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There are some risks in all intrusive medical procedures. ERCP is a save procedure, I had three in the last year. It is a somewhat uncomfortable procedure, your throat hurts afterwards, there are possibilities of infections (I never had a problem with that, but I read here that some people did). I would say that the risks are minimal compared to the possitive results an ERCP can have. The doctors can improve their understanding of the strictures in your husbands bile ducts, they can place stents if necessary, they can cut tissue, the can do a sphincterectomy if necessary, they can use a balloon to open the bile ducts and thus reduce symptoms. I am probably forgetting a few more options. Since my last ERCP I am totally symptom free and my blood test results are close to normal. This does not mean of course that this will happen to your husband as well, that depends entirely on his stage of PSC, but it is possible to improve your husbands condition with an ERCP and to improve the understanding of the strictures. My experience with ERCP is a possitive one.

an -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ]On Behalf Of prichsySent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 8:17 AMTo: Subject: ERCP

How dangerous is ERCP ?Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

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There are some risks in all intrusive medical procedures. ERCP is a save procedure, I had three in the last year. It is a somewhat uncomfortable procedure, your throat hurts afterwards, there are possibilities of infections (I never had a problem with that, but I read here that some people did). I would say that the risks are minimal compared to the possitive results an ERCP can have. The doctors can improve their understanding of the strictures in your husbands bile ducts, they can place stents if necessary, they can cut tissue, the can do a sphincterectomy if necessary, they can use a balloon to open the bile ducts and thus reduce symptoms. I am probably forgetting a few more options. Since my last ERCP I am totally symptom free and my blood test results are close to normal. This does not mean of course that this will happen to your husband as well, that depends entirely on his stage of PSC, but it is possible to improve your husbands condition with an ERCP and to improve the understanding of the strictures. My experience with ERCP is a possitive one.

an -----Original Message-----From: [mailto: ]On Behalf Of prichsySent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 8:17 AMTo: Subject: ERCP

How dangerous is ERCP ?Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

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>

> How dangerous is ERCP ?

> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

>

AS long as your doc is good I wd take his advice. I have had ERCP's

both with sedation and without. The advantage without is that you can

drive yourself home afterwards but its not pleasant. There are risks

with it but if its urgent and you don't have it what are the risks

then. I think the important thing is having a top doc you can trust at

the end of the day.

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Same here (symptom-free since ERCP in 2001). Biggest risk is pancreatitis

(I've gotten it 2 of 3 times), but it's almost always reversible, and the

benefits outweigh the risks, for me.

Arne

55 - UC 1977, PSC 2000

Alive and (mostly) well in Minnesota

________________________________

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Chaim Boermeester

....Since my last ERCP I am totally symptom free and my blood test results

are close to normal. This does not mean of course that this will happen to

your husband as well, that depends entirely on his stage of PSC, but it is

possible to improve your husbands condition with an ERCP and to improve the

understanding of the strictures. My experience with ERCP is a possitive one.

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Same here (symptom-free since ERCP in 2001). Biggest risk is pancreatitis

(I've gotten it 2 of 3 times), but it's almost always reversible, and the

benefits outweigh the risks, for me.

Arne

55 - UC 1977, PSC 2000

Alive and (mostly) well in Minnesota

________________________________

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Chaim Boermeester

....Since my last ERCP I am totally symptom free and my blood test results

are close to normal. This does not mean of course that this will happen to

your husband as well, that depends entirely on his stage of PSC, but it is

possible to improve your husbands condition with an ERCP and to improve the

understanding of the strictures. My experience with ERCP is a possitive one.

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Same here (symptom-free since ERCP in 2001). Biggest risk is pancreatitis

(I've gotten it 2 of 3 times), but it's almost always reversible, and the

benefits outweigh the risks, for me.

Arne

55 - UC 1977, PSC 2000

Alive and (mostly) well in Minnesota

________________________________

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Chaim Boermeester

....Since my last ERCP I am totally symptom free and my blood test results

are close to normal. This does not mean of course that this will happen to

your husband as well, that depends entirely on his stage of PSC, but it is

possible to improve your husbands condition with an ERCP and to improve the

understanding of the strictures. My experience with ERCP is a possitive one.

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Thanks for that.Helps tremendously. When the blood test results are

close to normal, does it mean that the PSC is giving up ? Does

normal tests mean we are in remission ? OR is it that the bile

ducts/liver can keep acting up inspite of good blood tests ?

