Re: Liver Information and Update

[Guest guest]

When I was first told I had cirrhosis was given 2 to 3 years to live.

Told my whole family and we all prepared for me to die. After 2 years

and not much change, I asked to be sent for evaluation by a transplant

team where I was told I wouldn't qualify for a transplant " even if I

needed one " and what made me think I needed one. They were very

nasty. I had a mini breakdown. Was sobbing as I left. My whole

family had been told and all my friends, now I had to tell them it

wasn't true, and they had suffered with me. And was also concerned

some would think I didn't really have a problem, just exaggerated

since my mother always accused me of that until she started getting

some of the same problems I had lived with most of my life. I asked

for a second/third opinion at Mayo clinic, and they were much nicer

and also said that I was not so short term. In the more than 10 years

since then, I have been pretty much compensated with out too many

symptoms, The itching does have a tendancy to drive me crazy, but have

always had a tendancy toward that anyway, lol It is a roller coaster

at points. I have a very similar story in our family with heart

disease as yours with liver, so understand why the doctors wanted you

checked out, too bad they hadn't caught it all before. My coronary

artery problems were caught early enough that even with 9 stents in my

body, my heart works full time. Someone else asked if cirrhosis can

be reversed, and it can in a few cases, but you don't even know you

have cirrhosis without a biopsy, and until it hits that point, you can

do a lot to hold it off. Jan

> Good afternoon, all!

> I am really more of a browser and reader than I am an active person in the

community.  I've learned a great deal from everyone's information and

experiences.

>

> In late Feb/early March this year, my 59 year old father was diagnosed with

ESLD and liver cancer, and had a suspected " clot " in/near the billary duct.  He

was having some symptoms late in 2011 but his GP didn't think it was that

serious.  Long story short, in February - he checked himself in the ER and that

is whenever they started the testing/prodding and etc.  Not even 2.5 months

later, and after countless hospital stays and doctor's visit, my father slipped

into a coma and passed.  He had had a knee replacement in August 2010, which I

suspect caused some of this to speed up because of all the Loratab he was taking

after.

>

> Since my mother has NASH and the caught my father's ailments so late, his

doctor's recommended that my brother and myself get checked.  Dad made us

promise shortly before his passing to get it done.

>

> I was diagnosed with fatty liver in 2007 but was told " Lose weight " and no one

ever mentioned a follow up.  Well, I didn't and I continued to drink, eat bad

foods, smoke, etc... until right before I got pregnant in 2009.  My OBGYN didn't

mention anything about the liver.

>

> Anywho, I went to the doctor in August and my AST was 79 and my ALT was 81 and

he referred me to a specialist. I also had an ultrasound done on my gut. They

ran all sorts of scarey tests, and most came back negative (cancer, the marker

for liver disease, the hepatituses).  He wanted to do a biopsy but wanted to

wait.  He believes I have late fatty liver, and judging by my past numbers, am

not too far away from stage 1 liver disease.  He was surprised no one referred

me to him sooner based on my #s alone because I have been actively progressing

for several year, and he estimates that if I continued, I would be seeing some

dire health issues in as little as 10-15 years (just an estimate).

>

> This scared the living daylights out of me.  I am only 30 with a child who is

almost 2.  I know now just a little of the fear my dad must have gone through

whenever he was going through the diagonsis process. I cannot imagine leaving my

child without a mom, or having them see me get sick.  I mean death is scarey,

but hurting/leaving/scaring my family is even worse. This year has been a real

eye opener for me.  I cannot image how my father felt, and how I bet some of you

have felt or are feeling. I am starting to tear up as I write this.

>

> He gave me 4 months to turn around my eating habits and get working out to

lose weight.  Well, long story short, I just went back and my AST was 24 and my

ALT is 28 and I am almost 40 pounds down. Because of the genetic tie with both

my parents, I have to keep coming in to get checked a few times a year and since

I have a fatty liver.  I don't need a biopsy yet.

>

> I thank each one of you for your information and stories.  You will never

imagine how much all of this has meant to me.

>

> I wish you all happy holidays!  I will continue lurking and learning.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Group Email:    livercirrhosissupport

> web address:

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/livercirrhosissupport/

>

[Guest guest]

Looks like my spam catcher, caught your original post and I didn't see it until

Jan's comment.

I'm sorry to hear about your father.  He was certainly far too young to have

his liver take him out.  But, if you can, know that he did not go through a

long lingering degeneration of his body.

