions, no matter what they are...ask and we will try and

help you here.

------------ --------- --------- ---

You rock. That's why Blockbuster' s offering you one month of Blockbuster Total

Access, No Cost.

[Guest guest]

Hannah,

MY dad went through denial of my mom's condition. I didn't push him, but

answered him truthfully and gently when he did finally ask. It was in her last

few months that he finally asked whether she was dying. It isn't easy and I

think sometimes older folks don't really want to know all the details. My dad

didn't need/want to know all the med changes we did, or the technical stuff...he

just wanted to be sure she wasn't in pain and that we were doing everything we

could to help her.

Hang in there and understand that everyone deals differently and that's okay.

Hugs,

Pamela

Re: Hannah

Wow these are wonderful websites, thank you all so much for being so kind to

me. This is a really hard time for my family and I am trying my hardest to just

stay strong and keep everyone together.

Did anyone in the group ever go through a denial process? I feel that right

now my mom is going through that alittle bit. She feels that it is serious but

she feels that the doctors are just tryiong to scare the heck out of

them.....From what I have read the stage that my father is at in the liver

disease process is pretty severe and when a doctor tells you the only option is

a transplant, I think that is serious. I think my mom is just very scared and

wants it all to get better soon....

Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful responses and information.

abijann <no_reply > wrote:

Here is some information for you:

This link will take you to one of the many transplant centers and

describe what is required for transplantation, what to expect, and

will even take you on a tour:

http://www.surgery.usc.edu/divisions/hep/patientguide/index.html

This site will tell you about how to become a living donor...just

follow the headings up at the top:

http://www.transplantliving.org/

This site helps cancer patients, but also has good financial

information to help the patient who needs a transplant also:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/support/financial-

assistance

Here is a couple links that explains cirrhosis of the liver:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cirrhosis/DS00373

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cirrhosis/article_em.htm

Your Dad needs to be with a Hepatologist that is connected

to the liver Transplant Center. You can find the closest

transplant center to you just by typing in the state you

are in and then " Transplant Center " after that. You would

want to find the closest to you, because traveling afterwards

can tire the patient so much. Many of the transplant centers

have their own website on the internet and you can see what

they recommend as far as referrals and even sometimes they

post their doctors and surgeons on them also.

If your Dad is a senior citizen " or " considered disabled,

it would be good to contact your local " Area of the Aging "

organization....they will direct you and help you with many

things. It doesn't hurt to contact them and just ask if he

doesn't yet fit these catagories.

You need to get a advanced directed or a Durable Power of

Attorney form filled out and sign by your Dad as soon as

possible so someone in your family can handle his financial

and medical needs. The privacy laws are murder if you don't

have one of these forms. Also, since your Dad is in the last

stages of this disease, he will need help with his memory since

" encephalopathy " is one of the things that occur. This condition

is caused because of the toxins going into the blood and pass

the blood brain barrier and into the brain...since the liver is

no longer able to handle these toxins and break them down.

I know you feel quite overwhelmed by all this now. It is

best to do things in steps.

If your dad doesn't want a transplant and he is sent home...

then you might consider hospice...each state has one.

I hope this has been of some help to you. If you have any

questions, no matter what they are...ask and we will try and

help you here.

---------------------------------

You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total

Access, No Cost.