Am asking because hubby has been diagnosed very recently. He was

diagnosed with UC approx 5-6 yrs ago and his liver tests then

weren't good.We were then told that it simply must be becoz of

UC.Then the liver tests got much better and then worse again and so

on and so forth.No tests were done as it kept getting better. This

time he presented with severe jaundice, itching. fever, tiredness,

drowsiness, etc and the blood tests are absolutely ROTTON.

ALP is 1069 and so on and so forth. Ultrasound done, MRI done and

PSC diagnosed. Noone knows but I keep wondering whether this means

he has had PSC since the 1st bad blood test or the last...

's

>

> There are some risks in all intrusive medical procedures. ERCP is

a save

> procedure, I had three in the last year. It is a somewhat

uncomfortable

> procedure, your throat hurts afterwards, there are possibilities of

> infections (I never had a problem with that, but I read here that

some

> people did). I would say that the risks are minimal compared to the

> possitive results an ERCP can have. The doctors can improve their

> understanding of the strictures in your husbands bile ducts, they

can place

> stents if necessary, they can cut tissue, the can do a

sphincterectomy if

> necessary, they can use a balloon to open the bile ducts and thus

reduce

> symptoms. I am probably forgetting a few more options. Since my

last ERCP I

> am totally symptom free and my blood test results are close to

normal. This

> does not mean of course that this will happen to your husband as

well, that

> depends entirely on his stage of PSC, but it is possible to

improve your

> husbands condition with an ERCP and to improve the understanding

of the

> strictures. My experience with ERCP is a possitive one.

>

> an ERCP

>

>

> How dangerous is ERCP ?

> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

>

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Hi, Prichsy. My husband has never had an ERCP but from what I gather

from reading the posts there are two things you can do to make ERCP

safer: 1) make sure your husband gets antibiotics before, during and

after; and 2) make sure the person doing the ERCP has extensive

experience with the procedure. Again, my husband has never had one but

I've been keeping notes for when he does and that's what I've got.

Anyone else? Thanks,

Nina

husband PSC 4/06

> How dangerous is ERCP ?

> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

>

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Hi, Prichsy. My husband has never had an ERCP but from what I gather

from reading the posts there are two things you can do to make ERCP

safer: 1) make sure your husband gets antibiotics before, during and

after; and 2) make sure the person doing the ERCP has extensive

experience with the procedure. Again, my husband has never had one but

I've been keeping notes for when he does and that's what I've got.

Anyone else? Thanks,

Nina

husband PSC 4/06

> How dangerous is ERCP ?

> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

>

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Hi, Prichsy. My husband has never had an ERCP but from what I gather

from reading the posts there are two things you can do to make ERCP

safer: 1) make sure your husband gets antibiotics before, during and

after; and 2) make sure the person doing the ERCP has extensive

experience with the procedure. Again, my husband has never had one but

I've been keeping notes for when he does and that's what I've got.

Anyone else? Thanks,

Nina

husband PSC 4/06

> How dangerous is ERCP ?

> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

>

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The rule of thumb is that PSC probably started 10 years before you start showing

symptoms. Obviously, that's not true in all cases.

Remission doesn't really apply, since the bile duct damage has already occurred

once symptoms present. However, it does appear that PSC advances at a

significantly slower rate in some people, sometimes so slow that transplant is

never necessary (or even symptoms never present!). There are people on this

forum that have had PSC for 30+ years.

It is thought that PSC is much more prevalent than the numbers would indicate,

primarily because of the self-healing properties of the liver, and the very slow

progression in some people.

If we only knew why.

Arne

============================================================

....When the blood test results are close to normal, does it mean that the PSC is

giving up ? Does normal tests mean we are in remission ? OR is it that the bile

ducts/liver can keep acting up inspite of good blood tests ?..

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In my humble opinion it means that the blockage is temporarily fixed. If the progress of the PSC is slow, this may mean that the next blockage will be only in a few years, if the progress is fast it can be a lot sooner. I haven't heard yet of PSC giving up or being in remission. Progress can be slow.

My understanding is that good blood test are an indication that there is no blockage at the time of the blood test. There are a few indicators in blood tests that give an indication of liver damage (they are by-products of dying liver cells), but I am not sure which ones they are.

I can't diagnose your husband from here of course, I am no doc either, but his symptoms sound like PSC to me. I also had the fluctuating bloodtests until my gall bladder was removed and the ERCPs were done. At this moment in time my bile ducts seem to be open, judging by the blood tests.