A great deal of folks out there, did not even know their livers were in jeopardy

until the damage was extensive.  I am an example.  I learned that I had Hep C

early 2002, when my insurance company turned me down!!  It was a shock.  In

2004, I was getting ready to go and have a chat with the only Dr. in our town,

that was willing to study the liver.  They did a biopsy and I was already in

Stage 3 bridging to Stage 4.  Stage 4 is cirrhotic and also when the person has

the beginning to ESLD.

I did the Hep C treatment in 2004/2005; but, it didn't work to kick the dragon

right on outta here.  In 2009, I was asked to participate in a clinical trial

for a new combination of meds, to get the dragon gone.  On that score, I have

been a winner.  However, the dragon might be gone; but, had done so much damage

that my cirrhotic liver started producing those little cancer tumors.  I have

had the only operation I can ever have and in just 15 months, the cancer is

back.  This time, I will not do any further chemo!!!  Much of my living since

2004 has been fighting for my liver and the treatment for Hep C, almost makes

one wonder which was worse?  The degenerating liver  disease or that

treatment.  So, I'm trudging down the final road with my spiritual Creator.

The reason that I tell you this.  I think you are extremely lucky!!!  It's not

Hepatitis and sounds like it can be dealt with by diet and exercise.   I hate

the thought of both of those words; but, I think if I was told that it was

either that or where I am right now - don't think it's hard to figure out where

I'd rather be.  So, I can't even say that you were given a 2nd chance because

your liver is hardly damaged at all.  But, learn to love that liver.  It's the

organ that has the most work, flushing our blood and trying to get rid of the

crap we put into our bodies. 

> Good afternoon, all!

> I am really more of a browser and reader than I am an active person in the

community.  I've learned a great deal from everyone's information and

experiences.

>

> In late Feb/early March this year, my 59 year old father was diagnosed with

ESLD and liver cancer, and had a suspected " clot " in/near the billary duct.  He

was having some symptoms late in 2011 but his GP didn't think it was that

serious.  Long story short, in February - he checked himself in the ER and that

is whenever they started the testing/prodding and etc.  Not even 2.5 months

later, and after countless hospital stays and doctor's visit, my father slipped

into a coma and passed.  He had had a knee replacement in August 2010, which I

suspect caused some of this to speed up because of all the Loratab he was taking

after.

>

> Since my mother has NASH and the caught my father's ailments so late, his

doctor's recommended that my brother and myself get checked.  Dad made us

promise shortly before his passing to get it done.

>

> I was diagnosed with fatty liver in 2007 but was told " Lose weight " and no one

ever mentioned a follow up.  Well, I didn't and I continued to drink, eat bad

foods, smoke, etc... until right before I got pregnant in 2009.  My OBGYN

didn't mention anything about the liver.

>

> Anywho, I went to the doctor in August and my AST was 79 and my ALT was 81 and

he referred me to a specialist. I also had an ultrasound done on my gut. They

ran all sorts of scarey tests, and most came back negative (cancer, the marker

for liver disease, the hepatituses).  He wanted to do a biopsy but wanted to

wait.  He believes I have late fatty liver, and judging by my past numbers, am

not too far away from stage 1 liver disease.  He was surprised no one referred

me to him sooner based on my #s alone because I have been actively progressing

for several year, and he estimates that if I continued, I would be seeing some

dire health issues in as little as 10-15 years (just an estimate).

>

> This scared the living daylights out of me.  I am only 30 with a child who is

almost 2.  I know now just a little of the fear my dad must have gone through

whenever he was going through the diagonsis process. I cannot imagine leaving my

child without a mom, or having them see me get sick.  I mean death is scarey,

but hurting/leaving/scaring my family is even worse. This year has been a real

eye opener for me.  I cannot image how my father felt, and how I bet some of

you have felt or are feeling. I am starting to tear up as I write this.

>

> He gave me 4 months to turn around my eating habits and get working out to

lose weight.  Well, long story short, I just went back and my AST was 24 and my

ALT is 28 and I am almost 40 pounds down. Because of the genetic tie with both

my parents, I have to keep coming in to get checked a few times a year and since

I have a fatty liver.  I don't need a biopsy yet.

>

> I thank each one of you for your information and stories.  You will never

imagine how much all of this has meant to me.

>

> I wish you all happy holidays!  I will continue lurking and learning.

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> Group Email:    livercirrhosissupport

> web address:

> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/livercirrhosissupport/

>