My PSC was detected when my wife insisted in 2001 I take a routine bloodtest, you know how wifes are ;-). It took them a while to figure out what the problem was (2003) and it took me a while to develop symptoms (2005). I do not have UC as far as I know.

Sorry, no uplifting news this time.

ERCP> > > How dangerous is ERCP ?> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...>

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In my humble opinion it means that the blockage is temporarily fixed. If the progress of the PSC is slow, this may mean that the next blockage will be only in a few years, if the progress is fast it can be a lot sooner. I haven't heard yet of PSC giving up or being in remission. Progress can be slow.

My understanding is that good blood test are an indication that there is no blockage at the time of the blood test. There are a few indicators in blood tests that give an indication of liver damage (they are by-products of dying liver cells), but I am not sure which ones they are.

I can't diagnose your husband from here of course, I am no doc either, but his symptoms sound like PSC to me. I also had the fluctuating bloodtests until my gall bladder was removed and the ERCPs were done. At this moment in time my bile ducts seem to be open, judging by the blood tests.

My PSC was detected when my wife insisted in 2001 I take a routine bloodtest, you know how wifes are ;-). It took them a while to figure out what the problem was (2003) and it took me a while to develop symptoms (2005). I do not have UC as far as I know.

Sorry, no uplifting news this time.

ERCP> > > How dangerous is ERCP ?> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...>

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In my humble opinion it means that the blockage is temporarily fixed. If the progress of the PSC is slow, this may mean that the next blockage will be only in a few years, if the progress is fast it can be a lot sooner. I haven't heard yet of PSC giving up or being in remission. Progress can be slow.

My understanding is that good blood test are an indication that there is no blockage at the time of the blood test. There are a few indicators in blood tests that give an indication of liver damage (they are by-products of dying liver cells), but I am not sure which ones they are.

I can't diagnose your husband from here of course, I am no doc either, but his symptoms sound like PSC to me. I also had the fluctuating bloodtests until my gall bladder was removed and the ERCPs were done. At this moment in time my bile ducts seem to be open, judging by the blood tests.

My PSC was detected when my wife insisted in 2001 I take a routine bloodtest, you know how wifes are ;-). It took them a while to figure out what the problem was (2003) and it took me a while to develop symptoms (2005). I do not have UC as far as I know.

Sorry, no uplifting news this time.

ERCP> > > How dangerous is ERCP ?> Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...>

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Arne,

I hadn't heard that about PSC starting 10 years before symptoms. If

so, my PSC dug in the year that I was 12. My grandmother and the cat

we'd had all of my life died that year and my great-grandmother died

the next year (at age 103). Very interesting that it would start at

such a stressful time when I was full of pre-pubescent hormones. My

PSC always flared when I was under stress or having female issues.

Things that make you go hummmmmmmmm.

Take care,

Deb in VA

>

> The rule of thumb is that PSC probably started 10 years before you

start showing symptoms. Obviously, that's not true in all cases.

> >

>

> Arne

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Arne,

I hadn't heard that about PSC starting 10 years before symptoms. If

so, my PSC dug in the year that I was 12. My grandmother and the cat

we'd had all of my life died that year and my great-grandmother died

the next year (at age 103). Very interesting that it would start at

such a stressful time when I was full of pre-pubescent hormones. My

PSC always flared when I was under stress or having female issues.

Things that make you go hummmmmmmmm.

Take care,

Deb in VA

>

> The rule of thumb is that PSC probably started 10 years before you

start showing symptoms. Obviously, that's not true in all cases.

> >

>

> Arne

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Arne,

I hadn't heard that about PSC starting 10 years before symptoms. If

so, my PSC dug in the year that I was 12. My grandmother and the cat

we'd had all of my life died that year and my great-grandmother died

the next year (at age 103). Very interesting that it would start at

such a stressful time when I was full of pre-pubescent hormones. My

PSC always flared when I was under stress or having female issues.

Things that make you go hummmmmmmmm.

Take care,

Deb in VA

>

> The rule of thumb is that PSC probably started 10 years before you

start showing symptoms. Obviously, that's not true in all cases.

> >

>

> Arne

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The risks are (as explained to me by 's ERCP doc) poking a hole and causing bleeding, cholangitis (which you can get, anyway, if you don't remove biliary obstruction), and pancreatitis (he says is 1 in 1000 risk). My 8 1/2 year old son has had 14 in a year. He's never developed pancreatitis. He's developed cholangitis twice (the first time was after the first one, and then one other time). He's also developed cholangitis twice BEFORE an ERCP, making the ERCP's necessary at those times. The only other anything that I can think of in my experience with is liver tenderness and sometimes a sore throat. One time they bumped his uvula in the back of his throat and it swelled up. Pretty minor things compared to what could be faced by not doing it. I know the whole thing is scary. I was scared to death when had his first

few. (Of course, we also had lung collapse on his list of risks, as he had end stage pulmonary fibrosis at the time and his lungs collapsed easily, anyway.) Amiprichsy wrote: How dangerous is ERCP ?Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP... Ami mom to - 8 yrs - Double Lung Tx 2/26/2006, PSC - Pre-Liver Tx, Central DI, Steroid Induced Diabetes, HypoT, GERD, High BP, ADD, Anemia, Malabsorption, No Motility http://www.caringbridge.com/visit/seanfox mom to Emma

- 12 yrs - Migraines, otherwise healthy stepmom to - 13 yrs - ADD, RAD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ __________________________________________________

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Well, I only know that one of 's GI docs said had "10 years worth of scarring in his liver". I told him "Dr. Sharp, the kid's only eight!" Told me that was exactly his point. (I guess trying to tell me just how bad off 's liver is.) Makes a person wonder if maybe the prematurity, meds he was on in the NICU, something like that could have caused the PSC? Or triggered it. AmiDeb in VA wrote: Arne,I hadn't heard that about PSC starting 10 years before symptoms. If so, my PSC dug in the year that I was 12. My grandmother and the cat we'd had all of my life died that year and my great-grandmother died the next year (at age 103). Very interesting that it would start at such a stressful time when I was full of pre-pubescent hormones. My PSC always flared when I was under stress or having female issues. Things that make you go hummmmmmmmm.Take care,Deb in VA>> The rule of thumb is that PSC probably started 10 years before you start showing symptoms. Obviously, that's not true in all cases. > > > > Arne Ami mom to - 8 yrs - Double Lung Tx 2/26/2006, PSC - Pre-Liver Tx, Central DI, Steroid Induced Diabetes, HypoT, GERD, High BP, ADD, Anemia, Malabsorption, No Motility http://www.caringbridge.com/visit/seanfox mom to Emma - 12 yrs - Migraines, otherwise healthy stepmom to - 13 yrs - ADD, RAD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ __________________________________________________

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Well, I only know that one of 's GI docs said had "10 years worth of scarring in his liver". I told him "Dr. Sharp, the kid's only eight!" Told me that was exactly his point. (I guess trying to tell me just how bad off 's liver is.) Makes a person wonder if maybe the prematurity, meds he was on in the NICU, something like that could have caused the PSC? Or triggered it. AmiDeb in VA wrote: Arne,I hadn't heard that about PSC starting 10 years before symptoms. If so, my PSC dug in the year that I was 12. My grandmother and the cat we'd had all of my life died that year and my great-grandmother died the next year (at age 103). Very interesting that it would start at such a stressful time when I was full of pre-pubescent hormones. My PSC always flared when I was under stress or having female issues. Things that make you go hummmmmmmmm.Take care,Deb in VA>> The rule of thumb is that PSC probably started 10 years before you start showing symptoms. Obviously, that's not true in all cases. > > > > Arne Ami mom to - 8 yrs - Double Lung Tx 2/26/2006, PSC - Pre-Liver Tx, Central DI, Steroid Induced Diabetes, HypoT, GERD, High BP, ADD, Anemia, Malabsorption, No Motility http://www.caringbridge.com/visit/seanfox mom to Emma - 12 yrs - Migraines, otherwise healthy stepmom to - 13 yrs - ADD, RAD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ __________________________________________________

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Well, I only know that one of 's GI docs said had "10 years worth of scarring in his liver". I told him "Dr. Sharp, the kid's only eight!" Told me that was exactly his point. (I guess trying to tell me just how bad off 's liver is.) Makes a person wonder if maybe the prematurity, meds he was on in the NICU, something like that could have caused the PSC? Or triggered it. AmiDeb in VA wrote: Arne,I hadn't heard that about PSC starting 10 years before symptoms. If so, my PSC dug in the year that I was 12. My grandmother and the cat we'd had all of my life died that year and my great-grandmother died the next year (at age 103). Very interesting that it would start at such a stressful time when I was full of pre-pubescent hormones. My PSC always flared when I was under stress or having female issues. Things that make you go hummmmmmmmm.Take care,Deb in VA>> The rule of thumb is that PSC probably started 10 years before you start showing symptoms. Obviously, that's not true in all cases. > > > > Arne Ami mom to - 8 yrs - Double Lung Tx 2/26/2006, PSC - Pre-Liver Tx, Central DI, Steroid Induced Diabetes, HypoT, GERD, High BP, ADD, Anemia, Malabsorption, No Motility http://www.caringbridge.com/visit/seanfox mom to Emma - 12 yrs - Migraines, otherwise healthy stepmom to - 13 yrs - ADD, RAD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ __________________________________________________

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In your husband's case, you also have to ask what are the risks of NOT

having an ERCP? ERCP, and only ERCP, short of transplant, has the

potential to relieve these symptoms, possibly for years to come. If

the stricture is left as is, it will accelerate the degeneration of

his liver. To reduce the other risks, choose the most experienced

endoscopist you can find, and get antibiotics before and after.

There are simple antigen tests that can distinguish between PBC and

PSC. The doctor has probably done them already, and ruled out PBC. The

beaded appearance is typical of PSC.

As for having close to normal blood tests, with Ursodiol for the last

14 years, my ALP has been in the 170-210 range, normal being 135 for

the lab I use. I have never been symptomatic. But the disease has

slowly progressed. I now have severe atrophy of the left lobe, but

there were no symptoms to indicate anything was wrong- it just quit,

and the right side keeps me going. So symptoms and blood tests can

indicate how sick you are, but not how the disease is progressing.

That said, switching to URSO and adding fish oil has lowered my ALP to

132, the lowest since diagnosis.

Martha (MA)

When the blood test results are

> close to normal, does it mean that the PSC is giving up ?

> > How dangerous is ERCP ?

> > Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

> >

>

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In your husband's case, you also have to ask what are the risks of NOT

having an ERCP? ERCP, and only ERCP, short of transplant, has the

potential to relieve these symptoms, possibly for years to come. If

the stricture is left as is, it will accelerate the degeneration of

his liver. To reduce the other risks, choose the most experienced

endoscopist you can find, and get antibiotics before and after.

There are simple antigen tests that can distinguish between PBC and

PSC. The doctor has probably done them already, and ruled out PBC. The

beaded appearance is typical of PSC.

As for having close to normal blood tests, with Ursodiol for the last

14 years, my ALP has been in the 170-210 range, normal being 135 for

the lab I use. I have never been symptomatic. But the disease has

slowly progressed. I now have severe atrophy of the left lobe, but

there were no symptoms to indicate anything was wrong- it just quit,

and the right side keeps me going. So symptoms and blood tests can

indicate how sick you are, but not how the disease is progressing.

That said, switching to URSO and adding fish oil has lowered my ALP to

132, the lowest since diagnosis.

Martha (MA)

When the blood test results are

> close to normal, does it mean that the PSC is giving up ?

> > How dangerous is ERCP ?

> > Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

> >

>

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Share on other sites

In your husband's case, you also have to ask what are the risks of NOT

having an ERCP? ERCP, and only ERCP, short of transplant, has the

potential to relieve these symptoms, possibly for years to come. If

the stricture is left as is, it will accelerate the degeneration of

his liver. To reduce the other risks, choose the most experienced

endoscopist you can find, and get antibiotics before and after.

There are simple antigen tests that can distinguish between PBC and

PSC. The doctor has probably done them already, and ruled out PBC. The

beaded appearance is typical of PSC.

As for having close to normal blood tests, with Ursodiol for the last

14 years, my ALP has been in the 170-210 range, normal being 135 for

the lab I use. I have never been symptomatic. But the disease has

slowly progressed. I now have severe atrophy of the left lobe, but

there were no symptoms to indicate anything was wrong- it just quit,

and the right side keeps me going. So symptoms and blood tests can

indicate how sick you are, but not how the disease is progressing.

That said, switching to URSO and adding fish oil has lowered my ALP to

132, the lowest since diagnosis.

Martha (MA)

When the blood test results are

> close to normal, does it mean that the PSC is giving up ?

> > How dangerous is ERCP ?

> > Hubby it is very sick and doc says we need an urgent ERCP...

> >

>

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